As the COVID-19 pandemic has many avid travellers grounded at home, many have turned to international cuisine as a stand-in for visiting favourite destinations. Travel is often the way we get introduced to new tastes and future favourite dishes. Although, those of us living in countries with a large immigrant base, don’t have to go far to enjoy cuisine with origins in other lands. Regardless of how we discover them, recalling “firsts” when it comes to trying global delicacies is an fun exercise.
International Crowd Pleaser – Pizza!
Growing up, I loved hearing my mom tell the story about how she and my dad tried pizza for the first time while on their honeymoon in Minneapolis. How exotic! It was a few years before Italian restaurants proliferated in my home town of Winnipeg (late ‘50s). And, my first-generation German-Canadian parents didn’t grow up going to restaurants, in any case. The verdict? They couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. It was just too much of everything all together and too spicy. Their inaugural taste of pizza (perhaps Italy’s greatest gift to the world!) left them underwhelmed.
TagAlongDeb’s First Pizza
Although I can’t exactly recall my introduction to pizza, I’m pretty sure I was about five or six years old and it was from a Chef Boyardee mix, which is the furthest thing from real pizza possible. The elastic dough was almost impossible to shape, the “real” cheese was a kind of beige salty powder, and the little packet of herbs was mostly caraway seeds, as I recall. I still loved it and went on to refine my palate for proper pizza later in life. It is hands down my favourite thing to eat and wherever we travel from Italy to Singapore–it’s always on the menu. Most everyone loves pizza. Fun Fact: There was a real chef behind the Chef Boyardee brand. His name was Boiardi, but that spelling was evidently too difficult for North Americans to decipher and pronounce. The mix was pretty bad, but bless Boiardi’s heart for introducing the idea of pizza to non-Italian novices.
Over the past couple of years and after a lot of trial and error, I’ve perfected pizza dough from scratch and as my Instagram followers will attest, my almost weekly pizza creations are in high rotation in my Stories. It is the perfect pandemic comfort food.
A homemade pizza that made me proud.
International Cuisine Firsts from Travel Bloggers
I thought it would be fun to round up a few of my favourite fellow travel bloggers to ask them about their first tastes of beloved international foods. If you’re looking for a bit of armchair travel, check out their site and social media links.
Alana (Course Charted) – Tom Yum Soup
During my trip to Thailand I fell hard for tom yum soup — a veg-rich spicy soup that excites the taste buds while it soothes the soul! I had my first one at Phu Pha View Restaurant on the island of Koh Lanta, and it was love at first soup-spoon. The smell of Kefir lime leaves and lemongrass filled my nostrils as the delicious liquid filled my mouth. I knew I’d be researching the recipe as soon as I got home.
Photo credit: @AlanaInWanderland on Instagram
Thanks to the quarantine, my tom yum cooking attempts came sooner than expected. I’ve already made the soup twice. Each time, I felt like I was transported to Thailand! If you’re into travelling through your stomach you can check out more of my foodie exploits at CourseCharted.com.
Kirsty (What Kirsty Did Next) – Spaghetti Vongole
I fell in love with spaghetti vongole the first time I tried it in Positano, Italy, on a holiday back in 2007. I surprised myself for even trying it because clams aren’t exactly attractive. It’s a very simple yet delicious dish, which really reminds me of being by the sea as it’s a little bit salty.
My favourite place to eat spaghetti vongole is basically anywhere in the south of Italy! I’ve only had it once at home in London from Briciole and it was surprisingly good. It instantly made me think of our holidays in Italy eating this dish overlooking the sea.
Photo Credit: Kirsty Marrins
When next you’re in the south of Italy, be sure to order spaghetti vongole. Preferably with a chilled glass of Prosecco!
Steven (Finding a Neish) – Gelato
Oui, Jelato! That was the name of the first gelateria I visited in France. I was in Nice and, recently rebuffed by the Cannes Film Festival, I was ready to drown my sorrows in copious quantities of ice cream.
This being 2011, I was tempted by the then relative novelty of salted caramel, but my more discerning Niçois friend talked me into trying a scoop of the yogurt flavour instead. It was love at first lick; perfectly piquant, it cut straight through the coffee and pistachio that accompanied it.
Photo Credit: Steven Neish
Over the course of the next few days (and three subsequent visits) I’ve tried a range of gelaterias across the Côte d’Azur and found a new favourite in Fenocchio. With 94 flavours on offer, I’ve repeatedly vowed to try them all. Despite some progress, however, I usually find myself ordering coffee, pistachio and – quelle surprise – yogurt.
Charles (McCool Travel) – Fish Tacos
The first time I tried a fish taco I was hooked (sorry/not sorry for the pun). There should be no denying that the best fish taco varieties are found along the Southern California coast (think San Diego) and into Baja Mexico—but I have had amazing fish tacos in other places. My senses awaken whenever I taste that fresh fish (grilled or breaded) with cabbage slaw but I love how different places make their fish tacos unique with their preference of sauces.
Photo Credit: Charles McCool
Spicy does not usually go well with fish tacos but instead, look for mayo/sour cream mixes with lime juice, salt, pepper, spices, and other ingredients. Making fish tacos at home (for me) does not work as well and I always look forward to trying them whenever I travel.
Over to you! I’d love to hear the story of your “first” with international cuisine you love. Leave a comment.
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe to Tag Along Travel? Twice a month, you’ll receive an email with links to recent posts.
PIN IT
