Street Meat: The Rise of NYC’s Halal Cart Culture

To some, the food carts littering the sidewalks of New York City are nothing more than street meat. To others, they represent a gastronomic paradise. These two faces of street vending have been side-by-side since the first entrepreneur thought to peddle his food on the city’s streets centuries ago.

Historically, while certain food carts simply mirrored the foods available for cheap — like oysters in the late-19th century — others were a reflection of the outsider populations of the city. Kosher dill pickles, a staple of the Jewish deli and most grocery stores, were an early street food brought to New York by Eastern European Jews, according to food writer Tori Avey. Italian residents opened street food stalls in downtown’s Little Italy. By the 1950s, Greek immigrants brought souvlaki and pita to the streets of New York, and became the predominant street food cuisine by the ‘80s. Today, hungry pedestrians are just as likely to find tacos, kati rolls, and shawarma on food carts, usually served by someone from that food’s country of origin.

But in the midst of the city’s long street food history, halal carts are relative newcomers to the scene. Only a few decades ago, “halal” exclusively referred to a method of slaughter that rendered a meat acceptable for Muslims to eat. Today, it’s become something more specific and entirely native to New York City.

Read more at Eater