Through the Travels (Food)

I have worked with people who dared not licked their lips when out of their home country. An amoeba may have landed on their lops and this will introduce it into the gut causing untold personal misery. Welcome to the world of gastro-intestinal issues. Some brush their teeth only with bottled water. I do not want to discount others' precautions. I have mine too. 

There is a no snails, clams, shells and oysters policy in third world Asia. I try to keep to touristy spots. Do I eat hawker food? Yes, only food that was put over the fire, dipped into a boiling water and fried over a hot wok/pan. And it is to be eaten immediately.

Generally the food in the cities and towns are clean especially when it is in a packaged tour. If going out of the way then observe some precautions.

1. Eat food immediately after it is cooked. Most hawker's food fall into this category. Hot stew or soup just off the pot! Food fried in a hot wok. Or deep-fried stuff just taken out from a cauldron of hot oil. Or anything grilled over fire or baked in an oven.

2. If it is set on the table, see whether it is covered or if on the shelves whether the doors or curtains are drawn. This is to avoid houseflies diving into it. We got into trouble once in Chiangmai where we tucked in uncovered delicious left-overs after the service. It was our undoing. Two were rushed to the hospital.

3. Best choice: Any food cooked to order. Fried rice and noodles. Soup noodles are also good if it is cook in a hot pot. However, watch out for dirty plates and bowls. 

4. Eat fruits that you can peel. Do not buy cut/peeled fruits. It may be washed with dirty water. Fancy eating prepared fruits washed in river water. It happened in Bangladesh when I was travelling in a ferry. Bananas, oranges and mandarins are the best. If you need to peel and cut fruits like apples and watermelons washed the skin with bottle water first before using your Swiss knife. 

5. If you have food and fruits that do not look and taste what it should be throw it away and discreetly remove those from your mouth. Why fight it.

6. Beef keeps best follow by chicken and pork. So the choice is yours. Beef may have the lowest risk among all meats.

7. Do not take ice especially in the country side. The ice in the city and towns are generally ok. If unsure as the expatriate who has done this and eaten that. Otherwise get your canned/Tetrapak drinks off the refrigerator. Use a straw. If there is no refrigerator you can do this. Pack the ice in a plastic bag and pack the coke into another plastic bag. Put the coke in the plastic bag into the other plastic bag of ice. This will chill the drink sufficiently.

8. Another note is to be careful of recycle straws. Watch out for tell tale signs. This is carrying recycling to far.