A Guide to Street Food in Mexico

How to eat street food and not get sick

In honor of having just returned from Mexico, I thought I’d address the number one concern about travel to Mexico that I hear from my American friends: eating the food without getting sick.

Let’s be honest, if you went to Mexico and didn’t eat the street food, did you really go to Mexico?

In my opinion, the answer to that question is an emphatic and resounding “no”. 

At the heart of every cultural experience is it’s street food, and Mexico is no different. 

That said, there are some concerns to eating street food, mainly getting sick, so I’ve put together a guild that will help you enjoy the food and hopefully not find yourself praying to the porcelain gods. 

I’ve spent several months in Mexico, ate whatever I wanted and never got sick. These are the guidelines that I followed that I believe helped. Your results may vary. 

1. Eat where the locals eat. It stands to reason that locals know their city best. It also stands to reason that they don’t want to get sick either. If you see a food cart or Abuela on the street selling food and the locals are standing around it eating and ordering, that’s a pretty safe bet. ​

2.Use lime liberally. Lime kills bacteria and other organisms so squeeze that ish all over your taco meat and even put it in your fresh juices. Thankfully, in Mexico, you will have no trouble finding lime.

 

3. In Oaxaca City one of the locals told me, when I see an old woman selling food on the street, eat there. They have the best food. She was not wrong. 

4. If you do start to feel “off” head to the local pharmacy (Farmacia) and pick up some parasite tablets or ask for a consultation with the doctor on staff. It’s very inexpensive and they are extremely familiar with the different stomach ailments, so they will know what you give you. 

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5. Take probiotics and bring activated charcoal with you. I took probiotics daily while in Mexico and never had an issue. Did it contribute to my good fortune? I believe so but I can’t prove it one way or the other. Nevertheless, it can’t hurt. Activated Charcoal is used to mop up bad things in your stomach. My first go-to after a slightly iffy meal is to take a couple activated charcoal tablets. It seems to have worked. Again, it can’t hurt. 

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By following the above guidelines I was able to enjoy three months of delicious street food without a debilitating incident. And, to be honest with you, Mexican street food is so good that had I gotten sick, it still would have been worth it. Sorry, not sorry. 

Provecho!