“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might as well stay home”
I love that quote and I couldn’t agree more with it. Culinary experiences are essentials when I travel and I firmly believe that there isn’t a better way to appreciate a country and its culture.
In this post, I share my favorite tips to Eat like a local…while traveling!
Connect with locals !
Traveling is all about building connections. Social media has make it easy for us to build virtual connections and that’s a great starting point. You could and should definitely reach out to your followers to get personal recommendations and why not meet them over coffee?
When travel blogger Bren on the road arrived in Côte d’Ivoire, he reached out to me on Facebook to meet! We ended up going for drinks in a maquis* {local bar & food joint} and another day I invited him over at my house for Garba* {Ivorian Food}.
Visit Food Markets & Food Stores !
There are so many ways to embrace the culinary culture of a destination. While living abroad {both in the US & the UK}, visiting Food Markets was a regular activity of mine. I still remember those Saturdays mornings at the Amish Farmers market in Harrisburg, PA during my freshman year in college…Not only did I learn so much about their way of life but it was also an opportunity to connect with locals, practice my English {remember my mother tongue is French} & get the freshest produces.
If you were to visit Côte d’Ivoire, I would definitely recommend that you explore our concept stores. You will find a great variety of “Made in Côte d’Ivoire” products & also meet with local food entrepreneurs.
Go a Food Tour !
I am huge fan of Food Tours and I am in the process of launching my Food Tour Business in Côte d’Ivoire. If you are looking for a stress-free opportunity to eat like a local, food tours are a must! Not only will you connect with locals, but also with like-minded individuals on a tour with you. Additionally, I totally recommend joining a food tour if you are traveling solo!
I would love to hear from you, what are your tips to Eat like a local while traveling?
[…] the 1st food blog of Côte d’Ivoire in 2012: “Journal d’une Foodie” now rebranded as “Afrofoodie”, but she also launched the 1st Restaurant week of Côte d’Ivoire: “Abidjan Restaurant […]