4. Are the ingredients fresh? If you've got eyes, a nose, and some tastebuds, you can figure this out for yourself. I look at the condiments and garnishes to determine if I want to eat at a given stand or cart. If I see crusty bowls of salsa, dessicated limes, slimy herbs, or flies congregated on any raw foods I might potentially eat, I'm out of there.
4、原料是否新鲜?你可以用你的眼睛、鼻子和味蕾来分辨。我会先看看摊贩的调味品和配菜,再来决定是否要在特定的摊位或推车吃东西。如果我看到邋遢的沙拉、干干的酸橙、粘粘的香料,或是我想吃的食物原料上停着苍蝇,我马上离开那里。
If you're in a coastal region, it pays to do a bit of homework on the cleanliness of the local fresh and ocean water supplies; algae blooms or cholera outbreaks will be widely reported. Try to avoid eating raw river fish or seafood, or river fish/seafood from just offshore; remember that many developing island nations and coastal regions use high tide as their toilet. If you're eating pork in the Third World, always make sure it's well-cooked. While trichinosis has effectively been eradicated from our domestic industrial pork supply, the disease is prevalent in other parts of the world. And not to get too graphic, but you'll often find pigs in rural parts of the developing world lurking around latrines, searching for a snack.
如果你在沿海地区,你就要对当地的事物有所了解,如干净新鲜的海产品、水藻,以及广泛报道的霍乱疫情。尽量避免吃生河鱼或海鲜或近海地区的海产品。要谨记,许多发展中岛国和沿海地区以海潮作为他们的厕所。如果你在第三世界吃猪肉,一定要确保肉已煮熟,虽然国内的猪肉供应工业已有效根除了毛线虫病,但该疾病还普遍存在于世界其它地区。但也不要太讲究形象,在发展中国家的农村地区你经常会看到猪围在厕所周围觅食。
Fresh ingredients don't necessarily mean great food, but it helps. Delicious street food is ulimately a reflection of the loving care that goes into its preparation. Are the carnitas slightly crispy on the outside, with an interior succulent with greasy goodness? Is the masa in the tamales moist, with a sweet, earthy corn flavor? Are the noodles slightly toothsome, the herbs fresh and bright-tasting, the broth fragrant and piping hot? These things matter.
新鲜的食材并不意味着好吃,但却有益。美味的街头食物是一种精心准备的亲切关怀。carnitas外表略脆,里面却多汁油腻吗?湿润的玉米粉蒸肉充满着泥土的气息?美味的面条、清新亮丽的香草、甜美的热肉汤?这些都是你要关心的问题。