Eating my way through Malaysia has been food for thought. I
have been thinking how important travel is for food, and how important food is
for travel.
When you travel you must eat local food. I’m not sure you
are really travelling if you go somewhere and don’t eat the local food. Staying
inside a tourist resort eating macaroni cheese – have you really gone anywhere?
Food, art, culture, history and people– that’s what takes you to that place
when you travel.
Food can also take you somewhere when you are at home. At home
in the middle of a cold, wet Wellington winter, a spicy Asam Lasksa might just
take me back to Malaysia, if I just close my eyes a little I can be back there.
Nothing can beat getting on a plane, train or bus and going
somewhere, but for me living in one of the most geographically isolated
countries in the world, going somewhere can be expensive and time consuming.
When I get home in a few days, I am going to start
travelling more, local journeys that take me around the world through food,
art, people, culture and music in my own community.
I have travelled around the world over land and sea, and will
continue to pack up and leave, but my challenge is now to travel more from my
home.
