In China, street food cart vendors often bribe local officials. If they don’t bribe the local chengguan, he might beat them and smash up their food cart. Tricia Wang, a researcher who blogs at Bytes of China, spent some time with a family that ran from place to place trying to set up their street cart in a chengguan-free zone. “When he finishes chopping the meat, the flies come over to stake out their places as he prepares the noodles,” she wrote. “You would think it was a black stone if you didn’t know it was hundreds of flies on top of the meat.”
The cook Wang described was a good, conscientious man. He’d just grown so tired that he barely had energy to work, much less to think about food safety. A meal from a street vendor is adventurous, but it could be more of an adventure than your digestive system can handle. Although many restaurants document employee cleanliness and use convenient tools like EZ Forms food inspection checklist, most likely for those street vendors, that’s not happening.
So how do you balance a meaningful travel experience with being smart about food safety? There’s no perfect answer when you’re overseas, but there’s also no need to run for the nearest quasi-American chain restaurant. Choosing street carts that have these five characteristics will lower your chances of getting sick while enjoying some amazing local food.
1. Long Line and Fast Turnover
Obviously, one of the best ways to find great food overseas is to eat where the locals congregate. If you spot a street cart that has a long line but still manages to dish food up quickly for customers, then it’s probably worth your time to wait in line. First of all, crowds wouldn’t congregate at a place that didn’t serve delicious and safe food. Second, fast turnover indicates that the street vendor cooks and serves the food fresh.
Street food shouldn’t languish under a heat lamp, breeding pathogens for hours while the vendor waits for customers to come along. If you’re in a quiet part of town, wait until the cart gets busier, even if that means getting a mid-afternoon snack somewhere else. You’ll have to fight your instinct to avoid long lines, but you’ll increase your margin for safety. Save your street cart visit for mealtimes when the vendor attracts a crowd, and pick a street cart that’s close to your lodging — just in case.
2. Food Served Hot
One of the biggest warnings about eating overseas is to never eat raw produce. However, when a street vendor has a gorgeous array of fruit, grabbing some lychees, peeling them, and eating them on the go can seem like an idyllic locavore experience.
Unfortunately, it could also land you back at your hotel — or in a street-side bathroom — with a toilet full of regrets. Avoid uncooked food from street vendors, no matter how tempting the produce might look.
3. No Flies Allowed
Avoid vendors that don’t protect food from insects when they’re prepping it and after they’ve prepared it. Observe whether their dishes sit on a counter attracting flies, even after they’re freshly cooked. Most food that doesn’t get protected from insects doesn’t get protected from dust, either. The last thing you want is a belly full of dirt and hurt.
4. Disposable Plates and Utensils
Most street vendors aren’t traveling with a collection of washable serving tools because they have no way to wash dishes. Even so, stay away from anything that’s not disposable, including teacups and utensils, when you order from a street vendor. If you’re worried, carry your own plates and utensils with you, and wash them with boiled water when you get back to your lodging.
5. Clean Hands, Clean Surfaces
Avoid street cards where food is placed on dirty surfaces or where raw meat and vegetables share the same cutting surfaces. Also, stay away from vendors who don’t keep clean hands or who use dirty utensils.
Take the Risk Carefully
Let’s face it: Most street vendors aren’t subject to strict food preparation oversight. Go ahead and eat street food, but be smart about where you grab your meals. As Anthony Bourdain wrote in Kitchen Confidential, “Good food and good eating are about risk.” Trusting your gut before you eat will keep your gut from revolting on you later.
