It is certainly cause for reflection.
A recent discussion on Reddit has highlighted how foreign travel is capable of permanently changing a traveler’s diet, with commenters revealing foreign dishes they ate on their trips and now can’t stop eating.
‘Coffeewalnut05’ started the discussion by asking: ‘What is a food you fell in love with on your travels and now eat regularly?’
A smorgasbord of responses followed, with users highlighting addictive dishes they’ve tried in places like upstate New York, Singapore, Brazil, and the Balkans.
And don’t worry, France, one of your staple foods also passes the test. Keep reading if you’re hungry for more…
açaí, Brazil
Acai, pronounced ‘ah-sigh-ee’, are small purple berries that grow on palm trees in South America. They are often served in smoothie bowls and, according to a couple of travelers, trying acai will definitely leave you pining for more.
Coffeewalnut05′ writes: ‘For me, it is the acai of my time in Brazil. The classic acai ice cream with granola and banana is my favorite, but I prefer acai in its most “pure” form as pulp/puree, so sometimes I still order it to have at home.
“Unfortunately, in my country it is not common to find acai sold like this in stores, and acai bowls are only sold in specific places like London and some coastal areas.”
‘Coffeewalnut05’ says they order acai pulp to enjoy at home after trying it in Brazil
‘Lorlei’ agreed and added: ‘I’m so glad acai is mentioned! To be honest, I miss it every day living abroad.
Baguette and butter, France
French baguettes are so good they’ve earned Unesco status. And many travelers can’t eat enough baguette.
‘Itsthekumar’ says he loves ‘baguettes and French butter’.
User ‘Sain197’ likes the combination of ‘baguette, cheese and cheap red wine for dinner’ when he’s in Paris, and ‘Pwlife’ said that after a trip to France they are “making baguettes almost every weekend.”
Orange slices sprinkled with cinnamon, Morocco
According to several travelers, oranges sprinkled with Moroccan cinnamon are impossible to peel.
‘Brown_burrito’ writes: ‘They are so good! Cinnamon sugar elevates it. And if you want to make it more special, you can get a crème brulée torch and glaze the sugar with cinnamon. That’ll make them even better!’
‘Timbomcchoi’ says: ‘Oh wow, I had forgotten about these, thanks!’
Onigiri, Japan
‘Kikicataku’ buys onigiri every time he visits a Japanese market
Onigiri are Japanese rice balls, often filled with fillings such as salmon and wrapped in seaweed.
‘Melonpan78’ says: ‘I discovered them in Japan, I make them myself at least once a week. I usually put spicy chicken or salmon mayonnaise on it.
‘Kikicataku’ says: ‘Same! Every time I go to the nearby Japanese market, I buy a pickled plum onigiri and tuna mayonnaise!’
Cream pastes, Portugal
Although the world is home to thousands of tasty desserts, there is one cream that closely resembles a Portuguese custard tart.
‘Ehs5’ says: ‘After my first trip to Lisbon in 2017, I crave them all the time. But here in Norway it is not easy to get well-made ones.
‘Janet–snakehole-‘ says: ‘This is what I came here to say too! “It is now my favorite dessert to bake at home.”
And ‘Get-Me-Hennimore’ comments: ‘I’ve only had the ones from Lidl in the UK. Which ones are really tasty, but I guess not nearly the right ones?
Buffalo wings, USA
A traveler ‘fell in love with chicken wings’ on a trip to Buffalo in upstate New York
The taste of buffalo wings started a lifelong adventure for one traveler, ‘Rude-Illustrator-884’, who says, “This is going to sound crazy, but buffalo wings.” I grew up in the Middle East and had never had them before.
‘We stopped in Buffalo, New York, on a trip from New York to Niagara Falls and got some wings there because my parents wanted me to try them since we were in Buffalo. I fell in love with chicken wings.’
‘Toomuchsauce68’ adds: “When my grandmother came to visit us in the United States from Vietnam, chicken wings also became her favorite dish.”
Tomatoes, Europe
Sometimes it’s the simple ingredients that are incredibly delicious.
‘Cakeit-tillyoumakeit’ says: ‘For the first 24 years of my life, I hated tomatoes, but then I went to Italy and fell in love with Caprese salads and bruschetta and now I love tomatoes. My family couldn’t believe it when I came home and started eating tomatoes.’
‘Taace1ila’ says: ‘Same! I hated tomatoes until I had a traditional Greek salad in Greece. Now I gorge on tomatoes from farmers markets in the summer.’
Pandan cake, Singapore
One user fell in love with the herbaceous flavor of the tropical pandan plant while in Singapore and now makes pandan cakes (stock image above)
The herbaceous flavor of the tropical pandan plant is a hit with some commenters, and user ‘Another-story’ responded to the question posed with ‘pandan cake!’
They continue: ‘I bought four bottles of extract the last time I was in Singapore. “I’m moving to a new apartment at the end of the month and I’ve decided that (pandan cake) will be the first thing I bake to celebrate.”
‘Marcybq’ adds: ‘Anything pandan flavored I find whenever I can, which is rare. I’ve had plenty of it in Southeast Asia and can’t get enough of that mild grassy flavor.’
Haggis, United Kingdom
Haggis is made from sheep heart, liver, stomach and lungs; The importation of this last ingredient to the United States has been illegal since 1971.
American user ‘Far-link-7533’ tried it in London and was blown away, revealing: ‘I tried it for the first time in London and it was incredibly delicious. It’s not what I expected in the slightest and if I could find it in the United States I would.’
Bread with tomato, Spain
Simple but tasty, Spanish pan con tomato, grilled bread topped with tomatoes, is a real winner for a traveling couple.
The ‘Educational Unit3746’ says that they make it with their own sourdough and tomatoes from their garden.
‘Outside-Limit-3084’ comments: ‘Second this! I add a little chili oil to it and eat it twice a week.
Ajvar, Balkans
The Balkans’ favorite Ajvar is the ‘ultimate condiment’, according to one traveler
Ajvar is a red pepper paste that is very popular in the Balkans and which, according to some Reddit users, “works perfectly.”
‘Schnitzalbrain’ writes: ‘I love this stuff. It’s like a roasted vegetable and pepper dip and goes together perfectly. I usually order a spicy one and accompany it with scrambled eggs.
‘Gratusin’ says: ‘My wife is Slovenian, so it seems like half of our garden goes into making ajvar. We can preserve it and eat it throughout the year. It is the ultimate condiment. I make a spicy version with New Mexican chiles and it’s perfect.’
Spaghetti carbonara, Italy
On the other hand, two travelers said that Italian carbonara was so tasty that they had not been able to eat it outside the country again.
‘Nzhawkster1’ says: “I had spaghetti carbonara recently while on holiday in Italy, and it was so good I’ll never eat it again unless I’m in Italy, because there’s nothing else that can compare to it.”
‘AndyVale’ adds: ‘The guanciale (salt-cured pork cheek) was the big difference for me. Sliced pancetta or bacon just doesn’t crisp up on the outside and melts on the inside like it does.