A British meat sampler plate. Not sure if blood sausage qualifies as "meat."
“Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture.”
Mark Kurlansky
At home, I generally ate 5 things: cereal, pizza, hamburgers, tacos and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. There were other meals, of course, but in the course of a week each of those was guaranteed at least once.
Trying to turn me into a foodie is a challenge on par with getting Lindsay Lohan’s rehab to stick.
One of the common requests I’ve gotten since I started traveling is to take photos and write about the food along the way. But I just can’t bring myself to do it. The words aren’t there because I just don’t care.
“That’s why people travel,” was what one friend told me.
Is it? Not for me. I hate food. I eat as a maintenance activity like showering, brushing my teeth or watching porn.
Travel and food are inextricably linked for many people. On any given day, you could tune in to The Travel Channel and be hard pressed to tell if you were actually watching the Food Network, except the latter includes infomercials for The Tater Mitt and Onion Blossom Maker.
I love exploring other cultures – the history, the artwork, the lifestyle. But when it comes to the food, I’m just not that interested.
Paella for a busload of Tomatina-survivors.
Its importance to travelers is understandable. Food is a cornerstone of a culture and to appreciate a destination, you should be exposing yourself to new things that are important to the people you’re around. That’s why one of the first goals I set out for myself in traveling the world was to dive in and try the local food. (Read: Confessions of a Cultural Idiot Part 1)
For two months I’ve been trying. Blood sausage in England, paella in Spain with types of fish I’d never even heard of, Roquefort cheese (aka mold) in my crepe in France. I’ve eaten a number of things that were never on my radar in the U.S. and I haven’t even gotten to the countries with food that’s really outside of my comfort zone.
For some reason, though, my food experiences are almost always “meh” inducing. It’s not that I hate the foods I’ve eaten, it just doesn’t make any kind of impact on me whatsoever.
To be honest, at times I’m ashamed of myself – so many cultures consider the meal a primary component of their lives and I feel like I’m missing out, but I’m not sure how to change it.
What do you think? Am I doing something wrong? Does anyone else travel with no regard to eating their way around the world?
You might be going a bit to hard to fast on the food front with blood sausage. Paella is halfway normal though even if the rice is a bit strong. I think if you are a semi-picky eater at home forcing yourself to try some weird things abroad might not be the best way to do it. Baby steps will help out a lot. Regular crepe with nutella, awesome. Mold cheese, not so much. Gelato, amazing. Non-fruit flavor, not so much (although I am partial to sweet potato here in Japan)
But then again, in Europe you have the luxury of going slow on the food scene. Throwing yourself in Asia first would have scared you silly on the food and eating only at McDonalds for every meal of the day.
Will you ever find things that top what you eat at home? Sure. Will it be every meal? Not so much. My favorite foods have always had some comparable taste to something I’ve had at home. Not that it means the rest of it is bad. It may even be meh (such as I wouldn’t order it at home but still liked it). I think it is more the experience of the fact that you’re eating a local food, in that country that instantly makes something taste a whole new level.
Eat what you crave. Forcing yourself because its a local thing will put you on the fast track to not liking it.
Jeremy´s last [type] ..Shabu Shabu Feast in Nagoya – Worth Every Penny
Wonderful comments Jeremy – thank you!
Yeah, I think the important thing at this point is that I AM trying new foods, rather than eating American everywhere I go.
And the sushi I had here in Valencia was some of the best I’ve eaten
I agree with Jeremy. If you’re going to eat stuff that takes you out of your comfort zone too much you are going to pretty soon think of foreign food as an ordeal. Best leave the weird stuff for the real foodies. I liked pain au chocolat in France, spotted dick in the UK and sauerkraut in Hungary – not too offensive to the taste buds, but still foreign enough to say I’ve tried something local
Sunee´s last [type] ..Kulula Humour
Thanks Sunee –
It’s good advice. But I really don’t dislike much of what I eat, I just don’t get that much out of it either way. I guess that just comes with NOT being a foodie.
And yes, pain au chocolat is definitely one of my staples in France.
I’m with you Joel. I have run across a few items I didn’t know about and enjoyed, but it’s WAY down on the list of reasons I travel. Course my diet at home (and this summer) isn’t too different from yours. Keep doing your trip your way and let others take their own trip!
Brian Setzer´s last [type] ..Nakusp Motorcycle Travel Meeting
Must be part of that having no soul white boy. I think a palate and the liking of foods beyond the American fare you have described is developed when young. I am assuming that food and the sit down of sharing a meal surrounded by family and creating an event and an ocassion of it was not part of your childhood. I say baby steps – I who Loooove food not partial to Paella or moldy cheese. Not necessary to eat something so out of your comfort zone. Sit down, share with other people – it is sometimes not so much about food but making a meal the highlight.
Thanks Brian – I’m all about exploration of all kinds, but food may not be my forte.
There’s nothing wrong here at all. While I happen to look forward to every meal while I’m traveling, I’m not too particularly fond of museums. However, I still visit a few and every now and then I really enjoy one.
I’m sure that you’ll have a similar experience, where at some point, you’ll find a foreign meal that you’ll truly enjoy, even though the majority of your eating experiences will remain unexciting.
I say that it’s better to concentrate on the aspects of your adventure that do provide you with the greatest rewards instead of trying to force yourself to partake in something that doesn’t appeal to you!
Earl´s last [type] ..Do You Shave Your Underarms Too
Thanks Earl – I appreciate the advice. I wish I could just SKIP meals and absorb things in pill form or something, so I could spend more time exploring.
Since that’s not possible, I promise not to feel too guilty about the grab ‘n go meals I usually have.
So funny, I was just listening to an American Public Media podcast about this. There’s a new book out about an American visiting countries that scare Americans (i.e. Mexico) but he also went to India because he was scared of the food!
ayngelina´s last [type] ..Welcome to the jungle Part 1 of 2
Well, I’m definitely trying so fear’s not holding me back (too much). I do have to admit, I skipped the chance to try rabbit and escargot in France. I almost tried the rabbit, but then I remembered the pet bunny I had once upon a time…
Funny. For Lisa and me, food is our favorite part of any travel. We try to guess the ingredients and how it was made and of course, just enjoy the unique flavors. We just love food in general – yes, we watch the Food Channel a lot!
Just think about the person who put their love and time into making so that you will enjoy it. It takes a lot of experience, effort and passion to make tasty food.
You’ve never been to England, have you…
I’m not a foodie, to me getting hungry is a pain becuase it means I have to stop what I’m doing and find somewhere to eat. If something is nice I enjoy it of course but I’m not constantly looking forward to meal times and if I was asked to review meals it would probably be something like ‘yeah that was alright’.
Kirsty on the other hand…. very much a foodie.
haha – that’s EXACTLY how I am.
“Yep, it was fine” is the high point of my gastronomic review. I should have written more reviews on Yelp to get into practice.
I have one of those deathly allergies to all kinds of nuts, so I eat very cautiously abroad. Three weeks in Thailand, for example, meant three weeks of bananas, eggs, boiled potatoes, and a meal every so often in a Japanese restaurant. I love food, and I believe there’s a lot to be learned from eating local, but I can’t take the risk. Does that make me a bad traveler? I don’t think so. There are a lot of things to enjoy about food other than the eating of it — pay attention to food sources and food prep and presentation, and get your companions to describe what they’re eating. You may not be able to love your own food, but it’ll be interesting to hear what they think of theirs.
Mary-Alice (Dog Jaunt)´s last [type] ..Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas- New hotel-casino- not pet-friendly
Excellent advice! Most of my meals have been solo, but when I’m with others I will definitely have to give that a try. Maybe I can learn a few things about what others appreciate with their food.
Have you ever had your taste buds tested? Maybe you have weak taste buds, and so you can’t really taste all the magnificent flavors of food the way everyone else does. I mean, seriously–if people can have those “super taste buds” (whatever they’re called) where they taste things more than everyone else, surely the opposite is true, too?
Gray´s last [type] ..Travel Takeaways from Montreal
Hey Gray – never had them tested, though that’s certainly a possibility. I know for certain that my sense of smell isn’t particularly acute, so the link between taste and smell would definitely support that thought.
There’s nothing wrong with not enjoying the food, I think the bigger point is that you are trying. Food is certainly a big part of discovering a new culture and country, but it’s not the only thing. I commend you for at least trying!
Thanks Connie – yep, I’m glad I’m trying. Perhaps eventually, I’ll get more out of it and be able to appreciate things a bit more completely.
If not, I’ll stay focused on the aspects that speak to me more.
Hard for me to relate since I’m such a foodie, but not a chef surprisingly. But dude, everyone has different reasons to travel and if your diet was basic before you left, perhaps it shouldn’t change now?
Besides, perhaps like you alluded to, your trip isn’t about food, but other stuff.
Nomadic Chick´s last [type] ..Worst Washroom of the Week
I, too, love food, but I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong as Earl noted. So you aren’t enamored of food. So what? Don’t beat yourself up about it – just enjoy the things you are interested in.
Keith´s last [type] ..Tourism’s Slow Death
I think the food is one of the most exciting parts of travel. Especially trying it, then asking what it was you just consumed.
Cornelius Aesop´s last [type] ..New Brew Tuesday- Everything You Need To Know About Kegs
I am on the same wavelength as you with food. Definitely more of a hindrance then enjoyed most of the time.
Maybe to do with smell as my sense of smell is not good either. Most of the food I have enjoyed on my travels are just local snack or takeaway foods that can be picked up on the go, not like full meals.
I don’t travel to eat, I eat to travel.
Rebecca´s last [type] ..Ferries to Vancouver Island and back to Washington State
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