| Is it safe to eat from street stalls? | |
|---|---|
| May 15, 2007 03:12 |   |
 | I was wondering if anybody had some bad experience after eating from a street stall? It looks like for most of you it works pretty well, but is there something that i should watch out for? Any kind of stalls I shouldn't be buying from? Is there any way of saying which food stall is OK and wich one is not? |
| May 15, 2007 03:46 | #1 |
| No it's not entirely safe, but many of us do it. Impossible to say which are good ones, just try to rule out the obviously bad ones. Are proper restaurants safer? I doubt it: personal hygene just isn't given as high a priority as many of us are used to. Bring stomach pils and hope you don't need to use them too often. |
| May 15, 2007 04:16 | #2 |
| I have no problem with eating from street stalls, infact I prefer it. After all you can spend a few minutes watching to decide if its ok or not, but with a restaurant you dont get to see behind the scenes so have to trust to luck sometimes. |
| May 15, 2007 05:04 | #3 |
| Pick one with a high turn over of food and people. Popularity is a good sign of a good street stall. And yes watch for a while to help you decide. Most things get pretty well cooked so are relatively safe. |
| May 15, 2007 09:46 | #4 |
| It's good to know that, cause I prefer to try all of different kinds of food and looking at the pics most of the time the one from the stalls look really good. Another question... Is there any possibility to recognize what you are taking? I wouldn't like to eat a dog or a cat that much, but I'm wondering what is the chance that I'll eat it, and I wont even know it ;) |
| May 15, 2007 20:13 | #5 |
| Food from street stalls is usually more of local flavor, so it is worth trying. The chance of eating a dog or cat is slim in North China, but do ask first before buying. Ah, you must knoe Chinese first. hehe~~~ |
| May 15, 2007 23:56 | #6 |
| i got very sick in guilin to the point that i have to go and see a doctor,, and it was not from the street food, this was a nice place i have dinner at, but i broke the rule i put in place for my self (always make sure food is very hot and just cook for you,) or plain just cook on front of you. i notice that chinese people eat a lot of food that is always well cook, but stays there at the place longer than needed and it is not very hot. specially meats, after i got sick all i eat was noodles, noodles, and noodles, and or mc donalds for breakfast, (opens around 10 am) lunch and dinner. it was ok,, after all, i never eat mc donalds at home any way. all and all, my trip was a very good experience. so, i'm going to china again this year, there is so much to see, and the chinese people was so very nice to me. |
| May 25, 2007 21:46 | #7 |
| I have been to China many times and never got sick from eating local food. Common sense must prevail and good advice has been given. Hot, stir-fried food is generally a good meal choice. Hot noodle soup is a good choice. The contents of the soup will cook in the hot broth. Rice noodles are best food on earth! I see more stalls selling soup in Vietnam than I do in China. Because water can be a problem in many locations in Asia, it is good advice to generally stay away from salads that have been rinsed in local water. It may look good on the table but loaded with many microscopic bugs. I was in hospital for two days after eating a salad over 40 years ago in Thailand. Salads are mostly foods you would find in restaurants. Fruits that you can peel are generally safe and Asia has many delicious fruits. Ever eat Dragon fruit? When I was in Shanghai last year, my wife and I ate delicious steamed buns from a vendor who was selling a basket full every minute. His whole suppy was gone within 10 minutes. They were hot and excellent but I did not questioned the contents of the bun. What made them taste better was the price 1.5 yuan for a large steamed bun. I had two! Very good! The steamed buns for sale in the back alleys of (old town) Lijiang are excellent! Get up early and start walking around the side alleys and streets. You will come across woman selling steamed buns that are delicoius. Generally, you will see children on their way to school buying a bun to eat along the way. 再见！ Rick |
| May 28, 2007 11:07 | #8 |
| Can't wait to taste all of that!!! It looks so delicious on the pictures I've looked up on Internet! |
| Jun 7, 2007 23:14 | #9 |
| I must have a stomach made of cast iron... If something looks good...I eat it. My friend says I do not get sick because I built up immunities to nasty little things while I was a young sailor eating food and drinking water in many different places. It may be so, but I will be more prudent on this trip because I will be entirely on my own. Thank you for the good information. |
Post a Reply to: Is it safe to eat from street stalls?
Copyright © 1998-2024 All rights reserved.