If you’ve got crumbs in between your passport pages, you’re in good company. Like many of the foodie travellers among us, you want to try it all! But what if you had to make a choice? It’s time for an impossible game of…
Would You Rather? The Foodie Traveller Edition
1. Hokey Pokey Ice Cream in New Zealand or Ube Ice Cream in the Philippines?
We all scream for ice cream, but if there’s any dessert Kiwis give a shout about, it’s hokey pokey. The creamy vanilla laced with melt in your mouth chunks of honeycomb toffee is a hard-to-beat New Zealand classic.
Then again, who wouldn’t shake it all about for a generous scoop of that chilled purple goodness in the Philippines? Whether you enjoy ube ice cream on its own or with the avalanche of sweetness known as halo halo, you really can’t go wrong.
2. Kokoda in Fiji, or Ceviche in Peru?
There’s nothing quite like a cool plate of citrusy ceviche on a warm sunny day. Peru’s national dish is a genius orchestra of refreshing lemon and layers of chilis and onions over the catch of the day.
Expert Traveller Tip: Seafood lovers! If you are in Lima and want the freshest ceviche, Punto Azul is THE place! Amazing fresh food, healthy choices, authentic local atmosphere and excellent service. (Micky Zed of Toronto)
But don’t be too quick to think you already know your raw fish dishes. Fijian kokoda is the Pacific Island answer to Lima’s finest. Chopped mahi-mahi marinated in lime, spices, and heavy coconut cream make for a timeless island snack.
3. Poke in Hawaii or Fish Tacos in Baja California, Mexico?
Never mind the poke bowl shops popping up all over the place, traditional Hawaiian poke has a deeper history, fewer frills, and bolder flavours than you might expect. Visit a fresh fish market to try expertly marinated blocks of local reef fish or tuna by the pound.
While certainly a younger dish, the mighty fish taco has made an undeniable culinary impact well beyond the borders of Baja California, Mexico. Perfectly messy in the literal sense and because it’s so adaptable to local flavour profiles, there’s a fish taco for everyone.
Expert Traveller Tip: In Cabo, La Lupita Taco and Mezcal has some of the best and most interesting tacos I've had in Mexico. (Amanda Bennett of Calgary)
4. Green Curry in Thailand or Murgh Kari in India?
The mix of spices known as “curry” in Western countries has little to do with the diverse culinary worlds within India. So while your best bet for the familiar “Indian curry” might be found somewhere in the United Kingdom, we recommend sampling the many nuanced dishes which fall under the kari umbrella on a guided tour across India.
Unless, of course, Thailand’s green curry dishes are calling your name a little louder! Boasting hints of sweetness and powerful notes of cilantro, basil, and coconut, Thai green curry over handmade roti or a steaming bowl of rice is a hearty and inexpensive meal.
5. Kleiner Brauner in a Vienna or Turkish Coffee in Istanbul?
It’s the perfect lazy afternoon. The sun is out, you’ve got nowhere in particular to be, and the smell of coffee beans is drawing you into the nearest coffee shop. But would you rather this dreamy scene take place in Vienna – home of the dramatic, yet simple Kleiner Brauner served up in unhurried coffee houses – or in Istanbul, where sips from a thick Turkish coffee punctuate the rhythm of a casual game of backgammon?
6. Perogies in Warsaw or Dumplings in Shanghai?
As far as doughy creations packed with a savoury medley go, count us in! But if you could only choose one, would you scarf down fried Polish perogies stuffed with spinach, feta, and garlic or steamed xiao long bao, loaded with pork, crab, ginger, and green onions?
Expert Traveller Tip: “Yes, Din Tai Fung is the famous dumpling house taking over the world, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying the best soup dumplings you’ll ever taste while in Shanghai.” (Dean Smith, Flight Centre USA President)
7. Fresh Feta in Greece or Aged Parmesan in Italy?
Cheese is serious business. Both Parmigiano-Reggiano and Greek feta are fiercely protected names- only the most authentic products earn the right to represent their culinary regions. So, since the makers of these traditional cheeses know how important it is to taste the real deal, you should too. The only question is - which one will you try?
8. Kobe Steakhouse in Tokyo or Churrascaria in Sao Paulo?
Would you rather feast on thick shavings of Brazilian barbecue late into the night or pay a premium for a cut of what’s been called the best steak in the world? Between churrascarias in Sao Paulo like Fogão Gaúcho and steakhouses like Steak Aoyama in Kyoto, it’s hard to say where the ultimate meat lover’s destination is.
9. Guinness in Ireland or Pilsner in the Czech Republic?
Talk about world-famous brews! Pitcher your ideal night on the town (see what we did there?). Will you be clinking glasses of a foamy pivo with friends or showing off the art of pouring the perfect pint?
Either way, you’ll be pub-hopping your way through a proud history of secret ingredients and epic recipes for a good time.
10. Cubano in Miami or Banh Mi in Vietnam?
The sandwich is a quintessential lunch choice, and the perfect canvas to get creative with ingredients, styles, and flavours. Vietnamese street food hawkers borrowed the baguette style of bread from French colonizers and transformed it with Vietnamese flavour profiles into the now-iconic banh mi sandwich.
If you take a close look at the Cubano sandwich, you’ll find a similar story. Sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Cuban workers living in Key West and Tampa popularized the cheap and delicious snack, now a staple in warm American states.
