Dear Alyne is a World Citizen and has been to 72 countries around over the globe. She is a WU customer and guest blogger who we’ve teamed up with. Follow along with her adventures here: instagram.com/dearalyne and check out her blog: dearalyne.com
If you’re not a picky eater, one of the best parts of travelling can be trying local foods. But even if you are a picky eater (like me!), I have found a few delicious foods that will be loved by everyone, adults and children alike, and the third one might surprise you!
1.) The quesadilla is a staple food in any Southern California household. Thanks to our proximity to Mexico, we’re quite influenced by their cooking and eating styles. What’s interesting is that the quesadilla is not as unique as it seems. Pairing bread with cheese in different fashions is a common tradition around the world. In Turkey they have Gozleme, a traditionally made dough that is cooked on an open oven with herbs and cheese. It’s made fresh by cute traditional grandmas who have made thousands of Gozleme in their lives. Pair it with a can of Turkish peach juice available at all the street side eateries and you have a memorable and affordable meal.
Eastern Europe has also paired cheese with bread in a quesadilla-esque manner, in a dish called “Burek”, which can also be found with similar names in many neighboring cultures. My favorite Burek is from Albania and is quite simple as dough rolled up with cheese and spinach in the shape of a snail’s shell. It’s flaky and moist interior are full of flavor and it’s easy to eat on the go.
2.) Here in the U.S. we have cuisines from all over the world, and one of the most popular is now Thai. While Thai food in the US is delicious, Thai food in Thailand is of course, even better and far more affordable. If you want to try something new, try Pad See Ew, a thick noodle and broccoli dish with dark soy sauce and rice vinegar sauce. It’s sweet and chewy all at once! If you’re vegan or vegetarian street vendors sell little balls of dough with sesame and other flavors that are soft, chewy and delicious all-around Bangkok. Thailand is also famous for delicious fresh and very sweet mango, so make sure you drink as many Mango smoothies and eat as much mango sticky rice as you can while there! I know people who have made second trips back…just for the mango!
3.) Fast food. Wait, what? Internationally fast food can often be a hotspot and considered somewhat upscale! In Italy for example, some fast food restaurants are often built in beautiful old buildings with high ceilings, and in India, the menu could be full of vegetarian options! It’s fun to see how fast food adapts their menu to the tastes of cultures all over the world and take a bite for yourself! You’ll find local variations of childhood favorites.
As you travel, I think it’s important to try new foods but also to remember – you don’t have to! Sometimes the pressure to do new things, try new things, and see new things can add up during a vacation, so just enjoy whatever food you find and don’t worry about the perfect bite – every bite is perfect!
