No matter what time of the day (or night), anybody would benefit from a yummy snack! In this Tastessence post, we have managed to compile a list of savory snacks that are sure to make your stomach roar with hunger!
Sweet!
According to Tufts University, Department of Psychology study, consumption of a sweet snack in afternoon can improve you spatial memory i.e. your memory to navigate through familiar places.
Something sweet, something salty, a little spicy, or may be slathered with cheese with a good crunch is something that we all crave for. Especially when hunger strikes at the most ungodly hours.
Although snacks are meant to be a light-in-between-meals affair but our favorite snacks are far from being ordinary!
Here we have some lip-smacking and finger licking good savory snacks from across the world. But be warned…DO NOT PROCEED FURTHER IF HUNGRY!
Delicious Savory Snacks From Around The World
French Fries
Hot and crispy fries may be American but are surely loved the world over. Of course, you love to pair the golden goodness with mayonnaise, brown sauce, sour cream, hot sauce, or ranch dressing… basically anything under the sun works well. But French fries taste best with some good ol’ ketchup.
Tacos
Wheat or corn tortilla with a bean, meat, and sometimes rice filling is the perfect snack when you’re a tad bit hungrier. A slightly piquant filling accompanied by the smoothness of avocados, the sweetness of onions, the tang from tomatoes and lime juice, and the freshness of cilantro makes your soul sing.
Onion Rings
Crisp rings with a sweet and oniony center along with a cold glass of beer, on a hot summer’s day, couldn’t get any better! Thick rings of onions are either dipped in batter or coated with breadcrumbs and are usually served along with ketchup, mayonnaise, or tartar sauce. Some people like to add a bit of Parmesan salt and pepper into the mix to create an even more divine version!
Buffalo Wings
Crispy fried chicken wings coated with a tangy, slightly pungent sauce with loads of butter. Served with a side of ranch dressing or a blue cheese is just oomphalicious! A bite of its luscious slightly sticky umaminess will leave you craving for more.
Hot Dog
Steamed or grilled sausages tucked in a sliced bun, as a sandwich, is one of our favorite midday snacks. What makes this snack truly American is the delicious varieties of condiments served with it. Whether you love your dog with some hot chili, pickle relish, sauerkraut. or the classic ketchup with mustard. these little piglets never seem to disappoint!
Crab Cakes
The sweet flesh of crab combined with eggs, seasoning, and herbs, either fried, baked, grilled or sautéed served with a tangy mayonnaise, coleslaw, or potato salad, are simply the best! Some versions are made more exciting by the addition of ingredients like green or red peppers and yellow onions.
Burritos
Parcels of wheat-based tortillas filled with an enticing combination of ingredients like Mexican-style rice, refried beans, lettuce, salsa, piquant meat, creamy guacamole, sometimes with the addition of ingredients like cheese and sour cream.
Mozzarella Sticks
Italian mozzarella cheese either breaded or dipped in batter and deep-fried make for heavenly sticks that are crunchy on the outside and oozing with cheese in the center. Ideally, they are served with a tomato, barbecue, or a marinara sauce. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, you could try it with plum sauce or jalapeño jelly.
Spring Rolls
A light crunchy and crispy pastry filled with pork, shredded carrots, and vegetables served with a sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce. Some variants have minced chicken or shrimp. These deep-fried treats are so delicious that they are generally devoured in a matter of minutes.
Scallion Pancakes
It is an unleavened savory flatbread that is folded to create layers and usually stuffed with green scallion. Sometimes a special touch of fennel green or sesame seeds are added to it. These pancakes are usually served with soy sauce, hot sauce, or a Vietnamese dipping sauce.
Dim Sum
Little bite-size dumplings filled with minced beef, pork, prawns, or vegetables, these are usually fried or steamed. These dumplings are usually served with tea.
Tempura
Vegetables and seafood are usually coated in a light batter made of flour and iced water to give an extra crunchy and crispy coating. Vegetables and seafood are usually prepared (cut and scored) very carefully prior to the process of frying to make them look even more presentable. They are usually served with a dipping sauce that combines the sweetness of mirin, the saltiness of soy sauce and the umaminess of dashi.
Yakitori
These Japanese-style grilled chicken skewers are one the most popular Japanese street foods. Bite-sized chicken pieces are mounted on bamboo skewers, baste with a sweet-salty sauce called tare, and grilled to perfection. The tare adds to the charred smoky flavor of the grilled chicken. Some non-poultry versions use beef, vegetables, and pork.
Samosa
The samosa is a deep-fried or baked pastry filled with a spicy filling of potatoes, onions, and peas. Some delicious versions incorporate minced meat as well. These crunchy little triangles are either served with a mint sauce or a sweet and tangy tamarind chutney. Different variations of this snack can be found the world over.
Pani Puri
Panipuri or gol gappa is one of the most popular Indian street foods. This dish consists of crispy, hollow, fried pastries called puris that are filled with flavored water as well as boiled potatoes and chickpeas. The flavored water or pani is usually a titillating combination of sweet and tangy tamarind chutney, chili, and chat masala.
Vietnamese Summer Roll
Rice vermicelli, fresh vegetables, cooked pork and prawns wrapped in rice paper to give little bundles of gorgeous-looking salad is one of the most popular Vietnamese dishes that you must try. This vibrant-looking roll is eaten raw and is usually served with different dipping sauces like hoisin sauce or peanut sauce. Some variations contain filling of sliced pork sausages, pan-fried squid, poached beef, etc.
Pork Scratchings
Crispy little pork scratchings are a popular British bar snack. These crunchy little treats are basically deep-fried pork rind. The rind is fried in order to render its fat, and then seasoned with salt. These are usually served as an accompaniment to beer along with peanuts and potato chips.
Bruschetta
It is basically an Italian appetizer of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil and salt. One of the most popular version consists of a topping of basil, fresh tomato, garlic, mozzarella. The Bruschetta pomodoro is a decadent variation made with toppings like tomato, vegetables, cheese, and cured meats.
Dhokla
Light, fluffy, moist, and mostly yellow-colored, dhoklas are a popular item for breakfast or snacks in India. This snack is usually prepared by steaming a batter of rice or split chickpeas flour after it has been fermented for a few hours. After steaming the batter, it is then seasoned with mustard seeds and sesame seeds tempered in hot oil and are soaked in a mildly sweet sugar solution. It is usually served with a coriander-mint chutney or deep-fried chilies.
Green Papaya Salad
A spicy salad made with shredded papaya may be one of the healthiest and most delectable salads you’ll ever come across. With bags of flavors lent by ingredients like lime, chili, fish sauce, shrimp paste and palm sugar, this dish can never go unnoticed. Some variations of this salad use cucumber, brined crab, unripe mangoes, unripe bananas, pork sausages, prawns etc. These salads are usually topped with crushed peanuts.
Aloo Tikki
The Indian version of potato croquettes topped with a mixture of chickpeas, yogurt, mint and chili chutney, tamarind chutney. This mixture is usually sprinkled with some chat masala and garnished with coriander leaves and chopped raw onions. This snack is quite popular in the Northern India.
Fried Plantain
Many variations of this dish are present all over the world. In West Africa, thick pieces of unripened or ripened plantains are coated with a spicy paste and deep-fried. In India, unripe plantains are usually deep-fried either in vegetable or coconut oil and are known as banana chips.
Pakodas
An Indian savory snack made by deep frying a variety of vegetables, cheese, chicken, or bread dipped in a batter of chick-pea flour. Most common vegetables used for making pakodas include potatoes, spinach, onion, cauliflower, eggplant, pumpkins, and green chili peppers. These snacks are usually served with mint or tamarind chutney along with some chai.
Fish n Chips
Melt-in-the-mouth gelatinous fish batter-fried to give a crunchy coating alongside golden and crispy potato wedges or French fries is yet another all-time favorite English bar food. White fish like cod or haddock are most commonly used. It is usually served with a lemon wedge and may be tartar sauce.
Nachos
Crispy tortilla chips slathered with some melted cheddar cheese. Nachos can also be served with creamy guacamole or some fresh and tangy salsa. They are usually topped with ingredients like chopped olives, pickled or fresh jalapeños, raw onions, or sour cream.
List of Snacks that Didn’t Make the Cut
Falafel
Bonda
Gulha
Soft Pretzel
Ada
Hummus
Sev mamra
Corn chips
Rice cracker
Ramen
Chopitos
Laksa
Siomay
Pempek
Pizza
Popcorn
Papadum
Bagel
Bitterballen
Bhelpuri
If you’ve managed to stick till the end, then I am sure, we’ve managed to get your stomach growling. Quick, make yourself a sandwich and don’t forget to pile it high!
