When you return home after a vacation, the tongue begins playing tricks with your mind. I don’t know if it happens with you but I find myself craving for some of the local food that I’m sure is not available in my city.
I don’t usually eat at expensive restaurants when I’m travelling so most dishes I miss are the local treats that I develop a taste for while travelling through a particular country. Mostly I discover these dishes by trial and error but sometimes they also come as recommendations from locals. Conversely, because I worked with a food website until recently, I ate at some of the best places in Mumbai.
Without further ado then, here are some dishes that I crave from time to time. Restaurateurs in Mumbai, if you’re reading, please consider adding these items to your menu.
Ca Phe Da – Vietnam
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpwKlehAAUt/
Vietnamese coffee is addictive. There. I said it. Ca Phe Da is a simple mix of dark roast coffee, ice, water and condensed milk but the result is so intoxicating that I’ve shamed more than one reputed eating joint in Mumbai for serving plain ice coffee and calling it Vietnamese Coffee! I am a black coffee person but even I couldn’t resist the condensed milk concoction they served in Vietnam. I would have it hot in the morning and cold in the afternoon and evening every day of the entire August I spent in Vietnam. In fact, I’d go back in a whiff if I was promised unlimited coffee! I’ve never had coffee anywhere after that where I craved to drink it again in its own country.
Read More: 5 Solid Reasons Every Visitor Will Love Hanoi
Salmorejo – Spain
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp7Fn6yAMpN/
Salmo..what? Okay, in India soup equals piping hot water and whatever flavour you’ve chosen. But in Andalucia, for the first time, I had cold soup and I loved its cooling effect. In effect, it was like a cold Indian dal with plentiful flavours that helped calm my hunger and heat in the hot Seville weather.
It’s amazing what tomato, bread, EVOO, garlic and salt can do when mixed together perfectly. You can add bits of ham if you need your protein fix but Salmorejo is wonderful just as it is. The same soup is served hot during the short winter months in Spain.
Lentil Soup – Turkey
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp07mhigbNX/
Still on soups (and the last one I promise), Turkey’s lentil soup was an accidental discovery. Late one night at my hotel, I was looking for a way to finish off some leftover bread when the waiter suggested lentil soup.
The resulting combination was one of the biggest flavour bombs I’ve had on any of my trips. The soup is rich, smooth, flavourful and best of all, spicy! The Red Lentil version especially is something to try anywhere you travel to in Turkey.
Read More: 10 Drinks Every Visitor To Turkey Must Have
Khachapuri – Georgia
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpyvSLwgPhe/
One of the most addictive dishes I’ve had anywhere, Khachapuri is a cheese-stuffed bread that tastes like nothing on earth. Khachapuri is Georgia’s national dish so finding it was not a problem – stopping myself from having it was the real issue. Imagine having a double XL version of garlic cheese bread every day all the time!
I had Khachapuri for breakfast and packed some more for lunch as well for almost all the days I was in Georgia. I like the Imeruli cheese version when its fresh and Sulguni cheese in case I need to pack for lunch because its tartness stays for a longer time. If I get back to Georgia anytime, god save me but I’ll have more Khachapuri than I think I really should.
Ugali – Kenya
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp6GctsgQVT/
Ugali is actually a tough, doughy mix that I first tasted in Maasai Mara in Kenya. Meant to be eaten with an accompaniment, ugali is surprisingly filling even if you pick just one of it. I didn’t know any better when I first had it but by the time I was in Lamu in far-off Indian Ocean, I knew exactly what side dishes I wanted with my ugali – I preferred a vegetable and chicken mix and the local chutney of spices and greens. More importantly, you can pack leftover ugali and have it with coffee the next day!
Koba Akondro – Madagascar
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpzYfszAnE-/
I first eyed Koba Akondra the minute I stepped out the Antananarivo airport. But it looked too daunting at first go to eat. A few days later in Diego Suarez I saw a local vendor selling just Koba Akondro. Made with bananas, peanuts and rice flour, this dessert cake was surprisingly good to taste and quite filling too.
Koba Akondras became my breakfast staple before my coffee and helped me sort my day better than before. Interestingly, I found it difficult to find these cakes the more southward I went into Madagascar. I’m not sure why though but the food became more unhealthy (fried, unhygienic) compared to North Madagascar.
Ema Datshi – Bhutan
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpw0ZwGgFVm/
I have a decent appetite for spicy food so when I found a dish that combined cheese and chillies, I had to try it. Quickly enough, it became my favourite dish in the kingdom of happiness. Bhutan’s national dish is not only delicious but when (preferably) had with rice, it’s a full dinner that you also helps to keep you warm during cold Bhutan nights, courtesy the chillies.
Read More: When In Bhutan, Don’t Miss This At Any Cost
Pork Buns – Hong Kong
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp3ekB8gs-s/
Hello Tim Ho Wan. I’ve raved about the place earlier but soft bun rolls are everywhere to be found in Hong Kong. An ideal snack, these rolls were my go-to fill-me-up dish when navigating Hong Kong’s chaotic traffic. It was a good way to sit and relax for some time between hopping off attractions.
Mango Rice – Thailand
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp18mnNApGK/
Mango Rice was an unexpected surprise of eating out in Thailand. While most of us consider fried insects or Thai salad as average street food, I was happy to find this delicious dish upon arrival in Bangkok. The combination of glutinous rice, ripe mangoes and coconut milk makes me crave mango rice during Indian summers now. If only some place started serving it just as Thai vendors do.
Ratatouille – France
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp4ixJEgaod/
Of course I was going to try Ratatouille in France. The Pixar movie is one of my absolute favourites and I was waiting to try the dish ever since I landed in France. Strangely, I could manage to try it only during my last week of travelling and that too, when I was least expecting it. The image above has more information but suffice to say that it was worth the wait.
Featured image from Unsplash. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay updated with the latest news. Subscribe to my email list on the right to stay in touch.
