How to eat Indian street food without getting sick? Let’s find out! (2024)

If you want a complete travel experience of India, you need to try some of the country’s delicious street food. Delight your taste buds with something from each region. This will also provide some fascinating insights into the preparation and ingredients used in local dishes.

However exciting this sounds, most visitors are afraid to try street food in India because of the infamous ‘Delhi Belly,’ which is traveler’s diarrhea caused by street food. The fear is real because no one wants to have a running stomach on vacation. But, if you want an immersive travel experience to India and experience its traditional culture, you must try the amazing street food.

The key is to not try all the stalls you see. You can enjoy the delicious Indian street food without getting sick if you follow these tips and guidelines. Check them out below:

1.Ensure the food is fresh

Focus on freshly prepared street food. Foods like pakoras, jalebis and omelets have low risk associated with them. Vendors often reheat their snacks by frying them again. Don’t worry; it helps to kill bacteria. If the oil smells bad, avoid it. The oil that gets burnt due to heavy usage can cause stomach issues.

2. Eat at popular stalls

The safest bets are the eateries with the most extended waiting lines. At busy spots, the food can’t be lying around in humid and hot conditions. Additionally, it ensures the stall’s popularity and cleanliness since customers are unlikely to wait for contaminated or flavorless food.

3. Eat where the locals eat

If you’re looking for mouth-watering street food, you can rely on the advice of the locals. They know exactly which vendor in the area offers the best quality food. Locals avoid a stall for a reason. Instead of tourists, follow the locals.

4. Avoid drinking tap water

Contaminated water is the main cause of stomach problems. You should avoid loosely sold cold drinks because they may contain contaminated water or ice cubes made from tap water. Avoid lassi, milkshakes, slushies, fresh juice, and cold coffee. Drink a cup of hot tea or a cup of coffee. There is no danger because vendors heat the water to a high temperature. Ask for hot drinks in a paper cup or kulhads.

5.Avoid cut fruits and salads

Avoid cut fruits and raw veggies due to unsafe tap water used to wash them. Always consume cooked veggies and peelable fruits to avoid food poisoning. Peelable fruits like bananas, oranges, mangoes, pineapples, and melons are the safest. Eating strawberries, grapes, apples, jamun, and cherries is risky due to pollution.

6. Cleanliness should be a priority

We don’t have to think about this. Do not eat at a stall if the utensils, plates, chopping boards, knives, glasses, pans etc. are dirty. No matter how fresh your street food is served, dirty utensils can still lead to foodborne illness. Always use sanitizing wipes to wipe down plates and spoons to remove any remaining dirt. Bring your disposable cutlery if you can. The vendor should cover all food in the stall. It’s best to avoid joints infested with rats, mosquitoes, and flies. The food vendor should be away from a dirty drain or a garbage dump. Proceed to the next cart if anything appears unclean.

7. Prefer vegetarian food

If you are worried about an upset stomach while visiting India, stick to vegetarian cuisine only. Street vendors source meat from shops who hang it outside. People have no idea how long the meat has been sitting on the street vendors’ tables because they don’t have proper refrigeration. It’s good to avoid non-veg food if you are looking for cheap food. Many Indians are vegetarians, and you’ll find a wide variety of good vegetarian food in the country.

8.Avoid certain food products

It is best to avoid certain items at all costs. Some chutneys might have tap water due to their uncooked nature. Summer and monsoon are dangerous times to consume dairy products, so avoid curd or milk-based foods. In the summer season, you should also avoid potato-based dishes. You must avoid dishes like Samosas, Pav Bhaji, and Vada Pav during the hot weather. Street vendors don’t have refrigeration and food items kept at room temperature for too long may attract bacteria. That could lead to food poisoning, which is extremely dangerous. Avoid tamarind and raw mango-based chutneys if you have acidity issues. The tangy flavor may cause acid reflux in sensitive stomachs.

Similarly, tourists should avoid eating Pani Puri, India’s most beloved street food. The potatoes, tamarind chutney, and spicy water in the crispy, round, hollow puri could prove to be a not-so-great combination.

9.Avoid too much spice

Remember that Indian food is prepared with a lot of oil and spices. Spices can have a mild laxative effect, which we do not want. If you’re going to enjoy a good travel experience in India, try eating steamed dishes like momos, poha, dhokla and idli (without chutney). You may also ask the cook to cook less spicy food.

10. Overeating is bad

Indian food is mouthwatering and enticing, but that doesn’t give you the license to overeat. Your stomach can’t process this overload of spicy, fried, and unfamiliar foods. Overeating can be the biggest disaster you could do on a trip.

11. Don’t eat street food in the rainy season

During the monsoon season, street food is not good for health. Mosquitoes, flies, and other insects contaminate the street food kept in the open. There is a lot of bacterial growth in damp weather. It could be extremely hazardous. Street food can be dangerous during the hottest months because food spoils quickly when kept out in humid weather.

12. Select stalls that use disposable utensils

Germs and diseases are not just spread by eating food, but also by the plates and utensils used to eat it. Choose stalls that serve food in disposable containers.

13. You must avoid deep-fried items

Because street food stalls prepare large quantities of food, they use a lot of oil. The vendors reuse oil for several days, which is bad for your health.

14. Do some research

It’s always good to research the street food you’d like to try. Social media is a great place to find new street food items since many food bloggers regularly post about them.

15. Keep basic medication handy

If you have a weak immune system or digestive issues, always keep medicines handy or take them beforehand to avoid getting sick.

Conclusion

A travel experience to India isn’t complete without trying its mouth-watering street food. Enjoying street food, whether in India or elsewhere, carries certain risks. You need to keep a keen eye on a few things to stay healthy. Never forget to wash or sanitise your hands before eating. Leave it if the meal does not taste, feel, or smell right. Always keep diarrhea, fever, and vomiting pills handy. Even after taking precautions, if you fall ill, don’t worry. Schedule an appointment with a physician and rest at your hotel. You can eat rehydration salts, curd, bread, rice, and bananas. Above all, don’t panic.

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