The most striking example is precisely of South-East Asia: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia... Locals never prepare any salads from raw vegetables and fruits: they just have nothing to wash, because there is almost no clean water in these countries. Therefore, they found a simpler way out-a little bit to admit vegetables on high heat for disinfection.
However, many tourists are not able to understand why it is necessary. They come and ask for "healthy" salads with fresh vegetables. And the locals for the sake of dear guests are ready for everything: they will help you vegetables and fruits with river water (because the other is not) and will be served on the table. Only then do not complain about stomach problems. Fried, boiled, steamed - all this can be eaten in Asia without problems; raw, unknown than washed – in any case.
Conclusion: do not ask what are used to.
And now imagine some hotel where tourists all the time replace each other. One party of tourists was poisoned – it's okay to take a new, and no one knows what happened to the previous one. After all, the chef who cooks in the kitchen is a real local chef who makes great pies for his family at home, and for foreigners – pretentious "Western" dishes, which really do not know how to cook. He doesn't know very well how well it should be done, because he never eats it.
In Laos, we stayed in a more or less decent hotel (five dollars a day). In the morning we are served bread and butter in special packages. Open-the window there as melted. Ate – then two days in pain with my stomach. Note: if they made fried cockroaches, I wouldn't get poisoned because they know how to make these cockroaches and make them for themselves. And here is oil for them – product an exotic, as cockroaches for us. Can you cook well cockroaches for guests from Asia?
I remember a situation I have repeatedly found myself in Iran. The people there are very sincere: to get in a visit to an Iranian home is worthless. You are invited to a table that just breaks from the chic local dishes. And send another kid to a nearby village where there is a McDonald's, and he brings to you a huge disgusting big Mac. This is amazing: they seriously believe that we, the Europeans, not enough of their pilaf with lamb!
Fresh juice is a more reliable thing than water, but only if it is made in front of your eyes (if not, it can be diluted with water – that's what you should be afraid of).
experience avid traveler: I'm totally unconcerned about baked brains, young worms and dishes of cat meat. The main thing that I was sure that it in principle edible that locals eat it. I remember a vivid case in Thailand. I was invited to a big old house. It was illuminated by one bulb, is not even covered, how much, shall we say, dispersed the darkness. I was put at the table, served a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. I start eating the soup and see in slush floats some kind of bug (that they take – the village!). Threw him out of the bowl, started eating again. And then I realize that I have a full plate in the bugs, some bugs, small worms such soups I've never seen before or since. I realized then cook without the frills: what runs around and crawls, and gets into the soup. it would seem that I was in more than eighty countries, accustomed to everything, but something is striking. Saw the Laos fried rats. Not tried it, but photographed.
I have often had what I had, and not knowing what it's cooked. Especially in China. You go to the restaurant, you see the menu - some hieroglyphs. Sometimes close translation of the Uyghur – also not much help. Although there is a suspicion that if there was an English translation - he also would not clarify the situation: many dishes from the Chinese are vague poetic names that do not say anything about the ingredients. In fact, in this country, I never knew what he was.
Experienced travelers there is such reception – "show figure". You show the locals you have to cook rice. Answer:"without problems; sit down while at a table, now we will cook". Take rice. They think little, – add, cook. While the rice is cooking, give soup, chicken, something else. And you sit, eat, enjoy the cordiality of the hosts, tell them about their travels. Already ate – Bang, the rice yield. And you already and there is not you can! And often on the road three kilograms yield: "Here, take Fig. Do you love". Personally, I always discourage attempts to impose on me going with you. This method is to show the rice was very good.
The main secret is communication with people. Once left in another country without a penny in my pocket, I realized that it is very difficult to travel without money, because... you suffer from overeating and get fat quickly! But where to go? I'm honest person and prefer to speak frankly: "the Money ran out three months ago, and I still have more to go, half of the globe. And immediately reaction: need to feed. At first, when I first came across it, I thought: is not enough, got one such a good man. Therefore, you are treated to Breakfast, fed for the whole day ahead. Then you get someone for lunch and you come back to gorge on for the future. Soon you begin to understand that you should not eat for future reference, because be sure to get to the people and for Breakfast, and for lunch and dinner.