When you're way out there....way, way, way out there, and you don't speak the language how do you negotiate foods you want to eat? It's not to say you shouldn't experiment with strange new foods. Sometimes you just don't want every meal to be a surprise. You get tired of ordering the same things or the exhausting process of pointing and grunting at picture menus or perhaps somewhat rudely at the food on other people's tables only to be asked further questions in a language you don't speak, so what do you eat? I want to know! Have you invented something new and interesting with limited resources?
Here's how I've been managing:
For the first three months in South Korea, the local food was my main source of sustinence. But then I started going a little nuts once in a while, patronizing Western chain restaurants that I don't even like and overeating and feeling confused and disgusted with myself about why that was happening.
At first, due to the product labels, grocery shopping was a daunting task. The only things to be sure about were fruits and vegetables, and the brand logos on cereal and junk food.....ie: Pringle's. Now that I've changed my thinking and am cooking at home, I'm able to enjoy the Korean food again when I don't eat it every meal.
A trip out even further out there from where I am to the deep South Korean countryside, a lesson in how to prepare tortillas out of the Peacecorp Mongolia cookbook changed my life. Every day for the next week was a Mexican fiesta filled with burritos, fajitas, and quesadillas. Because I think I gained ten pounds, I had to further diversify.
As I'm currently obsessed with sweet potatoes, I'd like to share a couple of wonderful things that can be done with them:
Sweet Potato Burrito: Weirdly, I was in the town of Porthsmouth, New Hamshire when I discovered this idea. It's as simple as sweet potatoes prepared however you want them--boiled or baked, black beans, and pumpkin seeds (inspired by the Kashi frozen meal Mayan Harvest bake). Mango salsa-my current version is quite simple due to limited ingredients--add white or red onion, chile peppers, and red chile powder. Top with plain yogurt.
Sweet Potato Salad: Boiled and peeled sweet potatoes, chopped up bananas, green apples, and plain yogurt. Delicious as a meal or dessert. This one was actually inspired by a side dish encountered at a Korean restaurant.
If you've found yourself becoming more creative in the kitchen in a foreign country maybe in a kitchen that isn't equipped with an oven (mine isn't) I would love to hear your survival strategies!
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@Katie Wow!!! Good luck with the food allergy! I'm not allergic to anything but hypoglycemic so I have to make sure I stay without certain types of foods so my high metabolism doesn't burn things away quickly and I pass out from sugar levels dropping.
It's definitely a good idea to look up basic food items. I have an iPhone and have a translator program on it. As long as I know how to tell the server to give me a few minutes I'll translate the ingredients I don't know via iPhone. Then I just point. I have learned not to always trust the translater when I want to know English to foreign language as it isn't always correct and I've said some interesting things.
About the food allergy issue, good luck with that! Maybe you should at least consider some simple foods to prepare at home, nothing elaborate. Of course China is a different country and I don't know how it is there but without a food allergy, things relative to eating became a little stressful anyhow.
that's a great idea to take pictures of the food for practical reasons, i've done it because i like the presentation or the dish of silkworm pupae. i used to carry around a notebook with me and copy down the hangul script from menus or have koreans do it for me.
i'm close enough to the sea that there's always street fish markets, fish tanks outside of restaurants full of eels, flounder and other stuff. i like fish and would in fact die for a nasty plate of fish and chips with malt vinager.
I know that Japanese food is one of the more accessible foreign foods here, however it is not accessible to me because I don't know how to find it. Though they don't say so, many Koreans seem kinda hurt if you express how much you wish you could eat Japanese food or Chinese food, or that maybe you think Southeast Asian food is delicious. They sympathize with your hunger and say "let's go eat" and then take you to a Korean restaurant.
Seems like Koreans do more of a sashimi with the raw fish. I prefer it be wrapped in seaweed and rice, etc. One day, I was watching a Discovery channel special on Taiwan and there was a segment on food. The food looked so amazing and the key word was *fusion*. To make a bit of a generalization, within their own country, Koreans tend to be purists and like things to be 100% Korean. Although I read an article in the NY Times about the introduction of Korean fusion taco carts/restaurants in New York and Los Angeles.
Here in Japan i live in a sleepy fishing town...its goes without saying that they love their seafood and in fact my town is famous for its oysters.
One problems...i dont like seafood - well most of it...i like my fish cooked - so that means no sushi.
Many people are shocked to hear i dont like sushi BUT thats mostly foreigners because i know quite a few japanese people who dont like sushi.
When i first came here i could only speak a few words. I'm more then happy to point at a picture because i dont know how to say the food BUT i have now learnt how to order 1, 2 or 3 etc of the same food, so i can order for a group if need be.
My favourite dish is a rice bowl with cooked shredded beef on top - its cheap too.
At home is when i normally cook western style such as a bacon and egg toasted cheese sandwich with BBQ sauce OR BBQ chicken strips with chips.
One thing i do miss is Heinz baked bean - i just cant find them anywhere - theres only soya beans :S
My advice about ordering food is look up common dishes online - take a little note book with you that has the dish name in english and the foreign language and a picture...
Also if you order something you like take a picture and write it down from the menu because then you will know for next time
Given I am off to China next week and know about 4 words of Manderin I read your post with great interest. Like you I want to experience the local cuisine and not end up eating from western food franchises. You seem to have found a happy medium but I cant imagine myself cooking - not my thing at all, dont do it at home and would probably end up with some gastronomic disaster!!
Although I did read an article last week on the more exotic foods of China.....and think there are several
I will certainly avoid - fried scorpions, lambs penis, monkeys brain to name a few!!!
My major concen is that I am highly allergic to eggs. I carry an Epipen at ALL times due to going into anaphalaxysis fairly rapidly if egg is mistakenly consumed. I have had someone write this out for me in Manderin and will double check that it is written correctly when I get to China. Will carry this everywhere and just keep my fingers crossed that people in restaurants and bars understand the severity of this.
Would love to know if anyone else has severe allergies and how thhey have dealt with them OS when they have a major language barrier????
Even though I just ate breakfast, this is making me feel massively hungry...
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