Food is something that you, as a traveler, should never cross off your itinerary. Contrary to popular traveling advice, scrimping on food or avoiding street foods and delicacies altogether is like depriving yourself from a complete traveling experience.
Food can be considered as a the heart and soul of a traveler’s journey, given that food serves as the kaleidoscope that reveals the delightful blend of culture, tradition, and history of the place you’re visiting. What traveling made me realize is that food is an important catalyst when it comes to bringing out the best from every traveler’s experience.
Read on and find out the essential and life-changing things traveling taught me about food and how it could greatly enhance your traveling experience.
Food is The Way to Appreciate Diversity
Food makes you highly appreciative of diversity, no doubt. Food from every country is a different world in itself, a world that challenges your senses and expands the horizon of your taste buds in a way that renders your idea of heavenly taste can now be shelved in different categories and appetite.
You’ll realize then that there’s no specific delicacy to rule them all. Each one is exquisite in its own way. Look into Asia and you’ll find that the enticing seafood selections is one great reason why Boracay is paradise to tourists. Explore Europe and find why tourists gush about Belgium’s luscious waffles and chocolates. The theme is evidently recurring: the travelers are not only remembering the experience, but the taste as well. From all corners of the world, food will remain as the crucial piece to traveling, as it offers the doorway towards acceptance and appreciation of diversity.
A Peek at Culture
Food allows you a candid peek at the culture and history of the places you traveled to; it allows you to experience and savor all its glory in one sitting. As a solo traveler, the idea is ten times more thrilling You’re looking at a chance of relishing dishes passed down from generation to generation.
Food becomes a reliable identifier that helps jog the memories and experience of the place. That’s why it’s a good idea to have local food delicacies serve as a cultural identity to the many places you’ll travel to in the coming years. This will lead to a realization on food that will allow you to objectively compare differences in ingredients choice, cooking method, and preparation style that will make you appreciate each dish you have tasted even more.
Food Keeps Us and Makes Us Feel Alive
Traveling gives us an unbridled experience and a jolt of adrenaline that may eventually tire us, slow us down, and long for food that will reinvigorate us. Food literally gives us the strength to complete the travel, it’s a fact that no one would contend. Food is necessary to travel.
However, the variety of food and its flavor take it a step further by providing us a feeling of being truly alive and in the moment. This happens usually when we’re faced with exotic-looking local dishes that challenges our resolve. It requires a huge leap of faith. But most of the time, this faith will be handsomely rewarded. Remember, looks can be deceiving initially— there’s a reason why the delicacy is prepared that way. Trying different dishes makes us, especially solo travelers, stronger, braver, and bolder.
A Must-Try is a Must-Try
There are various reasons why travel blogs, foodie blogs, and local restaurants recommend certain food delicacies—it’s either exotic enough to try, truly delicious, a signature dish of the place, or all of the above.
A must-try means it’s a taste you wouldn’t want to miss if you’re looking to make the most out of your traveling experience. So get that table napkin on, ready the utensils, and dig in.
Not only is a must-try a signature dish; a must-try can serve as a signature memory, too, depending on the circumstances. Just remember that the must-try food is there in an attempt to help us travelers squeeze out every moment of our journey through good food.
Food is a Great Way to Connect with People
One realization on food is that it’s a great way to make friends, because food is something we all have in common. A friendly discussion with fellow travelers, local patrons, or the staff over the merit of a signature dish will pave way to easy conversations and a possible lifelong friendship.
As a solo traveler, connecting with people reinforces the experience with food itself, as it makes us easily associate positive feelings and memories. You can also learn tips and tricks from people, like which condiments to use to enhance or suppress certain tastes and various ways to enjoy the food being served. Not only does food help you expand your network, it helps you expand your food knowledge, too.
Becoming a Foodie Traveler is Worth It
Food awakens our senses, and becoming a foodie traveler improves your ability to distinguish flavors and ingredients used to the point that you can recreate the same dish on your own at home. Becoming a foodie traveler allows you to appreciate food more, hinging on the fact that your travels made you highly aware of the distinct and colorful culture and history ingrained on the food on your plate. This works better when you’re craving for certain dishes and your traveling experience will guide you on looking for restaurants that offer authentic meals.
Most important of all, becoming a foodie traveler brings out the adventurous, bold, and confident version of you.
Food is the Journey and Destination
Food makes the journey truly worth the while. In the midst of the journey, you might realize that maybe the food is truly the destination you’re seeking for all along. As said before, food is the heart and soul of traveling. It is also the necessary catalyst that makes your journey memorable and somewhat tangible.
Food offers you a walk down your rich memory lane, while each sense of yours is enjoying the moment. The sight of the dish, its aroma, the feeling of how it melts on your tongue, the crisp sound of every bite, and your tongue savoring every burst of flavor. You get to continue traveling at the comfort of your home.
Next time you travel, don’t forget to keep in mind what traveling made me realize when it comes to food. It will make each place you travel be more memorable, and your senses will definitely thank you for taking the time to indulge yourself with the scrumptious bits of culture and history around the world.
Author Bio
Patricia Evans is a dedicated mother, an Interior designer and an art crafter. She writes diverse articles about travel, lifestyle and trends as well. Know more about her on LinkedIn.