Street Food and How to Enjoy It

As in, how not to be sick and end up in hospital with food poisoning

One of the best parts of solo travel, is using street food vendors in foreign countries.

Street food conjures up the romance of being a local and eating the same food. The locals will be used to the street food cuisine, but it may well be new to you.

Here are some top tips on enjoying street food and staying safe at the same time.

When to Eat

If the locals eat at 7pm, avoid eating at 10pm.

The main reason for this, is that the food will have been around for several hours by then, uncooked and exposed to local heat. That is heat, as in weather and humidity. Worse still, the food could have been kept warm for a couple of hours, which can be an issue.

Make Sure the Food is Hot Enough

Under cooked food, or food which once hot but it now tepid, can be cruel on the stomach.

If the food should be hot when served, make sure that it is.

Vegetarian May Not Mean Vegetarian

Cultures around the world have differing ideas on what constitutes vegetarian. At home, it usually means completely meat free.

In a street market, vegetarian could simply mean the meal is served with vegetables, but cooked in a meat-based pan, shared with the local meat-based delicacy.

In many parts of the world, fish is not considered to be meat and will be served in vegetarian dishes. If in doubt, ask or just avoid.

I’ll Try the Fried Locusts Please

It is a common fallacy that all street food abroad comes with a side of fried locusts. Well, not all of it.

There are going to be times when the food on offer looks decidedly evil and if alive would be biting you.

Make your own decisions here, but do not be afraid to be adventurous, you will have a great story too tell of your bravery abroad when you are back home.

Bring Your Own Spoon

Carry you own cutlery, knife, folk and spoon. That way, you will be confident that the implements you are using to eat your street food are clean and healthy.

Cutlery from street food vendors may not be as clean as you would like. No street vendor is going to be offended if you bring out your favourite spoon.

Wooden pointed sticks are often found to eat with, or to do a quick sample taster. Consider if anyone before you used one for a taster and popped it back in the tin, ready for you to use next.

Food and Money

Is the street vendor cooking your food and managing your cash or card at the same time? Coins can be notoriously dirty and if the chef is handling them without a glove of some sort and then scoping up some rice a moment later for your meal, the stall is best avoided.

Is the chef smoking? I have seen street food vendors with a lit ciggy hanging out of their mouths with ash falling on to the raw meat below. Make your own judgement here about moving on.

Is the Stall Busy?

A good indication on the quality of the food, is how many locals are in the line.

Stalls where you spot mothers and children are likely to be the safest, as their stomachs are not as resilient as the large male road worker. If the stall has 100% men waiting, unless you have a strong stomach, give it some thought.

Beware the Ice

In hot climates, the temptation to have ice in your drinks can be overwhelming.

There is a well-known warning for travellers, to be wary of the local water. Ice is, well, just frozen water.

While water and ice with street food in most Western countries should be fine, be cautious further from home.

Dressing for Dinner

No need at all for street food. In fact, you will look out of place if you dress up. Also, you will look less like a tourist.

Sharing a Table

This is a wonderful way to meet and chat to other tourists sampling the street food of the town. You can exchange stories of your trip, and both pick up and give tips on places to visit along the road.

This All Sounds a Bit Dangerous

Far from it. Street food around the world is one of the best ways to explore the local culture.

There are wonderful places to eat around the globe and many solo travellers highly recommend street food in places such as Vietnam.

I have enjoyed street food in a market in the Cook Islands and it was some of the best I have tasted anywhere.

Like other aspects of solo travelling, just give it a moment thought and you will enjoy a wonderful meal.

Bon appetite and safe travels!