Another interesting poin that was reaised in both Jasons article and a recent piece in the New York Times was a question of food hygene. We get disgusted in North America if we find out that a restaurant has not take food hygene seriously. Think of the uproar that the Taco Bell incident caused?
However, Ive eaten in some really quesionable places in my life. In fact, some of the best meals of my life have been in some of the dirtiest places. I had the greatest seafood in Kuala Lumpur over 10 years ago that I still remember to this day. It was served roadside in a makeshift cart on a street that was just filty but man did it taste good. I wouldnt even consider eating food in an environment like that in North America. Why do we have different expecations? Why do we classify one experience as “real” and “authentic” and another as unhygenic?
damn rights!!!
my most memorable eats AND environment was on the ‘last class’ train from the Guatamalan border on route to Veracruz, Mexico.
Desperate to get off (for a toilet instead of the ‘hole in the floor’ train version), I found myself surrounded by locals, peddling their mysterious home-made food packets train side…
Swarmed with these papered packets , bugs and soot, I swallowed my fear of ‘montezuma’s revenge’ and had the most incredible, authentic Mexican dish I had tasted on my whole 2 months of travel… Chilli Reanos, neatly wrapped in paper – purchased out of the window (hole where the window used to be…) of my train.
I have always remembered that along side FAB eats in swanky ’sophisticated’ cities. But most of all, I remember how ‘real’ the food was and how ‘real’ the people were serving it.
It wasn’t about appearances, but about an authentic eat. yummm… Ok, now I am ready to travel!!
cheers and beers!
-ladygurl