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Trying new food is one of my favorite things about traveling. The world’s best food is literally all around the world! It’s incredibly exciting to me to try something new, or something familiar with a different spin. I’m also a Pescatarian, so I’ve found that food + traveling brings both challenging and amazing experiences. I’ve never felt like too much of an outsider on the food scene. I love the mix of traveling and food and seeing how some cultures value and use different ingredients.
I sometimes [to the confusing shock of my travel companions] like to try random dishes that are new to me… like deep fried tarantulas in Cambodia or bacon-wrapped dates here in Portland at Toro Bravo. While my main diet is Pescatarian, you only live once, so what’s the worst that could happen? Here are are 23 countries worth of memorable food from my round the world trip and travels in general. Pretend you’re your own Anthony Bourdain No Reservations, and let’s dig in!
World’s Best Food & Meals:
- croissants in Paris
- poke in Hawaii
- accidentally buying hard. as. a. rock. bread in Marseilles because I couldn’t interpret that “I’m knocking on wood because this bread is sooo hard, you dumb student” from the grocer
- being introduced to Moroccan food in Marseilles
- realizing that British food isn’t completely terrible
- OMG the guacamole in Mexico
- restaurants serving shrink-wrapped cups and plates in China
- 40s of beer on the table with dinner in Beijing
- stuffing my face with street food (the sweet rice pockets one was my favorite) in Xi’an
- accidentally putting chili sauce all over my noodles (I ended up just going hungry after a few painful bites) on the overnight train to Xi’an
- staying up almost all night drinking the sake sea-sick friends abandoned on the ferry from Shanghai to Osaka
- my first sushi lunch after landing in Osaka
- Buddhist vegetarian meal at the Ryokan in Japan
- vending machines with cold and hot drinks where a savior in freezing February in Japan
- udon in Koyasan
- flat whites in Australia
- craving Mexican food in Australia and realizing it was a hopeless case
- Beez Neez beer in Sydney
- microbrews in New Zealand and feeling like I was back in Oregon
- meusli aka granola in NZ
- any random rice or noodle dish in Thailand
- pad thai in Bangkok
- unlimited variations of amazing Indian food in Malaysia
- eating in air conditioned food courts for “cheap” in Singapore
- spending waaay too much on drinks in Singapore after being in Thailand and then Malaysia
- Hot pot in Malaysia
- salad rolls in Vietnam
- eating a whole fried/stuffed (I have no idea really what it was, but it tasted good) fish in Vietnam
- discovering fish amok in Siem Riep, Cambodia
- trying a deep-fried tarantula in Phnom Penh
- bring home tasty candy from China and finding out there was a recall issued in China [thanks sis! :( ]
- cold, cherry soup in Hungary
- eating potatoes, cheese, potatoes, cheese and then more potatoes (and occasionally some fish) and more cheese in Romania and Hungary
- my first ‘real’ Turkish coffee in Istanbul
- hello olive oil in everything in Turkey
- sampling unlimited Lokum (turkish delight) at the Spice Market in Istanbul
- drinking tourist tea (apple) and regular tea everywhere you go in Turkey
- the thin crepe-like dish in Gorem that I obviously forgot the name of, but was amazing (anyone?)
- mezze plates in Turkey
- fish dishes anywhere near the Mediterranean in Turkey
- Halva for breakfast in Turkey
- lentil soup and bread for a super cheap and satisfying dinner
- witnessing the evening dinner feast of Ramadan in Turkey (also the memorable “wake up drummer” that walks about to wake people before daylight so that they can eat before it’s time to fast again)
- souvlaki in Naxos, Greece
- breakfasts of Greek yogurt with honey and macadamia nuts
- cheap lunch of gyros in Syros
- white wine on Santorini
- champagne on a sailboat in Greece next to our new Russian mega-yacht friends
- daily gelato at a bargain price in the Cyclades, Greece
- feta everywhere in Greece
- fish tacos and cervesa on the beach in Mexico
- Spanish tortilla in Madrid
- tiny tiny beers in Barcelona (seriously, the smallest beers you can order in the world are in Spain)
- house wine in Spain
- tagine and couscous in Morocco
- learning to pour the addictive mint tea in Morocco
- eating banana nutella crepes in Essaouira
- rice and beans and more rice and beans in Costa Rica
- plantains in Central America
- tons of amazing fruits, that I don’t remember and could never hope to pronounce in Central America & Asia (guanabana?)
- skyr in Iceland
- puffin tapas in Iceland
- hotdog from the Bæjarins beztu stand in Reykjavik (shhh… don’t tell)
- butter fish on Maui – it’s like buttah
- Po-boys in NOLA
- 7Days brand ‘Bake Rolls’ in Turkey
- weird potato chip flavors in China
- potato wedges with sour cream and sweet chili sauce in New Zealand
- pastel de nata (a custard tart pastry) in Portugal
- chocolate con churros in Barcelona
- paella in Valencia, Spain
What’s one of your favorite foods or meals you discovered while traveling?
