Top Tips To Eat Like A Local When You Travel
Exploring local food culture while on holiday is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in diverse local cultures and really experience life as a local.
We have a family holiday booked for December/January to Tokyo, London and Dublin. I have been in serious research mode to help us take full advantage of each destination’s foodie offerings.
In this post I’ll share my research process with you. To help you eat like a local when you travel.
Set A Food Budget
Set a budget for essential food items and leave some wiggle room to allow for daily luxuries. After all, you will be on holiday, so naturally it is likely that you will spend more on food than you typically would at home.
On our London holiday last year we stayed in accommodation with a kitchen. So, I budgeted for one out of three meals a day to be enjoyed at a local food spot. Since we have young kids that usually meant lunch was eaten on the go or at a restaurant while out and about and breakfast and dinner was eaten at our accommodation, consisting of local produce.
Research Local Cuisine
To experience local food culture a great place to start is to find out exactly WHAT the local food specialties and food traditions are.
If online research is your thing, then turn to Google for the answers. For example, I looked up “Tokyo Food Guide” to search for Tokyo specialties.
If you’re more traditional then head to your local bookstore or library for guidebooks and cookbooks featuring your destination. Be inspired by the local cuisine and get tips for local delicacies to try.
The down side to books is that these can be outdated and not very helpful if you’re looking for inspiration in the hip and happening food scene. I like a combination of both online and hard copy cuisine inspiration, in order to take advantage of the best of both worlds.
Sometimes you may even come up with a couple of surprises. For example, one of the BEST pizzas I’ve eaten in my entire life was in Paris! This photo was taken WAY before kids, just a couple of days after my Husband proposed to me. So, maybe that special memory is also part of why I loved this pizza so much.
How To Find Local Foodie Hot Spots
Search online for popular local restaurants at your destination. Bear in mind that they may be off the beaten path and away from tourist traps.
Take advantage of Instagram. Some of the hashtags to consider stalking include {destination name}food or eats (e.g. Londonfood, Tokyoeats). These searches have helped me compile a list of popular foodie destinations that are on my “must experience” list.
Searching for local food blogs will also help you find foodie hot spots.
Blogs and online food guides should provide you with oodles of delicious inspiration to help you head straight for the most popular local food spots.
You can even do a Google search for “eat like a local in…” and search your destination name. This search should bring up even more hot tips!
Ask Locals
Don’t be shy! Strike up a conversation with a local and ask them where they love to eat and what dishes are their favourite. You’ll learn about local gems to discover that you may not hear about elsewhere.
Local residents may have knowledge of a treasure trove of authentic foodie spots that you won’t find out about in guidebooks.
Visit A Local Market
Be it a central city market or farmers market, you’re sure to come across local delicacies and be able to sample local produce.
Some of my fondest holiday moments have included market visits from Eumundi Markets on the Sunshine Coast…
To Borough Market in London…
I always make a point of finding local markets to explore to be able to taste the finest local produce.
Visit A Food Festival
You may also be lucky enough to experience a local food festival while at your destination.
For example, locally we adore the annual Night Noodle Markets here in Melbourne and if I were suggesting a visit to Melbourne to a tourist I’d encourage them to try and time it coincide with the Night Noodle Markets if at all possible.
You could also search for food festivals happening by chance while you are visiting your destination. For example I’ve searched for “London Food Festival December” for while I’ll be there and I’ve been delighted to discover that there will be Christmas Markets and evens that look incredible.
Foodie Discounts
Sign up to local food discount/coupon websites to be able to take advantage of discounts on meals. A couple of 2 for 1 meals can really help to stretch your food budget!
Locally we love the Entertainment Book and when traveling look for similar discount books.
When You Have 48 Hours Or Less At Your Destination
Hit the ground running! Try local specialties, must visit spots and not to be missed meals. You really want to take in as much as possible to get an authentic taste of your destination.
For example, when we visit Tokyo for 48 hours in December I have a very specific list of spots I want to check out. Keeping in mind we will be traveling with two young children, I’m being realistic that we won’t get to every spot on my list. Because of this, I’ll be prioritizing those which I REALLY don’t want to miss.
When You Have A Longer Stay At Your Destination
Same as with 48 hours but you can really take your time and immerse yourself in the local food culture.
In London we are hoping to enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea, which we just didn’t have time for last year.
If you’re staying in an accommodation with a full kitchen, then you can make the most of your opportunity to cook like a local by visiting local supermarkets. I love spending AGES wandering through foreign supermarkets. Adding a few too many new and interesting products to my trolley (while being slightly mindful of my food budget!) and overall just relishing the experience of being in a new environment.
On my trip to London last year I loved trying different yoghurt and granola varieties for breakfast. This particular combination was my favourite.
Prior to your arrival you can also look online for local food delivery options. While this does remove the supermarket shopping experience mentioned above, a big online initial shop can mean you’ll have meals sorted for the first couple of days while you get accustomed to your surroundings.
When we arrive in December it will be just a few days before Christmas. I don’t see us braving the stores in our jetlagged states so I will be ordering our first food shop online. I’ve already bookmarked a couple of websites I plan to order from and have made a list of must have items to see us through until after the Christmas craziness!
Find Out What’s In Season
Find out which fruit and vegetables are in season so you can take advantage and enjoy the bounty of fresh produce.
It’s easy to find out what’s in season – when you visit the local supermarkets and farmers markets the in season produce should be in abundance and cheap.
If you want to plan in advance then just Google “what’s in season in {month} in {destination name}”. For example “What’s in season in July in England”. This will help you know what’s in season and maybe even think about recipes you would like to cook with the in season goodies.
Last year we visited England during their summer so I made almost daily berry fruit platters thanks to the beautiful berries in season.
Food Tours & Cooking Classes
If time and your budget permits a local food tour or cooking class is an excellent way to learn firsthand about local hot spots and cuisine specialties.
Food tours and cooking classes are a really smart way to discover and cook local delicacies and dishes.
Family Food Experiences
Experiencing new cultures and food together as a family is an incredibly memorable experience for all. Prior to your trip consider taking your kids to local restaurants of the same cuisine to expose them to the new tastes to help prepare them and get them excited.
Find out how local kids eat for the authentic experience.
Cook local dishes before to get excited for the local cuisine and then after your trip to relive memories from your holiday.
This will help the whole family appreciate the local food cultural experience.
My kids’ favourite food experiences in England included a Devonshire Tea at a traditional tea room.
And, like me, they LOVED Borough Market. They still talk about the orange Turkish delight, giant meringues and chocolate ice cream a year later.
Allergy Friendly Travel
Having allergies and intolerances shouldn’t mean you have to miss out completely on local food culture. Connect with fellow local foodies with your allergies/eating requirements to discover options to sample allergy friendly local cuisine.
I’ve recently discovered that I am dairy intolerant so have been in research overdrive in anticipation of our upcoming trip.
Digestion Aid
Peppermint Tea is the perfect digestion aid to help your body cope with a changing diet while traveling.
I always travel with plenty of bags of Peppermint Tea and also seek out local Peppermint Tea flavours to try.
Get Organized!
Make a checklist of food items and locations you want to seek out. This should help ensure that you have as rich a cultural experience as possible.
I hope that with these tips your next holiday will see you experience epicurean heaven.
This post has been written as my entry to the Virgin Australia & Problogger Competition.
