“Eat Your World” Blog Defines Food Travel

FOODIE FRIDAY

For us, food is as much a part of the travel experience as visiting cultural points of interest or debating with an airline clerk about whether your checked luggage is over fifty pounds or not. It’s nearly impossible to stay on a diet while on the road, and for good reason: the local food you find on your travels is so entwined with the culture of the place that you can’t help but sample every regional delicacy and literally ingest a foreign part of the world. While we at Travel Freak are dedicated to showcasing examples of culinary culture, there’s a blog out there called Eat Your World that has us beat by a landslide with their coverage of the food travel realm.

Run by travel writer Laura Siciliano-Rosen and photographer Scott Rosen, Eat Your World is online guide that introduces readers to locations via the food and drink consumed there. We’re not talking about the best Big Mac in town or the tastiest Italian restaurant in Paris — these two globetrotting foodies have a taste for distinct local foods and a passion for encouraging others to follow their taste buds around the world.

And when they say local food, they mean local:

In this context, “distinct foods” also includes those that are locally grown, sourced, or made, as local soils, waters, and climates are likewise inextricably linked to local foods, traditions, and the people consuming them.

While this biomolecular take on world cuisine may seem like the best way to fully get a taste of a new destination, the husband and wife duo dig even deeper into the foods of their host cities by focusing on the preservation of “esoteric dishes” — foods that are knit so tightly into the history of a place that eating them is an act of anthropological discovery. An Aztec delicacy in Mexico City and a lunch item popular in 18th century Philadelphia are just two of such dishes they list.

And like the Adopt a Museum project we showcased earlier this week, Eat Your World is not only great for travel research and inspiration but also because readers can become active participants in the culinary exploration. Laura and Scott share their personal food travel stories (they just recently got back from a food-filled trip to Africa), but the site also acts a forum for other travelers to submit their recommendations on the best ways to experience world culture through food. Readers can upload pictures of local foods and beverages into the site’s database, or (if they’re feeling chatty) write about their experiences with food travel and traditions.

If the mere thought of this foodie overload fills you with the post-binge feelings of bodily shame and intense sleepiness, have no fear: Laura and Scott are also big fans of exercise and comfy accommodations, so besides describing a city’s culinary wonders they’re also keen on telling readers about the best ways to burn off their meals and, subsequently, the best places to hit the hay.

Food has always been an intermediary force in bringing people of different cultures together, and with Eat Your World this force is brought to your fingertips. We hope that what you find on the site will encourage you to get out and discover a new destination while stuffing your face, and if you’re lucky enough to have experienced food travel yourself we encourage you to share your photos and stories with others.

Go break some bread!

Featured Image courtesy of exfordy via Flickr
Photo via Eat Your World