When I first started out traveling two decades or so ago, I was just as new and afraid as anyone else is and ever will be. It can be a bit intimidating getting out of your comfort zone and going somewhere that you know very little, if anything about. I, like so many that have come before made some mistakes when I first started moving round the world but one of the biggest ones was shunning the local cuisine because I didn't know what it is.
This is probably less of an issue in today's day and age now that you can look up literally anything online but it is still easy to simply walk past something that is staring you right in the face such as street food. For many who never try backpacking, street food is something that they likely will never have and this is a shame. There is a reason why this is popular all around the world and this is because it is fantastic and at least to me, one of the greatest things about travel.
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I think the biggest hurdle to get past as far as this is concerned is that when faced with a street food stall in a foreign country, there is a really good chance that outside of heavy tourism areas, you probably don't even know what the food is. This is much less of a concern than it really should be though because street food vendors the world over will most often focus on selling something that they already are aware that everyone likes. Street food tends to be staples of the region that you are in and for the most part, they people making this don't get all creative and try to make something weird like fusion food. This is kind of a notion reserved for western nations and locals don't really get wrapped up in it because they think, and I believe they are correct, that fusion food is stupid. The old adage is "if it isn't broken, don't try to fix it" and street food vendors don't try to re-invent the wheel when deciding what to have on offer.
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Another fear that people have is that if it is for sale on the street it must be unclean and there is fear of food-borne illnesses. Now I am not saying this isn't a real fear but let's use some logic here ok? Are there loads of local people falling over themselves ill in the ditches in this city where you happen to be at the time? Because if the answer to this is "no" then there is a better than average chance that the food is perfectly safe to eat. You might be at a bit of a disadvantage in this department because of the fact that you have grown up in a bacteria-free environment back home, but I can tell you from experience that the notion of getting bacteria in your food because you only eat at "clean looking" restaurants is completely misguided. The sickest I have gotten while traveling have actually been at chain restaurants like Subway or Pizza Hut and I know from having worked at one of these that they have massive safeguards in place to prevent something like this.... some of it is just unavoidable and you are more likely to get sick from raw vegetables or cutlery than you are from anything that is cooked.
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This next part that I am about to say might seem a bit obvious but a lot of people still don't get it. No matter where you are in the world, if a place is busy as hell with local people all queuing up for nibbles, that is probably where you should be eating.
I have gotten to the point in my travels that this is basically the only thing that I look for . I don't look for a certain type of food, I look for a mob of people around food. If there are a ton of local people there, it almost has to be good, right?
Some of the best dining decisions I have ever made were done without speaking a word of any language but just by pointing at something and indicating the number "1" with my fingers. I pay, and then sit down without having a clue what it is that I am about to enjoy. Some of my favorite global dishes were things that I actually had to find out what they were after eating them.
When I go to a backpacker friendly part of the world and see a very busy Burger King packed with foreigners I can't help but feel like these people are truly missing out on one of the best aspects of traveling. Sure we can all seek out mountains and beaches and stuff like this but in my mind, and the minds of many like-minded intrepid travelers out there, the food is what truly makes an area unique.
So the next time you roll up to a new area have a look around for where the locals eat. Or better yet, ask that friendly bartender at your beach resort where it is that they would go eat during their time off. I am sure they would be more than willing to help you out with this information, especially if you tip. There's no reason for them to not help you after all and you might just end up making one of the best decisions in your life as far as dining is concerned.
This of course can go wrong because just because locals like something doesn't mean that you are going to. I found this out with a fish-head soup in Laos one day. When that does happen though, it normally will only cost you a dollar for the experience and then you are going to have a story to tell. Plus, you never know, fish-head soup might end up being something that you really enjoy but you were just never going to try out on your own!