How To Run Brooklyn’s Legendary Tamale Cart | On the Job | Priya Krishna | NYT Cooking

Food carts are everywhere in New York City. Hot dogs, coffee, halal, mangoes … The list goes on. There are 20,000 street vendors fueling the city daily, yet their work is layered, complicated and always at risk. With a city cap on permits since the early 1980s, most of today’s street vendors are deemed illegal, leaving their jobs and livelihoods vulnerable every day.
Sonia Pérez is a street vendor and activist who has been serving her tamales in Brooklyn for more than 25 years. But her job doesn't end at serving food: She’s also a leader in the fight for vendors’ rights, working to secure the right to sell the food they make without intervention.
“On the Job With Priya Krishna” is a series about labor and the people who shape what and how we eat, and whose jobs often go unseen. Tune in.
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[@maricruzherrera4821]

that’s me!!! and my mom!!!!! Thank you for this 🫶

[@dantecasanova6120]

Where can i buy tamales in bushwick, hay algun numero donde pueda ordenar? Grasias.

[@marcella2237]

Omgg girl where do u guys be at?? I will deff buy some these look delicious!!💜

[@michaelstackzs3877]

Where is this located NEED TAMALES

[@lili6097]

Please tell us where y’all are located I want to try the tamales so bad

[@elxxestebanxx]

Where’s the spot at??? Definitely want some rajas con queso 💯

[@emilymitsuoka7799]

I just love Priya's journalism and the space she creates to allow people to share their stories through their own narrative - such important and fantastic work!!!

[@stevenpaynter4215]

pretty sure thats her job lol.

[@bud6956]

And she's cute!!!!❤

[@carolinabaker2728]

Priya’s topics + Priya speaking Spanish + the editing of these vids = cinematic magic

[@flockem8308]

Love priya but is she a no sabo kid?

[@doncarlo4576]

Plus + tamales

[@Parabellum999]

@@flockem8308 I bet she speaks more languages than you

[@rebeccacartier153]

Priys has stated many times on the Dave Chang podcast, that she is from Texas and feels like Spanish is more of a second language to her more than Hindi. But the way priya speaks so slowly and clearly during her interviews makes me think she is just reassuring the interviewees and making them feel more at ease.

[@melroydmello8341]

Priya segments are bomb af always

[@hypnauticasleepsounds9329]

I love how Priya’s videos always focus on the unsung heroes of the city.

[@DuyNguyen-yx2vd]

Man, what a way to show how food integrates into every part of our lives. It's not just perfect recipes and designer cookware. It's about culture and livelihoods. It's about the care and love we have for the food and the community that surrounds us.

[@ChrisPMcGee]

Sonia IS America. And here we are, giving her nothing in return. Thank you for this beautiful series broadening the lens of the "unseen" food workers/chefs/heroes.

[@roachies4242]

God you crushed my heart

[@Yels14]

I cried watching this. My aunt passed away this year, she used to sell Tamales in DC. She’s loved it, she was great at it. It was never easy, the City never made it easy, it was alway a challenge to do something so simple and just sell food, feed people and make some money. I miss her so much. The food industry is not easy, let’s please give more love and support to these vendors. They might not wear suits and ties, but I promise you they are amazing good hearted , decent people. Thank you for showing us this!❤

[@Joshadowolf]

I love how Priya speaking Spanish. 😌 Breath of fresh air. #ProudTexan 🤠🏜️🐎

[@ilahjarvis]

It's important to normalize the idea that Americans can be multilingual. That a host can speak the language of the guest, especially a language as commonly spoken as Spanish is in the United States.

[@duncan394]

@@ilahjarvis except it’s not normal for Americans. You guys are dumb.

[@Eccentric-YURR]

@@ilahjarvis Not a lot of Americans are bilingual, let alone multilingual. How many of them take a high school foreign language course and flunk it or don't remember it enough to be able to speak that language?

[@hollymatthews7543]

I thought I was just going to watch a video about delicious tamales, but now I care so much about the street vendors of New York and I don't even live in the city or the country 😂 amazing work by Priya and the NYT team!

[@scottfmurphy78]

Priya is fantastic at getting people to tell their genuine story without getting in their way. I’d love to see her do a travel series around the world. This piece also makes me miss Bushwick (a little).

[@elluisito000]

A few years back i used to work in a factory in the west side of Chicago, there was this lady in a corner selling tamales, $1 each. That woman had a constant half a block line from 7 am to 10 am, people of all ethnicitiesand backgrounds. The tamales were the best thing you could get in cold Chicago February morning. Always with a smile and nice vibes.

[@matthewhall5571]

Chicago is one of the VERY few places outside the southwest with good Mexican cuisine. In my opinion their selection of food and restaurants is the best in the country in a lot of ways.

[@medwards1391]

I was just talking about this with my husband. I’m currently in Oaxaca, MX where street food is king, and the mayor put in to effect a law that street food vendors can’t sell on Wednesdays so people can see the streets without vendors. But why would we want that!? We then discussed how difficult it must be in the states to have a street food stall with all of the red tape people must deal with. This was fascinating. Thanks for your investigative work, Priya. Keep fighting, Sonia!

[@haneytr3s]

If people don't want street vendors on Wednesday they can stop using them,. The mayor should stay in his office and do something useful instead of telling the people what to do.

[@Student0Toucher]

Colonizer

[@huv123]

The red tape includes standards for food handling and preparation, taxation etc. As nice as this woman seems, she wouldn't pass a single one of them.

[@gabe5960]

@@huv123 I have known many restaurants that pay to pass those inspections… plus if people don’t want to eat the vendors food they don’t have to 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@TheRealJayGutta]

Not gonna lie, that last line she said about yellow cabs and street vendors made me tear up... it's very true.

[@kaiju_k5042]

Same!

[@nikitamallya9439]

Same here!

[@leoneljaramillo6710]

seriously

[@serafinacosta7118]

Yellow Cabbies and Street Vendors are a City Feature. They are City’s Ambassadors. With so many scattered around, and so many store front closures they should allow them to operate and help them to comply.

[@AmanosLA]

This makes me cry so much. Priya, thank you for giving visibility to our communities. I’m from LA and the pop up world seems to other itself and remove itself from immigrant street vendors as if they’re not doing the same labor! I take pride as someone who does pop ups. I take pride to see myself as a street vendor at times. I’m proud of the pathway that my elders have paved and continue to pave. Thank you so much for your service as a reporter and I would even go as far as call you a historian because your documenting this work, your archiving our stories. Thank you to all the black and brown elders who have done this for us. Forever indebted to all of you.

[@CherisBerries]

This is truly the type of segment where Priya shines. She needs more videos like this

[@laneellisor7113]

Each segment produced with Priya are always so impactful, emotional, and beautiful

[@sananajafi6017]

This did such a beautiful job of connecting food to social and political issues in a way that was engaging and inspiring. Keep up the good fight!

[@kkobrien]

Love this series! Street vendors breath life into cities in so many different ways and they don't deserve to live in such precarity. We've had similar issues in Los Angeles and voted to decriminalize sidewalk vendors a few years ago. They still need permits, and I'm not sure how difficult or realistic it is to get one. This video definitely makes me want to learn more!

[@user-pg3vp3rs5y]

The woman is so ICONIC when she said: Son, call me later New York Times people are here Her son was like: oh.. sorry mom

[@arlenesolis024]

These vendors is what New York City is all about..the culture, the customs and the hard worked they put in. Plus, the delicious food they bring. I hope she continues the fight.

[@marthareynolds5545]

Props to all the street vendors out there!! True hustlers, I support this. Legalize street vending! 👏🏽

[@joshfabregas7162]

the way i havent seen this type of content from bon appetit. im so glad nyt cooking has fostered this type of content from the creators!

[@Archlifts]

Que orgullo ser mexicano por lo trabajadores que somos! My family and I also make tamales to pay for my university tuition. I gotta say it’s a tough and long process but it’s worth it. Seeing Sonia do this alone makes me have so much more respect for her and her devotion to tamales. Dios me la bendiga Sonia y siga luchando, ojalá algún día le compre un tamal en NY, saludos desde Los Ángeles. Thank you Priya for giving these vendors a voice and platform 🙏🏽

[@Student0Toucher]

LA Mex food is a million times better than trash NYC

[@BenavidesJorge]

@@Student0Toucher como Mexicano te voy a decir que estás muy pero muy incorrecto. Tacos quizás si. Pero aquí igual encuentras comidas regionales de regiones como Puebla. En LA es comida de las regiones del norte.

[@Shelleebeee]

this series is one of my absolute favorite things on youtube right now, make them forever!!!

[@danc5434]

The best food reporting content right now is by Priya. Solidarity with NYC food vendors.

[@mee7991]

“Fear can make you do great things” -Sonia What a powerful and moving quote

[@hm2ls869]

I love that you speak Spanish whenever possible. Besides the videos. So well done. But it’s the little things like making the effort to connect with someone on the level. Huge fan!

[@dennisbermudez9637]

This is my third Priya Krishna video and I'm already a huge fan of her and her subjects. Long and healthy life to these hard working people.

[@stephen129]

It's disgusting how they treat these people. Why would you punish people for wanting to provide for the community?

[@bngr_bngr]

She is an illegal alien.

[@Brix098]

Exactly.

[@chaostears]

not just that but literally provide a service that defines the city.

[@joeblow6568]

because they're selling FOOD? That people EAT?

[@ohnana95]

It's because of power. Majority of countries have this budget going to the police and military. People at the top want and need that power to control everyone under them. All the other things aside from that are just not top priority.

[@ttteresaaa6422]

YOU SPEAKING SPANISH IS MAKING ME CRY, THE EFFORT AND THE FLUENCY IS APPRECIATED SO MUCH my heart is full

[@errhka]

As a person from SoCal, seeing those guys throw away those streetcart's food and supplies made me so angry. You'd start a riot if you did that here

[@Anitamustdie]

I bet!! Yall have it crazy down there. My family visited and they are always talking about how the best food is the street vendor. I am literally waiting to go

[@rys8406]

This is beautiful, moving journalism. Thank you for giving Sonia and many others a platform to speak on the injustices they face.

[@andresj361]

I’ve seen this and the bagel man Celestino video so many times. It gets me teary eyed. I love my fellow Latinos. Viva Mexico!!!! ❤ 🇲🇽

[@Paulxl]

I love listening Priya speaking Spanish. And now I'm craving trying that mole poblano tamal.

[@Elkator]

Priya is the Woodward and Bernstein of the food world. I love her

[@robertstanley9633]

Pray Krishna is the next Ann Curry, the way they both handle each story with tact, care and consideration. I enjoy both journalists.

[@unerevuese]

Sonia is so sweet and her tamales look incredible. As someone, whose mom sold pupusas to buy my sister our school supplies this story resonates with me.

[@wheninrome911]

There should be a link in the description to resources to support the vendors.

[@karenferguson6557]

Just adding to the chorus of praise. This series is such a breath of fresh air! Thank you, Priya, and everyone else involved.

[@belindahodesigns]

The city is dead without vendors, so true! To this day, one of the most memorable meals I’ve ever had were tacos from a truck off a side street…

[@cspm07]

I love this series

[@arilebon]

These are our roots. Not all of our ancestors were landed gentry. We built our way up. Somethings we loose sights on where the majority of our ancestors started.

[@bngr_bngr]

Our ancestors also decapitated their neighbors. Pulled the living heart from their victims.

[@sUjU91]

My mom had a job when she lived in the USA, and on the weekends she sold tamales, huaraches and burritos. That's how she was able to build and furnished her home in México. She didn't made that many, but people like her food. She has taught me how to make them and pozole, she has been a vendor since I was a baby. My mom says that life is unpredictable sometimes, so it's good for me to know how to make this foods in case I'm ever in a financial problem. So I won't have to be dependent on others or the government.

[@poobd]

This pulled a lot of strings in my heart, thank you for always being apart of these stories Priya

[@arcgaatrako]

!!! This is such an important piece of reporting. Power to the people.

[@y-squared]

Thank you for investing your resources in highlighting these problems and providing a voice for the unseen important humans of NYC.

[@beccad43]

I love this series so much! Thank you Priya for focusing on these issues! These vendors put in so much hard work and they shouldn’t have to go through all of these challenges.

[@abbie2299]

What an incredible piece of journalism! I never knew how much red tape surrounds street vendors... keep fighting Sonia!!!

[@ryudragonpunch9025]

I’m from the Philippines and I grew up on food from street vendors, I support their cause because at the end of the day they are human beings trying to make a living to provide for their families through their delicious food, this is a gift which should be shared.

[@KyleVGu3]

Love every aspect of Priya's videos! What a wide range of topics to understand ways food is served

[@bigbird2451]

Tears of joy. Stay strong.

[@abbytate]

I truly love this series so much! It is clear how much care everyone on the team puts into research, production, relationship building, and story telling

[@freddykrueg3r713]

May God bless all the hard working people around the world.

[@TWRider]

Tamales are delicious but a brutal amount of work to make even in small quantities. She makes them every week. Wow!!

[@briellericker8569]

she hit the nail on the head with that last line

[@stacyshuffle]

I loved this so much, tears were definitely shed. Thank you, Sonia, for the work that you do. Fantastic storytelling by all who were featured!

[@ilahjarvis]

Thank you for this follow up video on New York's food vendors. Small businesses help make different cities distinctive. Otherwise every downtown has the exact same big businesses with a few landmarks here and there. It breaks my heart every time another small business goes under. It's happening everywhere, and it feels like we are losing our soul.

[@Chiggianya]

I believe that the only reason the city makes is so difficult for vendors to obtain permits is simply because they want to capitalize off of crime. I really don’t see why the process of getting a permit it so unnecessarily difficult. Like what is the logical reason behind having a cap on vendor permits in NYC?????????????

[@hatchling88]

When I visit NYC, in order to keep my expenses in check, I usually grab at least one meal a day from the street vendors... the food is good, fast and affordable. It's really in everyone's best interests to issue permits for vendors as it provides some checks and balances on cleanliness, proper food storage and temperatures and financial issues. I know that some restaurants and bodegas don't like competition from the vendors, but they are NYC !

[@samanthaasamuels]

I love all NYT Cooking but this series is particularly outstanding and meaningful. Priya, you’re such a bright light! Keep doing what you do.

[@kristibradley1333]

this made me emotional, what a beautiful soul!! i hope the vendors get everything they deserve 💙💙

[@flylooper]

I just discovered this "column" by Priya a few minutes ago. What a find. So uplifting, so positive, in an age where everything seems to be negative. Thank you. ANDALE!!!

[@sofiagalan6961]

I'm amazed on how well Priya speaks spanish. This is amazing. I'm always looking for Priya's videos. I know its NY centered, but It would be amazing to see this series in other parts.

[@gcortez5242]

Hands down the best food stories! Thank you

[@orange_chops]

Love seeing Priya doing this kinds of documentary. It's so good!

[@amandab694]

What a sweet episode - I love this series thank you! We need more of this ❤

[@megan41779]

I love this series. Priya is an amazing journalist and story teller! Kudos to her for getting these stories out.

[@VivChen]

Such a beautiful and inspiring story. Always love the worlds Priya takes us to!

[@Mor_timer]

There is sth about these videos that just makes me tear up!! these are the men and women who are the heartbeat of these cities

[@insulaarachnid]

On The Job is such a good series! Informative and enjoyable at the same time.

[@Sktrdudeman793]

Another wonderful episode to an incredible series! Great work by Priya and others on the team!!

[@syusyisu]

love love love for the On the Job segment

[@balusmbox]

Dear Priya Krishna: I am a fan. This is a wonderfully edited and produced video. Kudos.

[@JackyGuerrero]

Priya, you’re absolutely the best. I love your coverage. You show everyone you meet much respect and admiration. You’re truly a great human being.

[@andyjones3972]

Hola jackie this is pablo from miami. Would like to know you

[@rosenracht]

Priya is one of the best food personalities!!

[@artistlovepeace]

Love is sharing. Love is supporting. Love is trading. Love is food.

[@SincerelyLee__]

I love all of Priya’s videos! Her approach reminds me so much of Anthony Bourdain

[@barbramtz]

Priya, you are my favorite food journalist! Your job is so humane and beautiful. Looking forward to watching the next episodes.

[@no0o0ot74]

So grateful for this story being covered!! More like this

[@hokagesama3394]

One of my absolute favourite series. Priya and team, I adore you

[@RachaelWong]

Does anyone happen to know where the cart is located? I would love to check it out. Priya did a phenomenal job telling this story, as per usual

[@Madz2317]

It’s around Maria Hernerdez Park like 2 blocks up ! I would love go and support her she seem like a sweet lady ❤

[@lili6097]

@@Madz2317 thank you for telling us the location I want to stop by there so bad!

[@walkinku]

Thank you for shining a light on the underrepresented!

[@wonyoungkim353]

We need so much more of this incredible work. Outside of New York too please.

[@martina5296]

There should be more content like this. The food vendors put in such hard work behind the scenes and make, most likely just barely enough to pay their bills and cover costs of their food ingredients, yet keep on working those hard and long hours every single day. Definitely are very hard life. The food vendors are as part as NY as yellow taxi cabs. They are an asset to any town and city who has them. Sadly those are the two professions that truly have hard workers who are mostly immigrants and many aren't citizens or maybe even documented, but their loyalty to the cities they work in and to their adopted country goes above and beyond true patriotism yet they are "unseen" and unappreciated even by many who buy their food and use their taxi cabs. Americans, immigrants who have food trucks, restaurants, small businesses, etc. are part of what makes America so rich in diversity. They deserve to be supported and taken care of to make sure they have the resources they need to succeed and keep their businesses safe, not treated like criminals. Not surprised that Sonja was an accountant in Mexico. Many immigrants had professional and highly skilled jobs in their native country and for whatever reason are unable to make that transition in the U.S. . That's a shame.

[@_anaflavia_]

I LOVE this series. You go, Sonia!!!!!!

[@nullasalus3]

Another great video! I live this series highlighting people who don't get enough attention.

[@EightNinePreservation]

Another outstanding episode. Y’all. I love what you do here. Thank you!

[@airwicker]

Thank you for sharing these stories! Sonia is a force of nature.

[@cynthiapaschen]

Fabulous. I would love to help some of these hard-working folks get elected to city and county offices, boards and commissions.

[@ropro9817]

Priya in the thumbnail, instant like for me. 🤩❤

[@xXxBRYANTxXx14]

Thanks for giving Street Vendors a Positive Light & Voice, you are truly amazing Priya

[@pamparker4047]

A lot of hardwork and courage ❤❤❤

[@beatporthaha]

There’s no better comfort food than tamales. ❤️ I hope New York figures out this permit shit. We are with you, Sonia! ✊🏼

[@lgarza9640]

I love these Priya videos! Thank you for always talking about the lil people ✨

[@theorigin1891]

Sonia is an example that make me proud of my people, and motivate as an immigrant, viva mexico!!!!!

[@KS-dp2rk]

All of these videos make me so emotional ❤️♥️❤️♥️💞♥️

[@blondie2998]

Give Priya a raise!

[@marshmallowk]

Priya speaking Spanish and this whole segment is heartwarming 🤎

[@unstoppabledoris]

Sonia is such an inspiration heart ❤️