7 ms·

> A bit obvious, maybe, but I've met many people who insisted on only eating Western food[...] At that point, why even bother traveling? Whenever I have a guid

by gwd 6y ago

> A bit obvious, maybe, but I've met many people who insisted on only eating Western food[...] At that point, why even bother traveling? Whenever I have a guide (either professional or a local friend), this is often strangely a lot of work. Particularly the tour companies I've gone with in China insist on trying to get me a Western breakfast. If I wanted pancakes and sausage I would have just stayed at home and cooked my own! Give me the stuff you like. I may not end up liking it, but there's a pretty decent chance I will.

DanielleMolloy 6y ago
They are probably used to closed-minded arrogant Westeners whining aloud about not getting their cornflakes. Unfortunately. I also don't get people who won't at least try local customs like eating cooked fish on rice with green tea in the morning, but there are plenty of them. These people usually don't do well in really different countries and complain and whine and compare to home all the time instead of curious observing / understanding. Real travelling, which is about learning and immersing and broadening your mental horizon, and not about conquering some beach with your ass is just not for them.
- katzgrau 6y ago
  I can't imagine a lot of close minded arrogant westerners doing a lot of travel to begin with. I think it's more likely that they want you to feel more at home. I was visiting an overseas team in Bangalore for a week and the team took me out to ... a steakhouse. Most of the team didn't eat beef but they wanted to take me somewhere they thought I'd like. I was appreciative of their consideration but ended up ordering the chicken, felt weird otherwise.
  - lvturner 6y ago
    You’d be surprised. There was a roaring trade in American coca-cola in Beijing because enough people wanted to avoid the local version. As a non-American, I couldn’t taste the difference, but the imported stuff was 3x the price. Another phrase I heard often was an irate “This would never happen in America!”
    - notdang 6y ago
      Usually I try to avoid American Coca-Cola and prefer Mexican Coca-Cola. If Mexican Coca-Cola is not available, I prefer not to drink it. While visiting US, I buy the overpriced Mexican version. And yes, the taste is different, even for Coca-Cola light.
      - Djvacto 6y ago
        From what I know, this is because the american coca-cola is sweetened with corn syrup, while in other countries it's usually cane sugar. I'm not sure if the corn syrup thing has changed in recent years or not.
        notdang 6y ago
        AFAIK the Coca-Cola light doesn't have any sugar, so the usual cane sugar explanation does not apply.
        alisonkisk 6y ago
        The difference in taste is the glass bottle vs aluminum can or plastic bottle.
  - gwd 6y ago
    > I was visiting an overseas team in Bangalore for a week and the team took me out to ... a steakhouse. Right, this is exactly the problem I was talking about! And to be fair, there probably are a lot of Americans who would prefer a steakhouse; and many more who want to try "real" Indian food but just aren't ready for how different cultural food tastes actually are. But when you've eaten chicken feet a dozen times, and incorporated "century egg" into your own personal cooking repertoire, it's a bit frustrating to make your way to a third-tier city in China and be fed breaded deep-fried bits of chicken with a bland sweet-and-sour sauce!
- greggman3 6y ago
  It's not just Americans. Plenty of Korean's can't live without Korean food every meal. Plenty of Japanese can't live without Japanese food every meal. I know Italian friends who say their parents couldn't live without Italian food every meal. I know the first 2 culture sell tour packages where you'll be served Korean or Japanese food for every meal while on your tour abroad
  - biolurker1 6y ago
    I know Greeks that can't eat without bread and feta any meal
  - ocschwar 6y ago
    Heh. My office in Boston is right by where Asian package tour companies stop their buses and send their customers out with docents in their language. And yes, they never stop for food even after walking 5 miles through the city, which is for the best, as it would be an awful time to discover that you're lactose intolerant.
- RegnisGnaw 6y ago
  It’s not just Americans. My parents used to travel with a mini rice cooker, small bag of rice, and canned Chinese food when they travel. They have lived in Canada since 1990. They stopped doing that after the Boston Marathon bombing cause of the airport security. One of the highlights of their trip to France in 2002 was in Nice. Their hotel was near a Chinese Grocery and was able to get BBQ Pork and Soy Chicken. Five years ago they went for a two week tour of Australia from China (after visiting relatives in China). Every meal on that tour was in a Chinese restaurant.
- thaumasiotes 6y ago
  > They are probably used to closed-minded arrogant Westeners whining aloud about not getting their cornflakes. Cornflakes are one of the easiest things to find in China. They're sold in local grocery stores from some German brand. http://globalfoods.rs/hahne-3/ http://globalfoods.rs/hahne-3/
- gwd 6y ago
  > They are probably used to closed-minded arrogant Westeners whining aloud about not getting their cornflakes. Unfortunately. Others have pointed out that lots of cultures have this problem: I read a Chinese newspaper article a few years ago about mainland Chinese bring suitcases full of instant noodles to eat when traveling abroad. But while there are certainly Westerners like that, I don't think they were the cause of my problem. First of all, lunch and dinner on these tours was typically "Chinese" food, but something which was clearly targeted at a Western palate (which was perhaps even more frustrating). I think ironically, it was probably people who did want to try "authentic" cuisine -- or thought they did -- who were causing some of my problems. My guess is that they had people say they wanted "authentic cuisine", but when given actually authentic cuisine, didn't like it -- it didn't taste like the "authentic" cuisine in the Chinese restaurants at home. Secondly, it probably does help people to deal with the new thing if they have something familiar. If you want to try something new but have never been outside the US, "three genuine Chinese meals a day for two weeks" is really throwing you in in the deep end. "Western breakfast and pseudo-Chinese lunch and dinner" probably is a much better way for those kinds of people to experience something new.
- smileysteve 6y ago
  I experienced this when traveling Thailand; it was nearly impossible to get food that was spicy enough to match my Atlanta, Georgia (US) expectations. The staff would snicker as they brought the chili's out. In many ways it made me realize just how good multiple cultures have combined to make my "home" food good.
  - codonaut 6y ago
    Food in Thailand is often not that spicy by default. The condiments on the table are what allow everyone to adjust the spiciness to their preferred level. So, I wouldn't say it's necessarily the staff thinking you can't handle it, it might just be how the dishes are always prepared.
  - nont 6y ago
    As a Thai person, the cooks know that if they have non Thai guests, especially "Farangs", they need to tone down their spicyness. You have to insist them or bring a local to have them make it hot.
bluGill 6y ago
My brother convinced his taxi driver he wanted what the natives ate and got the driver's mother to cook a real meal for him. I was elsewhere that day, and I regret missing it (We were on the same vacation, I signed up for a tour that day because there was a sight I wanted to see that he couldn't afford) If you can pull that one off you will have got the best and mroe authentic experience.
sequoia 6y ago
If possible (they won't always accommodate) ask the desk clerk at your hotel (assuming they're a local, not always the case especially at hostels) what they eat for breakfast/lunch and where you can get that. After a terrible "English breakfast" of undercooked bacon & burned sausage at a tourist restaurant in a small Indian tourist town, I asked the fellow manning the small hotel what he had for breakfast and where I could get it. None of the tourist places served pav bhaji (or "baji pao" as I'd understood him to call it) but when I found the little hole-in-the-wall place he directed me to I was rewarded with a new experience, a dish I hadn't tried before, and one I really enjoyed and continued eating for breakfast during the remainder of my short stay. It can take some doing in some places to convince people that you (in my case a Westerner) really are interested in their food, culture, etc.. Learning a bit of the language can help. I was happy to be able to memorize "ek paav bhaajee aur ek samosa aur chaay chaahie" and order for myself in Hindi, hoping that if there were any complications the server would speak English as that's as far as I could go. But people appreciate that a lot, even just learning "my name is, what's your name, how are you" etc. When I said "my name is sequoia, what is your name" to a taxi driver they would sometimes say "You speak hindi?!" incredulously, to which I'd reply "well I wouldn't go that far..."

by gwd 6y ago

DanielleMolloy 6y ago

They are probably used to closed-minded arrogant Westeners whining aloud about not getting their cornflakes. Unfortunately. I also don't get people who won't at least try local customs like eating cooked fish on rice with green tea in the morning, but there are plenty of them. These people usually don't do well in really different countries and complain and whine and compare to home all the time instead of curious observing / understanding. Real travelling, which is about learning and immersing and broadening your mental horizon, and not about conquering some beach with your ass is just not for them.

katzgrau 6y ago
I can't imagine a lot of close minded arrogant westerners doing a lot of travel to begin with. I think it's more likely that they want you to feel more at home. I was visiting an overseas team in Bangalore for a week and the team took me out to ... a steakhouse. Most of the team didn't eat beef but they wanted to take me somewhere they thought I'd like. I was appreciative of their consideration but ended up ordering the chicken, felt weird otherwise.
- lvturner 6y ago
  You’d be surprised. There was a roaring trade in American coca-cola in Beijing because enough people wanted to avoid the local version. As a non-American, I couldn’t taste the difference, but the imported stuff was 3x the price. Another phrase I heard often was an irate “This would never happen in America!”
  - notdang 6y ago
    Usually I try to avoid American Coca-Cola and prefer Mexican Coca-Cola. If Mexican Coca-Cola is not available, I prefer not to drink it. While visiting US, I buy the overpriced Mexican version. And yes, the taste is different, even for Coca-Cola light.
    - Djvacto 6y ago
      From what I know, this is because the american coca-cola is sweetened with corn syrup, while in other countries it's usually cane sugar. I'm not sure if the corn syrup thing has changed in recent years or not.
      - notdang 6y ago
        AFAIK the Coca-Cola light doesn't have any sugar, so the usual cane sugar explanation does not apply.
      - alisonkisk 6y ago
        The difference in taste is the glass bottle vs aluminum can or plastic bottle.
- gwd 6y ago
  > I was visiting an overseas team in Bangalore for a week and the team took me out to ... a steakhouse. Right, this is exactly the problem I was talking about! And to be fair, there probably are a lot of Americans who would prefer a steakhouse; and many more who want to try "real" Indian food but just aren't ready for how different cultural food tastes actually are. But when you've eaten chicken feet a dozen times, and incorporated "century egg" into your own personal cooking repertoire, it's a bit frustrating to make your way to a third-tier city in China and be fed breaded deep-fried bits of chicken with a bland sweet-and-sour sauce!
greggman3 6y ago
It's not just Americans. Plenty of Korean's can't live without Korean food every meal. Plenty of Japanese can't live without Japanese food every meal. I know Italian friends who say their parents couldn't live without Italian food every meal. I know the first 2 culture sell tour packages where you'll be served Korean or Japanese food for every meal while on your tour abroad
- biolurker1 6y ago
  I know Greeks that can't eat without bread and feta any meal
- ocschwar 6y ago
  Heh. My office in Boston is right by where Asian package tour companies stop their buses and send their customers out with docents in their language. And yes, they never stop for food even after walking 5 miles through the city, which is for the best, as it would be an awful time to discover that you're lactose intolerant.
RegnisGnaw 6y ago
It’s not just Americans. My parents used to travel with a mini rice cooker, small bag of rice, and canned Chinese food when they travel. They have lived in Canada since 1990. They stopped doing that after the Boston Marathon bombing cause of the airport security. One of the highlights of their trip to France in 2002 was in Nice. Their hotel was near a Chinese Grocery and was able to get BBQ Pork and Soy Chicken. Five years ago they went for a two week tour of Australia from China (after visiting relatives in China). Every meal on that tour was in a Chinese restaurant.
thaumasiotes 6y ago
> They are probably used to closed-minded arrogant Westeners whining aloud about not getting their cornflakes. Cornflakes are one of the easiest things to find in China. They're sold in local grocery stores from some German brand. http://globalfoods.rs/hahne-3/ http://globalfoods.rs/hahne-3/
gwd 6y ago
> They are probably used to closed-minded arrogant Westeners whining aloud about not getting their cornflakes. Unfortunately. Others have pointed out that lots of cultures have this problem: I read a Chinese newspaper article a few years ago about mainland Chinese bring suitcases full of instant noodles to eat when traveling abroad. But while there are certainly Westerners like that, I don't think they were the cause of my problem. First of all, lunch and dinner on these tours was typically "Chinese" food, but something which was clearly targeted at a Western palate (which was perhaps even more frustrating). I think ironically, it was probably people who did want to try "authentic" cuisine -- or thought they did -- who were causing some of my problems. My guess is that they had people say they wanted "authentic cuisine", but when given actually authentic cuisine, didn't like it -- it didn't taste like the "authentic" cuisine in the Chinese restaurants at home. Secondly, it probably does help people to deal with the new thing if they have something familiar. If you want to try something new but have never been outside the US, "three genuine Chinese meals a day for two weeks" is really throwing you in in the deep end. "Western breakfast and pseudo-Chinese lunch and dinner" probably is a much better way for those kinds of people to experience something new.
smileysteve 6y ago
I experienced this when traveling Thailand; it was nearly impossible to get food that was spicy enough to match my Atlanta, Georgia (US) expectations. The staff would snicker as they brought the chili's out. In many ways it made me realize just how good multiple cultures have combined to make my "home" food good.
- codonaut 6y ago
  Food in Thailand is often not that spicy by default. The condiments on the table are what allow everyone to adjust the spiciness to their preferred level. So, I wouldn't say it's necessarily the staff thinking you can't handle it, it might just be how the dishes are always prepared.
- nont 6y ago
  As a Thai person, the cooks know that if they have non Thai guests, especially "Farangs", they need to tone down their spicyness. You have to insist them or bring a local to have them make it hot.

bluGill 6y ago

My brother convinced his taxi driver he wanted what the natives ate and got the driver's mother to cook a real meal for him. I was elsewhere that day, and I regret missing it (We were on the same vacation, I signed up for a tour that day because there was a sight I wanted to see that he couldn't afford) If you can pull that one off you will have got the best and mroe authentic experience.

sequoia 6y ago

If possible (they won't always accommodate) ask the desk clerk at your hotel (assuming they're a local, not always the case especially at hostels) what they eat for breakfast/lunch and where you can get that. After a terrible "English breakfast" of undercooked bacon & burned sausage at a tourist restaurant in a small Indian tourist town, I asked the fellow manning the small hotel what he had for breakfast and where I could get it. None of the tourist places served pav bhaji (or "baji pao" as I'd understood him to call it) but when I found the little hole-in-the-wall place he directed me to I was rewarded with a new experience, a dish I hadn't tried before, and one I really enjoyed and continued eating for breakfast during the remainder of my short stay. It can take some doing in some places to convince people that you (in my case a Westerner) really are interested in their food, culture, etc.. Learning a bit of the language can help. I was happy to be able to memorize "ek paav bhaajee aur ek samosa aur chaay chaahie" and order for myself in Hindi, hoping that if there were any complications the server would speak English as that's as far as I could go. But people appreciate that a lot, even just learning "my name is, what's your name, how are you" etc. When I said "my name is sequoia, what is your name" to a taxi driver they would sometimes say "You speak hindi?!" incredulously, to which I'd reply "well I wouldn't go that far..."