Sampling new dishes is one of the best parts about traveling. Even if you don’t consider yourself a foodie or someone with an adventurous palate, you’ve probably ventured beyond your comfort zone to try something new while abroad.
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Personally, I’m big on trying out sweets, cocktails, and street food.
Sweets don’t come with a big risk, except chipping a tooth in some cases. Trying out new alcohols, liqueurs, and cocktails could come with a hangover. But street food might throw a wrench into your trip if it comes with a case of food poisoning.
It’s a complicated topic. Street food is delicious, affordable, and accessible—writing it off won’t improve your trip, in my opinion. At the same time, you need to know how to spot a riskier dish when you’re perusing street food carts and menus. That way, you can try new foods while avoiding the obvious duds.
It’s a touchy art—but there are foodies, travelers, and health experts who have tried-and-true advice on how to eat street food without getting food poisoning. Start with these tips. I’ve saved the most important tip for last.
Tips on how to eat street food without getting sick
Tip #1: Go for the busy stalls
This is a piece of casual advice that gets passed around often. Focus on food stalls that look busy, especially when it comes to locals. Locals know where to go and which vendors to avoid—you should trust their opinion when it comes to flavor, too. Having a lot of business also means that food isn’t sitting around for a long time, allowing it to get lukewarm and for bacteria to start developing.
Tip #2: The hotter, the better
Health experts recommend going for foods that are heated up, as well. The higher the heat used to cook the meal (as in, temperature, not spice level), the more bacteria are killed. Remember that flames can be used as a sterilizer… which isn’t what’s happening when a chef prepares your fried rice dish, but you get the point. The higher the heat used to cook your food, the less bacteria will survive to make it to your plate.
Tip #3: Avoid the sauces
You’ve likely heard that you should avoid any fresh veggies or fruits that are washed with water—but don’t forget that’s also the case when it comes to sauces. Avoid sauces when you eat street food because they’re often lukewarm, meaning bacteria might be present, and because they might be made with unfiltered water.
Tip #4: If you see flies, think twice
Flies don’t always mean that dangerous bacteria is present—we’ve all been annoyed by flies at clean restaurants and even back at home. However, don’t ignore the presence of flies when you’re perusing street food stalls and trucks. They don’t mean that the food is inedible—but they are little carriers for pathogens like Salmonella, E.Coli, and more.
Tip #5: Learn about Hep A
Here’s your reminder: Hep A is a foodborne illness. It’s commonly found around the world because it’s a fecal-to-oral transmission. You can receive a two-shot vaccination that prevents infection up to 90%. If you’re going to get a Hep A vaccine, be mindful that you need two shots six months apart.
Tip #6: Timing matters—eat when locals eat
I’ve mentioned a few times that heat should be a concern. The hotter the food, the better. You should also avoid lukewarm dishes and even sauces. One way that you can ensure you’re eating hot foods at the right time is to eat when locals eat. That’s when street food vendors will be at their busiest and serving up their most popular dishes, guaranteeing you won’t be served something that’s been left out for hours.
Tip #7: Observe the chef and the cutlery
Take a closer look at what’s happening in the kitchen. (That’s half the fun of sampling street food, isn’t it?) Be on the lookout for cooks who are coughing, shedding hair, and sweating. Bonus points if they’re wearing gloves. As we’ll discuss below, unclean hands are a serious risk when it comes to knowing how to eat street food like a pro.
Lastly, look out for cutlery, too. If cutlery looks unsanitary, clean it with soap and water yourself or find a fresh set of cutlery. You can also get sick from eating off of unclean or poorly cleaned forks, spoons, and more.
Tip #8: Don’t forget to clean your hands—they might be the real culprit
Let’s imagine you’ve found the best food stall in Koh Phangan—you’re about to eat like royalty. You wait in line, order your dish, then dig into your curry-and-roti dish. You’re probably using your hands to eat the roti. And if you didn’t wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before the meal, you’re now eating bacteria from your hands, which you might not have washed for hours… possibly after spending a day sightseeing.
Here’s my last (and most impactful) piece of advice on how to eat street food without getting sick: Wash your hands. You might be the Typhoid Mary infecting yourself, not the food vendor.