Eat like a local
July 26, 2010 at 1:46 pm 7 comments
Kelvin Roth
As the earthy aroma of white truffles hit my nose, I suddenly forgot I was in Rome on business. The two days of meetings and conference food were erased, the crowded tourist locations faded into the background and the creakiness of my hotel bed didn’t seem to matter anymore. As I dug into the special dish of fettuccine wrapped in a buttery white truffle sauce, I suddenly understood the enchantment of Italy and the allure of Rome.
My favorite trips abroad for work have left an indelible impression on my life. They’ve challenged me to become a better person and taught me to appreciate different values, perspectives and ways of life.
For me, the best way to understand a culture and its people is by going out to eat.
Although business travel can sometimes be an excuse to duck through the golden arches for a quick bite, you’ll have a much tastier time if you open your mind and experience the authentic food from that area.
If you’re up for an adventure, here are few quick tips to help you eat like a local:
- Eat what the locals eat – This may sound obvious, but anyone who has been to China knows what I’m talking about. If you let your Chinese hosts select a menu they would eat, the joys of Chinese food are revealed. Many restaurants cater to tourists’ palates (or what they believe tourists want) and this food does not resemble what the locals eat.
- Eat it when the locals eat it – Follow the local seasons and you’ll have a much better idea of when to visit places. It’s similar to visiting an ice cream shop in winter. It might still taste good, but it won’t be the same as visiting during a lazy summer day. Also, if some foods are generally eaten early in the day, having them for supper won’t be the best representation. The enjoyment of my white truffle dish came in part because it was truffle season.
- Eat it how the locals eat it – We all have our preferences for how dishes are prepared and what sides come with it. Leave those at home. Local cuisines evolve based on what is available locally and what is freshest. So if they are serving a dish a certain way… try it. You can always catch up on ketchup at home.
- Avoid the chains – Often, when I ask for local suggestions for dinner, my local contacts will recommend a chain restaurant. A chain restaurant will tell you very little about the community you’re in. Chain restaurants have homogenized the dining experience so that it feels the same regardless of where you are in the world. Great if you’re homesick, but not if you’re looking for a connection to the community.
- Avoid the tourist traps – I’m a Chicagoan and can count the number of times I eat deep dish pizza in a year on one hand. It’s not that I don’t like it, but it’s not what “we” eat with any regularity (but we are all mobsters and carry Tommy guns). If a restaurant is crowded, but it’s not mostly locals… take a pass.
- Use the Internet – It may take some checking, but there are many tools out there to help you. Here are some of my favs
- Road Food – the best places are not the fanciest places, this site shows you where to get great regional meals along highways, in small towns and in city neighborhoods
- Edible Communities – although limited to only a few regions right now, this site has blogs, podcasts, and online magazines for tracking down that quintessential local experience
- Chowhound – a good place to pose questions and search answers
While eating like a local may require a bit more work, it can turn any business trip into a memorable journey.
Entry filed under: Career Management, EHS Skills, Environment, Managing Global EHS programs, Uncategorized. Tags: business culture, business travel, cultural competency, international business.
1.
William D'Alessandro | July 27, 2010 at 2:47 pm
All true IMO.
But beware of the mustards in Seoul, fresh fruit or vendor foods in Mexico, game meats in South Africa, any food from any chain restaurant anywhere in the USA, endangered fishes from the sea served up, unfortunately, almost everywhere, pickled items on the breakfast table in Scandinavia, steaks in Italy, white sausage in Germany, bread in China, and, not to be forgotten, that last drink with the locals in the wee morning.
2.
Mario Minale | August 24, 2010 at 3:47 am
Sorry William, but looks like you have never tasted Chianina steak in Tuscany. I personally enjoy US steaks, but there is always some hidden gem to discover. As personal opinion, try to discover the local way of life through a resident person. Only in this way you can really appreciate the local traditions.
If you would ever come to Napoli, Italy, where I reside, just leave a message
3.
Francis Schott | July 29, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Love this blog. This is advice to eat well wherever you are.
I would add one thing to “Eat it when the locals eat it .” I remember when I was first in Spain. Some new local friends said to me one night around 6 o’clock, “We can take you to dinner now if you want to eat with all the other Americans, Germans and Japanese, or we can go to dinner at 10 and eat like Spanish!”
Great Blog!
4.
Judi Fox | July 30, 2010 at 2:29 pm
If you have the time to eat dinner at a bed and breakfast or at someone’s house in a foreign country, that is where I have had my most memorable, flavorful, amazing, local food experiences.
It helped that we were on a 6 month business trip to Germany, so we had a lot of time to explore. We stayed in several bed and breakfast’s that offered home cooked meals (not just for breakfast). You can even stay in a farm house and have the most local food possible – milk straight from the cow and eggs from the barn.
If you have the time or connections to this type of meal in a foreign country it is worth it and enjoyable. The best part is you can also utilize your Facebook and LinkedIn networks to find recommendations – so many people have great travel experiences to share.
5.
Mark Hause | July 30, 2010 at 2:34 pm
I especially agree with the comment on chain restaurants. If you are homesick, going to chain restaurants outside the US can make it worse because the flavors are usually modified to meet local tastes (e.g. Octopus pizza in Japan) and won’t be the same. Best to immerse yourself in the local food (with appropriate cautions as noted for fruits, vegetables, meats and water). Then you can feel more at home there vs. the home you left!
6.
Virginia Hoekenga | August 12, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Great Blog Kelvin–I think it’s important to try and carry your values with you when you travel for business. Keeping it seasonal and local can be hard since you are usually on a tight schedule where finding that great gem off the beaten path takes extra time. Whenever possible, taking 20-30 minutes to do a little research and mapping of the places you want to try before you travel makes getting out of the “meeting food rut” and slipping into a great local restaurant a little more feasible.
7.
Joshua | September 2, 2010 at 8:29 am
Kelvin-
Another great blog post. Yes, I’m reading them out of order. Sue me. You really have a good writing style, K. Let’s see more of it. And eating what the locals eat is all well and good in Italy, but hard to practice when living among the Cannibal tribes of Southern Borneo…