When we travel, we all want to try some new foods or experience the local cuisine in the best way possible. Surely, no one wants to eat something generic, or order from a restaurant they have at home. There are so many things to eat around, it would be sad to eat hamburgers or pancakes all the way. So, when you travel somewhere, you need to research their cuisine, see which are your favorites, and create a list of what you want to eat.
In this article, we will try to include as many destinations as we can, so you can have a lot of choices. According to Holidu‘s World Foodie Cities Index, you have plenty of destinations to travel to and eat. The choice is huge, and the places are ranked according to different criteria, including accessibility, price, taste, etc.
This list says that Colombo, Hanoi, Istanbul, Belgrade, Budapest, etc. are among the cheapest cities to eat in. On the other hand, Oslo, Geneva, Reykjavik, Tel Aviv, and Copenhagen are among the most expensive ones. The list of criteria is pretty neat, but if you want to explore the foodie cities and destinations, you can continue reading this article, and find out why some places are so popular because of their cuisine.
1. Paris, France
Probably you’ve predicted this one. It’s the kingdom of croissants, onion soup, “coq au vin“, “cassoulet”, chocolate desserts, eclair, and many other delicious specialties. You can choose to eat in the most expensive restaurants, but surely you can get an exceptional service without having to spend a fortune on your food.
2. Greek Cuisine
Greeks have so many authentic recipes, inspired by Mediterranean cuisine. When in Greece, don’t skip on the popular gyros. But, if you go to a “tavern” restaurant, you can order grilled meat, because they make it so good. Next, you need to try their phyllo pies with spinach and feta, Greek salad with a lot of olive oil, fresh fish and seafood, Greek lasagna known as pastitsio, grilled octopus, deep it all in the traditional tzatziki, and of course, their authentic moussaka. And while you are there, order local wines. The restaurants usually sell it by the glass. And when it comes to desserts, they really know how to make great baklava or a pie with vanilla cream and cinnamon all over it.
3. Balkan Cuisine in General
When you get tired of Greece, you can travel a few hours and visit their neighbors from North Macedonia, where you can eat local specialties, like baked beans, vegetable salads, “pastrmajlija” pie with meat, and exceptional grilled food. Close to them is Serbia, the best place to eat stews, mostly based on vegetables and meat. Also, the Serbian grill is something to die for. If you go to Albania, you can try the “Elbasan Tava”, which is lamb meat dipped in yogurt sauce, served with rice or orzo pasta. Of course, when in the Balkans, never skip on the pastries, because they are masters in preparing them.
4. Italy
We don’t even need to explain this one. We’ve all eaten pasta and pizza, but here, they are prepared in an authentic way. You could never know these things could be that delicious. Also, Italy is not just for pasta. You can eat great meat specialties there, and drink exceptional wine. Sure, don’t ask for more ketchup there, because, in Italy, they don’t even use it. The authentic way is a tomato sauce, and they know the exact quantity they need to put in the food.
5. Turkey
This is a perfect mixture of Mediterranean and oriental cuisines. Turkey is partly in Europe, and partly in Asia. That makes it a perfect place for different cultures to meet. Turks can prepare perfect food, based on beef or chicken since you can’t eat pork there. They will offer you “doner”, “pide” – dough filled with meat, spinach, or mashed potato, or “lahmacun” which is a Turkish version of pizza. Also, they have perfect deserts and pastries. They use spices, tomato sauce, yogurt, garlic, etc. You will never be hungry when visiting Turkey, for sure.
6. Asian Food
Asian food is a lot more than a rice and veggies mixture, with soya sauce. They have so many authentic recipes, and the Asian restaurant abroad isn’t even close to the taste and quality they provide. So, if you travel to China, Japan, Thailand, or anywhere close, try authentic street food, or order from their fast-food restaurants. We are sure you’ve eaten tasty Asian food at home, but when the surroundings are authentic too, you will have a completely new experience. Your taste buds will be so thankful for that. So, don’t skip on the Asian market food, and enjoy the real taste of the Asian food when traveling there.
Why Eat Local Food While Traveling?
When you travel somewhere, you go there to have a great time, but also to meet the local culture, and see how those people live. Food is an integral part of every culture, and you have to try it, to discover the beauty of the combinations. Surely, there are places where the local food is not the best you will eat, but you can at least try it, to see why they aren’t that popular.
Every culture has a different approach to the food, and they prepare it in different ways. As we said, the Balkans enjoy grilling, but in some places in Europe, you will get some boiled piece of meat, with no taste, and some mashed veggies with it.
If you want to explore the world, never skip on the food experience. That’s one of the best things you will have.
Conclusion
Traveling is a whole experience, for all your senses. Try to make it as authentic as possible. Food is an integral part of every culture. Don’t be afraid to try something new while there. You will be surprised by how tasty it can be, even though you’ve never tried it before.
