40 Things About Food People Only Realized When Traveling In Other Countries

Bored Panda got in touch with traveler and artist Dennis, who has been to a jaw-dropping 34 countries, with a few questions about his passion for adventure and food. He was also kind enough to share some great advice for tourists who want to develop their palates. You'll find our full interview with the author of the thread as you read on.

We were very interested to learn about what keeps Dennis excited about travel. He told us that he's a very curious person and that he's addicted to the unknown.

"It is a passion of mine to discover and try out things I haven’t done before and I do get easily bored by repetitive things. Furthermore, I get a feeling of accomplishment when I go through the hardships traveling sometimes has. It makes the other moments much sweeter and just adds spice to your experience," he told Bored Panda.

"It soothes me and I can stay calm and collected in many situations. I think traveling also means growing as a person, becoming culturally more aware, and unveiling all the different histories the world has. The more different things I see and people I meet, the more I feel how similar we all are."

The beauty of travel is that it puts us in situations that make us experience new things. We get to see how different cultures live, what customs they have, and how the pace of life differs in parts of the world that are sometimes separated by thousands and thousands of miles.

Ideally, you want to be open to the idea of trying out new dishes when you’re traveling abroad. However, that can be quite a feat if you’re a picky eater. It’s essential that you want to experiment with broadening your tastes rather than being pushed into it all. As we’ve recently covered on Bored Panda, picky eating is the result of a combination of genetic factors and the environment in which people were raised.

Some picky eaters, for instance, might be more sensitive to taste and texture. Being exposed to a wider range of food as you’re growing up makes it more likely that you’ll eat more varied dishes as a grownup. If you realize that you’re very limited in what you eat on a daily basis, you should consider taking tiny steps. Don’t start binging on a dozen different dishes just to prove how tough you are; start small, and taste one ingredient or dish at a time. That way, you’ll get used to jumping in and out of your comfort zone.

Meanwhile, if these culinary experiments don’t bear any fruit (pun not intended), you may want to consider talking to a therapist to check whether your extremely limited diet may be the result of a food disorder.

Bored Panda wanted to know how Dennis' travels have changed his approach to cooking, and whether he has integrated any new dishes and ingredients into his daily life. He told us that he's done so with everything. "I grew up with a mix of Italian and Austrian cuisine and have been pretty spoiled by the variety, but I didn’t know how ignorant I was!" he revealed to us.

Dennis said that before traveling in South and South-East Asia, he never thought that he'd cook curry or soup for breakfast. What's more, he has learned about the different ways of cooking rice and has been exposed to the wide range of spices that are available.

"I use soy sauce now way more often instead of plain salt. I wouldn’t say I'd eat all the dishes on a daily basis, but of course, I picked a few favorites and they became my reccurring specialties I love to cook up: Caponata, Gulasz, Sticky Rice with Mango, Ćevapčići, Ginataang isda/tilapia (fish stew coconut gravy, Pinoy), (sweet onion) Samosas, Matar Paneer, Nasi Goreng with fried chicken leg (tasted like cinnamon/cloves), Adana Kebab… the list goes on," the adventurer shared a few of his top faves.

While it’s very romantic to try out new dishes while traveling to before yet unseen places around the globe, let’s not be naive. Odds are that some ingredients won’t sit right with you. Your digestive system simply isn’t used to them (yet). So it’s always best to take things slow, see how your body reacts, and always err on the side of caution.

Don’t just eat anywhere while traveling abroad. Get some recommendations from your friends who’ve been to the city before, talk to the locals, and figure out what cafes and restaurants have a good reputation, tasty food, and solid hygiene standards.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advises to avoid eating raw meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, and raw produce like salads. The ingredients ought to be washed and well-cooked so that they’re safe for eating. You should also avoid undrinkable tap water and ensure that you wash your hands. Often!

If, for instance, you spot food openly sitting around the kitchen at room temperature, you might want to pass on the place and go elsewhere. Food like raw chicken, raw egg, unpasteurized milk, seafood, and raw flour are incredibly fertile breeding grounds for various pathogens. 

Ingredients that have high acid content such as lemons or pickles and low-moisture foods like crackers or rice cakes spoil far less quickly than groceries with low acidity and a high-moisture content. That’s why it’s so important to handle seafood correctly. You cannot let it just sit around in the open air. It’s a disaster that might put a dark spot on your otherwise wonderful adventure.

Dennis was also kind enough to share some of his expertise with any new travelers who might want to experiment with the local cuisine but may feel afraid to do so. He pointed out that different places will focus on different tastes, spices, and produce. It helps to speak to the locals, do your own research, and be open to new experiences (while having the patience for your palate to adjust).

"Many times I rely on the recommendation of the waiting staff, especially in very touristy places. Most of the time, they know what your palate is used to and what you might appreciate. So I simply trust them!" he said.

"To be honest though, I do some research on local dishes and specialties and try them all. How can I know if I like it, if I have never tasted it before? Also, I keep in mind that my palate needs to get used to the taste of local food. Sometimes, dishes aren’t to my taste the first time, but I would try them a second time in a different restaurant, and surprisingly enough, I was able to appreciate them afterward!"