Fanatical foodie

Borscht

Pan Au Chocolat

Learning to appreciate cultural cuisine

Recently, I watched a culinary travel show called Bizarre Foods. The American hosts job was trekking around the globe in search of bizarre and tasty food adventures. Along the way, he met some interesting guides, saw beautiful scenery and sampled delicious and sometimes strange local fare.

Watching the show brought me back to my many trips abroad in my teens and twenties. I too have been fortunate enough to savor some amazing meals, meet some fabulous people and see some truly spectacular sights.

From the melt in your mouth Pan Au Chocolat pastry in Paris, to the spicy rich Indian food in Kuala Lumpur, to the Beet borscht and crisp bread with the chewy center in St. Petersburg, I remember many good bites.

This is not really all about the food.

Actually I guess it is a little. Most importantly though, it’s about exploring different cultures and what makes them distinctive.

One plane ride away from your native shores, you will find yourself in a world full of unique customs, unusual dishes and indigenous people.

Having been born and raised in the U.S, and growing up in the Midwest, where meat and potatoes are standard fare, I never knew there was so much out there to eat! And so much to see! There are certain things that make each culture exclusive and knowing what is unique to them can do much in allowing you to make new friends.

As a Christian, I have made many friends thru showing an interest in their culture, their food, and really, just in their way of life.

Just about everyone loves to talk about themselves. So if you start asking the right questions, you will learn plenty about what they are about, where they are from, and, along the way, you just might gain some valuable keys to reaching them for Christ.

Back to food though because it is one thing that is more important than you think! Appreciating a countries cuisine is a rudimentary but often imperative place to start in my view. Why you may ask? Because, it is a common fact that you will be eating every day, simply put.

I have seen fellow travelers with such a big heart for people absolutely offend their host by their refusal to eat the food that is placed before them or by whipping out a snack they brought instead of tasting what was being served to them.

By being impolite, sometimes they lost their opportunity to secure a relationship which could have benefited both of their lives in some way.

So, here are some practical ways to work on being more diverse in your appetite even before you travel:

1) Read up

Find out what food is popular in the place you plan to visit. What is their specialty? What are they known for? Try that!

When I was in Ireland, it was Fish & Chips wrapped in paper. In Germany it was their many types of sausage and bratwurst. And in Rome, it was their amazing pasta and pizza.

Every region and country has their specialties so take the time to find out what they are and embrace it.

You might say, “Hey, I am a picky eater. There is no way I am trying Blood Pudding in England. Yuck!”

Some things will be harder to stomach than others, I agree. The point is to be willing. I was surprised to find that those endless cups of Chai that I sampled in Nepal are now a favorite tea choice for me still today. Many other things I have tried are now a part of my favorites list.

2) Eat out

Go to ethnic places in your town and sample some of the fare you will be eating abroad. This is not always possible and if not, you can typically find specialty markets where they have imported goods you can buy.

Do your homework and give it a try. I just had Korean food not to long ago for the first time ever and it was delicious.

3) Be adventurous

You may find by doing a little exploring or by befriending people from other cultures that you like some of their cuisine more than you think. Don’t instantly turn your nose up and say no. You never know what you might like until you try it!

My husband and I were invited to a clients’ house 3 or 4 years ago for a big Iranian feast. We knew no one except his client however the group welcomed us gladly. They had prepared an amazing feast with trays of Persian food and by the end of the night they were like family. Because we showed such eagerness to taste everything, they were delighted to keep feeding us! And I can tell you that I had some of the most incredible food that night, and a full stomach too!

Every year or so, I have a Fig Newton. What’s the big deal about that you may ask? Well, for starters I don’t like them! But I still have them every so often just to make sure that I still don’t like them. Sounds funny but it’s a simple reminder to keep trying things. Because I have purposely cultivated my taste buds to many different flavors, I can (mostly) enjoy a variety of flavors and cuisines. Sure, there are some I like more than others, you bet! But my list of things is growing all the time. Oh, I don’t like kettle corn either but I still keep trying it.

I encourage you to never stop trying things no matter how old you get!

No experience in my life has brought more diversity and appreciation for the many other cultures out there than travelling extensively to over 20 nations and meeting many friends along the way.

From the incredible hot dog stand in Cartagena, to the Roasted Pumpkin & Lamb with mint jelly in Queensland, and many tasty bites in between, I feel that I have matured in my view of the world and all of the rich diversity in it. And much of it stemmed from my willingness to try regional cuisines.

So, Bon Appétit! And, I hope you will go into all the world too!

Cartegena, Colombia