How difficult it is to find good food when travelling to new cities?
Travelling allows you to see the world and experience cultures that you would normally never encounter. Visiting new countries and cities opens a door to a whole new world. But travel can be daunting, especially if your destination is new. One of the most difficult aspects about travel is food. Finding good food can be extremely difficult.
What problems can you encounter when looking for good dining options during travel? Several issues can arise, but with information on restaurants and recipes, you can make educated decisions that result in delicious meals that meet your needs.
Language
Dining out in a new travel destination can be difficult due to language. If you travel to Istanbul, but cannot speak Turkish, you run the risk of missing out on great local delicacies and amazing restaurants. Not understanding the language can limit your dining options and some travellers may choose something familiar — such as an international chain or fast food.
Language doesn’t have to be a barrier if you know what you are looking for. Knowing what to order, such as a kunefe or midye dolma, can improve a travel experience. If you are familiar with the food’s look and name, it won’t be difficult to order it when dining out.
Diet
Many people have dietary restrictions that prevent them from dining on certain types of foods. Whether it is a diet influenced by religion or by health, not knowing what is in a certain food can prevent travellers from dining. Religion and health reasons are not the only restrictions people have when eating out. Weight conscious diners may want healthy options and without much information on a country’s food, may not realise what great meals they are missing.
On a trip to Baku /Azerbaijan, you may encounter a number of unfamiliar foods. One popular dish is dolma, which is stuffed vine leaves. However, there are 25 varieties and each type is stuffed with different meats and vegetables. Dolma are delicious, but if you are not aware of the ingredients it can prevent you from sampling one of the most popular foods in Baku.
Tourist traps
There is an old travel adage that goes, “you should only eat where locals eat”. The idea behind the saying is travellers should only dine at restaurants were the people of the city eat. Restaurants packed with tourists are not only generic and poor in food quality, but they are typically expensive.
Tokyo is a major Asian city with amazing gastronomic options. There are plenty of places dedicated to travellers. But if you look a little harder, you will find restaurants full of locals eating more authentic Japanese food that is far better than the dishes served at tourist-eccentric establishments. Travellers can find the best katsu curry dishes by finding the restaurants enjoyed by locals. While you can get it at the touristy dining establishments, it won’t be the true flavours of Japan.
Foodie Advice gives travellers information on good food in cities all over the world. Travellers will never have an unfulfilling meal when they find themselves in a brand-new city.
