Eating while traveling

In my case, traveling is inextricably linked with eating, which I just love to do! Maybe my weight does not really confirm it, but I like to eat well both at home and when traveling. Especially if the cuisine of the country in theory (that is, before I leave on a trip) seems to be delicious. Sometimes good food is difficult to find, but there are some general rules, that in most cases help.

Usually, many people fear that when they visit another country and eat local specialties they may suffer from indigestion. From my own experience I can say that while traveling the worst is always the food served on the plane – it is the worst thing for your stomach that will served to you during your journey. Therefore, I recommend taking sandwiches in hand luggage – it is prohibited to take only liquids.

Lobster in the U.S.A.

Of course , there is still one very important issue – the difference in diet and bacteria in the environment. In this case, one can go on journeys across their continent, and their digestive system should not have any unpleasant experiences. Another issue is to travel to distant and exotic countries, like Egypt. I suppose that everyone has heard about the curse of Pharaoh, that happens to tourists who drink tap water? Nevertheless, after spending a long time in the country, the body gets used to it and adjusts itself. However, one should be cautious and, as in the example above, drink bottled water and do not eat in food stalls.

As for the diet, some can have hard times when wandering into Asia. In Asia, the basis of the diet is not a potato or wheat, its soybeans and rice. If, as in the case of Japan, one would add to this the presence of raw fish and the fact that sushi is insanely delicious, one can have an unpleasant surprise. From my experience I will add that after a week surprises end. Also, I should highlight, that my digestive system is delicate, so a regular human being would start feeling normal sooner.

The best way to culinary travel without mishaps is to travel by land, for example, from Finland to South Africa. Then the environment and bacteria in food are changing gradually and dynamically, so the human body does not have a problem with digesting anything. So it was in Ukraine, about which I wrote a few times. On many forums we were warned about gastric problems that may occur during the Ukrainian journey. Fortunately, we were spared. Probably because, we were moving gradually farther and farther, instead of going by plane from Warsaw to Crimea. Neither food from the stalls, nor delicacies served by the local babushkas did harm our stomachs.

How to find good food while traveling?

Contrary to the popular opinion – there is no rule. I found both distasteful small restaurants just outside the center of Barcelona, ​​and a restaurant in Portugal serving delicious food, but advertised by the “beaters”. In Turkey, we ate a delicious “fish kebab” from a booth on the street, in Finland we ate food after a diving in a dumpster, an empty the Portuguese bodega greeted us with delicious tapas. In Georgia, when I was wasted from trekking through the mountains in the summer heat, the food served to us in a simple Georgian household tasted better than the food of many restaurants. Everything is subjective. Still, there are some universal principles that can guide through the search for a good place to eat:
– ask local people and/or friends, who were in the place before you – if you use CouchSurfing, you have the local people at hand; if you do not have such an opportunity go to a pleace full of local people;
– check opinions on the Web – on sites such as: TripAdvisor, Yelp, Like a Local or Spotted by Locals where many useful opinions can be found; filter them according to your preferences, and you will find something tasty for sure, but not necessarily master-class;
– stand in the line – the food in places to which long lines of people lead, usually are awesomely good; it happened to me twice, that the food was average, but I still liked it; do not deceive yourself, that coming before the opening hours will surely protect you from standing in the line – others usually have the same idea; in the best possible scenario, the line will just not be as long as it would have been otherwise; patience pays off;
– do not get discouraged by the beaters – in many countries it is a typical sight in touristic areas, in others it may be fairl normality, that in front of the menu stands a person, who presents a menu, finds a free table, and looks for potential guests; if such a beater is a standard element in the neighborhood, then even the best restaurants will have one of their own;
– it is safer to choose places with a shorter menu – it doesn’t mean though, that those with a longer menu are worse from definition; I’ve been to places, where a short menu did not guarantee any spectacular food; likewise, I’ve eaten in places, where a large menu did not prevent the staff from delivering delicious meals; however, should you not have time to check the restaurants on the Web, keep the short-menu principle in mind;
– give up to the street food’s temptation – you get what you see, and the food is authentic, delivered by local people; sometimes it is possible to find such rarities only on the market.
If the general rules for searching of good food while traveling and avoid unpleasant surprises are known already, it is certain, that the Reader will be able to find a good place. However, if one wants to know more, this section is for them. I will describe my culinary adventures gradually. Meanwhile, I hope that these few general tips will help in planning a culinary journey through the world.