From the dai pai dong to the infamous fish balls, street snacking is a Hong Kong tradition.

Walking around Hong Kong, it is impossible to miss the different aromas that fill the air. Follow your nose to the city's famous streetside food stalls. These outdoor eateries are squeezed into anywhere that has space and come in a number of different forms, from takeaway diners with outdoor displays to gaai bin dongs and dai pai dongs for made-to-order specialities.

Street snacking in Hong Kong began during the mid-19th century when hawkers equipped with little more than a large wok and a portable trolley cooked food on the street and sold it for cheap prices and without licenses. The vendors congregated in lower income areas, such as housing estates. Later, the government tried to regulate the food stall industry by issuing licenses, where the name dai pai dong - which means cooked food stall - originated. Recently, following concerns about hygiene and congestion, the government stopped issuing new licenses. While no licenses were revoked, once the owners die, the street stall will die with them. Today, only about ten genuine dai pai dongs remain in Central.

Although the original dai pai dongs are slowly becoming extinct, street snacking has reappeared in different incarnations. Open air food stalls are far from luxurious; they are loud, hectic and hot. Sharing a plastic table, if available, is the only way to go at busy times. Despite the grittiness of street snacking, the food is to die for, making food stalls an authentic way to taste Hong Kong food culture.

Most street snacking spots are located near markets and pedestrian-friendly alleys. Try Temple Street in Mong Kok, Graham Street in SoHo, Haiphong Road in Tsim Sha Tsui and various locations in Sheung Wan and Causeway Bay for the ultimate street snacks.