Bangkok is a street food heavyweight; one can eat well in the city without ever setting foot inside a restaurant. The street food scene in Bangkok is an integral part of the culture and locals know that the cuisine you’ll find on the sidewalk is often the tastiest.

Bangkok street food culture is built around the Thai habit of eating many small meals throughout the day. The sheer variety of street food options in Bangkok can be overwhelming — from fried noodles to creamy coconut and tropical fruit desserts — but those who choose to indulge are amply rewarded.

Despite the name, there¹s nothing “ew” about this dish.

1. Pad see ew

Fresh rice noodles are stir-fried with Chinese broccoli and dark soy sauce to make pad see ew, a dish that’s considered comfort food by many Thais. The wide, flat noodles are added to a protein or two — in Bangkok it’s usually chicken or pork and a fried egg — and cooked on a sizzling hot wok. You can try to make this at home, but it will never be as good as what you get on the streets of Bangkok.

Try it at: Ran Guay Jab Jaedang, Ratchawithi Road, Bangkok

Shredded papaya, chili, som tom … if only every salad were this exciting.

2. Som tam

Many travelers have found themselves unable to leave Thailand due to a serious som tam addiction, and who can blame them? This refreshing salad made from unripe green papaya is similar to dishes found in Cambodia and Laos, but the Thai versions, like som tam Thai, a mild, sweeter variation with peanuts, are better known. The combination of sour, sweet, salty and spicy makes for an unbeatable afternoon snack.

Try it at: Sukhumvit 38, Bangkok

As long as the pork is this good, the tiny stick industry will never suffer.

3. Moo ping

Often served with sticky rice, these grilled pork skewers are a fragrant, smoky and inexpensive snack. Pork that’s been marinated with tangy fish sauce and cilantro is brushed with rich, creamy coconut milk while being grilled over hot coals. You can easily find mu ping vendors by searching for the clouds of garlicky, porky smoke coming from their grills. Moo ping is often served with a spicy chili dipping sauce called jaew.

Try it at: Sukhumvit 38, Bangkok

Nowadays, most bowls of Thai boat noodles are served on dry land.

4. Boat noodles

Guay teow rhua, a flavorful Thai noodle dish, was traditionally sold by vendors in boats who paddled down Thailand’s many canals. Nowadays, boat noodles are a popular street food in Bangkok, served with morning glory, pork blood, bean sprouts and pieces of pork or beef. The bowls are cheap and tiny, allowing patrons to order several and try different meat and noodle combinations.

Try it at: Boat noodle alley, Victory Monument, Bangkok

“Poo” is Thai for “crab,” which some Thai English menus sometimes render as “crap.” Be not afraid.

5. Khao pad poo

It might not sound exciting, but the fried rice you get in Thailand is a world apart from what you’re used to. Khao pad, or fried rice, is made with fragrant Jasmine rice and the ubiquitous Thai fish sauce. Poo is fresh crab, and crab fried rice is cooked in a sizzling hot wok with a scrambled egg and topped with cilantro and fresh lime. The result is moist, fluffy and delicious.

Try it at: Naay Mong, 539 Thanon Phlapplaachai, Bangkok

Air-dried pork. Tastes better than it looks.

6. Moo dad diew

A dish that is best accompanied by cold beer, moo dad diew is pork that’s been marinated in a dark soy sauce with crushed coriander root and fish sauce, then air-dried in the sun until it has a jerky-like texture. Later, it’s deep fried and served with a dry-roasted ground chili sauce. The fatty, spicy combination is the perfect Bangkok booze food.

Think of it as cold spaghetti.

7. Kanom jeen

Served at room temperature, this dish of noodles made from fermented rice is the perfect breakfast or refreshing early afternoon snack. The noodles, called kanom jeen, are topped with a curry, or gang. There are many varieties of curry for kanom jeen, including chicken and fish, all of them appetizing. It’s served with crisp fresh vegetables, lightly pickled cucumbers and other pickles and blanched greens.

Try it at: Ko Lun, Thanon Mahanop, Bangkok

Dessert in a glass.

8. Cha yen

You can find cha yen, or iced tea, in Thai restaurants all over the world, but it always tastes better in Thailand, where it’s usually served in a plastic bag with a straw. Cha yen is strong black tea flavored with star anise and crushed tamarind seeds, which give the drink its unique reddish-orange hue. The tea is served over ice with sweet condensed milk and topped with a floater of evaporated milk for extra creamy goodness.

Try it at: Or Tor Kor Market, Kamphaeng Phet Road, Bangkok

So delicious you’d arm wrestle your grandma for the last bite. Well, we’d arm wrestle your grandma for it.

9. Khao niew ma muang

It may not sound like much, but khao niew ma muang is one of the most perfect food combinations in the world. It’s glutinous sticky rice paired with fresh sweet mango and drizzled with rich coconut cream. Widely available in Bangkok when mangoes are in season, khao niew ma muang is sometimes topped with peanuts, toasted sesame seeds or fried salty mung beans.

Try it at: Thonglor Night Market, Sukhumvit Soi 38, Bangkok

Coconut pudding topped with fried shallots. Sounds crazy, but it works.

10. Khanom krok

A simple yet delicious Thai dessert, kanom krok is best described as coconut pudding, made by cooking a mixture of flour batter and coconut cream over a charcoal fire. The snack is often served with crispy fried shallots on top, a tasty contrast to the rich flavor of the coconut.

Try it at: Or Tor Kor Market, Kamphaeng Phet Road, Bangkok

From CNNGO