Well... its been a while since i posted here, and really i have no excuse so lets just both move past that and back into Blogland!
A while back i posted a blog about an upcoming trip to South America, unfortunatly due to a few circumstance changes i am now not taking that journey just yet. Instead i am going solo, to wonderful South East Asia! My plan is to do it in tours, this makes for easier solo travlling as i wont really be solo and will help me find some cool places to see. I will have time on my own in Hanoi and Bangkok but travelling between the two will be under the guidence of a guide... and my main motivation for this trip.... the food!
The way i see it, Taste is the only sense we have left that is still unexplored, not so much as a species but as individual. It is highly varied across different countries and the variations are extreeme to say the least... while we may see beautiful sights we can relate them back to something at home, touch is already mostly covered in day to day life.... and as for smell... well it usually comes alongside with taste. But Taste... how can you possibly describe to someone the taste of snail unless they try it themselves... the texture of grasshopper...sure its crunchy... but there is so much more to it... Food is culture, it is history and it is unique.
I have really gotten addicted to a show called "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern" and i reccomend people watch it, basically its an american chef who travels round the world eating unique things, like the beating heart of a snake or worms fresh out of a branch... i know some people have cringed at this but what you need to understand is why these dishes have come about and open yourselves to looking past what you know of them and try them...
Most people do not take advantage of this to its full potential, the culture we have dictates against it. Things that are perfectly normal overseas are seen to us as being disgusting for no other reason than society has taught us to see them as such. We would not think twice about eating a bulls testical but in some countries it is seen as nothing more than a good source of protein. If we as westeners get over what we beleive to be wrong then we can expend ourselves so much more into the cultures around us.
When i travel i will set myself a mantra... unless it will kill/make you sick...TRY IT. If someone offers me sheep penis and rice i will try it, if someone offers me desiesed meat i wont... simple. Whether or not it will taste good is just part of the joy... if its bad at least i will know it is bad rather than leaving myself wondering.
South East asia is known for its markets and street food... these will be my main areas to be in, i am worried about getting Gastro and food poisoning but upon reading a whole lot of articles some saying that i should avoid almnost everything.... some saying that they read that same article but said fuck it.... i am going somewhere in the middle ground..
When i am on the tour and the guide offers me something... anything is fair go.... alone i will only eat things that are cooked in front of me and popular with others... if i get sick so be it... but i am playing it safe.
Some things i cant wait to try:
-Scorpion
- Coffee that has passed through the digestive system of a Monkey
- Snake
Travel is all about adventure, it is about leaving your comfort zone, it has purpose in cultures and it will be interesting to see how and why these foods came about. And i will blog accordingly about them...
Of cource while i am over there i will enjoy the scenery and the history, i will drink and party it up... but the markets, the food will be my focus... i will not eat pad thai or anything i'd normally have at a thai resteraunt... i am going to eat whatever the locals eat... and it is going to be awesome!
