"White sauce or hot sauce, my friend?" The $5-$8 question that can be heard at virtually every major intersection in New York City. Once answered, a heaping pile of meat and veggies, iceberg lettuce and 2 slices of tomato, served on top of another pile of long grain rice slides across the counter.

Halal food carts and trucks are ubiquitous throughout the five boroughs, and many New Yorkers feel a certain sense of allegiance and pride when it comes to their go-to spot for a combo over rice. But how did this seemingly foreign food make its way into the forefront of local cuisine in New York?

Join Josef Pevsner as he delves into the history of food-carts in New York City, the secret behind the number of sauces at any given cart, and the cultural differences and influences behind your favorite trucks.

This is part of our Lab's Lab series.

ABOUT JOSEF PEVSNER

Josef Pevsner is a well-seasoned Docent at the Museum of Food and Drink, where he has been marinating for close to a year. Outside of MOFAD, he is passionate about accessible technology, and aspires to pursue a graduate degree in nonprofit management. Josef eats a lot of street meat, and is known as the go-to guy amongst his friends when it comes to tubesteaks and other street foods. His passion for all things served out of greasy metal carts started at an early age when his dad would take him for roadside hot dogs on summer days on Long Island. Contact him on snapchat @hotdoglover03.