From the Nile River to the Alimentary Canal

Two of my favorite TV programs are Anthony Bourdain: No reservations and Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel. Tony, Andrew and I have a lot in common – they’re from New York, I’m from New York; they’re writers, I’m a writer; they’re both chefs, I like to cook; they’re famous, I’m from New York.

Another similarity is that I enjoy eating strange foods in far away places. I’ve done chibuku (native beer) and Mopani worms in Zimbabwe, fried grasshoppers in Uganda, durian fruit in Thailand, so smelly it can’t be sold in a food store. I drink local water in Morocco and fresh vegetables in Egypt. Yet, I rarely suffer the usual tourist consequences. My brother, who traveled with me to Egypt and ended up sick, refers to me as the family goat.

So what’s my secret? Yogurt. Before going on a trip, I eat a cup of live culture yogurt every day for ten days. Some people rank yogurt right behind chibuku and Mopani worms, but I like it. No fruit or cheesecake flavoring. Just plain yogurt. Many travelers prefer the opposite approach, taking Cipro or some other antibiotic as a preventive. But my philosophy is, hey, the first humans ate road kill. Totally organic. No preservatives. Whatever didn’t kill them, immunized them against food-borne diseases. Today we try to sterilize our food. It’s unnatural. Try yogurt instead.