Foodie’s Paradise: Discovering Culinary Delights Around the World

Briana
Briana 3 Min Read

The gastronomy of a place is often the primary reason people travel, especially for the food. For many, the joy of a stellar meal in an arresting setting is enough to inspire a trip. This culinary journey can take many forms, from a simple, family-style dinner to a once-in-a-lifetime meal that will have your jaw-dropping. It can even be a full-scale immersive experience where your senses are overwhelmed and wowed by a combination of ingredients, dishes, cooking techniques, geography, and more. If you’re an avid foodie, it’s likely that you’ve tried a new flavor on for size in the past or had the pleasure of enjoying a traditional dish from another country for the first time. This is the true joy of culinary travel — embracing the unique cuisines from around the globe and letting your palate lead the way.

For those craving a taste of the world without traveling, several NYC neighborhoods host annual food festivals where you can sample a wide array of local eats and meet some of the passionate vendors and business owners that make these experiences possible. The Taste of Sunnyside Restaurant Crawl in western Queens is one such event, where attendees can sample French desserts from Reunion Bakery & Espresso, Salvadoran foods from Ricas Pupusas y Mas, Filipino eats from The Boiis Co and Romanian delicacies from Danubius.

There’s no shortage of epicurean delights in China. From Shanghai seafood soup to Beijing duck, Chinese cuisine is as varied as the nation itself. The country’s entrepreneurial spirit and appreciation for the finer things in life results in a cuisine that will have your taste buds doing cartwheels.

If you’re ready to put your palate to the test, check out Basic to Bougie, a digital series hosted by MTV star Tim Chantarangsu and Darren’s “Big Baby” Brand (with appearances by Justina Valentine). The show pits three versions of the same dish (ex: hot dogs) against each other and asks the hosts to rank them in order of least to most expensive.