posted by Charles H. Russo on Jul 30
When it comes to eating abroad, I’ve always thought there was a comfy middle ground between the anti-bacterial fanatics and the types who will gladly down anything that’s in front of them. Yes, it pays to be prudent sometimes, especially when you are fresh off the plane and your stomach still thinks it’s in your sanitized homeland, a place where the bacteria coming down your gullet are familiar. Plus let’s be real, street food in Thailand or Turkey is a different story than street food in Nepal or Nigeria. You’ve got to have the sense to know the difference.
Which brings us to this short and sensible article from Tom Kime in Budget Travel online. As a chef, he knows the most authentic food is often served outside the confines of a sit-down restaurant. “A plate of steaming noodles is safer than food left out for hours at a hotel buffet.”
In all I have probably spent three months in Thailand, eating street food almost every day, and I got sick once. I never got sick in Nepal or India (though my wife got pummeled badly by a cream sauce in a nice place.) My daughter has amazingly not even gotten a slight case of the runs in three trips to Mexico and one to Guatemala. Were we sensible? Yes. But did we eat at markets and street stalls regularly? You betcha. Not only is a good lunch less than $5 pretty much anywhere with a market, but that’s where you go for the real deal meal.
[photo from Thailand Life]
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