One of the best ways to experience a new culture is through their food. There are so many creative twists and turns in every culture’s cuisine that exploring different menus becomes pretty exciting. The following are five tips that will help you find the next authentic, local restaurant.
Off-Tourist Path
One of the best ways to find unique and local food is to avoid tourist-friendly areas. These locations care more about surprising you with their overall look than with an authentic meal. You may find commercial-friendly foods rather than something daring, so stay away from those areas when traveling.
Talk to Locals
The people around you will likely be able to guide you to your next cuisine adventure. Now, this does not mean talking to the people sitting at the front desk of a hotel but actually getting out there and talking to the people who live in this city. Talk to as many people as you can to see what kind of eateries are popular amongst locals.
Food Tourism
Tourism is not always a bad thing. There are legitimate companies springing up in certain cities dedicated to foodies like you. The idea of these companies is to show you the best food an area has to offer. Part of the charm of these companies is they will likely show you unique eateries you may not have stumbled upon without their help.
Get Educated
It may be a good idea to take a culinary class when you get to your travel destination. Most of these classes focus on local cuisine and ask you to use local produce. This means that you are going to end up tasting food that is special to the region you visit, and you’ll learn how to make some of these foods, too. Keep in mind that this also increases the chances of you meeting more foodies like you.
Farm Visit
Another great idea is to visit local farms. This is a great way to taste some of the foods that are unique to the area you just visited. Local farmers appreciate the business and may give you some ideas on how to eat the produce you are buying. You can also ask if they supply local restaurants so that you can try their food, too.
These are just some of the things you can do to find good, authentic food. Do not be afraid to try those little restaurants like El Molinito Restaurant & Catering or other businesses that look like nothing more than a hole in the wall. Most of the time, these restaurants can surprise you.
