Pavement food to be banned in Delhi
Caroline:
April 19th, 2007
When I travelled around Sri Lanka in the early 80s some of the best food I had was cooked on the pavement or in very primitive shacks and whether this was just luck, I don’t know, but I suffered no ill-effects. Fast-forward several years and with two children in tow travelling around Thailand we steered clear of the pavement vendors despite the tempting aromas wafting around us. I just wasn’t willing to take the risk of contracting food poisoning or worse. Delhi’s city council has now caused great controversy by trying to ban food cooked on the pavement to get rid of potential health risks and update the city’s image. Instead, food courts of the type seen in south-east Asia will be introduced. I have eaten well in the food courts of Singapore and Hong Kong but somehow it just is not the same. Personally I think it will be a pity if the traditional street hawkers are unable to continue their cooking. After all no-one is forcing the tourists to eat there and the locals who frequent the stalls obviously would not keep going back if they suffered ill-effects.
April 20th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Couldn’t agree more, Caroline! I too am a big fan of street food, and actually believe it is often much healthier and less likely to lead to illness. Food is usually freshly cooked, with a rapid turnover. Western-style eateries, on the other hand, move all the food preparation into a back room where you can’t see what is going on. In regions of Africa with erratic electricity, I steered well clear of the “sanitary” fast food chains and sought out the ladies selling food from a cauldron! What would you prefer, day-old food from a dodgy fridge or freshly cooked rice and sauce?
April 22nd, 2007 at 8:06 pm
that is exactly the point! completely agree with u!
May 24th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
[…] When I travelled around Sri Lanka in the early 80s some of the best food I had was cooked on the pavement or in very primitive shacks and whether this was just luck, I don t know, but I suffered no ill-effects. … …Read More […]