Is it bad that, of all the reasons to be excited about booking a trip to India, I am most excited about the opportunities I'll have to eat authentic Indian food?? I love trying foreign foods and, aside from the sightseeing and photo ops, I don't think there's anything I'm more excited about right now.
I believe that food is a crucial part of one nation's tradition and culture. I really like to go and explore the streets when I visit other countries. I like the street food as long as it is traditional. Yo would be surprised what can you learn if you just interact and mingle for a while in the streets. Anthony Bourdain has several remarkable shows with this idea. He went all around the world looking for those traditional bites from common people chefs. I believe that the name of the show was No Reservations and the other one was Parts Unknown.
I think you're right about food being a crucial part of the culture; maybe that's one of the reasons I'm so excited to try Indian food when I go to India next year. Eating food authentic to the culture really immerses you in that culture. And I love the idea of traveling the streets and trying what the outdoor vendors are selling.
No, food is also a big part in culture. When I visited India, I was the same way! The food was so interesting and locals must have been like wow, obviously new to India. Dishes seem so delicately decorated and made in India rather than in America or Canada.
I actually love experiencing food in different places too - to me, it's no different than saying you're excited to experience museums or art galleries or other historical/cultural places. Food that is unique to a country tells so much about its' history and culture, to me! I also love learning to cook foods that I haven't experienced before - that's part of the fun of visiting new destinations to me too!
I have had the experience of travelling to a foreign country and being amazed at how different the 'real' thing actually was! For some reason, what is known as 'authentic' may be quite different from what the real 'authentic' actually is.
That's a very true point. I remember the first time I went to Mexico thinking just how different Mexican food was there to the "Tex Mex" Mexican I was used to here in the States!!
I hadn't even thought about learning to cook Indian foods... How great would that be?! I hope I can find some dishes I like and then make some friends there who can show me how to make those dishes!
My cousin -- born and raised in the U.S. -- married a man from Venezuela. Over the course of their marriage, they made many Mexican friends and had the opportunity to travel to Mexico countless times. Every time my cousin would come back and tell me about some new dish she'd tried in Mexico that was NOTHING like the 'authentic' Mexican version sold here in the States.
No, it is not bad at all. When I travelled to Turkey, I wanted to go there only because I wanted to try the Turkish delight from the country itself. We have it here, but I was always wondering if the taste would be similar or the same, or something rather different, and I can tell you it was way better. So, I completely understand your aims. Some people travel to a particular country because of the sights, some because of their friends, other because of adventure, and again there are some of us who travel because of food.
Very well spoken @mayasupernova! I think I will always be one who is attracted by the foods of a particular destination. Unique sights are a close second but the food tops the list!
When I travel I love to try all the foods of the country. I would think this would be a fantastic opportunity to try a few different dishes. I have cooked some recipes from India and they were delicious. I am sure when the food is prepared there it would taste even better. Before going to India try one or two recipes at home. This might change your mind about eating some of the food.
