By Many people choose a destination based on the scenery or the vibes it offers. If you’re like me, you travel mainly for the food and culture experience with some activities and memories in between.
I have always travelled for food; I just didn’t realise until the pandemic how much I travelled for food! I love visiting a country, learning how the locals eat, trying new dishes, learning their food etiquette, and comparing cuisines with countries I have been to.
If you also travel for food, you want to be selective with your chosen destination to ensure you satisfy your cravings for your appetite. Here are a few suggestions I consider when choosing my travel destinations:
Please note: all countries should have local dishes cuisine to try this post focuses more on narrowing your options for a specific food that will satisfy your food wonders.
1. Consider your food preference
When you travel, what type of food traveller are you? Do you consider yourself a picky eater or the adventurous eater? Or do you love spice, no spice, flavour or plain foods? When at home, do you go for Asian, American, Caribbean, African, European or Mediterranean foods? What do you order for a takeaway? Understanding your food preferences is essential in deciding where you go next. If you are an original MyBreakingViewer, you will know I love trying all types of cuisines. Reflecting on the types of cuisine you prefer can help you choose where to go on your next trip.
2. Comparing & Choosing your destination
You have to choose from many options when considering your destination. Below are some things to consider for each continent.
South America
Many countries have influenced South American cuisine, including Native American, Spanish, African Portuguese and Indian-South Asian.
South America is great for pescetarians or anyone that loves fish. The continent provides a plethora of fresh seafood like crab and lobster tuna. It also has fantastic options for meat-eater too! And if you also like tropical fruits, South America is great.
Countries like Santiago in Chile or Lima in Peru are great for seafood. The food in Brazil is known to have a variety of barbecued meats and a traditional Brazilian dessert called brigadeiros, which is made of condensed milk, butter, and cocoa powder, similar to a chocolate truffle.
Africa
This continent has an expansive scenery for a foodie palate. In travelling to a few African countries, I love the continent and would mark it as my favourite for unique traditional dishes. Stone Town in Zanzibar is an excellent spot for a foodie, from their fresh fish to the famous Zanzibar pizza. Nigeria also has many words, like jollof, pounded yam and more.
Suppose you are looking for traditional Swahili food. In that case, a city like Places like Cape Town in South Africa has restaurants offering conventional African cooking styles, including Afrikaans, Cape Malay, Indian, and seafood dishes. For other foodie destinations in Africa, consider Marrakesh in Morocco, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Dakar in Senegal, and Cario in Egypt.
Europe
Travelling around Europe lets me know a wide range of cuisines. Italy is well renowned and glorified for its range of pasta, pizza, seafood, and other traditional Mediterranean dishes. Consider destinations like Rome or Florence for its gelato or even Palermo and Naples.
If you fancy a good old English breakfast, then a taste of Britain would be good try cities like Edinburgh or London and have some traditional dishes like black pudding or a traditional English Roast dinner. Head over to Ireland for a tasty shepherd’s pie. France is also excellent for stretching your palate. Try some escargot (French snails).
Eastern European countries are great for meat eaters like Bulgaria or Latvia. The food is very wholesome and easy to explore for the picky eaters.
Asia
Living in Singapore while travelling and tasting the dishes in South East Asia is any foodie traveller’s dream! Asian cuisine is rich in vegetables and poultry. It also contains many spices that contribute to a lot of flavour. Authentic Asian food has the best combination of salty, sweet, and spicy flavours. Dishes are rich in rice, garlic, onions, soy sauce, seafood and more.
Travel to Singapore for Chilli Crap or Stingrway with fried rice, or try Jaipur in India to get a variety of authentic curries.
In Malaysia, cities like Penang or Kulur Lumpar offer various delicious but cheap street foods like Penang assam laksa and curry laksa. Indonesia offers a wide range of dishes, too, from Nasi-Lama.
4. Consider your budget
Considering how much you spend on your location is very important. You’ll want to ensure you can afford things like dining in the best restaurants and other necessary expenses, like accommodation, activities, transport etc.
In all of this, you must also consider that being a foodie that travels to try and explore dishes means you have to be flexible with the environment you are eating in. We will discuss more about food hygiene later in the book.
Some countries you travel to may not have local cuisines in their high-end restaurants, so you should consider casual dining, street food, and markets for authentic eats. You should think about locating food travel activities. Below are a few suggestions:
- Cooking Classes, I recently did this one here.
- Wine Tasting
- Vinyard Tours
Food Festivals
- Oktoberfest
- Herring Festival
- National Geographical Food Fest
5. Research
Now you have an idea of the destination you will be visiting. You will want to research the local foods and restaurants you want to eat. I usually bookmark the restaurants I want to eat at using Google Maps.
If easier, write down the destinations of places you want to eat or to visit, including the restaurants, markets, activities or vendors you wish to consider. Finally, a simple, easy Google search on “food and restaurant events worldwide” will give you many options.
Helpful resources
If you are seeking to join travel food activities the list and links below should help you start:
- For cooking classes and food tours then have a look here. Other useful websites for cooking classes and food tours can be located here.
- If you would like to eat with locals and hosts EatWith connects guests with friendly, hand-selected hosts for unique, immersive experiences from the comfort of their own homes. Book your experience here.
- Why not start your travel journeys right with lounger access? Get yourself. priority pass here.
Conclusion – travel more for food
I hope this helps kick-start your foodie adventures. Of course, I will add more, so subscribe to be the first in the known!
Speak soon.
What do you think?