Grilling skewered meats, vegetables, and bean curd in a Chengdu alley
But if you're going to eat it make sure it's cooked."
Sound advice from American food safety expert Douglas Powell, whom I interviewed for our latest contribution to Zester Daily, on staying safe while grazing Asia's streets.
I get a fair number of emails from folks seeking advice on to how avoid getting sick while eating, well, like we do. Honestly, advice based solely on our personal experience is of limited use to the average traveler. In this piece I tried to get beyond what we do to stay healthy (though there is some of that too) and bring in a little science.
We hope Dave's slide show will inspire you to hit the region's streets hungry. The article is here.
Since we're talking beautiful images of street food, this seems as good a time as any for the sort of gentle reminder we try to limit to just a few times a year: We draw no advertising revenue from EatingAsia. But all of the images you see here or in our Zester Daily slide shows, or on Dave's brand-spanking-new professional website, or his photography blog or Photoshelter galleries, are available for purchase. Just hit the "Email me" link in the upper left hand corner (you can also purchase directly from the site on Photoshelter).
We also conduct private food outings and photography walks in Kuala Lumpur (for a limited time only), Penang, and Chiang Mai.
OK, enough of that. Now, hit the street and eat!
I remember wandering the streets of Bangkok in 92, looking at the ominous and bubbling cauldrons of street food wondering what this and that was, getting hungrier and hungrier.
Eventually I came across a McDonalds and sadly, suffered a meal there. I did better in KL and Penang.
Posted by: bobster7 | 2011.04.23 at 03:35
If I see a long line and many satisfied looking customers, I usually feel safe enough trying it out. But... this method isn't foolproof...
Posted by: claypotclub | 2011.04.23 at 07:45
Bobster - when we lived in BKK in 2002 I believed room temperature curries were absolutely unsafe. So many missed opportunities...
Claypotclub - nothing is foolproof, and there are no guarantees. You could avoid street food and get sick from a meal in a hotel restaurant (Changi Airport Holiday Inn, for me). The point is, we do what we can do to minimize our risk. And then cross our fingers. ;-)
Posted by: Robyn | 2011.04.23 at 07:52
Ive got a few issues with spicy food. Why would you eat something that burns your hands? My GF is from Thailand she loves spicy food but im not convinced its good for you
Posted by: John Shoane | 2011.07.24 at 19:33