When vacationing, do you make it a point to eat the local foods?

[jackio Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close jackio]

On non time share or resort trips like out in ocean , mountains or jungles I have ate some odd things. Herring roe, prawn roe, seal, beaver, bear, moose, caribou, deer, elk, rabbits, snakes, birds, fish, dog , all kinds of plants and animals. You get the gist. Many times I take a bite to be polite and when no one is looking toss it.

I haven't ate cat as far as I know.

My brother in law ate the lonely taco in mexico. I always thought that the taco that sat in the corner all day in a taco stand was to be avoided.

My buddy ate snails and ended up sick for a few days. I think they harvested these in a sewer lagoon.

You are a lot braver than I am.

We always try to eat local whenever we travel. However, I try to stick to things I recognize.

Good idea, I agree.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

When I was in Bali we also had a really nice meal at the home of our guide. But even I decided I had to stay away from the mystery meat. Because (at that time at least), when I had asked what the dog's name was, I was told that they don't name their dogs in Bali, because they eat them.

That reminds me of the story about Queen Victoria presenting pedigreed dogs as a present to the King of Siam and getting note back saying ''thank you, they were delicious''.

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

The dog meat we had was prepared by a group of Filipinos. It tasted like a cross between gamey sheep and pork. It was cooked adobo style and with the hot peppers you really couldn't tell what the meat was. It was good enough, but not so good that I ate very much.

We tried turtle in Grand Cayman. The turtle in Grand Cayman was from the turtle farm and was stewed. It wasn't bad but had an odd spongy type texture. I don't need to try this ever again.

I like to find a Costco or Walmart. We are not really into ethnic meals. We like what we like and are happy to stick with what we like.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

One of my favorite things to do is shop at a local supermarket or even better - farmer's market!

Since we were on a tour in China, we were shielded from really the exotic. The one thing that was very noticeable in China was how important food and sharing meals is to the culture. I would say one of the best meals we experienced was prepared in a local home.

Maria

I think because out of 10 people in our tour group, 5/6 were Chinese, we had a more adventurous menu then if the group was mostly American. I found the food very interesting and good. And I really enjoyed the camaraderie of our shared meals. So interesting to watch how the Chinese group members ate. We were experts after two weeks!

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Goat is popular in many ethnic dishes here in New York and I order it from time to time -- but the best goat dish I ever had was a Goat Tagine in.....

Nantucket! of all places!

I am really not feeling the goat but recently have ordered rabbit prepared several different ways.
I don't see myself cooking it at home but really enjoyed it.


I do eat local when I travel. Loved the Turtle in Grand Cayman bit it is all about how it is prepared.
Also love love love Cracked Conch in the Caymans.

[Nancy Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Nancy]

We try to eat at non-chain restaurants, especially the one's we could eat at all the time.

Nancy

[Sharkman Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sharkman]

We love to eat local and try new crusine

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

When you vacation, do you make it a point to try the foods that are associated with the area?

As a rule, we are more adventurous eaters on day trips (particularly to Chicago), traveling from home, than we are when staying somewhere else. That said, while traveling we do try things that we are relatively familiar with -- seafood on the Atlantic coast, St. Louis pizza (which we liked) and toasted ravioli (which the kids liked; I did not), etc.

I'm curious to know what the weirdest food people have eaten in various places might be. Trying to remember mine.

I would say I don't eat weird food, however my kids consider octopus and tripe weird, so I guess it depends on your definition of weird.

One of my favorite things to do is shop at a local supermarket or even better - farmer's market!

We do this quite often (great way to find obscure apple varieties), and also try local junk food, like pimiento cheese and Goo Goo Clusters in Nashville, or a sampler pack of Route 11 potato chips in Shenandoah Valley.

I thought introducing my kids to a lot of different foods at home would encourage them to be more adventurous eaters, but that seems to have backfired. We're doing the Tunnel of Trees in Michigan next month, so I was asking the kids if they wanted to eat at Legs Inn ("Authentic Polish"), and when I showed them the menu and pictures, I got a lot of, "I'd rather have yours" and "Theirs looks wrong" kinda stuff. Maybe hubby and I will go to Legs Inn without them, then bring home some pot pies from Good Hart and pasties from Mackinaw. Pretty sure they'll give new versions of those a shot! If not, they both freeze well, so if the kids won't eat them, all the more for me.

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

When our Ds, DIL and grandbaby were living in south Korea, we always ate at local restaurants. Some of the food adventures my hubby and I had were trying live octopus, raw jellyfish and live abalone. I was very proud of myself for doing this! I loved the bulgogi (a delicious soup) and bibimbo(made with fresh vegetables, and galbi(meat cooked on a grill at your table and wrapped in lettuce leaves with fresh roasted garlic)

When we go to see them next month in their new home in Vietnam, I cannot imagine what culinary delights our son will have in store for us!

Dori

[jackio Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close jackio]

Good for you, Dori - you are adventurous!

We were in New Orleans last week for the first time. I tried crawfish, hushpuppies, hurricanes, fried green tomatoes, fried okra, but I passed on the alligator and catfish.
I'm not nearly as adventurous.

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

Jacki, next time you have the opportunity, try catfish. It is a very sweet and mild fish. We eat it a lot when we go to Florida for the winter. There is a local restaurant/bar that serves all-you-can-eat catfish, fries and coleslaw on Thursday nights. Alligator is just plain nasty!

What are hurricanes?


Dori

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

Not necessarily local foods but I do like to eat at local restaurants.

[jackio Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close jackio]

Jacki, next time you have the opportunity, try catfish. It is a very sweet and mild fish. We eat it a lot when we go to Florida for the winter. There is a local restaurant/bar that serves all-you-can-eat catfish, fries and coleslaw on Thursday nights. Alligator is just plain nasty!

What are hurricanes?


Dori

Hurricanes are the local cocktail, made with both light and dark rums. They are strong.