If you
ask me which country in the world has got the best food I would say Cambodia. The
food I had there was simple, lots of vegetables and rice and all these exciting
flavours. But again, how can I pick just one country?
What about those perfectly cooked Paccheri Pasta in cream of Provolone del Monaco cheese garnished with black truffle slivers I ate in Italy? Once I tried Avocado Toast in Australia I was lost forever, it is now a breakfast staple of mine. My olive addiction started in Spain ... And then there are Koeksisters in South Africa, grilled vegetables, halloumi cheese and balsamic glaze in Athens, Greece, homemade bread in Botswana … and the list goes on.
What about those perfectly cooked Paccheri Pasta in cream of Provolone del Monaco cheese garnished with black truffle slivers I ate in Italy? Once I tried Avocado Toast in Australia I was lost forever, it is now a breakfast staple of mine. My olive addiction started in Spain ... And then there are Koeksisters in South Africa, grilled vegetables, halloumi cheese and balsamic glaze in Athens, Greece, homemade bread in Botswana … and the list goes on.
 |
| In Australia, breakfast is only complete with Avocado toast |
Foodie moments enhance the experience of travelling
All these foodie moments surely enhance the experience of travelling, since most dishes were created over a period of time, most often centuries, and are deeply rooted in each countries culture.
If you travel you often find food you have never seen before. That is what happened when I went to Cambodia, where I saw they sold fried Tarantulas at the roadside and on markets. A Cambodian lady at a market in Phnom Penh told me the country’s population started eating spiders during the Khmer Rouge regime when food was scarce to most people. Whenever I tell this, people get all disgusted and say they would never eat things like that. I always answer, don’t be a hypocrite, it is just the same as eating a cow, a rabbit or a pig. To me, there is no difference at all. It is funny how people’s perception of things gets blurred easily out of, let’s call it, ignorance.
Visit local food markets
When you
visit local food markets you can be sure to learn most about the country you
visit. This is where people do their grocery shopping, no matter their income
or their age or gender. You will surely meet a wide variety or to be more precise
representative sample of the local population. Some of my favourite markets are the Farmers Market in San Francisco, USA, the Mercate del Rialto in Venice,
Italy, the Churchill Island Farmers’ Market in Victoria, Australia, the Toul
Tom Poung (Russian Market) in Cambodia, the Neighbourgoods
Market in Cape Town, Torvehallerne in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the ever so
popular Viktualienmarkt in Munich, Germany.
Recently
I travelled to Positano in Italy for no other reason than to visit restaurants,
and I had the best foodie time ever. Now I know where to eat in one of Italy's prettiest villages. It takes a lot of effort, true, to visit a
place for its food alone, but try it, there is nothing to lose.
Where is your favourite foodie place?
Where is your favourite foodie place?