The Pleasures and Terrors of International Dining

You are what you eat so eating local food makes your travel experience literally become a part of you

Turkey

My brother reached for the plate closest to him with a distinct air of desperation. It was raw tomatoes, food that usually makes him gag, but today he was shoving one into his mouth on purpose. I could tell he was suffering, and I was too, but we had smiles on our faces and were determined to be gracious guests.

Earlier that day we had been wandering the streets of Mardin, quite possibly my favorite city in Turkey when we came across a gaggle of siblings who insisted we pop our heads in their house to meet their parents.

The family was delighted with our sudden appearance at their door and insisted we return in a few hours so we could break the Ramadan fast with them.

When we returned, they had butchered the sheep that had been out front and it featured prominently in dinner. The food was spread out on a large mat on the floor and we all sat around to share. Our hosts were watching us anxiously to make sure we were enjoying everything. Everything was great, the food was magnificent, the company fun, engaging and willing to suffer through our not-yet-fluent Turkish.

Then culinary terror ensued. A large plate of stuffed intestine was brought out and we were given the first shot at it. I chose a small piece but that was not acceptable so a large piece was placed next to it on my plate. My brother was given an equally large portion and the table fell silent as we were expected to dig in.

We did our best. I was more experienced at international travel so I separated my mind from my mouth, took a bite, smiled, chewed, swallowed, and declared it fantastic. Attention then fell on my brother who did the same except for that first part of separating the mind from the mouth. He started to gag a bit and didn’t swallow fast enough. That was why he was reaching for that most hated of foods, the raw tomato. He managed to get it down without too much adieu and we were allowed to move on to dessert which was truly fantastic.

Turkish desserts are creative and delicious. Rose pudding, baklava, buttery, crunchy, cheesy kunefe, pumpkin with clotted cream and walnuts just to name a few.

We finished a wonderful meal with generous hosts and have a memory that we still talk about 15 years later. It was terror followed by pleasure and I wouldn’t trade a moment of it for any other meal.

Japan

Dining in Japan is not just about eating food, it is about experiencing food. Five years ago I worked for a University in Tokyo that had several guest houses offering accommodation, breakfast and dinner, that were available to its faculty and alumni for a very reasonable rate. While we were booking our rooms we were asked in detail about what we liked to eat.

My daughter was young and a vegetarian, so they were particularly concerned about finding something she would enjoy. When we got there we were treated as honored guests. At least 10 courses of tiny perfect creations were set before us. Attention was paid to the presentation, the textures, and the balance of flavors.

We left stuffed and eager for the next night when we could experience another equally creative and elegant meal. Pure pleasure.

Japanese culinary tastes are not always a pleasure for us gaijin however, sometimes we stumble upon things unfamiliar and terrifying.

Whole octopus skewered on sticks are served in Ueno park on the weekends. Seafood drying on racks resemble art more than food to some eyes and beware the innocuous looking natto.

Many Japanese restaurants have pictures of the food on the menus or plastic replicas of their meals displayed prominently in front so, in spite of being suddenly illiterate, foreign guests can order wisely. In spite of these safeguards, I managed to mess it up. It was my first time in Japan and I was feeling like I wanted something familiar after having been adventurous for a solid week. I ordered what looked like baked beans. They were not!!

I dug in with a whole spoonful and had it in my mouth before I noticed the strange smell and stringy consistency. They were slimy and I wanted to spit them out but being in a crowded restaurant, I bravely swallowed and then refused to eat any more. It turns out they are fermented soy beans, often served for breakfast and many people swear by their health benefits. Sorry, no picture of natto, I was too busy getting the flavor out of my mouth.

If you hate natto as I do, beware of things like sushi rolls where they occasionally make an appearance.

Dining internationally can be an adventure if you take some risks and are not afraid to encounter something you will remember forever in a bad way. Just like Harry Potter’s every flavor beans, you often don’t know what you are getting until you are already experiencing it in all of it’s glory. You might find a food so wonderful it will leave you in rapture for days and you might find something so revolting you want to scrape your tongue right then and there.

Either way, those experiences and that food is becoming a part of you. Embrace the pleasure and the terror as one can not exist without the other.

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