Why We Travel? -Oh, The Food!

Trying new foods is always an adventure. Some are more pleasant than others. When doing the land tour part of our Asian cruise, we were introduced to a lot of new things. Unfortunately most of the places we visited offered the same things. We were a group of 76 so most of the places we ate were like a hall where they catered. Think of it this way, most banquets are pretty common here in the States with what they offer--chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans. In China it was fish (with the head on it), duck (which usually was good), bak choy (always steamed) and of course rice. There were some other things which we didn't always recognize. I was sure I would lose weight.

Then there are those places though where the food was memorable. Wiener Schnitzel in Austria (the size of the plate), Green Lipped Mussels in New Zealand, Lamb in London and Australia and New Zealand, Moussaka in Greece, Crepes filled with Nutella in Paris, Lion Fish tacos in Grand Cayman, Soft Pretzels in Bavaria, and any kind of fresh pasta in Italy.

Of course it's always fun to check out the familiar fast food places that we have here in the States and see how they are the same or different elsewhere in the world. On our first few trips to London we found a McDonald's where we could get coffee that didn't grow hair on your chest. It took a while for the Brits to learn to make good coffee. Of course imbibing in tea in the UK is an art. We've found strange additions to the menu as well like bacon sandwiches for breakfast or some other tasty items a more in keeping with the country they are in. The McCafes are usually a whole lot better than we're used to. Many times the coffees come in ceramic cups with the foam decorated like in a fancy cafe.

One of the more unusual finds for fast food was Hungry Jack's. It looked like a Burger King, tasted like a Burger King, even the sign looked similar. Come to find out it is a "Burger King". They just can't use the same name because another restaurant in Adelaide has already trademarked the name Burger King.

KFC is big in Japan--especially at Christmas. Lines will form around the block to pick up their orders for Christmas dinner. And it's a lot more expensive than we are used to.

The best dessert experience we ever had happened in Adelaide, Australia. Pavlova is a favorite Australian dessert and I always thought that it was only made with meringue and fruit and topped with whipped cream. Not so. There are apparently countless ways to make it. On a visit to Australia we dropped in to surprise a pastor friend of ours and his church ladies were so excited to have someone visiting from the USA that they insisted we return that evening for a special event to taste pavlova. There must have been more than a dozen different versions of the dessert. Yup, we tried them all. Didn't want to disappoint any of those sweet church ladies.

Stretching Your Palate

Having a son who lives in Japan with his family and is married to a Japanese lady who grew up in Japan, we have been challenged many times to try new foods. Most of the time it works out well. When I saw a list of 13 things you really need to try in Japan, I wondered if they had introduced us to all of them. We need to go visit again. I think there are a few we haven't had yet.

Mention sushi and a lot of people will wrinkle their nose and shake their head or they will order California rolls. They've never tasted the true wonders of sushi or shashimi. Yes, there is raw fish involved but until you have tasted salmon or whitefish that is truly fresh and made correctly with the right seasonings, you cannot imagine the wonderful buttery taste.

Yakatori is a favorite. It's often chicken (sometimes chicken parts) on a stick and is an amazing treat. There are other meats that get grilled on a stick and are tender and wonderful with great seasonings.

There are lots of dishes that I would never have tried if we had visited on our own. Restaurants specialize in things like shabu shabu and okonomiyaki (one of our grandkids favorites). Shabu shabu is served with hot pots of broth and you cook your meats and vegetables in them--quickly because the meats are sliced thin, and then dip them in different sauces.

Okonomiyaki is like a pancake that is cooked on a hot griddle in the middle of your table. When we went to the restaurant, our grandkids (even the littlest) took turns cooking the pancakes. You order the different ingredients that you want and then make your own pancakes.

There are many foods that I see my son trying while he is there. I shake my head in wonder. He was my picky eater. It just proves that you don't know if you'll like it unless you try it. But if you're going to try it, make sure it is authentic. Tokyo is a great place to find any kind of restaurant you might want whether Japanese or not. Just remember that a Mexican or American restaurant may not be quite the same as you are used to back home. It's like trying to find good authentic Japanese food in America.

Here's the link to the 13 Japanese Snacks list. The writer suggests taking a tour with guide who will help you through the taste testing--that's if you don't have the privilege of family members to guide you.