Meals on Wheels - The Food Carts of Bali

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006 by ablteam

Most Indonesians eat a substantial meal of rice, meat and vegetables three times a day, but they are also in the habit of constantly snacking in between. One of the delightful conveniences of living in Indonesia is that food is available almost everywhere. Small roadside stalls known as warungs serve all sorts of treats and vendors pushing food carts are similar to mobile canteens. These brightly painted two-wheeled trolleys travel the streets day and night serving hot and cold snacks to locals wanting to ease their pangs of hunger in a no fuss manner.

In Bali, the majority of street cart food vendors are young males from East Java and other neighbouring islands who have been lured by the tourism industry. However, without the necessary skills and qualifications required to obtain work within the hotel sector, they become sellers in order to support themselves. Almost anyone with a bit of initiative can make their own food cart, yet it is a competitive trade and very few generate enough money to make regular trips home to visit family and friends.