Food can be a great way to experience another culture. That’s why you’ll see a lot of suggestion about what to eat in travel posts on the internet. Sadly, food’s a touchy subject for picky eaters as we’re less likely to take risks and try something new.
I’m a lot less finicky about food than I used to be but I still find it hard to eat certain dishes when I’m in a foreign country. I used to get disappointed in myself whenever I left a country and didn’t try any of its local dishes. However, as I became a more seasoned traveller, I adopted habits that allowed me to try unfamiliar dishes whenever I went on a trip. Here they are.
Table of Contents
Research
Being a picky eater means that you’re anxious about new food choices. One way to combat this anxiety is to be prepared for the food you encounter on your trip. So it goes without saying that you should do your research about the available food choices in the country you’re visiting. Google is your best friend here.
I normally look for at least a couple of dishes I may be able to eat when I visit a new country. I even search for local amenities such as supermarkets and convenience stores to go to. This will make the prospect of trying something new a little less daunting. It will also help with some of the other tips on this list.
Think about foreign food differently
You don’t have to go out to a local restaurant or street food stall to try something from the country you’re visiting. In fact, there’s no shame in going to a McDonald’s or Nando’s when you’re travelling. Although the menu will be largely the same as the one you’re used to back home, there will also be extra dishes specific to the country you’re visiting. For instance, the Nando’s in Malaysia serves Mediterranean rice as a side dish as well as the usual spicy rice
I’ve eaten bulgogi burgers at several Korean McDonald’s and pineapple pies in Thai ones. This helped me muster up the courage to try other Korean dishes like Japchae and Thai delicacies such as Luk Chup. Eating in a familiar setting may help you get out your food comfort zone later in your trip.
Try something that’s similar to the food you like eating
Similarly, to overcome the fear of eating something new while abroad, I think it’s a great idea to seek food you’re familiar with. For instance, I have a sweet tooth. So, whenever I visit a foreign country, I always find it easy to eat things such as cakes, chocolate and sweets. In Fukuoka, it was really easy for me to eat Hakata Torimon, as it’s a steamed bun with a sweet filling of butter, eggs, condensed milk, cream and white azuki. Even though I wasn’t familiar with the last ingredient, I knew all the others and I was used to eating buns in the UK.
I also had an easy time trying authentic Korean dishes, because the country has many foods similar to the Jamaican food I was brought up on, as well as the Japanese and Chinese savoury dishes I ate during my adolescence and time at university.
For example, kimbap reminds me of sushi, pajeon reminds me of salt fish fritters in Jamaican cuisine, and bibimbap, which consists of meat rice and vegetables, reminds me of Chinese fried rice.
Buy something small
As a picky eater, I’m often scared of wasting money on food I’m unsure I’ll like because I’m also quite frugal. Nonetheless, I didn’t let that stop me from trying some local cuisine. I just downsized my purchases. Convenience stores in countries like Korea, Japan and Singapore were a godsend as they sold local food and snacks like Honey Butter Chips, Pepero sticks, Kimbap and Onigiri.
So try and buy smaller food items like snacks particular to the country you’re visiting. This may help you feel less guilty when you stick to food you’re familiar with for larger meals.
Eat with someone else
If you’re like me and feel more motivated to try new things when eating with others, especially with locals, then you may benefit from going out to eat with someone else. When I met my friend in Hong Kong, she took me to some authentic restaurants. I tried many new dishes like dim sum and Black Sesame Soup.
I also tried a plethora of Korean dishes with my co-workers when I lived in South Korea, even ones that went of outside my comfort zone like Chicken Feet. So eating with someone else may help you try something new.
However, if you’re someone who also gets nervous eating with groups of people then you can try the other options on the list. Even asking a local about a specific dish could help you take the plunge and try it.
Be kind to yourself
I always used to beat myself up over not trying food outside my comfort zone. Unfortunately, all that did was demotivate me even more. I made the biggest steps when I started being kinder to myself, as I was in a better headspace to set food goals for myself.
If you didn’t eat something you intended to try while travelling then shake off any negative feelings about it. Then try again. You’ll have plenty of other opportunities to try something new.
Conclusion
Being a picky eater doesn’t mean you have to totally avoid eating local delicacies whenever you travel abroad. Try one of the tips above or create some of your own habits. Before you know it, you’ll be eating Takoyaki or even Sundae.
