Submitted by Wanderlust on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 12:08pm
When traveling, you get a lot of advice and one thing MANY people will tell you is not to eat the street food. I totally disagree.
If you really want to experience a country and its culture, there is nothing better than sitting down next to the locals at the nearest open air grill and chowing down on something vaguely unidentifiable and yet amazingly delicious. Will you get sick? Undoubtedly, but not as often as you think. Will it be worth it? Most definitely!
That’s not to say you shouldn`t be careful about what you eat, but if you spend your entire stay ordering from 5 star restaurants, you`re going to miss out on a huge chunk of the experience. In a restaurant, the food may be good, but it will lack that true authenticity that only comes from marinating for hours in a plastic bin full of chopped limes and tomatoes. You`ll be on your own or with a friend, usually speaking the same language and completely isolated from the hustle and bustle of life on the street.
Of course, you don`t want to eat anything that has obviously been sitting out all day in the hot sun, particularly things like raw seafood and chicken! But if you choose your street vendor with care, you will be truly amazed at how wonderful street food can be.
Some of my favorites here in Guatemala include this tasty dish (it`s WAY better than it looks, trust me!), longanizas with tortillas topped with a pile of chopped cabbage and chirmol, a mixture of tomatoes and onions. And, of course, the required local beer, Gallo, to wash it all down.
Another local delight that really looks more like it belongs in a litterbox than in your stomach is the chile relleno, or stuffed pepper. To tell you the truth, I don`t even know what is in these suckers and probably don`t want to know. But trust me, it`s good!
There is absolutely nothing like perching on a cheap plastic stool along with a group of Spanish speaking natives, all delighting in the same food, swapping stories as they lean over to avoid dribbling tomato juice down their shirts and laughing together. Nothing at all. Which is why I insist that any guest of mine here in Guatemala has to try street food at least once before they leave.
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Re: Eating Like the Locals
I completely agree. Whenever we ported in Greece, I would live on gyros. Mostly sold in small stands off the side of the roads or main walkway. They keep a rotisserie with meat going all the time and just slice it off right onto the pita! Inexpensive and YUMMY!
When in Italy I really enjoyed their "smash" sandwiches. The sandwiches are already prepared and they just put them in the equivalent of a George Foreman grill with a flat surface to heat them up when purchased. I also developed my fondness of Cappuccino in Italy. Stay away from Italian Pizza, they may have invented it, but America perfected it!!!!
Re: Eating Like the Locals
Yes i agree with you. I also eat foods sold in small stands because its cheap and the taste is good also.
Re: Eating Like the Locals
I LOVE gyros. I`ve never had them in Greece, where I would assume they are better, but still a favorite food. The smashed sandwiches sound good, too!
Re: Eating Like the Locals
I second that about eating the local food, it is simply a must. For those of us coming from N. America, Europe, etc. it's nothing but a simple process of preparation before the trip. First off it's a must to go to your Doctor 3-4 month's prior and getting your shots. Make sure you let them know where you're going and they will test you and give you the proper inoculations. The second thing is about a week or two start taking daily "Grape Seed Extract" and "Oil of Oregano", then also bring them down with you. What these are is natural antibiotics and they will greatly shield you from the bugs that we're not used too. Oh also you do need to be careful about ice and the local water, stay away from them. I go every year down to Peru, eat the local food and even eat the food off the street and have not had a single problem. Last year I brought my father down with me who just turned 80 this last December and will be taking him down again this spring. He also never had any problems what so ever. What is ironic though is this last trip about a month after I got back I picked up a mild case of food poisoning from eating at a restaurant here
Yes, eating local is one of the only ways of truly experiencing the local culture and it's simply wonderful! Damn girl, you're making my mouth water
Here's a couple of shots from one of my trips to Peru
Tasty Peruvian treat, Quie (Guinea Pig)
Grandma and Grandpa of the family who hosted us on the island of Amanteni
Local Quechua Woman
Local Quechua girl
Local Quechua Woman at the market, isn't she beautiful!
Re: Eating Like the Locals
Wow, those are some great photos! The natural antibiotics are good things to know, we also eat the raw seeds of papaya, as they are natural antibiotics, as well. Hmmm, maybe I should do a post on some of the local remedies . . . .
Re: Eating Like the Locals
Great stuff!
Anyone can be a tourista! But getting down to the "local" level is definitely where its at. This is where you'll find the true treasures of life and other cultures. We were lucky enough to be taken in by some Tahitian locals on our honeymoon back in 1989. They treated us to an underground roasted pig along with their local specialties that you could not order anywhere else. This will be in my memory forever.
Great blog!
Re: Eating Like the Locals
There`s definitely no substitute to having the locals show you the ropes! I`ve discovered that if someone asks you if you`d like to accompany them for a traditional anything, it`s a good idea to go! You`d be amazed at what you`ll see, taste and hear that would never show up in a guidebook!