The food

Having to choose a travel destination for my first outside-Europe experience was easy: Asia - because of the food. I was not disappointed: I have spent hours wandering along markets, tasting all that looked different. I have tried everything – from delicious saffron pancakes and curries to snake, beetles and things I cannot even put a name on. Apart from the food itself, it is the street life that attracts me. Everywhere there are buzzy, little foodstalls along the road, with people working and children playing. Social life takes place on the streets, which is something that is not obviously present in the Netherlands. Travelling makes it possible to change ones surroundings. Gazing upon the “other”, as John Urry defined. These differences with my home country are one of the key reasons to travel.

When studying in Norway, I felt I could live in this beautiful country for the rest of my life – were it not for the food. The cheese was tasteless, the oranges were as dry as the Sahara desert and adding to that: everything was extremely expensive. At such moments, I realise how much food can add to the experience of a journey. Food has memories and gives extra flavour to journey – literally. A piece of fresh baked French bread with a bit of salted butter will always remind me of good times with my family, while papayas provide me with an image of the tropical forests in Sri Lanka; both turn a smile on my face. Again, this is something that is not present at home. When trying to cook the same dish you ate on a journey never tastes the same. It misses the important ingredient that is called “travelling”. 

The market in Cambodia.

Want to try a different recipe? Sweet sticky rice with mango is often eaten as a sweet snack or delicious desert.