One of the best ways to experience culture is through food. Visiting a foreign country can be both exciting and scary especially if you don’t speak the language or have the ability to read it. As a corporate pilot I have flown with crew members from France, Italy, Japan, and Switzerland. Being with someone who can speak the language of the country you’re visiting is always an advantage, and it gave me more insight into the culture than if I was by myself. It is always a challenge visiting someplace I have never been unless I prepared for it. These experiences also gave me the knowledge on how to experience the culture better if I was alone. To really start to understand a society we have to start with what defines that society as an independent culture – food.
I was watching an episode of “Bizarre Foods” on the Travel Channel by famed Chef Andrew Zimmern. I love watching these shows because they motivate me to go out and experience food types in different cultures. One thing that stood out to me that Zimmern suggested to his audience, and one that would stick with me till this very day, is when you try a new food – try it twice. The first bite may not be very tasteful. Yet on the second bite your pallet adjusts and you might actually love it! When you want to experience the culture up close and personal you have to immerse yourself in the food. Just because it looks bad or smells bad doesn’t mean to run away. Give it a try not just once, but twice. This is key to experience culture through food.
When I was in Thailand, I rented a motorcycle and rode it up to the hills north of Chiang Mai. I found a small restaurant… as more of a shack without walls. I sat down to a menu I couldn’t read with a waitress who didn’t understand me. We both laughed since communicating was out of the question. I pointed to something random on the menu just to try it. I think the workers felt sorry for me and made me a couple of items I’m sure they thought I would like. I did! It was a great experience and I got a taste of the real Thailand.
The best way to experience a culture is to eat the food of that country and just enjoy life. I will forever remember those times sitting on the beach in Barcelona eating paella, or in the fish market of Tokyo trying sushi, and of course being in Paris eating at the Girafe restaurant overlooking the Eiffel tower. The first step towards deepening your appreciation for another culture is simple – eat and celebrate life!
