I think it's one of the best parts about traveling. During our 'first rodeo' (driving from the States to Costa Rica in 2007),
we were afraid to eat anywhere but McDonalds, KFC and Taco Bell. We love eating street food.
Eating street food is a tasty way to immerse yourself in the cul"But won't you get sick?" you may be asking (as I once did).
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At least at first. But that's okay. Then you're body will build up an immunity, and you can indulge in all the street food you want.
My dad spent some time in Chile as a youth. When he very first arrived, he drank water out of a pitcher sitting on the table... it was the wrong water, aka NOT drinking water.
He was sooooo sick. Miserably, want-to-die sick.
But after it was over, he could drink any water, anywhere. He was immune.
I've never gotten as sick as my dad did. But I have been sick... at first. Now it's very rare.
Unlike our 'first rodeo', when we crossed into Mexico (for the second time along our Epic Expedition) in 2011, we ate street food. (This is our first meal, below.)
It was at a pretty sketchy roadside stand. Whatever was nearby smelled of sewage. I remember getting sick from that little meal... it lasted several days.
Lake Chapala
This was at a tianguis (market) in Ajijic/Lake Chapala. Yum.
Fresh Mexican corn tortillas were one of our favorites in that part of Mexico. Here we are buying them hot off the press from the tortilla man at his store/home.
Jocotepec
Buying buckets full of fresh raspberries was AMAZING!
This big pot of raspberries cost us the same as the little box would at a grocery store in the States.
Paracho
Here we're eating at a market in Paracho, Mexico. That part of Mexico uses a lot of those big, clay pots for cooking. I bought one, but it broke in Guatemala.
Parícutin
The famous 'growing volcano' that enveloped a town, before hiking up to the ruins (and climbing on top of the cathedral), we were fed this INCREDIBLE meal... ohhhh, so good. The tortillas were made from a black corn, ground by hand, and cooked over a fire.
Tzintzuntzan (Seen-soon-san)
That big meaty thing... lamb. Yummy!
Waiting for our tacos while celebrating the night before Dia de los Muertos in Tzintzuntzan.
Patzcuaro
I really like this city. We were here in Patzcuaro for Dia de los Muertos. That soup was delish! Called something like pozole. Anyone know for sure?
Morelia
I LOVED this town. I could have spent more time... very European feel (as if I would know, I haven't been to Europe... yet.)
This stuff was good, unique to this town... chopped green mangos, jicama, pineapple and other fruit, topped with cheese and chili sauce.
Our dinner that night. Don't know what it's called, but it was tasty.
Mexico City
What a great place. I could go back there in a second to explore more (loved the Museo and riding the subway.) Yes, those people are selling food out of a shopping cart, and would run when they saw the police coming.
Oaxaca (Wuh-hock-uh)
A fantastic city, these tlyudas that we ate at the local market in town were some of our all-time favorite Mexican food (unique mostly to Oaxaca.) The ruins of Monte Alban are nearby, and also one of our favorites.
Chiapas
The state of Chiapas in Mexico is so dazzlingly beautiful... and it has a unique culture similar to Guatemala, with their cultural dress. On Thanksgiving Day we ate in a market in the highlands of Chiapas. This state is home to a few more of our favorite places, like Palenque and Agua Azul.
El Tule
As we headed southeast, after checking out one of the oldest trees in the world, we stopped for a taste test of fresh agave nectar... before it was made into liquor.
Laguna Bacalar
We spent about seven weeks at the 'Lake of Seven Colors' -- it was heavenly. Every Saturday we'd buy chicken and tortillas from this little shop/house.
Belize
A very unique country with an interesting mix of food, people and culture. Their little meat pies were good (that's what the guy with the 'bike' is selling.) Belize is where we first tried El Salvadorian pupusas.
Hopkins, Belize
This isn't street food, we had to gather our own at this nature preserve in Hopkins.
Peten, Guatemala
After we first crossed the border into Guatemala (after visiting Tikal), we got to eat a new favorite, pupusas. The grilled meat prepared roadside was really good too.
Panajachel, Guatemala
Shopping at the market. We lived here for over a year, on the shores of Lake Atitlan.
Making tamales with a local family.
Ferria came to town. That really happy guy is selling peanuts. Fried chicken and french fries is (surprisingly?) a very popular Guatemalan street food.
Lake Atitlan
Sometimes we get a special treat... a nice dinner at a nice restaurant, like when we went to Casa del Mundo for our anniversary.
These ladies made a delicious salad with beets, onions, apples and all kinds of good stuff, in San Lucas Tolimán... a town on Lake Atitlan.
Patanatic, Guatemala
We spent a lot of time with this wonderful family, as we worked on the Self-Reliance Project (the precursor to Mayan Eco Homestead.) They made us many wonderful meals during those several weeks.
Sipicate, Guatemala
We had some surfing mis-adventures in Sipicate... and some good pupusas.
San Sebastian, Guatemala
Guatemalans love to put mayonnaise and ketchup on their corn... don't knock it 'til you try it.
That interesting looking bowl of yellow stuff... that's iguana stew. (Greg ate an 'iguana-male' in Mexico once.)
Mexico/Guatemala Border
While living in Guatemala, we had to do border runs every 90 days to renew our visas. It was lucky that they had good food in the border town.
El Salvador
We finally had pupusas in their native land... mmmmm.
León, Nicaragua
My first meal in Nicaragua... well, I thought I was in heaven. Served on a banana leaf, that's kinda cool.
Nicaragua has some good food... although they really like to fry it. The tostones are tasty, with fried cheese (top right). And you can't beat the $2 plate. Cacao smoothies from the market are our favorite treat! And I love me some fried plantains.
Costa Rica
Here we are full circle, back where we first began our nomadic wanderings 7 years ago. Ironically, we haven't eaten any gallo pinto yet. Only fruit from the market (or a roadside stand at the beach.)
And we were invited for lunch at an old friend's house. But she's Nicaraguan 😉
Of course, there is always fruit...
Every country we've visited has delicious, exotic, wonderful fruit... that's one of the best parts.
And markets...
Always a great place to get a cheap meal... if you can put up with the flies and the stray dogs.
Do you love street food? What is your favorite?
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We are so jealous! Mexican/Spanish food is the one thing from home that we miss on a daily basis. You’re pretty brave to eat from some of the food carts in Mexico, and yes, it’s called Pozole.
Mmmm…. I know. We love Mexican food especially. Thanks for confirming the name of that dish… it sure was good. 🙂
My heart melts as look through your pics. We have family in Guanajuato Mexico and love visiting. The food, sites and people we have fallen in love with! Thank you for sharing! Here is a blog post I wrote and shared a couple of pictures if Mexico.
Thanks Starla!
How in the world is it possible that you haven’t had any gallo pinto yet? We couldn’t find any meals *without* it! LOL
This post is just so full of memories. Also a few places we need to check out! Thanks for all the wonderful pics…
Ha ha! I know, the gallo pinto is everywhere… we haven’t been out much yet, new baby and all. That’s why I guess. 😉
Lovely food photos.. I’m salivating over the thought of Mexican street tacos and tamales, I practically lived off them for several months 🙂 .. the meats in Central America are cooked with flavors and spices that I just love and it’s always falling off the bone tender.. i don’t know why it tastes so much better down there but it does!
I agree, it always tastes so much better ‘in country’… maybe it’s infused some of the land, air and culture.
This post made me so hungry!!! My favorite Mexican food is definitely the Tlayudas of Oaxaca!!! Gotta love the Tasajo (Carne Asada) 😀
Mmmm… yes, soooo good!
LOVE street food! Same as you, on my first overseas trip I was afraid to eat anywhere but air-con restaurants, but I have since changed my mind and now I have street food everywhere I go. I have bookmarked this page and I’ll be using it as a gourmet guide for my next trip to Central America!
That’s exactly the transformation we’ve made 🙂 Thanks for your comment.
I find it odd that everyone assumes that you will get sick if you eat street food. When I travel street food is how I live. It is the cheapest and easiest way to eat at times. Most of the time it is the best food I eat. I love the story about your father 🙂
I agree, I love it, and it is super cheap. I have gotten sick once or twice, but most of the time I don’t, so it’s worth it! 🙂
I’m so impressed by all of your street food eating. I used to a little more than I do now but I got REALLY sick from a sandwich in Guatemala and just decided I didn’t want to feel that miserable when travelling (since we only travel for the most 3 weeks at a time). I would love to eat like this though, it’s really inspirational – I love the tortilla guy with all those fresh tortillas – brilliant! It makes me long to be back in Mexico….one day!!
Yeah, that can be really tough to be sick when you’re traveling. We’re out full time, so even if I’m sick for a week or two (which hasn’t happened for a loooong time), it’s not a huge chunk out of our ‘trip’. Mexican tortillas are the best! Guatemalan tortillas… not so much.
Yummm! I miss good Mexican food living here in Germany!! Great post!
Mmmm… and I could go for some German food 😉
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with street food…but most of the time it’s totally worth the risk! Can’t believe that GIANT bucket of raspberries! So good!
Ha ha 🙂 I can understand. (The raspberries were awesome!)
Travel and eating go hand in hand and therefore so does street food. Mexico as you know has some great street vendors and so cheap. That picture of the meal in Oaxaca looks awesome.
Yes it does! Love Mexican street food.
I was never a huge fan of Mexican or C. American food before I moved to Costa Rica but I’ve grown to like it. After I tried authentic Mexican food, I can’t eat anything less. The Pastor tacos are my favorite and you can’t beat the tropical fruit here! But your picture of raspberries have my mouth watering, I used to eat them all the time back in home state where we grew them but I can’t find ANY here! I miss them dearly
Ohhh, I miss them too! And peaches. We used to get strawberries year round in Guatemala… I miss those.
@hjortur A5: LOVE local food! One of the best parts of travel, it infuses the country into yourself #ttot #Mexico http://t.co/IW7ZpBbkWg
Wow. Incredible pictures and incredible sounding food – is it definitely worth getting sick for though? And do you definitely build up immunity…?
At the moment of being sick it doesn’t seem worth it, but yes, you definitely build up an immunity. My kids never/rarely get sick, and they eat all sorts of things 🙂
Wow! This all looks amazing, but after just suffering a stomach bug, I am wondering how long it takes to build up an immunity? That sounds difficult! The pictures are delightful though and now I am craving tacos.
It usually only takes once or twice, unless you then visit a totally different part of the world (i.e. my ‘Latin America’ immunity may not cover me in Southeast Asia.) Every part of the world has it’s own bugs 🙂
You are reminding me how much I love Mexico and Central America – and have made me very hungry! We love street food. I often think street food is safer than in restaurants – at least you can see what they are doing and make a better judgement call compared to a hidden kitchen. I also love eating out in the middle of things rather than hidden away.
Yum—so many beautiful colors and delicious tastes.
Looks delicious! I think trying out the ‘local cuisine’ is a big part of travelling – well done for being so brave! Haha