Atlantica - 01.09.2007, Side 20

18 a t l a n t i c a
Think Globally,
Grub locally
Scarfing down a slice of pizza, a falafel, or cautiously slurping spoonfuls from a
plastic bag of Penang curry may not be considered haute cuisine, but dab-
bling in a bit of street food is an instant way to experience a local slice
of life in any country.
Imagine it: high noon. You’re strolling the streets of Bangkok,
Copenhagen or Lima and suddenly realize your stomach is
crying out for chili-flecked pineapple, a hot dog with ketchup
or a lightly grilled guinea pig. As it turns out, it’s your lucky day.
Within a few paces, your hunger can be satiated by cheap, fresh
and often memorable local cuisine. If you’re really fortunate,
some of the most enterprising businesses will have even placed
a few rickety plastic chairs next to their portable woks or vats of
boiling stew for you to relax and enjoy your mid-day snack.
From Dakar to Delhi and Tokyo to Toronto, forking over small
sums for succulent street food is a custom almost all vacationers
partake in at some point. Diving into the best a nation’s roadside
vendors have to offer is a good-value way of getting a glimpse
into local culture—and perhaps some souvenir bacteria. Those
who regularly indulge in this form of dining are proud to share
their horror stories. Says travel consultant Tanya Orr: “I’ll never
forget the horrible tale of gastrointestinal woe I suffered in
Zimbabwe after eating something that turned out, on closer
inspection, to be tinned dog food. It wasn’t my best day.”
Whether from digestive mishaps or culinary wonders, the
experience of eating al fresco is not one that travelers soon
forget. “The local culture has figured out the best snack for their
country already,” says Andrew Evans, author of Bradt’s Ukraine
guide. “So why the hell go buy a Snickers or a hamburger?”
on the fly
By Eliza REid
Travelers buy fried
spiders by the
roadside near
Skuon, Cambodia.