Studying abroad comes with so many perks, but the best opportunity is to explore the elements of other cultures. More specifically, collegiettes? We’re talking about trying ALL. THE. FOODS. Being in a new place means you just absolutely have to sample the best-kept secrets and most popular food items. We’re rounding up the must-have foods to try when you study abroad plus sharing where to find authentic versions!
Crêpe (France):
A thin pancake, usually made from wheat flour, stuffed with the most delectable insides you can imagine.
Strawberries, bananas, chocolate, jelly, sugar, cinnamon, Nutella – you can’t go wrong!
Macaron (France):
A sweet, meringue-based confection made from egg whites, sugar, and ground almonds that comes in every color of the rainbow.
Oh, how we miss these dainty little cookies.
Gelato (Italy):
Italian-style ice cream made with milk, cream, various sugars, and love.
What, are we supposed to just go back to eating normal ice cream after experiencing the wonder that is gelato?
Belgian Waffle (Belgium):
A thick, sweet waffle with a lighter batter and higher grid pattern, meant to be loaded with all the ice cream, powder, sauce, and fruit you can fill it with.
Do you miss us as much as we miss you, Belgian waffles?
Because we really, really miss you.
Chocolate and Churros (Spain):
A fried-dough pastry, predominantly choux, dipped in a vat of hot, thick chocolate sauce. Delicioso.
Doner Kebab (Turkey):
A Turkish dish made of meat, normally veal or beef, cooked on a vertical spit, served with all the pita bread, fries, and chili sauce you can handle.
Paella (Spain):
A Spanish dish of rice, saffron, and meat such as chicken or seafood that’s served in portions so big you think, “Oh, I’ll never finish all this!”
But then you do.
Currywurst (Germany):
A German dish consisting of hot pork sausage cut into slices and slathered in curry sauce. #NOM.
Vlaamse Frites (Amsterdam):
Traditional Dutch fries bathed in whatever sauce your heart desires.
Never has consuming a dollop of garlic aioli felt so wrong, yet so right.
Tapas (Spain):
Savory Spanish snacks or appetizers that made us believe we were consuming a lot less food than we actually were.
Once you taste bravas, you never look back.
Fondue (Switzerland):
Melted cheese served in a communal pot over a portable stove, into which you can dip as much bread as you can eat before bursting.
Don’t forget about dessert afterwards.
Bruschetta (Italy):
An Italian antipasto consisting of grilled bread drenched in olive oil and served with garlic and tomatoes. The one appetizer that makes Olive Garden breadsticks taste inferior in comparison.
Escargot (France):
A French appetizer of tasty, little cooked land snails. (Don’t knock it until you try it!)
Crème Brûlée (France):
A French dessert with a rich custard base topped with caramelized sugar and the answers to all our prayers.
Flan (Spain):
A spongy tart surrounding any number of sweet or savory fillings (Custard? Fruit? Cheese? We’ll take them all, please.).
Croque Madame (France):
A grilled ham and cheese sandwich with—wait for it—a fried or poached egg on top. Oh, France, what will you think up next?
Chocolate Eclair (France):
An oblong creme puff drenched in chocolate.
MARRY US.
Pizza (Italy).
Think you experienced real pizza before going abroad?
Think again, collegiettes!