Want to eat well? Travel!

Good eats? Go travel!

It's a typical Wednesday night. You've worked all day and you're exhausted. You make an easy dinner of chicken and rice with veggies. Boring, but it’s dinner. Friday night you get takeout from your favorite restaurant. Every week you eat similar meals which can keep your palette quite bland. What if you ate authentic cuisine from various cultures around the world?

We leisure travel for many reasons. We want to relax, to experience something new and exciting, even learn about different cultures and people. Food is one of the best ways to learn about any region when whether it's within your state, out of state, or out of the country.

Famous cuisine developed through local ingredients available to people in various regions throughout the world. Cultures develop from religion, immigration of groups, and various traditions. In fact, you can learn more about the history a society when you know what those people are eating and how they created specific dishes.

Food tours

Food tours are educational and good fun. I've taken several food tours and enjoyed every bite and bit of information I've learned. Most are walking tours where participants meet at a particular place and time. The guide then walks the group to local restaurants and bars to sample various dishes and drinks. The guide subsequently explains the ingredients of those dishes and what they mean to the folks in that region.

When I went to Japan, I took two walking food tours. One in Kyoto and the other in Osaka. The Kyoto tour was especially fun for me because we had a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. Subsequently, my fellow participants were eager to learn which added to the upbeat atmosphere.

This particular tour focused on a typical route Japanese businesspeople take after hours. They typically go as a group and tour various bars and restaurants throughout Osaka. They eat various foods and drink together which helps build bonds at the workplace. We also learned about the region and which foods are naturally available and how particular cuisines were developed. I highly recommend taking as many food tours as you possibly can.

Cooking tours

Now I have yet to take a cooking tour, but it is on my “To Do" list when I travel. However, I have several friends who have taken cooking tours and loved them.

Participants meet at a restaurant, bakery or other venue that has some type of kitchen. Next, the guide gives a brief history on the dish they are about to prepare. The available ingredients, how the dish was created and the history of the area the meal comes from. Individuals get the opportunity to make their dish while the chef supervises and instructs the group. The best part is participants get to eat their dishes and now they have learned how to make a specific meal. In turn, that person can now go home and prepare a new specialty dish at home. Definitely a must-do on vacation!

Book Your Tour

A google search of food or cooking tours will give you a plethora of information, but it may be a bit overwhelming. Personally, I like Viator (viator.com). Viator has a tour for whatever type of experience you want. It’s easy to schedule and pay for. Usually, you can pay early or the day of with an easy refund policy if you need it. Look at your bank or credit card because going through your card can get you a percentage of cash back when you book.

Beware you can get spoiled

One thing about getting delicious and authentic food, is you will quickly get used to the best. For example, When I was in Dublin, Ireland I walked around town. Next to the famous Temple Bar is a quaint little restaurant the The Shack restaurant. I ordered a classic Irish stew, and I was amazed! It was literally the best stew I had ever eaten! This was one of those meals that was so delectable I was disappointed that I was getting full. I wanted to eat every bite and the bread that came on the side was melt in your mouth fantastic.

Trouble is, when I got home, I decided to get some Irish stew from Costco. Now Costco has good food, but it really couldn't compare to the stew in Ireland. I ended up giving it to my friends and some to my pups. My palette had now been spoiled. It was a culinary treat I will always remember and hope to go back for more again in the future.

I was in Paris and ordered quiche which came with a side of French onion soup. I never thought much of French onion soup until I had it in Paris. Now I have a completely different perspective. That French onion soup was so rich and tasty, I ate every drop. Oh yes, the chicken quiche was the best as well!

You will have your favorites. When in Japan, I had the extreme pleasure of eating Wagyu beef. I had to watch myself because every time I went for lunch or dinner, I always wanted Wagyu. Wagyu cows get the special treatment—special diet, low stress, long raising periods and each cow gets a birth certificate! The beef is beautifully marbled and is said to be as healthy as salmon. Either way, I couldn't get enough. I didn't realize how much I was eating until my friend, Cherry, and I tried to decide on dinner.

I suggested Wagyu and she exclaimed, “We had Wagyu for the last three days!”

“Oh,” I said, “Well as long as I get some before we leave Japan.”

I had some that night anyway. It was like a high I was trying to chase. It was one of the fun and amazing memories about Japan I will cherish. Now it's an ongoing joke among my friends. Hopefully, I'll go back to Japan again in my lifetime. You better believe I'm gonna get me some of that Wagyu!

Ask the locals

No one knows food better than the people who live in the area you may be visiting. These folks live in the region and can be a great resource for fabulous places for local food. They may even give you a quick history on what the proprietors did to make the restaurant so great. Take a chance and ask somebody!

For me, two instances for getting great restaurant advice from a local stand out. I had been sent to New Hampshire for work and wanted some great clam chowder. In Western Washington, we have excellent clam chowder. However, I heard the northeast has fantastic clam chowder that must be experienced. I was at a gas station, and I casually asked a local woman where I might find some good clam chowder. She advised me to go to a local bar. The last thing she said to me was, “Yeah, they have pretty good clam chowder.”

I went into the dark, empty little bar and thought I had made a mistake. I ordered chowder and he stated that they served it in a bread bowl, and he’d get it wrapped it up for me. That bread bowl must have been just baked because it was warm and incredibly soft. I unwrapped the bread bowl and took a bite of the top of the bread with the chowder. I drove a few miles and pulled over to eat. It was the best cloud chowder I'd ever had before and since eating this meal. It makes me wonder if she thought that was pretty good, what was the absolute best?

In Paris I asked the clerk at my hotel for a good place to eat. She directed me to a small restaurant tucked in the back corner of an obscure street. The restaurant didn't have more than 10 tables and had a fire going. It seemed to be an old home converted into a restaurant. This place was more that a great place to eat, the entire experience was cozy and relaxing. Best beef burgundy of my life! Ask the locals!

The Shack Restaurant Dublin, Ireland

Best French Onion soup in Paris

Irish stew from The Shack Restaurant

Quiche pairs perfectly with French Onion soup in Paris

Wonderful Wagyu in Tokyo

My friend, Cheri, and me eating Wagyu in Tokyo

Quaint and cozy restaurant in Paris

Best Beef Burgundy ever!