A guide to delicious food from around the globe
In fact, why not go completely the other way and travel the world in search of the best food (instead of waiting for these foods from around the world to come and find you?) That’s gotta be the best reason to cross oceans... ever!
And with that in mind, we've been busy assembling the most extravagant, essential, sensual and downright yummy reasons to stamp your passport and get your eat on. Let’s do this.
Copenhagen Do Sandwiches, But Better
There are sandwiches, and then there is the smørrebrød. And there is no comparison -- it’s the best sandwich you've never eaten. They’re basically slabs of dark rye bread with toppings, but because they’re designed by the Danish, the toppings are deliciously mad. Blue cheese with hazelnuts and pear. Scandinavian smoked salmon with a dollop of dill and sprinkling of remoulade. And don’t get us started on the Danish meatballs. They’re like Ikea’s but a million times better. They are basically like designer sandwiches for the eccentric.
Scoff On Some Kaya Toast In Singapore
Don’t get us wrong: we’re all for a plate of Singapore chicken rice, tearing into a chili crab and teasing your Insta-followers with an edited snap of some laksa. But it still begs the question, what are you gonna have for brekky? The answer: a pot of cheap coffee served by an unreliable waitress and some semi-burned toast drenched in creamy kaya (translation: coconut jam) topped with soft-boiled eggs that have been slathered in soy sauce and pepper. There’s nothing like it. It’s sort of like the food version of peeing when you've been holding it for, like, seven years. It’s amazing.
Pho Heaven’s Sake, Vietnam
Forget everything you know about pho because it’s probably wrong. In Hanoi, where this almighty dish hails from, there’s no chance of slurping it down for lunch or dinner. No way. For the good stuff, you’ve got to set your alarm horribly early and resist hitting the snooze button. Why? ‘Cos that’s when the herbs are at their freshest, the noodles are at their supplest, and the broth is at its most fragrantest. Trust us: do this once and you’ll be having pho every morning thereafter.
Turkey Is Heaven For Food-Fomo
One word: Meze. Turkish-bloody-meze. A starter that offers a solution to a very real problem - why order one dish when you can much on, like 12? And they’re all epic. We’re talking cured meats, fresh cheeses, dips for days, a smorgasbord of grilled seafood, and vegetables that have been perfectly pickled. You’re basically getting to go on a journey through all the different Turkish cuisines, making it a foodie’s dream.
Give 7-Eleven In Japan A Try
No one is travelling halfway around the world to buy some lukewarm grub from a convenience store, not least because if you’ve been to one 7-Eleven you’ve been to them all, right? Wrong. Which is because Japan is on another level. Sure, they look the same at first glance -- the strip lights are eye-hurtingly bright and the cashiers look fifty shades of glum -- but the food is crazy delicious. Don’t believe us, try the onigiri, which are seaweed-wrapped rice balls stuffed with a) spicy tuna or b) salted plum. Or the katsu sandro, which are deep-fried pork sandwiches. They’re nuts.
The Meat In Montreal Is Whoa!
Anyone who tells you poutine is the food of Montreal is either regurgitating what they’ve heard secondhand or they’re taste buds are liars, because there is only one reason to go to Montreal -- their smoked meat sandwiches. The meat is juicier than a pint of OJ, the cheddar cheese is melted to perfection, the mustard makes your tongue tingle, and it’s all sandwiched between two pieces of toasted rye. That’s life completed, mate.
Melbourne And Its Breakfast Of Champions
Australia may be famous for its beaches, boardies, deadly critters and slightly above average sports teams, but Melbourne is notorious for its coffee. And rightly so. This place probably does coffee better than anywhere else on earth, which has a lot to do with the Italian and Greek immigrants who settled here after World War II, bringing with them the most sophisticated of cafe cultures. It’s basically the perfect city for people who like their breakfasts long, black and wet -- aka an Americano. Saying that, the world also has Melbourne to thank for avo on sourdough. So, to sum it up, Melbourne is where everyone secretly wants to wake up every morning.
Naples For The Most Seminal Moment In Pizza History
We know what you’re going to say: pizzas have learned how to travel well, so is it really necessary to book a flight and fly all the way to Naples just for a slice? Well, having done it, we’re sorry to say: YEAH IT IS! And you’ve got the famous L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele to blame for that. It’s the world’s first pizzeria, and eating one of their soft, fluffy, mozzarella-laden pizzas while perched on a slab of black volcanic flagstone in a local piazza is a pizza-eating experience everyone needs to enjoy.
Not All Spicy Curry Rotis Are Created Equal
The best of the bunch are found on the beaches of the Caribbean. Actually, let us rephrase that: the only place you can get a roti is the Caribbean, which makes travelling a total necessity this time. These little beauties are sort of like a thick crepe that has been filled with spicy curried potatoes and goat-slash-chicken meat. Oh and it should probably be said that you don’t need to curl your toes in the sand and stare out at the lush mountains and clear-as-glass waters to enjoy this grub, but it does help.
Go To Durban & Bask In A Bowl Of Bunny Chow
Any food that gets served in a bread bowl with a ladle gets a head start in our books - and you won’t do better than a bunny chow, which is a thick curry made from unicorns. At least that’s how magical it tastes. Traditionally, this dish from the ocean fronts of Durban was a favourite of Indian laborers and black South Africans, although they could only get their hands on it as a takeaway from restaurants they weren’t allowed to enter (making this dish a culinary history lesson). Thankfully, though, these days are gone, and this basic dish has now been remixed by chefs all over South Africa and turned into a funky gourmet meal made with things like high-end meats and the finest vegan ingredients. Yummy-dummy.
And there we have it - a sort of bucket list that will please the food-loving, self-indulging, money-spending, wanderlusters among us. But not only that because you’ll also be able to become that really annoying guy at a dinner party who always says something like, “Oh! You’re going to sachandsuch. Then you've got to try the food.” Which is what people tend to do when you travel, well, practically anywhere these days.
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