Travel Tuesday: Top Three Tips for Eating in a New Country

Marissa is a fellow expat in Italy and I love her lighthearted blog, The Boot. Since living abroad means spending lots of time traveling, and navigating the journey from tourist to permanent foreigner to local - and everything in between - I immediately thought of her for the Travel Tuesday series! I was excited to see that Marissa decided to write about food since my favorite thing about The Boot is Marissa's simple delicious recipes (try these Crunchy Tuna Lettuce Cups and you'll see what I mean!). And lets be honest, isnt't eating one of the best reasons to travel?

Here are Marissa's Top Three Tips for Eating in a New Country!

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"On a trip to Paris recently, I met an American couple on the plane. We talked about what we were going to do and where we would go, and then the topic of eating came up. They told me they were planning on having McDonald’s every day so they could save money for souvenirs. 

Cue a record screeching and me doing a double take. 

Not only is McDonald’s in Europe super expensive, but you can’t travel without eating new things! It’s part of the whole experience. Here’s what I would have told that couple, had I been able to lift my jaw off the floor. 

1) Try everything.

Going to a new place and not eating their food is like experiencing it only halfway. Go for it and try whatever’s on the menu, even if you don’t think you’ll like it. Chances are, you might love it, or if you don’t, you’ll have some great travel stories to tell your friends at parties. This one time I was in Nepal and I ate a cricket!

2) Learn how to order in the language.

Before leaving, make sure you at least know how to say please and thank you. “I would like,” is good to know as well as telling a waiter any allergies you may have. I found that learning the words for things that you definitely don’t want (like anything raw or meat if you’re vegetarian) will help you immensely! 

3) Do as the locals do. 

 When I went to Paris the first time I noticed that at the little outdoor cafes most people were drinking a bright green aperitif. I decided to try it and when I did my mind was blown! It was simply mineral water and mint syrup, but so refreshing and crisp. 

I hope these tips were helpful and if you are hungry for more food and travel, come visit me at the boot sometime!" 

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Calling All Travel Lovers! Interested in being a guest blogger for Travel Tuesday? Email me at krista@allafiorentina.com with your proposed travel tip, two or three Tuesdays that you are available to post by, and a link to your blog!