Handheld snacks for discerning diners
In the world of handheld food, convenience meets flavour in every bite. From bustling street corners to festivals and care homes, these snacks encapsulate everything we love about cultural diversity and culinary innovation. This month our experts share their favourite handheld dishes to inspire and delight.
SEBASTIAN GARRIDO – Marketing Manager, Vibe Adventures
A street food classic in Mexico City is tacos; the best tacos you’ll find are always on the street and not in the restaurants. From suadero tacos (a brisket type of meat), pastor or campechano (steak and Spanish sausage), to more well-known classics like ribeye, needle or chicken. Street food in Mexico City is religion.
KRYSTLE SMITH – Owner, Baking Beauty
Our readers can’t get enough of our Mexican street corn. It is an explosion of different flavours and textures. It combines sweet and crunchy fresh corn with creamy cheese and a hit of spice. Use fresh corn and make it on the grill this summer for the ultimate flavour bomb. I was inspired to make it after trying street food in Mexico. We love serving it on a skewer at picnics and BBQs. It’s great for eating while walking around or mingling with others. It is also a fantastic accompaniment to a sweet-and-sour margarita at a cocktail party.
LOUISE WAGSTAFFE – Senior Culinary Advisor, Premier Foods
We aim to move finger-food beyond the traditional buffet fare. As part of our Cutlery-Free Food Programme we have adapted a range of iconic meals such as traditional roast dinner, curry and fish and chips, so care chefs can continue to serve favourite meals whilst supporting a balanced diet. We recommend that portion sizes are small to avoid overwhelming diners and to ensure dishes are easily recognisable and visually appealing.
FLEUR & PAUL – Owners, The Retreat
We make lots of handheld snacks and bakes at our café for hungry students and walkers heading out into the New Forest for the day. One of our most popular items is our handmade sausage rolls. We offer 20 different varieties including jalapeño & cheese, piri piri and sweet pepper, the classic pork and apple and one that will forever divide opinion – cheese and marmite! We rotate the flavours to keep customers coming back for more. Our pork is sourced from a local farm butcher less than 12 miles away and we use as much locally sourced produce as we can.
ZOE CARINA – Owner, The Intuitive Traveler
Recently, I visited Mexico and fell in love with their street food culture. The dish I kept returning to during my stay was tlayoyos. The tasty meal consists of thick corn tortillas filled with bean paste. Usually, they are filled with green lentils. You can get tlayoyos made with yellow or blue corn. On top, you can sprinkle cheese and onions, and choose from a variety of salsas.
