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Tastes from Around the World

Posted on May 7, 2018. Last updated on November 26, 2018 by Taylor Keen 2 Comments

Anyone that knows me most likely knows I love food. Whether it be my mom's sweet and spicy chili, my grandma's famous chocolate chip cookies, my aunt's amazing baked beans (to be honest, everything she makes is amazing), or my favorite Mexican restaurant, these are just some of the foods I love.

However, there is so much more food than one has on a weekly basis. One of my favorite things about traveling the world is getting to try different foods and local delicacies. For picky-eaters, this may be their worst nightmare, but I'm always excited to try new food. Throughout my travels thus far, I've had the privilege to eat and try a wide array of food from all over the world. While in some rare cases I have come across some not-so-great tasting food, for the most part, the food has been absolutely delicious.

Here is some of my favorite food from around the world:

Brazil – Açaí

Açaí has recently gained popularity here in the United States but has long been popular in Brazil where it’s naturally found. One of the best things about açaí in Brazil? It’s not nearly as expensive as it is in the US!

Brazil – Churrasco

“Churrasco” means barbecue and oh is it delicious. Whether steak, chicken, lamb, pork, or any other meat, it’s all guaranteed to make your mouth water. At Fogo de Chão, the meat is served rodizio style which means the waiters come to the tables with a skewer of meat and a knife and cut the meat off directly onto your plate. I highly recommend visiting a churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse) at least once.

Brazil – Coxinha

Literally meaning “little thigh”, coxinha is deep fried dough shaped into the shape of a chicken thigh and is traditionally stuffed with shredded chicken. I found it to be a great street snack and had at least one a day while in Rio.

Brazil – Creme de moranga

Creme de moranga is a Brazilian dish made with pumpkin and has a creamy soup-like consistency. Sometimes it’s made with meat as well which is the way I had it (pork, smoked sausage, bacon, pepperoni, etc.).

Brazil – Farofa

Farofa is a toasted cassava (shrub native to South America) flour mixture that is typically toasted with various ingredients like butter, salt, garlic, onions, etc. Served alongside a meal, you can eat it on its own as a side or sprinkled on the meal. Garlic farofa was my favorite.

Brazil – Feijoada

Feijoada, a bean stew, is a national dish of Brazil and is made with black beans, a variety of meat such as pork trimmings (ears, nose, feet, etc.) and sausage. My first experience eating feijoada was at a birthday party on a farm in Brazil. While getting my serving of feijoada, I was offered the pig’s nose that I could see floating but opted for one of the feet. That was the safer option, right?

Colombia – Cholado

Cholado is a traditional drink from the Valle del Cauca region of Colombia. It’s made with ice, fresh fruit, and condensed milk and is amazing! Some common fruits that are used include banana, strawberry, kiwi, pineapple, starfruit, etc. It may have been one of, if not the, best drinks I’ve ever had.

France – Crêpe

Crêpes are a very thin pastry filled with a variety of fillings. There are two types of crêpes: sweet and savory. Sweet crêpes are typically filled with fruits, syrup, chocolate, or Nutella. On the other hand, savory crêpes are filled with ingredients such as various meats, cheeses, eggs, mushrooms, etc. If you can’t decide which to try, I recommend trying both.

Germany – Currywurst

Currywurst is a fast food consisting of steamed and then fried pork sausage. They’re then typically cut into slices and seasoned with curry ketchup and curry powder on top. They’re also usually served with fries and in my opinion, mayonnaise is also a must!

Germany – Döner Kebab

While technically Turkish, döner kebabs are super popular in Germany and especially in Berlin where they’re known for their döners and currywurst. A döner is a kebab made of meat that is cooked on a vertical rotisserie and then shaven off. While each restaurant is slightly different, generally it’s wrapped in a flatbread and filled with meat, various vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers), cheese, and various sauces. It’s a must-eat if you visit Berlin!

Germany – Käsespätzle

Spätzle is a soft egg noodle that is used in several dishes. Some say the noodles are more like pasta and some say they’re more like a dumpling. This specific spätzle I got was “cheese spätzle” so I would say it’s like macaroni and cheese.

Germany – Weißwurst

Weißwurst, literally “white sausage”, is a traditional Bavarian sausage made from minced veal and pork back bacon. They’re typically brought to the table in a large bowl with the cooking water. There is a skin on the sausage that has to be removed prior to eating and there are two ways you can remove it. The traditional way, zuzein, is to cut the end of the sausage and suck the meat out. However, the more popular way, how I was taught, is to cut the sausage lengthwise and then roll the sausage out from the skin using a fork.

Italy – Gelato

Gelato, or Italian-style ice cream, is different than ice cream in that it contains less fat, less air, and more flavoring. The traditional flavors of gelato are vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio, cream/custard, and Stracciatella. However, there are an endless amount of new modern flavors.

Japan – Eel

These eel skewers were so tasty! The meat was so tender that it just about melted in your mouth. It was literally finger-licking good!

Japan – Ramen

Ramen in Japan is much better than the ramen associated with college students in the US. Ramen is Chinese-style wheat noodles in a meat or fish broth. It’s typically flavored with soy sauce or miso and can have various toppings such as pork, seaweed, or green onions.

Japan – Sushi

Sushi is vinegared rice mixed with other ingredients such as seafood, vegetables, or fruit. While an ingredient may be raw fish, the word sushi itself doesn’t mean raw fish (raw fish is called sashimi which is also good).

Mozambique – Mandioca

Mozambique has a ton of delicious food so it's hard to pick just one. With that being said, mandioca is very popular in Mozambique. There are various ways to eat or cook it and it also varies by geographic region. In the picture is "sweet mandioca", but I prefer fried mandioca. I say that fried mandioca is like french fries.

Panama – Patacones

Patacones are twice-fried plantains and are easy to make. Take an unripe, green plantain and peel and cut into slices. Second, fry the slices on each side for 1-2 minutes until golden-colored and then remove and pat to remove excess oil. Next, pound the slices flat using something like a plate or cup. Finally, fry the slices again until crisp.

Spain – Cochinillo asado

Cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) is a two to six-week-old piglet fed on its mother’s milk that is traditionally roasted whole. I ate this dish at Sobrino de Botín in Madrid, the oldest restaurant continuously running in the world (since 1725).

Spain – Paella

Paella is a rice dish from the Valencia area of Spain. There are many versions of paella but typical paella consists of white rice, green beans, white beans, meat, snails, and seasonings.

Do you have a favorite international food? If so, let me know in the comments below.

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It’s a Small World After All

Posted on February 12, 2018. Last updated on May 5, 2022 by Taylor Keen Leave a Comment

Sorry. Now you will have the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day. In all reality, the world isn't as big as it seems...especially once you start exploring it and making connections. The backpacking/hostel/travel community is a fairly close-knit community that often ends up traveling together or meeting up at later times around the world. As you travel more and more your "travel network" will exponentially grow and you'll run into friends and friends of friends when you least expect it. Still, don't believe me? Let me tell you about two instances from my South America/Europe trip in 2016.

Panama to Chile

After a short plane ride from beautiful Santiago, Chile to the surfing port city of Arica in northern Chile, I hop in an Uber to my hostel. It's early morning as I arrive and the owners and some of the guests are at the dining room table enjoying breakfast and socializing. Before checking in or anything, the owner invites me to sit and have breakfast with them. At first, it was a bit of a surprise because all the other hostels had been more professional/strict and only provided breakfast for the nights you stayed. It was a simple yet meaningful gesture on their part. This hostel, Hostal Sunny Days, felt more like a home due to the location in a residential neighborhood and the kindness of the owners. I enjoy homemade bread, jam, and juice while talking to the others before checking in. The owner, Ross, walks me to my room and slowly opens the door into a dark room. As I enter the room I glance over to my right and see a strangely familiar yellow object. Not wanting to make too much noise and wake anyone up I decide to just hop in bed and get some rest. A few hours later I wake up and with the sun now shining through the small window it becomes clear the yellow object is indeed what I had thought it was. It's the yellow hard-case luggage (along with motorcycle helmet) of my friend Troy I had met and traveled with the previous year in Panama (follow his journey here)! We haven't seen each other since and have only spoken a couple times. A year later and 2,000+ miles away and we have unexpectedly crossed paths! The day starts with him cooking some brunch and us catching up on the past year. After a delicious meal, we hop on his motorcycle (that has traveled all over the United States, Central America, and South America) and head down to the beach where he catches some waves.

Peru to Spain

After traveling in South America for three months I board an overnight flight to Madrid, Spain. I arrive on October 10th and the 12th is Spanish National Day (Fiesta Nacional de Espana) or Hispanic Day (Día de la Hispanidad) which I wasn't aware of until I'm walking down the street in the morning and stumble upon a parade of military men and women. I stop and enjoy the uniforms and listen to the chants before continuing on down the crowded streets to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. After viewing the 20th-century art I again wander the streets in the on-again-off-again rain towards Plaza Mayor. As I near the plaza the crowd begins to grow as I come across another gathering. This one seems to focus more on the Hispanic culture around the world and the indigenous people. Signs and banners are being waved, flyers being passed out, people are dancing in traditional clothing and costumes, and a lady is chanting through a megaphone (I'll never forget the sound of her voice). The parade begins to move away from Plaza Mayor and I see what I think is a familiar face in the parade. It takes a couple minutes to realize where I know the woman from but eventually it comes to me. She was on the same free walking tour as I was in Lima, Peru a month prior! I knew she was from Madrid but had no idea she would be back in her hometown and that I'd see her in a parade!

"You never really travel alone. The world is full of friends waiting to get to know you."

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Trivia Night in a Foreign Country?

Posted on January 15, 2018. Last updated on May 5, 2022 by Taylor Keen Leave a Comment

When you think of trivia night what do you think of? Most likely you think of going to your local restaurant or bar with friends for a fun night. Well, that's what I did but with friends I had just met and in a foreign country (Boquete, Panama).

You may be thinking, "Wouldn't trivia be hard in a foreign country and language?" and you'd probably be right if that were the case but, Boquete has a lot of expats from the US and England so trivia night is actually in English. Mike's Global Grill is a nice restaurant in Bajo Boquete with great local food as well as international food. Mike's also offers an array of live music and events throughout the year (Super Bowl party, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Party, etc.).

The sun is setting as we all cram into the truck for the short drive down 41 from our hostel in Alto Boquete to Mike's in Bajo Boquete. We walk in to find Mike's full of people from all over the world gathering to eat, socialize, have fun, and play trivia. The atmosphere was energetic and loud yet cozy and friendly. Trivia teams were to have about four people per team and there are about 10 of us in my group so we have to divide into teams. Myself, two other Americans, and the Dutch hostel manager form a team and in our opinion, we are the team to beat haha! Before the trivia begins everyone orders food and drinks and the organizer goes over the rules and informs us that the first, second, and third places team would receive prizes (money, food, drinks, etc.). Trivia has yet to begin and we already realize how seriously they take trivia here...we aren't allowed to even have our phones out or they assume you are cheating!

With our answer sheet in hand and everyone settled in, it's now time for the competition to begin. The organizer's voice comes over the speaker and the questions begin to flow. The questions vary from political to geographical and from science to pop culture. Because there's a mix of Americans and Brits, the questions are a mix of American and European trivia to make things fair. The questions continue with frequent breaks of team discussion, laughter, and smack-talk between teams. As the night winds down and the last question is read, my team is feeling pretty confident that we're towards the top of the pack. It's now time to find out the top three teams so we exchange answer sheets and the organizer goes over the answers (does this remind you of grading each other's papers in high school?). As with any "friendly" competition, some of the teams challenge some of the acceptable answers. After the answers are read aloud, the organizer comes around and gathers the answer sheets to tally the scores. He makes his way back to the microphone and announces the top three teams and...we came in 3rd place! Not too bad for it being our first time at the trivia night but, most importantly it's been a great night hanging out with friends and having fun!

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Where’s My Luggage?

Posted on January 8, 2018. Last updated on May 5, 2022 by Taylor Keen Leave a Comment

I step off the plane in beautiful Costa Rica and proceed to immigration to receive my first stamp in my passport. Afer nearly an hour of winding back and forth through the line, I step up to the counter and speak with an immigration officer and receive my stamp. Next up is to retrieve my luggage...or so I think. I anxiously watch as the conveyor belts go around and around and around until it becomes apparent that my luggage hasn't made it to Costa Rica with me. I dreadfully walk over to the customer service desk where I have my first experience speaking Spanish outside of the US as well as my first experience with the "Pura Vida" way of life. After just a few seconds, I realize life here is indeed much more laid back and that my lost luggage isn't a big concern of theirs. The customer service representative simply slides me (and the others from Detroit) a form, asks me to fill it out, and continues to text on her cell phone. I fill out the form, slide it back, and quickly adapt to the "Pura Vida" way of living and think "there's no sense stressing because there's nothing I can do about it" and I begin towards the exit.

I exit the dark airport to find a large group of taxi drivers fighting for customers and chauffeurs holding signs with names on them. Yep...one of those is for me! I make my way through the crowd, constantly warding off the barrage of taxi drivers begging for my service, and find the Tico (Costa Rican) holding my name who is taking me to my hostel. The drive from San José to Turrialba is beautiful but it takes much longer than expected due to severe weather (more about this in a future post). After a long day of airports, flights, and car rides, I arrive at the hostel with only the clothes on my back and whatever was in my carry-on backpack. Seeing as I have no clothes or toiletries (always take the essentials in your carry-on) and have no idea when or if I'll get my luggage, I decide to go to the grocery store in town to pick up some essentials. The hostel owner, hostel manager, and two Dutch guests also need to go to the store so we all jump in the owners truck and head down into town. We arrive at Maxi Pali, a grocery chain owned by Walmart, and part ways to do our shopping. I roam the aisles looking for essentials and some snacks. While waiting to leave, everything suddenly goes black. The power has gone out. This is fairly common here (and in developing countries) especially with the weather recently. Eventually, we pile back into the truck with groceries in hand and head back to the hostel. I take a nice hot shower in my private room then fall asleep to the sound of torrential rain on the metal roof.

Turrialba Bus Stop — Bus Stop with hostel gate in the distance.

Fast forward 2 to 3 days later and a German lady from the hostel and I are standing in our raincoats at the bus stop in the torrential downpour waiting to go down into town to explore. While waiting for the bus, a green truck slowly drives by and yells something out the window. Neither she nor I understand what the males said so we point to the hostel which is across the street so they could speak to a native. I see the truck slowly pull into the driveway and two males step out of the truck. The passenger walks towards the back of the truck and I see him begin to grab something out of the bed. Lo and behold I recognize the object and it's my backpack! What a coincidence that we are standing outside waiting for the bus at the exact time they're trying to locate me and the hostel. I walk across the flooded street and happily sign for my luggage. While this isn't how I wanted to start my first solo trip abroad, it's a great reminder that some things are out of your control and being flexible is a part of traveling. ¡Pura Vida!

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