QUESTION: Food and water safety: how to choose street food?

Choosing street food while traveling is a great way to get acquainted with local culture and gastronomic traditions, but it carries certain risks for digestion. To ensure that culinary experiments bring only pleasure and do not end in a hospital bed, it is necessary to adhere to strict rules of visual assessment and hygiene at food stalls. Before placing an order, it is helpful to outline a clear checklist of documents, deadlines, and safety requirements: make sure you have international medical insurance and know the insurance company's contact details.

The first main rule for safely choosing street food is the presence of a high flow of locals at a particular stall or cart. If a long queue of local families forms at the counter, it serves as the best proof of food freshness, as the food does not linger and is prepared right before serving. Avoid empty food spots where ingredients stagnate.

Pay close attention to the sanitary condition of the food stall and the vendor themselves. Make sure the food is cooked right in front of you, undergoes thorough heat treatment, and is served truly hot "straight from the fire." Utensils must be clean, and raw products and prepared dishes should be stored separately, protected from insects, dust, and direct sunlight.

Finally, adopt a balanced approach to planning your gastronomic itinerary by applying the seventy-to-thirty golden rule. Approximately seventy percent of your diet should consist of trusted restaurants, homemade food, or safe traditional cuisine, while the remaining thirty percent can be safely allocated to culinary experiments, street fast food, and spontaneous gastronomic discoveries, leaving enough time for rest and bodily adaptation.