So we’ve talked about different types of delicious street food. It’s always good to ask “is satisfying my craving worth the possible toilet time later?” I always think about if I can afford the time. So, keep in mind the following considerations when eating street food, though. Personally, I would say eating less street food is better. Is your stomach strong enough?

Outdoor vendors sometimes make street food in advance and leave them out. No one knows how long it’s been sitting there and collecting dust and dirt stirred up by cars or the wind. Taking this into consideration, it may be safer to eat street food that’s offered indoors.

煎饼 jiān bǐng

You can get 糖葫芦 (táng hú lú) or candied fruit skewers,  inside many supermarkets, although not all street food is offered indoors. Still, many supermarket delis offer cold/hot noodles, noodle soup, chinese crepes (煎饼jiān bǐng), and Chinese pork sandwiches, or 肉夹馍 (ròu jiá mó).

肉夹馍 ròu jiá mó

In the summertime,beware of eating meat (i.e. chuàn’r) as high temperatures can provide a suitable environment for bacteria to grow. Although the raw meat/organs for chuan’r are cooked over a fire, usually they aren’t refrigerated beforehand.

Are you more “better safe than sorry” or more “my iron stomach can take on anything”? Let us know in the comments.