Travel Food Advices: How to Eat in Another Country – Food…one of the major perks and jerks of travel. You will either love it or loathe it. Therefore, here’s making your dining experience seriously trouble-free, for the last situation you want to be in is your digestion messed up on a bus in Malaysia and figure out how not to make a mess of yourself on those less than comfy bus-stop squat toilets, especially in places where you won’t find a McDonald’s. There are only 2 key things to do: avoid and cut back. Let’s expound.
1. AVOID SOME – Know which foods to avoid because some grubs are not for everyone. Those definitely are:
a) Fermenting/rotting stuff (shrimp paste)
*Need I explain? If you are not used to these stuff or simply never had any, the first try might be surprising, and not in the good sense of the word.
b) Uncooked meats (especially those laying out in 40 degrees)
*That’s a no-brainer.
c) Tap water & unpacked concoctions off the street
*Note this especially in developing countries & places with water toxicity issues. Avoid ice cubes in such places too.
d) Coconut-milk-based foodstuff
*Because dishes in coconut milk can either be phenomenal or catastrophic.
e) Too spicy dishes or stews like curries
f) Non-hygienically-prepared food
*This pretty much is a no-brainer too. Many street-side vendors in Vietnam and other places don’t mind flies laying microscopic eggs or rats rummaging through their ingredients.
g) Unpasteurized milk
*Milk alone finds compatibility, leave unpasteurized milk. Remember that tolerance for unpasteurized milk is selective. This too is just not for everyone.
2. CUT BACK – Some foods are natural laxatives, diuretics, and some are just not good, period.
a) Chillies and peppers – peppers are effective laxatives
b) Beans & legumes – actual laxatives too
c) Meats – lots of it can congest your tummy and cause constipation
Remember, first time with new food can go two ways: phenomenally good or phenomenally bad. Wise advice is: don’t be too precarious with foods you’ve never had or tried before, especially ones with really strange combinations. We’re not just talking about hamburger with peanut butter and mayo. I’m referring to spicy noodles with fermented shrimp, curry, chilli, and coconut milk.
What I can advise: Eat where and what expats eat.
Expats eventually will appreciate local food fare and eat it from a place that renders dishes, ingredients, and flavours their tummy can tolerate. What they can handle (be it street grub or other foodstuffs), you possibly can too.
When all else fails, going on a mad search for the big golden arches of Ronald is fine. And in tourist places, you sure are to find America’s capitalist claws in the form of a Whopper, Filet-O-Fish, or Baconator. America’s fast eats have practically conquered the world through gastronomy. But, Should you feel more adventurous, go ahead. You and your stomach can give you the best suggestion on what to eat.
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Travel Food Advices: How to Eat in another country by Josh Boorman
A little bit of a different blog post this one but we would still love for you to leave a comment and let us know what you think of some of these points.
Joshua Boorman
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1 Comment
oleg
September 4, 2014I have been traveling since august 2014 across Asian countries and always eat where locals do and I am steel alive. So don’t be so scare… Take elementary hygiene and no problems you will have
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