My favorite part about travel
Since I can’t go anywhere due to the coronavirus pandemic, I figured why not tell some of my favorite/most memorable travel stories. Next, my favorite part about traveling: eating!
The best part about traveling is the food. No question about it. It’s simply the best way to get to know a particular culture, and fill your stomach in the process. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience some pretty memorable meals while abroad, ranging from delicious to downright strange. Here are some of the highlights:
Truffle Pasta in Croatia
Oh man, this was a good meal! The Istrian Peninsula in Northern Croatia is known for its truffles, a delicacy widely renowned for its potent taste and often called the “diamond of the kitchen.” The little towns in this region have trained dogs to dig up truffles each spring. Then, people either sell them to major chefs or use them themselves, for pasta, bread, salads, and even ice cream!
Hawker Stalls in Singapore
Many Southeast Asian countries are known for their street food, but Singapore does it a little differently. They have massive, basically food courts called Hawker Centers where upwards of 300 vendors sell their food. Each stall specializes in one specific item that is passed down from generation to generation in the same family. So, whenever you eat something from a Hawker Stall, you’re eating a family recipe perfected over hundreds of years. A couple of these stalls are so good they’ve been given a Michelin Star! (Note: It’s disappointing that the hawker stall food is served on styrofoam plates and with plastic utensils. If possible, reuse utensils and plates to reduce waste.)
Night Market in China
So, this is one of the more disgusting food experiences I’ve had. The Donghuamen Night Market is hardly traditional Chinese food; it’s really there for the tourists to say they ate exotic food in China. The stall operators put literally anything they can think of on a stick, and give it to tourists. And when I say anything, I mean anything. All sorts of insects, seafood, arachnids, even dog meat! This experience alone even turned my sister into a vegetarian. This particular market shut down in 2016 after sanitation complaints.
Chocolate in Switzerland
Swiss chocolate: it’s considered to be one of the most delicious in the world, and for a good reason. With high quality ingredients and top-notch production standards, you know any bite of Swiss chocolate is going to be fantastic. The Swiss actually eat the most chocolate per capita of any country in the world. One famous brand, Toblerone, based its iconic triangular shape on an iconic triangular mountain, the Matterhorn (the real one, not the Disneyland replica).
Empanadas in South America
No one country has a monopoly on Empanadas, and each place does it a little differently. In Chile, the empanadas are a little larger and shaped rectangularly (see photo). They also tend to pack the empanada with raisins and olives, in addition to the meat or seafood in coastal regions. Argentine empanadas range on the smaller side and have a semi-circular shape. They’re a bit saltier and the meat is mixed with spices and hard boiled eggs.
Pad Thai in Bangkok
If you’ve ever had Thai food, you’ve had Pad Thai, a delicious noodle dish with sprouts, peanuts, and chicken or tofu. Now imagine that, but better and so much cheaper. Bangkok, Thailand has some absolutely incredible street food that only cost 40 baht, or a little over a dollar for a generous portion. People from all walks of life eat street food in Thailand and support the huge population of vendors across the country.
Parilla in Argentina
If you thought the US loved steak, then wait ’till you go to Argentina! They eat so much meat there, it’s insane. Traditional Argentine meat is cooked on a simple iron grill called a parrilla and turns out absolutely delicious! Not only is the meat rich and juicy, but it’s also ridiculously cheap. You can buy a the best plate of ribs you’ll ever have in your life for maybe about 10 bucks in Argentina.
Mezze in Israel
Give me a plate of hummus and a pita and I’m a happy man! The Israelis have perfected the healthy snack with the creamy chickpea sauce and round flatbread, that’s somehow filling, delicious, and good for you at the same time. Say you want more than just pita and hummus, you add falafel, salads, olives, nuts, and couscous. Israeli and other Mediterranean region foods, like falafel, are absolutely incredible, delicious, and mostly vegetarian (I’m saying that as a proud meat eater).
