9 Travel Tips for Chefs and Other Foodies
When foodies travel, their appetites usually dictates the trip. Whether your love of food is leading the way or you want to make the most of your vacation by doing everything you possibly can, here are nine tips you can adopt from food-loving travelers everywhere.
1. Ask taxi drivers for their recommendations for delicious food at unexpected or unfamiliar places. They’ll help you find eateries you’d never try otherwise. Plus, cab drivers travel all over the area, which means they’re some of the most knowledgeable locals you can find.
2. Always pack food essentials, like salt. Many restaurants won’t have salt at all; some of the ones that do won’t have tasty salt, which can really ruin a meal. Travel with whatever you like to add to your food, including chili pepper paste, oregano, and other spices and seasonings.
3. Pack miniature bottles of your favorite spirits. Many overseas bars won’t have the type of alcohol you like. With just a mixer, you can make your own cocktail.
4. Use Twitter to ask locals for food suggestions. Whichever suggestions overlap are usually the best ones, because more than one person is recommending that eatery.
5. Keep in touch with foodie friends. Wherever they’re from or wherever they travel to, they will have insider tips about places to eat and cuisines to try. Once you’ve sampled some local cuisine, offer up your own advice, too.
6. Prepare ahead of time so you can eat a meal before getting on your flight and in doing so, avoid not-so-tasty airplane food. Then, pack a few hearty snacks to get you through the flight so you don’t have to cave and purchase an in-flight meal. Bananas, protein bars and other dense foods will fill you up until you land.
7. Book a flight with an airline that serves great, gourmet food. Some airlines are making their food offerings a priority and you can try some delicious meals if you’re flying with one of them. Read reviews ahead of time to find out which airlines and meals are best.
8. Check out what dining critics are saying about the local eateries at your destination. Read dining reviews and make a short list of places you want to check out or that were recommended. Combine both new places that there’s a buzz about with old, longstanding eateries that have pleased guests for years. You may even be able to find something like a guide to staying in LA.
9. Browse grocery stores and pick up items that you can’t get back home. Try them out in you hotel room or bring them back home with you. This is one of the best ways to sample true local cuisine.
Whether you’re going on a culinary trip or trying different foods is just part of the appeal of travel, make it a point to expand your culinary horizons during your next vacation.
This article was contributed by Fiona Moriarty of Hipmunk, a travel website that offers customers a fast and easy way to find the best travel deals.
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