How food changed the way I travel
There is no secret I love to travel and try new food. But since the trip I took last year, something has shifted in the way I explore new places. Looking back to the trips of my childhood my core memories were trying new things, going into kitchens of old castles, and learning how food was prepared and preserved back in the day. That was the most interesting part of the trip for me. There is and will always be a bigger focus on the art and history of the places you visit, but I find that food should be equally as important.
For most, food is nutrition, fuel to keep going as you see and discover new places on your trip. But a slice of pizza can have an even deeper and more interesting history than the painting you paid €20 to see. Food holds history and it's a great way to learn about the past and the present of the locals.
Food trips come with their disadvantages, there is nothing worse than having the best meal of your life abroad. I have haunting memories of a piece of mozzarella I had in Napoli or Pastels in Brazil. Food stays with you, the memory and taste you will never be able to recreate at home. The thing is, we still want to have those food experiences. I will never skip the chance of eating the best tomato of my life even though I might never be able to have it again.
So, how do you find those food experiences that will be unique to you? Here, I will tell you how I get to know places through food. I have found that these are the experiences that stand out to me when I get home. I would love you to create food memories on your next trip.
Free Walking Tours
This is the first thing I do when I get to a place I don't know. These tours are as expensive as you want. After the tour, you leave with a better sense of the city (and direction) and a big list of places to go to next.
The local guides can give you recommendations for the spots they frequent for lunch and that might be the simplest way to get a true local option. The magic is knowing how to ask, you don't want to go to a touristy spot or McDonald’s. Ask for the meal they think about often, or if they know any small around-the-corner places. You will be amazed about how much you can learn and have your touristy brain shift to a more local mindset. Just google free walking tour on the city you are at and you should be able to find many options.
Paid Food Tours
These are a pricier way to learn about food. I usually find food tours on the Airbnb app and that has had a 10/10 success rate. I have done the math and if you add a museum entrance and 2 meals, the price of this experience is almost equal. On all the food tours I have been on, they give you an insane amount of food to try. If you come with an empty stomach, you will leave not wanting to eat anything for days. This is my favourite thing to do in the world. I love it so much that I have even done tours in Vancouver, where I live.
Guides usually have deals with local vendors. The tours are all about showing their guests what local food is. This is the most efficient way of trying different things in half a day.
You will be extremely stuffed by the end of the day. Your dinner plans will be ruined, but all that will be worth it. You will leave with knowing numerous new spots to enjoy on your remaining days, you will meet international foodies just like you and leave knowing a little of the food culture there.
Market Hopping
I keep saying this is my favourite thing to do but truly, learning about food is a big passion. Finding local produce is something that grinds my gears. Vancouver is one of the worst cities I have been where finding good ingredients means draining your bank account. Good meals are a sum of great ingredients so I get very passionate about not finding decent produce.
Vancouver is bad, but nothing like Nassau, where I spent 8 dollars on a mango and it was rotten inside. For the record, I need to have my daily fruit or I feel disgusting all day, that is why I paid that much for a mango. It’s the only fruit I could find.
It blows my mind how cities with millions of people like Sao Paulo, Rome and London can have local street markets multiple times a week or even permanent locations. Vancouver is a less populous city but it’s surrounded by farms. You still have slim picking on where to go for your weekly grocery runs that are not major chains.
I will be travelling for the next few weeks and one of my big missions in London and Bologna is to market hop. I want to see what the locals have access to and the prices of everything. Markets usually have amazing food so I intend to have some of that too. This activity makes me a bit emotional but I have to eat as many good tomatoes as I can in a week. North American tomatoes are not the same. You already know about my tomato passion (read here: I'm not ready to stop talking about tomatoes.)
Ask Your Friends
To be fair, this is a hit or miss. Your friends that live in the city you are visiting or that have travelled to the place you are, probably have favourite restaurants or meals they always go back to. These recommendations don't necessarily include local cuisine. Your friends can tell you their favourite spot to have a burger, or pizza in Japan. This is about trying (hopefully) good food.
Your friends might not be foodies like you but there is always value in trying new things, their favourite meals still add value to your trip even if you don’t enjoy the food that much. I know exactly what to recommend to my friends when they come to Vancouver. But I’m a foodie with a list.
Walking Around
The most memorable treasures appear when you are not looking. Walking around, targeting markets and just getting lost in a city is the way to find experiences.
During my first few weeks living in the UK, me and my new friends (all international) went on a little adventure. By our university, there was a little old neighbourhood that is perfectly preserved in its rock architecture. Despite being so close to our university, no university students went there or really cared. As curious young adults, this seems like the perfect Saturday night adventure. We walked there (that is how close it was) and as we were entering the town an old lady came out of an underground door. She stumbled across eight hungry college students and with no hesitations said “This is a pub, every Saturday you get free chilli if you buy a pint”.
If we hadn’t walked and explored, we would have never found the most memorable little spot in Hatfield. We didn’t share the location with many people as this special spot was for students eager for adventures.
This Chili-Pint godmother gave us a new tradition. As regularly as we could, we went there for our Saturday chilli and a beer. We were university students eager for a deal, neither the food nor the beer was terrific but that memory lives in me like any other food adventure.
As we head on a 2-week trip to Europe, I’m dreaming of the spots we will find. The snacks and meals we will try. I hope you follow along on this journey. Food and travel are the things I have a deep passion for. I will dig deep for local cuisine and city classics.
I’m heading to London, Romania (a few cities) and Bologna. This is a full spectrum of different cuisines and traditions that I’m ready to experience. If I just get one delicious tomato I will be happy until the end of time.
You cannot imagine how I enjoy reading you.... xxxxxx
And so much more to learn!!! Imagine your Asian trip under this focus! Keep being curious!