“Let’s go to a nice local restaurant”, I said, “something where you would go with your friends”. I was on a work trip in Chennai, South India, and ready for exploring the local food scene. My local colleagues looked at each other doubtfully. They consulted in Tamil. “European stomach” where the only two words I could make out. “The Marriott hotel”, they finally declared, “We will go to the Marriott hotel. They have a very nice restaurant”. I took a deep breath. I’m sure the restaurant at the Marriott was very nice, but I wanted a real South Indian meal, preferably served on a banana leaf.
I like to think I have a pretty strong stomach and I don’t usually get in trouble with foreign food. Whenever I travel for work or leisure, I love exploring the local food scene. Only a few times, I have been mildly affected by food poisoning. Nonetheless, I’ve heard enough stories and seen examples from very closeby to know that one has to be careful. There are a few rules of thumb I always stick to when eating local on offbeat travels and so far they have kept me happy and healthy.
Go vegetarian
When it comes to food poisoning risk, various kinds of meat generally top the charts. I recently read an article stating that chicken and beef consist the highest risk. Meat, and even more so fish, spoils quickly. You don’t need a lot of common sense to conclude that it is better to avoid it if you are unsure of its origins and how it has been stored. This is especially true when visiting hot countries where utilities and therefore refrigeration may be limited.
Whenever a vegetarian option is available, I will opt for that (I’ve travelled to India quite a few times and it is a paradise for vegetarians). When no vegetarian options are available, I still minimise the amount of meat I eat and check that it is fully cooked. I also ask which food is local produce versus imported from another location, to make sure it is as fresh as possible. For example, unless I am close to the sea, I won’t order fish.
Avoid raw food
Food that is not fully cooked through is a no-no. Check before you eat and ask for the meal to be cooked through further if you feel it is still raw. I typically pick dishes that are cooked and served at high temperature as opposed to things that are only lightly heated or served raw. That means I don’t eat salads unless I completely trust the place where I am eating.
When choosing an eatery, I consider the water and heating situation. If there is running water (versus water stored in buckets or tanks) and electricity (versus a little gas burner) there is a better chance the food will be well-washed and cooked at high temperature. This means that I usually don’t eat hot food at stalls on the street, but go to an actual shop or restaurant.
Cut fruit and vegetables freshly
It is hard to resist fresh fruits, especially when you are visiting tropical countries where a wide range of exotic fruits is available. I will still eat them with great enjoyment, but only if I have cut and peeled them myself. When buying juices or fruit salads off stalls or shops, I ask for the fruits to be cut to order. I refuse slices that have already been prepared and are laying exposed to the sun.
Needless to say, I wash my hands before cutting fruits or vegetables. A small flask of hand sanitizer is an essential item I carry around in case no running water is available. I also carry a set of reusable plastic cutlery for when I eat at little places where none is available or there is no running water to wash it.
Carry plenty of water
Another item I carry around is water. Plenty of it. Never assume that it will be available to buy when you need it and make sure you have enough to last you for the best part of the day. The last thing you want if having to defer to tap water. I usually carry 1.5 – 2 liters with me around town in case no bottled water is available (more when I go hiking in remote place). The purified water offered in many eateries is in principle fine (I have drunk it many times and never had issues). Nonetheless I always ask for it to be poured from the original container and not from a jug.
In case you do run out of water, opt for hot drinks or fresh juices as opposed to water of questionable origin. I love the coffee and tea that you can buy from stall in many South-Asian countries, for example. As long as the drink is piping hot when served, the risk of food poisoning is very low.
Apart from water, I tend to carry a few other supplies of my own to keep me going, just in case options are too limited. Good things to carry around are muesli bars and small bags of nuts.
Think twice about advice from locals
It is always great when to get local recommendations about hidden place for sampling local food and the advice is usually very well-meant. However, people don’t always appreciate the risks of potentially exposing foreign stomachs to local bacteria. Even when a place comes vividly recommended, I still apply common sense to check the food hygiene situation. I respectfully ask enough questions to be comfortable that the food is fresh and well cooked.
When you’re out exploring the local food scene, Google and TripAdvisor are always your friends. Provided that I have internet access, I quickly google eateries before going there. This helps to make sure there are no consistent reports of recent bad experiences from other travelers and bloggers.
How about the photos at Leela Palace 😉
What about them? i’ve never been sick there!!
What about them? i’ve never been sick there!!