Why is street food something I’m willing to break all the rules for? I’m a bit of a germiphobe when it comes to food. Like, I don’t care if something was dropped on MY kitchen floor. I’ll wipe that off and throw it on the plate and eat it. But I’m always leery of other people’s germs getting on my food.
For example, I rarely eat at buffet restaurants or eat the salad bar. I am just super freaked out about the fact that the masses eating at these restaurants have direct access to the food. I know there are tongs and spoons and that silly glass that is supposed to protect the food from them, but we’ve all seen what crazy things people do. And we have no idea when the last time they washed their hands. Like I want to wash my hands after I touch the tongs behind the person in front of me before I go eat the food.
But street food defies everything. Give me the most unregulated looking guy selling tamales outside a grocery store or a lady with a pop up tent on a dirt road in Belize and I have no qualms about eating those tacos she’s selling. Food trucks are the greatest thing ever because they bring this to life, even though in a somewhat more regulated way than the tamale guy hitting the bars late at night. Unfortunately, Chicago stifles the food trucks way too much, and so the ability to enjoy them is more limited, but I have hiked an insane distance in the middle of a workday to get to them.
Part of my desire to travel is inspired by food. I cannot wait to visit more countries where street vendors are encouraged and enjoyed by all. And I swear to you, the more unregulated it looks, the more likely I am to go ahead and order 2 of them. I have no idea why they don’t trigger my insane germophobic tendencies, but I love street food. Well, I love food in general, but you get the idea.
Foodie's Delimma 