Thanks to my propensity to sample anything and everything and partially due to the fact that my parents are originally from Hong Kong, I’ve eaten my fair share of weird things, including: bird’s nest (basically made from the saliva nests of certain species of swifts), crocodile, snake soup, kangaroo steaks and live octopus. I am, however, limited by my fear of creepy crawlies meaning scorpions and grasshoppers are strictly off the menu.
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| Milka, the stuff of dreams. |
When it comes to more average types of food, I have a weird obsession with Milka after managing to eat a sickeningly yummy four bars of it on the trot, après ski. This means I have taken extraordinary steps to get my paws on the limited edition versions including blackmailing loved ones, until a helpful friend pointed out that they were all available from an online grocery site.
Eating new food abroad doesn’t mean it has to be what some people might consider ‘weird’ or ‘gross’ because it’s totally subjective and should relative to your own tastes. For example, you might be slight apprehensive about trying tofu and then sample it abroad and find that you really enjoy it. The most important thing is to be brave and try something you wouldn’t otherwise eat – you might be surprised, as I was after giving some highly unattractive sea urchin whirl around my taste buds.
I always find it a bit sad when people go abroad and instead of trying something that isn’t usually available where they live, opt to eat in a well known fast food chain. I totally understand that sometimes this is done for reasons of economy due to budget restraints but in other cases, it’s done out of fear of the unknown or because of a total indifference to food.
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| Avoid at all costs. |
If you’re afraid – don’t be. I’m not suggesting that you should start munching on Surstromming (phenomenally gross smelling fermented and canned Swedish fish-I’ve experienced this first hand) but start with what you’re comfortable with. If on the other hand, you fall into the latter category, it’s time to pull your socks and start bothering because it’s a perfect way to take a sneaky peak into a different culture without having to walk around any museums or art galleries.
I remember feeling incredibly guilt ridden after being peer pressured into going along to Subway in Munich on a school exchange despite the fact that one particularly person in my group had already pointed out there was a small and inexpensive looking German restaurant just opposite. I later found out that it was highly rated and made up for my prior mistake by going there for dinner with a German friend.
We ordered the Schweinshaxe on her recommendation (essentially roasted pork knuckle which is basted with beer along with other flavourings and spices) and it was perfect. A thick layer of salty crackling rested on thick, juicy meat and we also managed to eat our way through copious little pots of sauerkraut and big fluffy Kartoffelknödel (potato dumplings) which had lovely rich twirls of breadcrumb and butter sauce perched neatly on them.
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| Epic knödel: I'm pretty sure you could kill someone with that |
If I recall correctly, some of the group continued to slum it out in German Subway which by the way, is exactly the same as English Subway whereas I ate like a King for the rest of the trip. The only bad thing was that I did start to resemble a portly, over fed royal by end of the week which is why I have avoided trying to make Bavarian Schweinshaxe with all the trimmings in the comfort of my own home, despite the fact that it isn’t difficult at all.
This is all rather unfortunate because one of my favourite things to do once I’ve eaten something tasty abroad is to try and replicate or find it in London. Although a lot of the time it will be extremely difficult to virtually impossible or insanely expensive, if you really like it, it’s worth giving it a go. Plus, with the internet at your fingertips like a nerdy, know-it-all friend you might be able to find suppliers or at the very least, good alternatives.
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| Khao Lam :) |
After coming back from a trip to Thailand the other summer I was determined to try and make some of my favourite Thai desserts. One of the best I had eaten was Khao Lam (sticky rice roasted in coconut and black beans) but thanks to a lack of resources as I have no idea where I could purchase the bamboo trunks they are cook in and even if I did, I would have a hard time sawing them into smaller chunks to fit in my oven.
However, I was able to make some delicious Bua Loi Phuak after scouring the streets of London for good quality taro and popping into an Asian supermarket for glutinous rice flour and some pandan leaves.
After a considerable amount of effort I savoured the beautifully smooth, green taro globes gently resting in the sweet and creamy coconut milk. Despite sustaining multiple injuries (I am evidently one of those people who love to eat but cannot cook), I realised it was totally worth the taro hunting drama and the traumatic moments spent trying to smush the taro and green pandan leaf juice into perfectly soft green dough because it felt like I was reliving a bit of my holiday while perched on my kitchen counter and watching it pouring down outside.
I sincerely hope that this will encourage you in some small way to sample what the world has to offer while on your travels and have a go at making it at home. Even if you are in the unlucky position of having sampled something which isn’t to your taste, you’ll at least have a vaguely interesting story to tell your friends when they ask you about your trip abroad!
