What comes to your mind when you think of street food? Is it sizzling skewers of tender meat in a busy marketplace? Colourful food trucks serving up gut-busting burritos?

Or maybe it’s cosy street-side stalls serving up steaming bowls of the best ramen you’ve ever had? Everyone has a different idea of what good street food means to them, and the beauty of street food is that it’s locally prepared, fresh, affordable and can be experienced in pretty much every country on earth.

One thing is for sure, though, when it comes to countries and their street food, not all nations are created equal, and there are some places which have a street food game that is impossible to beat. Here’s a round-up of the best countries for street food.

China

In a country as vast as China, which spans several time zones and has a population of 1,4 billion people, there’s definitely no such thing as simply “Chinese street food”. The country is a rich smorgasbord of different flavours, and the food you can get ahold of on the street in say, Beijing, will be of a completely different variety of what you can cop in Sichuan Province in the south of the country.

Whether you’re in the mood for some sticky and sweet Peking duck wraps, a tasty jianbing breakfast wrap, or some fragrant noodles, China gets points for sheer variety and of course, affordability.

The U.K.

This one might come as something of a surprise to the uninitiated, given that people don’t generally associate street food culture with the cold and windswept British Isles. However, any foodie who has been paying attention in recent years will have seen that the rise of pop-up food markets, one of the most diverse populations on Earth and an absolutely booming culinary scene have contributed to the U.K. becoming Europe’s street food capital.

Walk down a busy area of London or Manchester at lunchtime and you’ll find no shortage of street-side vendors offering the world on a plate. From Indian dosas to TexMex tacos and steaming bowls of ramen, there’s nothing you can’t get ahold of, and better yet, thanks to services like Deliveroo, you can bring street food’s greatest hits straight to your front door. For convenience and the opportunity to satisfy pretty much every craving imaginable, the U.K. racks up some serious points.

Mexico

Over to the Americas for a country which is undoubtedly one of the all-time Godfathers of iconic street food, Mexico. While the kind of Mexican flavours people in the U.K. and the U.S. are used to might usually differ from what is actually served up in the Motherland, taste buds across the globe are finally becoming better acquainted with authentic Mexican fare.

Whether it’s zesty (not spicy) taco platters, tortas, fritas, churros or, of course, the humble burrito, so much about street food as we know it originated in the roadside vendors and highway hawkers of Mexico. Street food owes a lot to Mexico, which is why this country has earned its way into the top rankings.

Which country do you think does the best street food? Best get out there and try some options, which doesn’t sound like a bad idea.