One thing I've noticed in traveling is the distinct difference in the execution of fast food outside of the States. You can get a hearty meal in most other countries in the same amount of time it takes to get the mass produced pre-frozen and steroid laden fare you can find on almost every corner here (not that I have a problem with it, I love burgers.) But the option of a real meal when it's 4am and you're still a little drunk from clubbing is something you're often hard pressed to find here. The lack of squeamishness that often marks the American culinary experience helps to make wonderful things like chicken with fried rice and coleslaw possible at all hours of the day. I find that eating food in the States goes hand in hand with an fanatic obsession with sanitation and an attitude that says if it isn't vacuum sealed and triple plastic wrapped it's not safe to eat. Being able to eat in a culture without a fear of it's own food is a wonderful and unique experience.
Between the chop-bars and open air food stands the scent of cooking permeates everything and that's way it should be. It's heartening to know people haven't forgotten that there were people eating before there was refridgeration and that there is a certain magic in the mingled scents spiced food cooking on the street corners or even that something sitting outside for awhile won't kill you. I'm glad to know I can still get a good stomach coating meal cheap and fast that won't eventually clog my arteries or give me high blood pressure. Riding with my cousins to buy food from their vendor of choice makes me wish people in the States could remember what it was to shop at an open air market with sound of people haggling and the scent of fresh food perfuming the air. Or realize that whether you physically bought the animal alive or it came a week old plastic wrapped from the slaughterhouse-- You're still eating it. So picking an animal to eat fresh isn't any less humane then buying it from the grocery store. If only we could let go of our fear of E. coli, food poisoning and whatever exotic disease is the fear flavor of the month we could really appreciate our food. This is not to say that there aren't any sanitation risks and you'll never get sick but the risk is well worth the pay out to me.
Between the chop-bars and open air food stands the scent of cooking permeates everything and that's way it should be. It's heartening to know people haven't forgotten that there were people eating before there was refridgeration and that there is a certain magic in the mingled scents spiced food cooking on the street corners or even that something sitting outside for awhile won't kill you. I'm glad to know I can still get a good stomach coating meal cheap and fast that won't eventually clog my arteries or give me high blood pressure. Riding with my cousins to buy food from their vendor of choice makes me wish people in the States could remember what it was to shop at an open air market with sound of people haggling and the scent of fresh food perfuming the air. Or realize that whether you physically bought the animal alive or it came a week old plastic wrapped from the slaughterhouse-- You're still eating it. So picking an animal to eat fresh isn't any less humane then buying it from the grocery store. If only we could let go of our fear of E. coli, food poisoning and whatever exotic disease is the fear flavor of the month we could really appreciate our food. This is not to say that there aren't any sanitation risks and you'll never get sick but the risk is well worth the pay out to me.
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