July 19, 2006

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Handheld Food Delivery

Living in San Francisco, one is confronted with a plethora of food choices from a plethora of cultures. I've been noting lately that as I delve deeper into each new cuisine, I eventually discover that they, too, have developed some sort of handheld, portable food delivery device.

Across all cuisines, this seems to be the one constant (well... the second, after salt). Everyone has occasionally found it necessary to develop some way of making food able to be packed, carried, and then eaten without utensils.

  • Burritos - the handheld Mexican food delivery device
  • Calzone - a little pocket full of portable Italian food
  • Schwarma or falafel with a pita or wrap - Meditteranean food carrier
  • Moo Shu - generally served wrapped in moo shu pancakes
  • Croquettes - popular Dutch food delivery devices

In America, we have, in endless variations, the sandwich. The sandwich can take the form of PB&J, or it can be a club, or other deli sandwich. Even the hamburger is a form of sandwich. It's really quite pervasive in our culture.

So I'm trying to catalog them and try them all. What handheld food delivery methods have I missed?

Posted by Barzelay at July 19, 2006 6:26 AM | Comments (8) | Food Politics and Culture


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Well, tacos come to mind.

The roti (a generic term for flatbread from the Sub-Continent) is a staple in South Asia and in parts of the Carribean owing to the Indian diaspora. I read that roti wraps are the street-eat rage in the Bahamas. They're thicker than a burrito and soak up the filling juices perfectly.

Hand-held food delivery can get messy though I think its all part of the experience. I am always amused by folks who painstakingly try to make sure their hands remain immaculate throughout the eating process. Goodness, it's only food!

Posted by: Natasha D'Souza at July 19, 2006 11:07 AM


I must confess that I am one of those people who attempts to keep his hands clean. I try meticulously to keep my hands out of any of the wet stuff, as long as it seems possible to do. And I will always lick my fingers in order to clean them off if they get the food on them--a habit I developed not out of some boorish need to get every little bit of flavor, but rather out of a slightly compulsive desire to keep clean. Despite this, I almost always try to wash my hands before and after eating.

On the other hand, certain foods require just giving in. For instance, chicken, whether fried, broiled, or barbecued, generally requires lots of hand involvement. Ribs and corn on the cob as well. And obviously, I pick up burgers and fries and such and eat them by hand, despite the fact that there is often condiment spillage. But even in all these cases, I will inadvertently try to limit the numbers of fingers and the amount of skin that contacts the food.

Posted by: Barzelay at July 19, 2006 12:53 PM


The bagel is god's chosen handheld delivery device for god's chosen people.

Posted by: Chris Santoro at July 20, 2006 8:39 AM


The hand-washing comment reminded me of the automatic hand-washer at Rudy's BBQ in Austin. When you're too lazy to wash your own hands...just stick them in and the machine does it for you!

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