Traveling the world full-time over the past years has been a truly eye-opening experience. Every traveler has their own rhythm, budget, and interests which makes it unique. For me, it’s always been food. It’s omnipresent - whether you seek it or not, it's there. Viewing food through an educational lens, gives insights into culture, politics, identity and so many other things that could not be seen that easily, but felt and experienced. By staying in places for extended periods, I had a chance to go beyond over crowded tourist activities to better understand the significance of local foods and cuisines. Here are some reflections from my experiences as a full-time digital entrepreneur, nomad and foodie.
Picture by Daniel Watson from Unsplash
Traditional foods are crucial elements of a country's heritage, some of my most memorable travels involved being invited into people’s homes. I remember having a chance to explore a family's ancient wine cellar in the South of Portugal, singing and sharing meals with monks in Rishikesh, India as well as having lunch in near Fuji mountain in Japan. Each of the experience was unforgettable, unveiling aspects of daily life that are invisible to those sticking to the typical tourist path. A study by Oxford University agrees with me stating that ‘communal eating increases social bonding and feelings of wellbeing’.
In today’s world, we are losing awareness of food’s symbolism. When exploring a country, region, or people, food serves as a tangible expression of their cultural fabric. By following social media tips and tricks or relying solely on Michelin Guide recommendations, we often overlook genuine hidden gems. Sometimes, these gems aren't even that hidden, we just miss them because we’re staring into our phones instead of looking around.
Looking the basic ingredients we look deeper into the topography: an Italian tomato, a South American quinoa, or an Indian mango. The dishes they make up tell tales of class, attitudes and history, such as the journey of lobster from a poor man’s meal, washing up in abundance on the USA’s East Coast, to haute cuisine symbolic of luxury. Status and food were always bonded together. For most of history, and throughout most of the world, ordinary people consumed staple grains and vegetables – and the occasional piece of meat – while the ruling classes enjoyed a steady flow of rare and expensive dishes. Early Roman banquets featured larks’ tongues, sterile sows’ wombs, and milk-fed snails. Over the centuries sugar, tea, and coffee made the journey from exotic and expensive, to familiar and ubiquitous, along with other foods of empire. As people gained the means to eat like royalty, they did - prompting the elites to seek out other high-status foods.
The idiosyncratic ways in which we eat serve as windows into cultural narratives and traditions. Looking into the countries which are not yet consumed by fast food industry, as in India, it is common to eat certain dishes like a roti with your hands (but never with the left), while such a practice is unseen of in the West. In Japan, where waste is shameful, it is respectful to finish the food on your plate. However, in nearby China, finishing your plate is rude, implying to your host that they did not feed you enough. Food, and the way we eat it, has become synonymous with our respective cultures. A dish as iconic as pizza is just as representative of Italy as any athlete competing on the world stage. Similarly, as people migrate and travel, cultures intertwine, leading to the creation of new and surprising dishes.
French fries, originally believed to have originated in Belgium, gained popularity when American soldiers stationed in Belgium during World War I tasted them and brought the idea home. Hamburgers, which have German origins, were popularized in the United States and became a staple of American fast food culture. Tacos, a legend of Mexican cuisine, have evolved in various ways across North America, with each region adding its own twist.
Picture by Nadi Ratho from Unsplash
Food symbolize our cultures and sooner or later they become integral to our identities. Recipes handed down through generations connect us with our ancestral heritage through tastes, smells. For those who travel, emigrate, or live far from their home country, the connection with food holds deep significance. I am not an exception. I always carry my favourite buckwheat wherever I go, just in case I crave it or catch Delhi Belly . Every Sunday I long for my grandma’s latkes from my childhood. If someone were to discover my body thousands of years from now with buckwheat beside me, would they ponder how it reached South India? But that’s for another time.
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