Food is the essence of life and I think it’s wonderful how the same ingredients can be combined in a different way to make a whole new scrumptious dish. What can be better than food? Travelling of course. Combine both and you have perfection. The best part of travelling around the world is that you get to taste the local authentic food that you won’t find in your home country. Travelling for the sole reason of eating food is an actual thing so from a foodie to a fellow food lover, make sure to try it out!
Wonderful Food Tours
I’m always up for trying new dishes. Sometimes, however, you just can’t reproduce the authentic flavour at home nor can you find anywhere that makes that said dish. Even though I live in London, where there are a lot of interesting food joints from all over the world, my love for travelling is equally as great. Hence, I always try to book affordable air tickets for my next destination from my preferred travel agents UK to go on my next food tour.
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
The cuisine here is quite special as it is influenced by the city’s multifaceted heritage. The mouth-watering pots of savoury food that sends sparks of flavour through your mouth are inspired by Native Americans, French settlers, Africans, Southern American culture, and the Caribbean, Creole, and Cajun spices. There are plenty of restaurants you can eat at as some of them are generation old business. One of the most notable dishes is the Po Boy sandwiches which are basically overstuffed with either meat or fried seafood. They were severed to poor unpaid labourers hence the name. My personal favourite dish is the Shrimp Gumbo. It is a stew of West African vegetables with Shrimp, served with steaming hot rice. As for dessert, the most iconic is Beignets, which is deep-fried dough cut in squares and covered with icing sugar.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world, around 220. Tokyo chefs combine traditional and extremely modern techniques to create world-class dishes. Tokyo also caters to every budget. From extremely expensive skyscraper restaurant food to really atmospheric humble joints, everything is available here. I personally love the sweets in Japan, especially their famous Mochi and Wagashi sweets, because they have next to no fats. Japanese cuisine is also so mouth-watering because the chefs strive to use the freshest and most seasonal vegetables and ingredients. Not only is Japanese cuisine delicious but also very healthy.
Marrakesh, Morocco
In Marrakesh, the most common spot to enjoy their food is the Jemaa el-Fna city square. It comes to life at night as several food-stalls set up shop and sell fresh savoury dishes. Not only that but storytellers, snake charmers and tarot card reader all bring a whole new mystic life in the area. I personally loved the aromatic and flavourful Shish Kebabs. Another dish called Mechoui, which is essentially slow roasted lamb, is really popular. I think it’s important to mention that they are not only delicious but also quite cheap. Other than this, the Marrakesh food markets offer fresh ingredients along with delicious street food. Giant barrels of saffron, turmeric, and other spices dot these markets. Outside the city walls, in a quieter atmosphere, there are extravagant restaurants available where you can try authentic Moroccan Tagine and maybe you won’t be able to have enough of it.
Lyon, France
You might be surprised to know, that whereas Paris attracts so many tourists to sample French Cuisine, it is Lyon that is internationally known as one of the best cities for food. Fresh regional produce comes in from the surrounding areas while fine quality wine comes in from Beaujolais and the Rhone Valley. French cuisine is known for its simplicity yet rich and heavy qualities. And who can deny the amazing French desserts? The delicately decorated and carefully made desserts are perfection personified. Lyon is also a very beautiful city so I think great historical vibe can make authentic traditional food taste even better!
Bangkok, Thailand
Thai food has made an international impact over time. Popular for simply delicious street-food, Thai cuisine is known to be spicy and tangy. Using herbs and flavourful broths, it’s a delight to visit Bangkok. While there are other places in Thailand as well, I personally like the capital city. Everything is easily available, plus the Chinatown located there offers authentic Chinese cuisine. One of my favourite dishes in Thailand is definitely Tom Yum Goong. On a food tour in Bangkok, make sure to try out some authentic sour and spicy tom yum from any one of the street vendors or restaurants around the city. While tom yum is more of a proper meal, with noodles and all, you can still find it being sold as street food. The real magic is in the broth and because all the herbs and spices make it so delicious that you’ll want to try it again and again.
Florence, Italy
How can I write about food and not add Italian cuisine? Florence is a beautiful city known for its art and history. It’s also home to authentic Italian cuisine. Many dishes remain unchanged since the ancient civilization. The fresh produced cheese, olive oil, and grilled meats make those saucy plates of pasta the talk of the world. Most popular dishes are thick, hearty comfort foods, among which my personal favourite is Pappardelle al Cinghiale, which is a type of delicious pasta. And to end your meal, try one of the many yummy gelato flavours.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
This charming city is known for great street food and atmospheric fine dining spots. Back when French colonized Ho Chi Minh City, the French and Vietnamese style of cooking merged together and made something truly memorable. The most notable dish would be bánh mì, which normally translated to bread in Vietnamese but these are sandwiches made using French bread and stuffed with steamed or roasted meat, fresh vegetables like cucumber and carrots. It may sound average but the beauty of gastronomy can only be recognized when we sample the dish ourselves. My personal favourite is the traditional dish, Pho, which is a noodle soup with vegetables. The broth is so flavourful that I haven’t been able to replicate it right, at home.