Street-meat: How to get the local flavour without singing the gastro-blues

Wherever we travel, we are always told the best place to get a taste for local recipes are in the local shops. Fair enough. The conundrum presents itself after your first late-night stir-fry in Bangkok that assures your morning’s sightseeing will be postponed until you’re sure the entire contents of your digestive system have been jettisoned.

A common reaction to this is to head straight for that familiar chain restaurant. But don’t let that one experience turn you off and let the experience of local food pass you by.

The streets of South East Asia and the Caribbean are home to many local delicacies, and with a bit of savvy, can be enjoyed without a bout of paranoia when you hear you stomach rumble an hour afterwards.

The first rule is to follow the crowd. If the stall or little shop is full of local faces, you can bet the beta-testers have approved and the gaff has been deemed safe. If you’re not sure, ask someone. Despite the fact that you may be met with a blank stare of moderate indifference, that’s what travelling is for.

Once you’ve passed the first step, check out the cooking facilities. Unlike most western restaurants, the grill/wok/whatever will probably be out in the open. Watch your food cook; if the hotplate has been hot all night, there’s much less chance of getting germs.

If you’ve had a bad bout and need some relief, a simple solution is to eat simple food. Bread or rice will help to settle your stomach. If you can get your hands on bananas, that’s even better; bananas are technically a starch, but a re full of vitamins that should have you ready for another day’s tasting by morning.