Do you like to try new food when you travel to another country?

@scheng1 (24650)
Singapore
October 11, 2015 6:01am CST
When you have a chance to travel to another country, do you try new food? Some people are quite reluctant to try something new, so they go for food that are familiar to them. I personally think it is a waste for a person to take a long haul flight of 10 hours or more, and then search for McDonald's just because the other eateries do not look familiar.
5 people like this
9 responses
@xFiacre (12613)
• Ireland
11 Oct 15
I don't see much point in travelling without eating local food. Why not just stay at home?
3 people like this
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
11 Oct 15
That is true. i have seen people who come all the way from US to Asia, and they eat western food all the time. If they cannot western food, they will eat McDonald's. The same for Asians tour group who travel to Europe and US, they order Chinese food most of the time.
1 person likes this
@Tita417 (1228)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
11 Oct 15
Yes I would like to try their delicacies. Why not.
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
14 Oct 15
Your country is popular for all the nice and cheap street food. i think you will find that many places in the world do not have the sane standard of food in your country. Most are rather blend.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
12 Oct 15
To me it is essential to try at least a few of the local meals. You are quite right that it would be a waste of time flying to another country if you had no intention of trying the local dishes. Of course if I try several and they are not to my liking then I shall try to find food related to my own country, but that would be a last resort. As for McDonalds, this is the worst sight to encounter when on holiday and I avoid such places at all costs.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
13 Oct 15
@scheng1 I have never had the urge to eat at McDonalds in England, so I am certainly not likely to in another country.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
13 Oct 15
I agree. Unless the food is so bad, then I will revert to familiar food that I can trust. I think McDonald's is considered high end in some developing countries. It was the situation in some small cities in China. McDonald's restaurants were targeted at the middle class, and not for the poor people. If you go to those places, and you see McDonald's, you probably will have the urge to go in and just have a burger.
@glenniah (1197)
• Mandurah, Australia
11 Oct 15
I love to try different foods. Last year I went on a Cruise and most of the places we visited have prepared a lovely smorgasbord with local foods. It was very yummy
1 person likes this
@glenniah (1197)
• Mandurah, Australia
11 Oct 15
@scheng1 Oh we didn't get a lot of Cruise food as we were out all day visiting other countries so we had local food whenever we stopped, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Croatia.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
11 Oct 15
That is great! I am sure you learn many new ways of cooking, and you have eaten food that you never thought of eating before. I think cruise food is good enough, but when traveling to new places, and we have a chance to try local food, I really get very excited.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215148)
• Chile
11 Oct 15
I do! I love to try new flavours and I am not shy to ask about new ingredients. As I love to cook, many times I bring back home new spices for my own kitchen.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
14 Oct 15
If you visit Asia, i am sure you will go back with tons of spices. I think that is the cultural interest in Asia. Food is abundant and cheap, and there are many ways to cook chicken, and other meat. Asians tend to use spices generously.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215148)
• Chile
14 Oct 15
@scheng1 I would like to visit Asia, but I would have to get someone to come with me. I´m too old to travel alone and cannot pay for the fare of a friend.
@Simon1223 (903)
• China
12 Oct 15
Yeah, I don't wanna waste the opportunities of trying local food when I travel in a foreign country or other regions in my country. Food is one of the important factor of local culture. How can we realize the features of culture without tasting the local food? If someone only eat food which he is familiar with, he'd better stay in his hometown.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
14 Oct 15
Yes, I agree, food is definitely of cultural interest. Sometimes we can appreciate the local food when the tour guide or chef share the story behind the dishes. There are some dishes with several hundred years of history.
@allknowing (130067)
• India
11 Oct 15
I have tried that at several places but on package tours they take us to places where they serve Indian food.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
11 Oct 15
That is why I do not like package tour. When I go to other countries, I rather eat the food that locals eat. The Chinese food in Europe or elsewhere is not as good as the Chinese food back home. It does not make sense to travel so far to experience sub-standard home food.
1 person likes this
@softbabe44 (5816)
• Vancouver, Washington
12 Oct 15
yea gotta sample the food thats the ultimate test
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
14 Oct 15
There are some food I will not try. I think in some places in Japan and China, they eat shrimps alive. If you do not put the shrimps into your mouth immediately and chew it, the shrimp will jump out from your hand. That is something I do not even want to witness.
@poehere (15126)
• French Polynesia
11 Oct 15
The one I like the best is to visit the place and when being seated look around at what some locals have ordered. Then ask for what they are eating. This one works great and you can always get a great meal. Testing and tasting new food is great and people have no idea what they are missing out on.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
14 Oct 15
Yes, I do that too. Sometimes I just approach those who are eating to ask them where they order the dishes, and what is the name of the dishes. I think some of the best food are street food, and eateries that cater to the masses, instead of the locals.