Try New Foods on Vacation

One of the great things about visiting new places on vacation is that you get to try different cuisine as well.  When you go to Italy, you get to sample the original Italian cooking that Italy is famous for.  In Jamaica, you can taste the jerk pork or the patties that we have here in North America, but are only available in their truest form in Jamaica's own backyard.  Every country seems to offer different cuisine and their own specialities.

It is true too that when you travel, the food you eat can have a major impact on how enjoyable your vacation is.  If you go to a resort, for instance, and the food is not up to par, that can seriously hamper your enjoyment of your stay there.  Needless to say, food is important on vacation.

But, when you do travel to different places, you should try new foods - ones that reflect the country you travel to.  For instance, in Greece be sure to try especially souvlaki, gyros, pita such as tyropita and spanakopita, which are some of their local specialities.  If you travel to Thailand, try their own style of Thai cooking.  Even if you don't care for the type of Thai cooking you may have eaten at home, trying the original Thai food made in their own country may be a better experience (just like the Chinese food served here in North America is not the same as the type of Chinese food you would get in China.)

Don't be afraid to try new foods either.  If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it.  But why not be adventurous and discover something new to add to your diet repertoire.  You may surprise yourself!  And it can be a fun activity.  Try, for instance, choosing beetle grubs in China.  That would certainly be something to remember and to brag about when you come home. 

Everyone has their own tastes of what they like and don't like.  But while you are on vacation, try to loosen up a bit and sample the food that the country you are in is famous for.  After all, those foods must be famous for a reason (a lot of people have liked them in the past).  And you never know.  You may come home with a new set of taste buds that crave those new flavors.  You may even want to replicate those dishes to add to your own household meals, and remember your wonderful vacation as you savour them.

Here are a couple of cookbooks from different cultures you may enjoy:

    

The Importance of Food While Vacationing

There is no doubt that food and dining can make or break your vacation.  Having to deal with crappy food or unsanitary dining conditions simply doesn't cut it when you are trying to have fun on your vacation.  The food you eat is very important.  It can set the whole cultural experience if you are visiting a foreign place.

Take for example, Mexico.  Of course the beaches are nice, but when in Mexico it is a must that you try out their unique food as well.  Who can visit Mexico without at least trying a taco or some of their famous chili?  You may also want to try out some of their more unique cuisine as well, such as their mole sauce or a Spanish paella.  Sampling and trying out new and delicious foods enhances your vacation experience.

It seems every country and culture has food or ingredients that are unique to that particular area or that they are famous for.  What is a visit to Tuscany without trying their wines or olive oil?  Who would want to travel to Jamaica without trying their famous jerk pork or chicken, or sample a pattie (which are all the range in the U.S. and Canada now) right from the source of the invention?  Italy, of course, is known for its pasta (and wines), France is known for its breads, wines and cakes, and even England has it own brand of food that you as a tourist may want to try (like their famous fish and chips, for one) or haggas from Scotland. 

Trying new food and dining experiences can really add a lot to your vacation.  Your dining experiences can take in the culture of the place, like eating with chop sticks in China, or eating with your hands in a community bowl in Indian cultures. 

When you are on your next vacation, don't be afraid to try the local cuisine.  You may be surprised at how good it is, and you may want to add that certain to your own menus at home, and when you do you will feel yourself back in that great place you vacationed in.

Here's a little cookbook to help you bring back a little from your Caribbean vacation:

That Caribbean Flavor Cookbook