The Instant Expert: what the world eats on the run

This week Emily Shardlow shadows the locals to fill up on fast food around the world, from snacks to soups to meals to desserts.

THE BASICS Michelin-star fine dining, degustation menus and impeccable service have their place, but when hunger bites hard, it's gratification of the more instantaneous kind that's required. Thus, fast food. And not just burgers and fries; across the world, speedy food comes in all manner of guises.

KAYA AND KOPI Swing by a coffee shop in Singapore any time of day, and you're likely to find locals tucking into this beloved snack. Kaya is a sweet, creamy coconut jam (made from eggs, sugar and coconut milk infused with pandan leaf), which is spread on freshly toasted, generously buttered bread. It's customary to dip the toast into a bowl of soft-boiled eggs seasoned with soy sauce as you go, and to wash it down with a cup of kopi (coffee with condensed milk). Don't knock it until you've tried it.

THAI TEMPTATIONS The best food in Thailand is found on the street. You can chomp on tod mung goong (shrimp cakes), slurp tom yum soup, nibble at smoky grilled chicken skewers and so much more, all with minimal effort and expenditure. Do bear one thing in mind: Thai taste buds are far more accustomed to fiery chilli heat than most.

TACOS As evening falls in Mexico, taqueros - taco vendors - set up shop and crowds gather. Whether you choose to have your taco grilled, steamed or fried, filled with chicken or beef, salsa, guacamole, mole sauce, spring onions, chipotles or all of the above, there's little denying that these tasty wraps are ideal for munching on the hoof. They also taste great with elote (Mexican corn on the cob). Elote is served lollipop style on the street, but is easy to prepare at home: spread freshly roasted ears of corn with mayonnaise, before rolling in grated cotija or Parmesan cheese, sprinkling with lime juice and dusting with chilli. Surprisingly good.

PIZZA PLEASES If that's not enough to get your mouth watering, then to Italy we go, for a slice of hot pizza, made in Neapolitan style, purchased from a pizzeria and eaten immediately. In Rome the dough is wafer thin and crispy, whereas in Milan the crust tends to be thicker. Regardless, it's a world away from the tepid, flabby, undercooked circular pies that arrive via a delivery bike.

FROM PIZZA TO PITTA? The Italians may claim to have invented pizza, but the etymological similarities with pitta can't be ignored, not least because the latter has been an important part of Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries. While they might be ideal for dipping into hummus or baba ganoush, flatbreads really come into their own when swathing slithers of just-carved shawarma meat or hot-out-of-the-fryer falafel.

FRENCH FANCIES The French may be known for haute cuisine, but they don't come up short in the fast-food stakes either. You need only visit a crêperie to realise that. And if there isn't one in sight, try tucking into a crusty, chewy fresh baguette oozing buttery Brie.

TIME FOR CHAAT These snacks, so loved in India and Pakistan, consist of fried dough stuffed with fillings - spiced potato or dal, for example - and topped with chilli, coriander, spices and yogurt; a tangy, crunchy, sweet and spicy treat.

The humble hamburger

THE HISTORY The origins of the hamburger aren't clear, but the foodie tome Larousse Gastronomique notes: "The name is an abbreviation of Hamburger steak - beef grilled in the Hamburg style", which suggests that German immigrants introduced it to the US in the late 18th century.

THE ESSENTIALS That patty of beef mince needs to be placed in a bun to be recognised as a quintessentially American burger. After that, it's up to you, though restraint is advised; we say yes to lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and even the odd pickle. Anything beyond that (foie gras? beetroot? chilli?) and surely you're just gilding the lily?

THE BIG MAC Arguably the most famous burger, the Big Mac - "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun" - was invented in 1967 by Jim Delligatti, a McDonald's franchise owner in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. It has been popular ever since.

THE BLING BURGER Burger King entered Guinness World Records in 2008 with the most expensive burger. The flame-grilled Wagyu patty was seasoned with Himalayan pink salt and topped with white, truffles and came encased in a saffron-and-truffle-dusted bun. It cost £95 (Dh559).