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When you guys go out of country, do you look forward to trying different native dishes?

I always do. My travel mates always end up complaining about the food, but I tend to view it as an adventure. Sure I make some missteps along the way, but more often than not I end up liking whatever it is I've tried.

I also like trying different candies. I like candy

Some favorites by country (dish, candy):
Australia: I didn't get to eat a ton of different Aussie foods for various reasons. I did try kangaroo and crocodile. Kangaroo tasted like beef, but a little tougher. Crocodile didn't have much taste at all. I did find an Italian place I liked and some wicked good spring rolls, but neither of this is expressly Aussie.
Canada: poutine, Wonderbar
England: chicken pie from this pub near the British Museum. Lion bar for the candy
Ireland: shepherd's pie or beef and Guiness stew, Wonka bar (different than in the States)
Scotland: haggis. Yes, haggis is actually quite tasty. Deep fried Snickers for the candy. (hey... the candy is the same throughout the UK and I didnt want to list Lion three times).

Anyone else find stuff they liked in foreign lands?

McConvey wrote:When you guys go out of country, do you look forward to trying different native dishes?

I always do. My travel mates always end up complaining about the food, but I tend to view it as an adventure. Sure I make some missteps along the way, but more often than not I end up liking whatever it is I've tried.

I also like trying different candies. I like candy

Some favorites by country (dish, candy):
Australia: I didn't get to eat a ton of different Aussie foods for various reasons. I did try kangaroo and crocodile. Kangaroo tasted like beef, but a little tougher. Crocodile didn't have much taste at all. I did find an Italian place I liked and some wicked good spring rolls, but neither of this is expressly Aussie.
Canada: poutine, Wonderbar
England: chicken pie from this pub near the British Museum. Lion bar for the candy
Ireland: shepherd's pie or beef and Guiness stew, Wonka bar (different than in the States)
Scotland: haggis. Yes, haggis is actually quite tasty. Deep fried Snickers for the candy. (hey... the candy is the same throughout the UK and I didnt want to list Lion three times).

Anyone else find stuff they liked in foreign lands?

We spend a lot of tiein Puerto Rico where the main native dish is mofongo, mashed plaintains flavored with a variety of spices. I prefer less fongo myself. Much less. Corned beef and banana with strong coffeee was OK. Most food is fried and not that appealing- surprisingly fish is not a very big deal. Pollo, on the other hand, is very popular and some versions are pretty good. Probably the losers from the nightly cock fights.

No report on Vegemite?

h2oville rocket wrote:

McConvey wrote:When you guys go out of country, do you look forward to trying different native dishes?

I always do. My travel mates always end up complaining about the food, but I tend to view it as an adventure. Sure I make some missteps along the way, but more often than not I end up liking whatever it is I've tried.

I also like trying different candies. I like candy

Some favorites by country (dish, candy):
Australia: I didn't get to eat a ton of different Aussie foods for various reasons. I did try kangaroo and crocodile. Kangaroo tasted like beef, but a little tougher. Crocodile didn't have much taste at all. I did find an Italian place I liked and some wicked good spring rolls, but neither of this is expressly Aussie.
Canada: poutine, Wonderbar
England: chicken pie from this pub near the British Museum. Lion bar for the candy
Ireland: shepherd's pie or beef and Guiness stew, Wonka bar (different than in the States)
Scotland: haggis. Yes, haggis is actually quite tasty. Deep fried Snickers for the candy. (hey... the candy is the same throughout the UK and I didnt want to list Lion three times).

Anyone else find stuff they liked in foreign lands?

We spend a lot of tiein Puerto Rico where the main native dish is mofongo, mashed plaintains flavored with a variety of spices. I prefer less fongo myself. Much less. Corned beef and banana with strong coffeee was OK. Most food is fried and not that appealing- surprisingly fish is not a very big deal. Pollo, on the other hand, is very popular and some versions are pretty good. Probably the losers from the nightly cock fights.

No report on Vegemite?

I have some Puerto Rican heritage and have visited family there several times myself. Mofongo is one of my favorite dishes, and my fiancee and I just made it for my birthday the other day. I'm also a big fan of bacalaitos (cod fritters) and pinchos (basically meat on a stick). But I also have come across very very few Puerto Rican dishes that I haven't liked.

As for the fried foods, it is true that a lot of things are fried and starchy, but the ingredients are so fresh that it winds up not being all that unhealthy as one might think. And the fried foods aren't left greasy and doughy most of the time, as a lot of American fried foods are. At least in my experience.

Ydfalcon wrote:
I have some Puerto Rican heritage and have visited family there several times myself. Mofongo is one of my favorite dishes, and my fiancee and I just made it for my birthday the other day. I'm also a big fan of bacalaitos (cod fritters) and pinchos (basically meat on a stick). But I also have come across very very few Puerto Rican dishes that I haven't liked.

My wife loves the mofongo, I just find it very bland no matter how they spice it up. I did forget about pinchos- I love pinchos. Used togo hungry all day and thengo to Rincon at Dome Beach park and buy a dozen. Yummm! Also love the little frozn juice cups they have all over-can't recall the name. But the coffee- OMG, the coffee- we order ours here at home from a place down there-Offecay- pretty cheap for the quality and fresh and it is soooooo good.

h2oville rocket wrote:

Ydfalcon wrote:
I have some Puerto Rican heritage and have visited family there several times myself. Mofongo is one of my favorite dishes, and my fiancee and I just made it for my birthday the other day. I'm also a big fan of bacalaitos (cod fritters) and pinchos (basically meat on a stick). But I also have come across very very few Puerto Rican dishes that I haven't liked.

My wife loves the mofongo, I just find it very bland no matter how they spice it up.

I put some garlic, creole seasoning and fried salt pork (closest I could get to pork cracklings here, pork rinds like you buy here are nothing like the chicharrones you can get there) in my mofongo the other day, as well as reserved some rendered fat from the salt pork, plus more olive oil, minced garlic and creole seasoning and used all of that as a sauce/broth to add even more flavor when poured on top of the existing mofongo. It added a lot of flavor. Just an idea for you if you ever wanted to make it at home.

Also love the little frozn juice cups they have all over-can't recall the name.

Piraguas? Though piraguas are, in my mind, a little closer to a snow cone, so maybe we're not talking about the same thing. There are also the little cups of what is essentially frozen coconut water called Cocos Frios, is that what you're thinking of?

I went to Canada on a culinary adventure only to find out it's the same chit I can find here.

Back to the drawing board.

h2oville rocket wrote: No report on Vegemite?

I was naming foods I liked

Vegemite is one of the most vile, disgusting things I've ever tasted.
I can't think of words strong enough to tell you guys how truly putrid Vegemite is.