Going on holiday to another country should always involve new experiences: in culture, in sites; but most importantly (for me at least) in food.
The cuisine of every country and continent is different and well worth exploring for yourself. Here’s some of my favourite food destinations:
Poland
We spent a lot of time in Poland a few years ago, practically living off cheap supermarket food in Krakow. But if you visit the city, one of the must-eats is their traditional “Hunter’s Stew”, Bigos. Very unsuitable for vegetarians, Bigos is a meaty, sauerkraut and cabbage-based stew, with chopped tomatoes, pork and polish sausage. It’s the Polish version of soul food. I actually found the recipe when we got back and it is now a regular treat in our house. Another food we really enjoyed while in Poland – and this is not something traditionally Polish – was the fried chicken. Most meat-eaters will have had one or two run-ins with greasy or underwhelming fried chicken in their lives, but Polish KFC was an absolute treasure. The outside was beautifully crispy and crunchy, but it didn’t take away from the juicy, perfectly cooked meat on the inside. I still have dreams about that fried chicken. My last food stop in Poland would have to be their insane ice creams: lody. Often a mix of vanilla and chocolate swirled together, they pile it so high on the cone it’s as magical as a unicorn horn. If you hadn’t guessed, I love food.
Italy
From one frozen delight to another, we fly to Italy. The surplus of gelato stores in any city is crazy, and often the flavours are pretty endless too. Some of my personal highlights were pistachio and tiramisu. In the more touristy areas, of course, gelato will be more expensive, but it’s just as easy to find cheaper places with great quality gelato in the quieter parts. Of course, Italy is most famous for its pizza and pasta, which was also amazing; but their seafood is also really wonderful. Especially along the coast, it’s so easy to find street-food places selling a fried mix of squid, fish and shellfish which taste great and are easy to take with you as you walk.
Germany
Amid the plentiful currywurst and sauerkraut in Germany, there lies a gem for meat-eaters everywhere: Schweinhaxe. This pork knuckle has delicious crispy skin on the outside, and tender flavourful meat on the inside. Often served with potatoes and sauerkraut, this hearty dish will fill you up entirely and leave you with a well-fed, warm feeling. Also pretzels, how can we not mention them? Warm, crusty bread sprinkled with sea salt, they are the perfect treat for winter but also are great at any time of year. They’re available at most shops and supermarkets, but if you find a good bakery you’re set.
South Korea
South Korea is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been, and its cuisine is pretty eclectic and not something you will ever forget. Where else would you find potato pizza, seafood banquets, and BBQ restaurants all within metres of each other. Although Korea is probably most famous for its indoor barbeques and kimchi, their seafood is also of the freshest, highest quality. You can literally go to a live fish market, buy a selection of seafood, and walk into the restaurant next door where they’ll cook it for you. I’ve never seen that happen in Europe, although it probably exists somewhere. They also make great stews and hotpots. A few of the best are Soybean stew, made with beef, mushrooms and tofu, Shabu Shabu which is a kind of hot pot where you can order whatever ingredients and side dishes you want, and boil them in a pot of stock provided; and my personal favourite is army stew. Bear with me because it sounds weird, but it’s a spicy base, with spam, sausages, noodles and cheese, along with some other ingredients. The dish was created originally from supplies left in Korea by the US military after the Korean war, and I am obsessed with it. But that’s me and Korean food in general. Aside from main courses, Koreans do desserts superbly as well. The shaved ice dessert Bingsu is a popular summer dish, often made with strawberries and sweet rice flour. Baskin Robbins is very well-known there, with loads of flavours and ice-cream cakes available to buy from most high streets.