Stepping out of the airport for the first time in a new country is an exciting feeling. You’ve been thinking about this trip for a while, and you have a ton of expectations.
But in my opinion, there is no point going halfway around the world just to do things the same way you do at home. For me, that means immersing myself in the local cuisine. But my year’s traveling has taught me this is not as easy to do as it sounds.
Here are 15 tips I have developed over the years that will have you eating like a local in no time.
Look for locals
If you want to eat like a local, you have to eat where the locals eat. It is not to say that a place that caters to tourists will have bad food, but if you don’t see any local people eating there, it is an indication that it is not the best representation of local food. Try to avoid eating at hotels and other tourist destinations. Eating like a local usually means getting outside the tourist bubble.
Talk to the driver
Nobody knows a city like its cab drivers. Whether you are taking a taxi or an UBER, the driver spends his days taking people around the city, and he is likely to know all of the best places to eat in the city. They’ll know where the best local food is, where to find the best prices, and the best times to go to different restaurants. Just make sure to tell them you are looking to get some authentic local cuisine. If you just ask for a place to eat, they might play it safe and recommend a tourist spot.
Get the lingo down
In many places, finding the best local food will take you a bit off the beaten track. As you get away from the tourist centers, you may find that English has an ever-diminishing presence. In these situations, it can help to know a few words of the local language. It can help you to get around, and if you know the local words for different foods, it could help you to find your next dining opportunity.
Learn where to go before you leave
In this, we are not talking about finding the best restaurants, but the best areas for good local food. In many cities, there are specific neighborhoods that are known for having the best restaurants. If you learn about these areas before you go, you have a good starting point for finding the best local food. Depending on the destination, you could even book your accommodation to be near one of these areas.
Try the street food
Street food is a big part of the local culture in a number of different countries. Some tourists might be hesitant to buy food from a vendor on the side of the road, but in places where this is common, street food is probably the best representation of the food that locals eat. These vendors don’t make their money with décor or some gimmick, they make their living by selling good local food to the same people every day.
Check out the local food bloggers
With the internet, almost every city has local food bloggers. They might have their own blog site, they might be on a local internet news site or you could find them on social media sites like Instagram. A quick Google search is all you should need to find a few, and they should be good for helping you to find all of the best places to eat like a local. Start following their recommendations a few weeks before you leave, and you should have a nice list of places to check out when you arrive at your destination.
This is the exact reason I finally caved and started traveling with a connected mobile phone. Unless you want to plan out your meals meticulously before you go, having a direct line to Instagram and articles about where to eat in the area you happen to be at any given time is the best way to eat well. You can get a local SIM in most countries, for journeys over multiple countries I like to use a prepaid international SIM (more on that here)
Respect the food culture
You’ll find that the culture around food and dining can vary in different places. People eat their meals at different times, and there are bits of etiquette that might not make sense to us, but they mean a lot when you are eating with the locals in a given location. Do people eat on the street? Is it ok to eat on the train? Should I ask to have my leftovers wrapped? Do I tip for service? If you want to eat like a local, you should try to learn some of the cultures that have built up around eating.
Not only is this just the right thing to do but it will also be a good chance to connect with locals around you (they often appreciate the effort) and get a hot tip on your next eating spot.
This website is mostly focused on business dealings but there are some good tips on the eating culture in each country.
