As one might have known, food is a primary source of energy in order to live and survive. But for a number of us, eating has evolved into a way of a life, exactly as described in the phrase “Live to Eat.” In this case, when it comes to travelling… it’s not the sights or attractions that are often looked for, but the regional delicacies.
There are a few reasons why food travelling is a pleasure of its own. First of all, we get to expand the length of our culinary horizon. Just as if we know Italian cuisine barely through pizza and spaghetti, when the opportunity to visit Italy itself arrives, one may discover that Italy is also worldly noted for its fine quality wines, the tender mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, savoury lasagna, and many other tasteful specialties that may not be found elsewhere. Other than that, we may also deepen our knowledge on food in other ways such as the history and origins of a dish, how it is processed, ingredients needed to cook it, et cetera.
Secondly, the next advantage that someone may come across is how the dish is supposed to taste like. Perhaps some of us might notice right away that it does taste different than the one we normally order at our favourite restos, but in my honest opinion, that’s absolutely common. In one way or another, what is being served at foreign restaurants in our home town has been modified to the taste and likings of the local population. Based on my own personal experiences, the Tom Yam soup served in an authentic Thai eatery where I frequently dine and its counterpart in a Bangkok roadside stall has a pretty significant contrast in taste. This is true particularly considering the fact that Thai cuisine in its own country is identical with non-halal ingredients, in which I myself can’t consume due to religious reasons.
Next, we are then able to maximize our memorable occurrences in sampling new favourites by using them as a reference for eating out or cooking once we are back. Besides, now that our culinary views are expounded, why not apply them into our daily routines? Indeed, it is not rare for a foodie to struggle to learn the secret recipe directly from the cook or take part in cooking classes for the sake of obtaining the most original and authentic flavour when cooking at home. Last but not the least – and also in accordance to before – we could also give your loved ones ideas for food recommendations or recipes to try at home…think of it as a form of sharing the good moments and fun to the rest.
On top of all those, you don’t have to go so far away from home to do food travelling . In fact, by only hanging out downtown, hopping from one restaurant to another and deciding which suits your taste buds , I would already consider that as food travelling! Of course, other than curiosity you got to know for a fact that bravery and motivation to try something are what it takes to be a true foodie. In other words, you have to get out of your comfort zone.
And then, being a foodie who enjoys consuming fares of various cultures should not make one forget about about his or her nation’s culinary diversity. This because it is us that must be compelled to promote our culinary heritage to the outside world. Nonetheless, no matter how delicious a certain cuisine is for us, at the end of the day nothing beats the taste of the food at home right?
