For many of us the appeal of a holiday lies in experiencing new things – the thrill of new sights, smells and of course, tastes.
It’s an exciting time being able to contemplate travel. Not that long ago we had significant limitations on movement and even around dining out in many places but the world of fine (and not so fine, but still absolutely delicious) dining now beckons.
If you are a bit of a foodie or even if the thought of immersing yourself in another culture via their cuisine appeals, here is some inspiration to get you planning that next trip.
Eating with the locals
Right on our doorstep is a wonderland of fresh flavours and exotic tastes. While there are many destinations in Asia where you can eat like a local at a street stall, the jewel in the crown is truly the Island of Penang in Malaysia.
This tropical island is famous for its stunning beaches, glorious weather and importantly for the would-be gourmet – street food that encompasses Chinese, Tamil, Indian and indigenous Malay cuisine. This rich fusion makes for spicy curries, delicious sticky noodles and crispy roti cooked on the spot. If you are bewildered by the choices available, just try to avoid the tourist hordes and eat where the locals are eating – it’s usually a pretty good sign that the food will be amazing!
Getting festive with food
If you are interested in something on a larger scale to sampling the wares from a tiny street vendor, festivals are a great opportunity to join in food-related festivities and sample an incredible range of cuisines. A prime example is the largest food festival in the world, the Taste of Chicago where over three million visitors enjoy more than 200 items on the menu.
Festivals can also enable you to explore your specific food passions, and there is a festival for every taste. For chocoholics there is the Salon de Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador) a three-day feast for the senses. Or if you are a lover of seafood, the Maine Lobster Festival (Maine, USA) sees over 10,000 kilos of lobster prepared in every way imaginable. For the carb fiends Pizzafest (Naples, Italy) takes place every year in the birthplace of pizza and attendees can contribute to judging the world’s number one comfort food.
Fine dining in the city of light
If you are looking for a more high-end dining experience, you can’t really go past Paris. As well as being considered the fashion and art capital of the world, Paris has long been known as the epicentre of epicure. There is certainly no shortage of Michelin-starred restaurants to explore the rich sauces and delicate flavours of Parisian cuisine but a trend termed bistronomy – combining bistro culture with gastronomy – is making haute cuisine a little more accessible to the average diner.
One example of this trend is La Poule Au Pot where the menu features onion soup served daily, with snails, frogs’ legs, bone marrow and even tarte tartin making regular appearances, elevated from cliché by fine produce and culinary artistry.
Looking beyond the obvious
Satisfying dining experiences can also come from delving beyond a country’s national dishes. While there is a lot more to French cuisine than the aforementioned classics, so too Japanese cuisine has much more to offer the world than raw, sliced fish.
Izakaya in Japan are the equivalent of a local pub and wonderful places to experience authentic tastes. You can order a variety of dishes like yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) as well as hot pot dishes and various regional delicacies. Best of all, you can enjoy it with a bottle of sake or beer from local breweries.
Keeping it local
Speaking of keeping it local, we Aussies are no slouches ourselves when it comes to cuisine and capable of a lot more than shrimps on barbies.
Some of the most exciting ventures embed themselves in their communities, showcasing local, ethically grown and sourced food from small-scale providers. Just look for purveyors of the ‘paddock to plate movement’ and feel good about supporting local communities while you indulge your tastebuds.
There’s a whole wide world of flavour to explore for when you plan your next trip – wherever in the world that may be.
