Mummy Tummy

Old Sep 16th, 2010, 09:24 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 26,243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Mummy Tummy

Is "mummy tummy" an issue in Vietnam and Cambodia? (I didn't have any problems in Egypt, but of course, many do). We do like to eat street food in places where it's part of the national culture.
sf7307 is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 09:45 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 32,129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You mean getting pregnant?
colduphere is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 09:47 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Of course. GI upsets are a possibility in any third world country. Be aware of food and water precautions, take along the medications of your choice for combating symptoms.
Kathie is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 09:49 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 32,129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Oops sorry, never heard the phrase. Street food should have been my clue.
colduphere is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 10:01 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
cold, I was sorry our posts crossed in cyberspace, as I thought your response was just perfect.
Kathie is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 10:07 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,897
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Bali Belly, Dehli Belly, Montezuma's revenge - you could do an entire thread on the variations...
Craig is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 10:10 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 32,129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks Kathie - I was getting a sick feeling in my stomach looking at my answers.
colduphere is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 01:46 PM
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 26,243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Delhi Belly - love it! I couldn't think what to call it for SE Asia.
sf7307 is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 02:29 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,927
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Although loads of locals eat "street food", I have plenty of relatives in India who wouldn't eat it of you paid them. It's Russian roulette - whether you're local or a visitor. The locals are more likely to have the tolerance in their GI system for the bacteria that's in the food - not a guarantee because they get foodborne illnesses (fever, diarrhea, vomiting) too, you just won't know about it.
Jaya is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 02:31 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,927
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
P.S. Cold, it's always a treat when you post a comment. You have a sense of humor that's delicious and only sounds right when it's from you.
Jaya is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 03:07 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 32,129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
That's nice of you Jaya. This is the only place I can try and be funny. My wife now turns up the TV when I start to talk. I have read that's not a good sign.
colduphere is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 03:15 PM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'm not sure I understand why "street food" is a problem. If it's fresh off the fire, it should be entirely safe --- the heat cooks everything -- viruses, bacteria, etc., etc., etc. More likely to get sick from eating hotel or restaurant food since you can't see the cooking process. The food might have been sitting in a steam table for far too long.
indianapearl is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 04:44 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,927
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You are right about hotel food, especially buffets. The issue with street food are things like inadequate refrigeration, lack of hand washing, and using un-fresh cooking oil (it's expensive and tends to get used beyond its prime). So even though things are cooked, you still have to watch out.

It's not that EVERY food stall is lurking with foodborne illness, it's just that getting sick while traveling is awful and as much as I love visiting India, there is always that lingering worry if the meal I just ate is the one that could make me sick. I don't get sick each trip, but it's still a concern that I watch out for.
Jaya is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 04:46 PM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,927
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Cold, something is not right about your marriage. It's the husband who turns up the TV to drown out the wife's talking, not the other way around. Your roles have gotten reversed! Now what are you going to do???
Jaya is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 04:57 PM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
one runs the risk of ruining their holiday by eating street food....why chance it...
rhkkmk is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 05:25 PM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
indiana, no question, buffets are uh... hotbeds of bacterial proliferation. But one of the problems with street food is that there are not sanitation facilities where the food is being prepared, so contamination from the hands of those cooking or from unclean utensils is a real danger. If, indeed, the food you eat is fresh off the fire, has been cooked to an adequate temp and hasn't been touched by others hands or unsanitary utensils, it should be fine. That's a lot of ifs.

In Malaysia, they put together hawker centers with the street food vendors in a facility with hand and utensil-washing facilities with hot water. It cut the incidence of hepatitis by something like 90%.
Kathie is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 05:41 PM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,927
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hepatitis A vaccines are a smart idea, even if you don't go out of the US. Hepatitis A is transmitted by food and drink that has been contaminated by (usually a food handler) that has not washed his/her hands after going to the bathroom. It's gross, but that's the cycle of fecal-oral contamination.

The vaccine won't save you from other GI problems, but having protection against hepatitis A can save you months of recovery time.
Jaya is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 05:56 PM
  #18  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 26,243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We will definitely get our Hep A vaccines. Just saw the hawker center(s) for the first time on Top Chef (Singapore), but I guess those don't exist in Vietnam. Okay, you've convinced me to be vigilant -- we'll bring all our food from home
sf7307 is offline  
Old Sep 16th, 2010, 10:08 PM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I would suggest to avoid it. Most of streets food vendors here using a lot of MSG (even you said do not put it in, but MSG is already in there from the beginning).
TravelSenseAsia is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
isemida
Mexico & Central America
59
Jun 2nd, 2017 08:35 AM
jaydreb5
Mexico & Central America
45
Jul 23rd, 2007 08:36 PM
kelexsmom
Africa & the Middle East
4
Apr 9th, 2007 01:41 PM
hypatia
Asia
19
Jan 24th, 2007 09:29 AM
pacleveland
Asia
7
Jul 5th, 2004 03:31 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -