Gadling

i don't believe for a second the stories about "the locals are used to it". food poisoning is food poisoning, plain and simple. when the food is handled wrong, everyone gets sick, locals included.

i lived with several families in guatemala, and had clean, safe food prepared in clean kitchens in each house. mothers the world around know what they have to do in the kitchen to protect their children. their kitchens might not look spic and span like a brand new suburban house's does, and they certainly don't use antibacterial soaps everywhere, but their food is still safe.

i believe that restaurants that cater to travelers don't have the same incentives to keep clean and safe. so that's when you really need to think carefully about your choices. in both guatemala and mexico, i found grills with counters and open air kitchens safest, because i could observe the state of the kitchen and the actions of the person cooking. i also favor foods high in acid (fresh squeezed orange juice) or cooked over high heat and immediately served, to minimize risk. for this same reason, fried food can be a good choice, as long as you see them fry it for you.

but you will get sick, so learn about the chemistry of oral rehydration salts so that you can make them yourself. it's not rocket science, but it pays to read up on them first so that when you can't get them you can do it yourself with sugar, salt (nacl and kacl) and water.

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