Football Stadium Snacks From Around the World
By
Blake Roberts
Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 09 January 2023
Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief
Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.
Football Stadium Snacks
There’s nothing better than watching a live game of sports and munching down on some of your favorite stadium snacks. But did you know that in many countries, there are many unexpected and interesting delicacies included on the menu in place of hotdogs and fries? On this page, we’ve explored the common stadium snacks from around the world.
- Introduction to Stadium Snacks
- 🇪🇺 Europe
- 🌏 Asia
- 🌍 Africa
- 🌎 The Americas
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction to Stadium Snacks
Whether you’re watching a football game or a basketball game, one thing that will always be consistent at the game is the stadium snacks that can be purchased. While it may seem like an odd topic, these foods actually play an important part in sports culture and are often seen as essential to a live gaming experience.
For example, in the USA, the most iconic foods and drinks tend to be hotdogs, nachos, peanuts, burgers, cracker jacks, and beer. Of course, each stadium will have its own unique offerings, but these are the foods that most Americans would associate with a day at the stadium.
Throughout this guide, you’ll find the most common foods and beverages that can be purchased at sporting events in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. While some will be similar to your favorite football stadium snacks, many may take you by surprise.
Europe
With over three hundred stadiums that can host audiences of 25,000 or more, Europe is home to an avid base of sports lovers. However, with 44 countries in Europe, there are many different cuisines and tastes to cater to. This ensures a diverse array of football stadium food across the continent.
Germany
Germany is home to some of the most passionate sports fans in the world, with soccer, ice hockey, and basketball regularly drawing huge crowds. Some of the most common foods that you’ll find on a German stadium snack tray are pretzels, which are large salty knots of dough. You’ll also find Bratwurst and Currywurst, two sausage-based dishes.
Belgium
Fries, or frites, are the most popular type of street food in Belgium, so it’s no surprise that they are a common stadium snack. They are often served with ketchup and mayonnaise in a paper cone. The potatoes are made from a singular potato variety and double-fried to give them their distinctive taste and texture.
England
In the USA, many think of pies as being a sweet dessert. However, in the United Kingdom and Australia, locals are known to munch on savory pies made of beef steak or ground beef and gravy. These hot pies are served hot with ketchup and make a convenient and warming snack for those cold and rainy days in the stadium stands. Standing in the terraces of a local stadium, locals will have a pie in one hand and their phone loaded with their betting app to have a wager on the live soccer game.
Portugal
The Portuguese love their meat, with one of the most popular meaty snacks in the country called Bifanas. Bifanas are a type of pork sandwich, with the pork fillets cooked in a wine and oil marinade and served in a soft white bun with mustard and Piri-Piri sauce. These fast and delicious sandwiches are commonly served as stadium snacks.
Spain
Depending on where you are in Spain, there are many types of foods that you can enjoy. One common snack is sunflower seeds, which as you’ll learn, is also popular in Russia. Another football stadium snack that you’ll regularly be able to purchase is a bocadillo, which is a smoked-meat sandwich that is served on a baguette with cheese.
Asia
Asia is home to the largest portion of the world’s population and 48 different countries. This means that there are many different cultures represented over its land mass, ensuring a diverse selection of foods to snack on when you go to watch sports at its many large stadiums.
Russia
Sunflower seeds are seen as a cheap and nutritious food to many Russians, and it’s common for locals to bring a bag along to watch their favorite sports. Another food that was on sale as football stadium food during the soccer World Cup in Russia in 2018 was kulebyaka, a cheap fish pastry that includes eggs and rice.
Japan
Your football stadium snack tray in Japan may be filled with an assortment of interesting snacks. While beer is a major part of Japanese culture, you’ll also find roaming vendors that sell yakitori or grilled chicken skewers. Another popular food is takoyaki, a deep-fried snack made of battered octopus, onion, and ginger.
South Korea
One of the most popular culinary exports to foreign shores in recent years has been huraideu chicken, or Korean fried chicken. For decades, this crispy fried chicken snack has been sold at stadiums across South Korea. It is often served with chili-soy sauce and a type of sweet mayonnaise.
Africa
In recent years, Africa has become a highly-regarded sporting continent. The 2010 FIFA World Cup held in Africa introduce hundreds of thousands of visitors to a delicious array of culinary traditions, some of which you’ll learn about below.
South Africa
Perhaps the most common type of stadium food in South Africa is a snack called Biltong, a salty cured meat product that is comparable to beef jerky. It can be made from the meat of different animals, including beef, antelope, and ostrich. Many sporting stadiums will sell this nutritious snack on its own or in sandwiches.
Egypt
Egypt is home to many exciting street foods, many of which are sold at the nation’s sports venues. These include foul medames, a spiced fava bean mix served in pitta bread. Kofta kebabs are also very popular to eat as football stadium snacks, which are lamb or goat meatballs that have been grilled on skewers.
The Americas
Whether you’re in North, Central, or South America, you won’t have to travel far to find a passionate group of sports fans. There are dozens of countries located in the Americas, with each having a storied history of sporting achievements. Each has a reputation for attracting some of the liveliest — and hungriest — crowds. Hockey fans in particular have a particular hunger for a wide variety of snacks while they watch of bet on hockey games.
Mexico
Of all the countries on this list, there are few that are celebrated as much for their street food as Mexico is. Fortunately, many of these snacks can be purchased at stadiums. You’ll find empanadas, tacos, nachos, tostadas, and tortillas available among many other delicious items, including fruit, beer, and coffee
Brazil
Brazil’s FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Rio Olympics introduced millions of people to delicious stadium foods that are unique to the country. One fan favorite is feijão tropeiro, which is a pinto bean dish. The beans are cooked with bacon, garlic, onion, greens, and eggs to provide a delicious and nutritious meal.
Canada
While most of Canada’s sporting foods are similar to that you’ll find in the USA, stadiums in the French-speaking Quebec province will often sell poutine. This popular snack sees fries dipped in gravy and topped with cheese curds. Each stadium may have a different take on this classic dish to keep fans interested.
