Trying New Foods While Traveling

TTT 16
===

Meggan: Hey everyone. And welcome back to another episode of travel tip Tuesday on the travel mug podcast this week Uh, we want to talk about trying new foods while traveling, and we love food here at the travel mug podcasts. Very much so a fav topic for sure. Now I do want to kind of preface this by saying there are many types of dietary restrictions out there. So I guess what I'll say right from the get-go is. I'm going to talk about trying new foods, but obviously try those new foods within the scope of what you can eat or what you choose to eat either or, but having said that I highly encouraged while traveling, stepping outside your comfort zone, when it comes to food, like whatever your comfort zone is, I suppose if you're already eating like monkey brains, I don't know what to tell you. There's probably not much more you can do, but if you are traveling somewhere new, you're likely a curious person anyway. Um, And have. food adventure can really enhance your travels. So like we always say at the podcast do your research in advance.

Really, I thought about it this afternoon and I was like, we probably should have named the podcast, like, do your research,

Jenn: do your research with Meggan and Jenn do your research because that's all we tell you every week.

Meggan: Exactly. It's like, we're not giving you a tip. We're just telling you to look it up.

But what you really should do some research on is the local cuisine of wherever you're going. And also, which I find really fun is like restaurants. Therefore what that cuisine is, where you can find it. And I think that's a big key to see what your options are, what are some popular and prevalent foods in your destination, like as an example, like Germany in my mind, and I think it actually is kind of like a meat heavy country, like a meat forward country.

Jenn: Right.

Meggan: And India, vegetarian food is really readily available. If that's what you're looking for. There's obviously Greek the Mediterranean diet. So good. It's probably one of my faves. But I really feel like to have that immersive travel experience, eating like a local, at least once will really help you sort of have that more well-rounded experience.

Now I love trying new foods, but I also don't want to do it with every meal. So I'm certainly not saying that sometimes just like need a sandwich and that's okay. Like something really basic, but at least two to three times minimum per trip, I'm all about what are people eating here and where can I find it?

And I think another really great idea besides research is once you're there wherever you're staying, if there's like a staff. So if it's like a hotel or whatnot, ask them for ideas. I mean, that's why they're there to really give out that kind of advice. And if you want somewhere, that's not a touristy place to be able to try that those authentic foods, make sure you specify that.

Say like what's an off the beaten restaurant we could try. So. For me on my upcoming travels. I want to eat Swiss fondue, like cheese fondue, all the fondue. Right? Exactly. If there's like, I'm hoping to find a chocolate fondue because I mean, Swiss chocolate, however I can get it. I'm going to eat it.

Let's just throw that out there. And maybe I'll throw caution to the wind and like have a beer and a bratwurst in Germany. I don't even eat meat. It's been a long two years, man. And like, I'm just like, what am I doing this for? So who knows? I'll report back if I've broken the streak.

Jenn: I can't wait to hear

Meggan: I'll come back a new woman just full of bratwurst.

Jenn: My God.

Meggan: I know. So Jen, like, what are your thoughts on this? And I know you don't eat red meat, and I know Ryan has some allergies, so like if you try different cuisine, do you have to play it safe or choose to play it safe? Like how, what do you guys do?

Jenn: It, it depends on where we're going. So I guess, you know, when we, when we did our honeymoon, we did Iceland, London, and Paris.

We didn't eat out, like at all in Iceland, because it was expensive and we had a kitchen in our, in the place we were staying. So we just bought food and, and B like, it's very shellfish heavy there. And with Ryan's allergies, I was concerned. So we decided not to eat out really in, in Iceland at all.

We did eat out quite a bit in London and Paris, mostly in Paris. Actually. We had a kitchen in London, we didn't in Paris, but you know, it was great. Like we had really good food and I remember we did ask the lady at the hotel in Paris, like where to go and go buy chocolates and stuff. When we were, before we came home and that sort of thing.

But it's been a long time since we've planned a trip outside of Disney. And I know I talked with us on our, on our Disney or on our food dietary podcast. And we talked about food allergies and dietary restrictions like Disney food is really good. And they're also really good with food allergies. So we have started picking out some restaurants for Scotland.

I usually like to wait until I get there and go by what I'm feeling that day. Like that's part of the the travel that I don't like plan obsessively, like I'm okay.

And I love food, but I like to go with what I'm feeling like that day dinner. But yeah, I think there's definitely I like to try local cuisine. And I don't want to, you know, I don't want to go and have McDonald's for, right. So it's, it's fun. I love eating. So

Meggan: like me too. And like I'm with you. Like, I don't want to go and have that either, but if you need to like, get something quick, like. I did subway in Iceland because it's right there.

Jenn: It was really easy.

Meggan: Yeah, exactly. And sometimes too, like it's the only option you just go with the flow, like in that regard as well. But I really do think it helps sort of immerse yourself and you can come home and. You know, I tried X, Y, or Z from this country. That's what they're known for. That's not always going to be the case. I mean, maybe they're just known for fish and chips and like London might be, and we can get that here. But like when there's that opportunity, I think it really helps with that overall experience.

Jenn: Yeah, I think Ryan despite his food allergies is more adventurous than me in his, in his food choices and things that he's done here in Nova Scotia when we go to a restaurant, sometimes they'll just ask the server, like, what would you order? Or you choose for me, and don't tell me until it, like, he doesn't know what he's getting until it, but I mean, within the parameters of his food allergies, obviously

Meggan: they might bring in like some fish with nuts on it.

Jenn: Like here's my food allergies, but you, you pick kind of thing.

Meggan: Right? Right.

Jenn: If you are adventurous. I mean, someone who works at the restaurant is going to know what's good. Right?

Meggan: That's a great idea I'm going to try tell him, I'm going to try this on our European adventure. I'm just going to say. I'll eat whatever, minus whatever. And then you choose. I love that. Yeah.

Jenn: Get a little, I, I don't know if that's for me,

Meggan: right? No, I'm definitely going to give-

Jenn: I mean like a restaurant where I liked a lot of things on the menu...

Meggan: Right.

Jenn: But I mean, even if you're between a couple of dishes, I usually like to ask. They know what's good.

Meggan: They do. And I'm not sure that would be Pete's thing either, because whenever I suggest a place, he's like, well, what do they have there?

Okay. Like, I don't know. I've never been there before either. So I will definitely give that a try and report back on my trip report.

Jenn: Oh, I can't wait.

Meggan: I know. I know. Well, that is it for this week's travel tip Tuesday. We hope wherever you are headed. That it's a tasty adventure as always give us a review on apple podcasts or Spotify, buy us a coffee. The link is in the show notes to help support the show. You get little bloopers and such, and we come off as very polished, but guys there's some bloopers um, and really share the show with a travel loving or foodie loving pal until next time.