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I think one of the things that people are equally fascinated by and at the same time scared of in India is the food. How to avoid getting sick in India is a big question that trip planning evolves around.
I was no exception and to be quite honest, I wasn’t all that excited for the Indian food overall. While I love many Asian flavors like Thai, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan and couldn’t even be deterred by the spider legs Cambodia offered, Indian food has never really been my cup of tea.
I remember an event when I was little and came for a visit to the big city, Hamburg, with my mother to see my brother. He took us to an Indian place and I vividly remember a little dough-something that was nice enough on the mixed starter platter but turned into a doughy ball of heat, spice and subsequently pain in my mouth as the main dish. I stuck to coke for the rest of the evening and for a long time after this remained my only experience with Indian food.
Mind you, when the Kerala Blog Express rolled around I was willing to have my mind changed. After all, Kerala food was said to be the best of India and so I declared in my promo video that my goal for the trip was to eat my own body weight in seafood curry.
But to be very honest I was also a bit apprehensive because from previous press trip experience I knew that there is usually a lot of hotel buffet food involved. I understand that the logistics of feeding a 30+ group often don’t allow for little hole in the wall eateries, street food stalls or smaller, authentic restaurants. But even the fanciest hotels can be a real hit or miss because you know….buffets.
That’s why I decided I needed to get a proper glimpse into Indian street food and Indian cuisine beforehand. Food that wasn’t at the mercy of a chef who has to present his dishes under a cloche with a side of carved carrot swans.
Three weeks of India travel didn’t make me an expert, I know that. But I managed to not only avoid a Delhi belly (aka really bad diarrhea in India) but my stomach felt peachy throughout (except while I started to write this post, but that’s because I was stuck on a bus for 8 hours and we had an open bar the night before).
I also gathered some tips from fellow travelers and locals on how not to get sick in India so you can rather worry about gaining a few kilos on your next trip.
Tips on how to avoid getting sick in India
1. Get a guide
I reached out to Intrepid, one of my favorite companies when it comes to experiential travel, to see if they would host me on one of their food tours. As I was pressed for time I chose the Bite-size Break Delhi. It was advertised as a 3-day trip, but in all honesty, it was only 1,5 days and 2 nights which for my purpose was still perfect. Especially since I lucked out and was the only one, having my amazing guide Joe all to myself.
If it is your first time, you not only want to learn what to eat to avoid sickness in India, you want someone to introduce you to all the great dishes out there that you may never find out about on your own. Who knew that puffed rice, chickpea noodles, potato, onion, tomato, cilantro, mint syrup, and pomegranate seeds make one damn tasty dish?! It’s called Bhelpuri and I can highly recommend it if you happen to be in Delhi!
If it is your first time in India, I highly recommend you get yourself a guide too, one that knows his city and food culture well. Joe took me to all of his favorite “restaurants”, many of which were only frequented by locals. He explained to me how dishes were made, the degree of spiciness, and even more important how to eat Indian food (without biting your thumb!).
It is also useful to have someone teach you the differences between naan, roti, poori and chapatti (which I forgot immediately after, but fluffy bread whether fried or baked is always a great idea in my books).
I have always been a fan of street food. Unlike big restaurants, most stalls offer only one or two dishes they specialize in and you will find some of the best Indian food here. The turn around time is quick and the ingredients are thus always fresh. My Indian friend Nuthan recommended skipping on condiments that may have been standing around for a bit too long, something I instinctively did (it may have just been that I am not too keen on pickled something) – such an easy trick for food safety in India.
The other advantage of having a guide is to have someone to help out if you have any allergies or are vegan or vegetarian. While the latter is incredibly easy in India, being vegan is not. In many dishes you get dairy or ghee, making it a bit tricky at times if you don’t speak the language.
Even Joe, a vegan himself, said he struggled at times as soy products are not that common yet. No masala chai for him (chai is traditionally served with milk!). Even something presumingly harmless like toddy, fermented coconut schnaps also called the champagne of Kerala*, is made with the help of ghee and a deer bone.
*It isn’t, it just became a running gag as I apparently mentioned champagne when they ‘surprised’ me with a Facebook live interview upon arrival. If you want to have a good laugh you can still find it here. Don’t judge!
Alternatively, you can check out these shorter Delhi food tours below:
2. Wash your hands
Often. With soap. Honestly, eating food with your hands is one of the greatest pleasures I rediscovered in India, but needless to say, your hands should be clean. Use hand sanitizer instead or in addition to washing them with soap.
3. Eat with your hands
After you have done your scrubbing use your hands to eat. Not only will you look like a local (well, not really but you will look a little less out of place) but the great thing about eating with your hands is that you know where your hands have been. That cannot be said for most utensils. So wash up and dig in. When in doubt use a roti or poori as a makeshift, edible spoon/grabbing device.
4. Peel the layers
As much as I loved Indian food, it can be quite carb-heavy and a lot of things are deep-fried. This makes for a real feast, but I was craving something fresh very soon and loaded up on salads and fruit whenever possible. However, I stuck to the rule of not eating any fruit or veggie that cannot be peeled. I made an exception for tomatoes and peppers, but only in places where I was relatively sure they were washed with filtered water.
5. Eat your veggies
When in doubt, go vegetarian. I will admit that I am an extremely fussy meat eater; I don’t like bones and stuff. So when I wasn’t sure about the quality of certain meats, I opted for vegetarian. On that note, Kerala people love their beef and got quite cross when a radical Hindu party recently made news and wanted to take it away from them. So if you are a carnivore, there are some great meat dishes for you on some Indian menus. If you choose to eat meat though, do make sure it is cooked – I would eat the steak tartar somewhere else if you want to avoid getting sick in India.
6. Drink up
While I think Slumdog Millionaire did much good to spark my interest in India, it also freaked me out a bit. Especially when thinking of the scene when they refill water bottles in a restaurant with tap water. I was eyeing each bottle very suspiciously at the beginning of my trip. If you have to buy water, buy from reputable companies and shops. Afterward preferably refill with filtered water, available at most hotels to save on plastic waste. I also only used bottled/filtered water for brushing my teeth. Alternatively, get yourself a Grayl bottle to filter water from the tap – I have successfully used it all over Asia without ever getting sick.
I saw some of our group who didn’t let the bottle touch their lips. I thought that was both a skill and unnecessary. However, if you are worried get yourself a bamboo/reusable straw to drink from. A great thing to drink in India instead of water? Lassis, the ultimate probiotic Indian food!
7. Da Coconut Nut
Coconut water is your friend. There is nothing better to rehydrate and fresh coconuts will come in handy especially in areas like the hot and humid Kerala. Alternatively, you can stock up on rehydrating salts though I much prefer Mother Nature’s solution!
8. Bottoms up
One friend recommended a sip of schnapps before each meal, another ginger tea with honey. Admittedly crazy India health tips but apparently they both work.
9. Worst case scenario
Some say it is just a matter of luck if you get sick in India or not. While I am not in a position of giving medical advice, here is what I do when I get sick on the road:
If I just feel a bit iffy, I go for charcoal tablets (if you don’t have any, someone mentioned burned toast with honey works). If it gets worse I try to flush it out with lots of saltwater. Immodium & Co. should only be used as a last resort, out is better than in, or when you are heading on a long bus or train ride.
Should you be sick for longer than a couple of days with bad diarrhea or vomiting, please go and see a doctor!
The best food to eat after being sick includes plain yoghurt or curd, rice, bananas or (un-fried) plain bread. Though to me the best foods to eat when sick in any country are pretzels sticks, reminding me of my childhood!
Check out more Food Tours around the world:
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2 comments
Okay, so my stomach is loudly grumbling now. I knew I should have waited until after lunch to read this. Some good tips here, as per usual! Also – a special word for the photography, which is truly luscious.
Yup, still hungry!
Alex
Awe, thank you. Inspiring hunger and travel lust to India was my goal so I will call that mission accomplished 😉 x