A hawker is the name given to vendors in many areas of the world selling merchandise that can be easily transported; it is roughly synonymous with peddler or costermonger. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells items of food that are native to the area. Whether stationary or mobile, hawkers usually advertise by loud street cries or chants, and conduct banter with customers, so to attract attention and enhance sales.
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Regional
Victorian London
The costermongers of London were at their peak in the 19th century. Organised, yet semi-criminal, they were ubiquitous, and their street cries could be heard everywhere.[1][2]
North America
Can refer to vendor selling snack items, such as popcorn, cotton candy, peanuts, beverages, and ice cream, in-seat to fans at a sports venue; more commonly, this person is simply referred to as a "stadium vendor".[3][4]
Southeast Asia
Hawkers are very common in many countries in Asia. In India, hawkers are so prevalent they have unionized in Bengal and Calcutta. Balut is a popular dish sold by hawkers in the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. In both China and Hong Kong, hawkers' inventories often include fishball, beefball, bugzaigo, roasted chestnuts and stinky tofu. In Singapore and Malaysia, these stands have become so successful that many have chosen to set up shop more permanently in a Hawker center.
Across Asia, stalls have been setup with little to no government monitoring. Due to health concerns and other liability problems, the food culture has been seriously challenged in Indonesia, though without marked success.[5] However, in Hong Kong, the lease versus licensed hawker restrictions have put a burden on this mobile food culture.[6] The term Jau Gwei (literally: running from ghosts) has been used to describe vendors often running away from local police.
References
- ^ Chesney, Kellow 1970. The Victorian Underworld. Penguin p43–56; 97–98.
- ^ Mayhew, Henry 1851–1861. London Labour and the London Poor. Researched and written,variously, with J. Binny, B. Hemyng and A. Halliday.
- ^ The Stadium Vendor Hierarchy http://www.joesportsfan.com/?p=147
- ^ Nine Famous Baseball Stadium Vendors http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25302
- ^ Winarno,F.G. and A. Allain. Street foods in developing countries: lessons from Asia. http://www.fao.org/docrep/u3550t/u3550t08.htm
- ^ Mau, Stephen D. [2006] (2006). Hong Kong Legal Principles: Important Topics for Students and Professionals. HK University Press. ISBN 9622097782
See also
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