A Gateway to Local Culture

It’s easier than ever to visit other countries, but it’s also easier to travel without leaving the comforts of your own country. When in a new country, it’s tempting to resort to the familiar, especially when it comes to food. A familiar restaurant that promises a meal you know you can eat is a welcome sight in a foreign city where you don't know what exactly is in the cuisine. Local food, however, is a gateway to local culture. Global restaurant chains make it easier to visit a foreign land without experiencing this cultural aspect; eating at the Hard Rock doesn’t mean you’ve “done” the city, even if you did buy the t-shirt.

When I travel, I seek the most authentic cultural experience I can, which is often a challenge; tour companies often show local diners that cater to travelers instead of locals, and solo travel takes away the support group for trying new things. My first rule for travel is to always eat where the locals eat, and always order what they do. If I can’t speak the language, I just point to someone else’s meal. Or, I ask hostel workers for their recommendations.

Sometimes this works out well: I’ve tried—and loved—foods that I would have never have eaten, such as kangaroo, chicken feet, and even fugu—poisonous puffer fish. Sometimes this leads to stomachache: I've eaten a tarantula and octopus with melon soda. Whether or not these meals satisfy, the experiences always do. Locals often chat with the brave foreigner who orders the local dish that—it’s thought—most foreigners can’t handle, which provides great access to local culture, and even greater stories. The locals I meet this way show me their city as the they see it, not as guidebooks say it should be seen.

Eating local food is a great way to learn about culture. These experiences might go badly, but you won’t find the good unless you are willing to look for them. My second rule for travel, then, is to pack antacids. You never know when you will be the one who can’t handle the local food.