Travel Tips: Eating Street Food

Khao San Road, Bangkok

Joining the locals for a meal on the street is a delectable and affordable way to make connections, but nothing ruins the memory of a deep cultural or culinary experience faster than tummy problems.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so we figure that travel bloggers extraordinaire, Gadling, won't mind if we pass along these great five tips for staying healthy while eating street food.  In short order they are:

1. "Is there a crowd?"
2. "Are basic hygiene practices being implemented by the vendors?"
3. "Is the stand or cart cleaned and well-maintained?"
4. "Are the ingredients fresh?"
5. "Use hand sanitizer before eating...."

Here is a link to the full article if you want to read more.

Those traveling with small children might add a Rule #6 to be "extra-special careful" in your choice of street-side eating establishment.  In our experience, little digestive systems have really tough time bouncing back from rancid refreshments.

Have you had any good or bad experiences eating at food stalls?  Tell us about them!