If you are a foodie, go to Chile.
That’s the advice from TikTok traveler Chris Joondeph (@authentic_traveling) and it’s definitely worth noting, because he’s a self-confessed gourmand, having visited 166 countries and telling MailOnline Travel in a talk about his globe-trotting food experiences that Chilean cuisine is the most underrated on the planet.
He also reveals his opinion on Kenyan goat head soup, why he especially likes Nigeria (and not just because you can eat it for a dollar there), and other countries worth visiting for its cuisine.
But first, what is it about Chilean food that is so appealing?
He says: ‘No one really knows about Chilean cuisine and it’s so good! They love eating these huge sandwiches with freshly cooked meat, sauerkraut and covered in homemade mayonnaise. They are so delicious and comforting. Chile has many unique foods, but you will probably never see a Chilean restaurant outside of Chile. Definitely worth a visit for the food.’
Where else is it on your list of favorite dining destinations?
Argentina yes. In the capital, Buenos Aires, Chris recommends grabbing a “bife de chorizo (sirloin) with a glass of Malbec at one of the many steakhouses.”
Mexico is also on the list. Here, try the ‘tacos al pastor’ (pork tacos),’ says Chris, who adds that they are ‘the most popular in Mexico City, but can be found all over the country.’
Chris Joondeph has visited 166 countries and shares his favorite places with MailOnline. He says Chile, where he appears in the photo above, has the most “underrated” cuisine
LEFT: Chris says Chilean cuisine is “so delicious and comforting.” RIGHT: Chris enjoyed Chile’s ‘huge sandwiches’, which feature freshly cooked meat and sauerkraut and are ‘topped with homemade mayonnaise.’
Chris also gives Hawaii a thumbs up. Here, try the ‘Loco Moco’, which he describes as a ‘burger on top of white rice, topped with a fried egg and covered in sauce.’
Thailand is the only Asian country on the hot list. Chris says: “You can’t go wrong with a pad thai from a street kitchen or my northern favourite, Khao Soi, a kind of curry noodle soup.”
In Peru, Chris loves “ceviche: fresh raw fish marinated in lemon juice, onion, chili and spices,” along with pisco sour (a Peruvian cocktail made with pisco, lemon juice, angostura bitters and egg white). egg).
Lebanon and Syria also earn a spot on the “world’s best shawarma (thinly sliced meat)” shortlist, but Chris also recommends trying “muhammara, a savory sauce made with roasted red peppers, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses.” “.
Meanwhile, he regards Nigeria as something of an unsung tourism hero.
He reveals: ‘It’s one of the most populous countries in the world, but it rarely features in travel content. I enjoyed exploring the country and seeing places that hardly receive foreign tourists.’
It’s also a bargain. In a TikTok videoChris shows viewers everything you can eat in Nigeria for just $1, 79 pence and 900 naira. Chris explains: “I ask a local about this and they take me to find the cheapest food possible to get the most out of my dollar.”
In the video, Chris enjoys a Nigerian sausage roll, puff pastry doughnuts, rice, spaghetti and beans with egg and cow skin, corn on the cob with African pear, a bottle of Coca-Cola and pork cooked in a stew Spicy with palm oil. all for the low price of less than $1. The best of its delicacies? Puff pastry, which Chris describes as “a simple street food made with fried dough, which is very sweet and delicious.”
LEFT: Chris in Argentina, where he says he has some of the best food in the world. RIGHT: Chris in Nigeria, which he describes as one of his favorite destinations.
LEFT: In a video, Chris shares how much food he can eat for $1 in Lagos, Nigeria. RIGHT: Chris buys puff pastry donuts as part of his Nigerian meal and says they are “sweet and delicious.”
Chris, who is from Denver, adds to MailOnline: ‘Compare this to a country like Switzerland or the Scandinavian countries where you can barely buy a meal for $20 (£15.82). Even grocery stores in these countries are prohibitively expensive. My whole travel philosophy is about finding local experiences where normal people can eat, so I don’t necessarily prefer very expensive food.’
Chris’s travels have led him to try some of the world’s most unusual delicacies, such as Kenyan Goat Head Soup.
The intrepid traveler explains: ‘It is a popular Kenyan drink that is made by boiling goat heads and other parts of the animal in large drums. The soup is then poured into plastic jars, shaken to incorporate air, and served in cups.
‘It can be drunk alone or with hot pepper. It looks like a smoothie and tastes like every part of an animal has been put in a blender and combined. I call it the Kenyan protein shake. “I probably wouldn’t try it again, but it was an interesting experience.”
Chris, 34, reveals that his food experiences, from the most delicious to the strangest, don’t necessarily happen by accident. He rolls up his sleeves beforehand on Google and explains: ‘I do a lot of research before a trip to try to find places that locals like to visit. It is usually a cheap place with a lot of foot traffic. It is easy to identify them on Google because they have a large number of ratings compared to others. This means they are generally more popular.
‘I try to go to these places, with a large number of reviews, since they are the ones that have the longest time and are the institutional restaurants in certain cities. I’ll also determine a list of the best dishes I need to try and identify restaurants that serve those dishes to make sure I cross everything off my list.’
Chris reveals that there are very few things he has despised in his travels. “I really like food, so there’s not much I don’t like,” he says. However, he has suffered from food poisoning, despite being aware of what he eats and where.
The traveler explains that to keep stomach viruses at bay, he obeys the “boil it, peel it, cook it or forget it” mantra, adding: “You want things that are cooked and still hot, as the heat will kill the harmful bacteria. If it’s not cooked, you’ll want something freshly peeled or you can peel it yourself.
Chris tried “goat head soup”, a popular local drink in Kenya. He says it “tastes like every part of an animal has been put in a blender and combined.”
‘Another tip is to go to crowded places. If a street food vendor doesn’t have people serving him, it may be for a reason. If someone else is busy, I’m much more likely to go there.
Despite the perceived risks of eating street food abroad, Chris says he has found that “nice restaurants or home-cooked meals” tend to “pose the biggest risk.”
Assuming he’s free of stomach infections, what’s next on Chris’s travel menu?
So that the passport stamps continue to arrive.
And he adds: ‘I have always had the desire to see more of the world since I was very young. I have decided to try to visit (all the countries) and I am almost there, I have approximately 30 minutes left.