Travelling the world often stirs up a strange mixture of feeling at one with your surroundings and at the same time not being accepted into them. Becoming a part of the country you’re visiting often demands more effort than ticking off destinations on your itinerary. Connecting travelers with locals can sometimes be tricky, but having a local dining experience really can transform your travels in 5 ways:
- You eat in the best places
If you want to eat near the colosseum in Rome, or with views of the Eiffel tower in Paris, you’ll often have to pay a fortune, and let’s face it, the food will be pretty average. The ‘tourist trap’ is an abhorrent term for the intrepid traveler. Instead, opt for real local cuisine. Locals often have amazing views from their balconies, terraces, and dining rooms. Companies like BonAppetour put you in touch with locals who want to cook up a storm for travelers in their own homes. This way, you can get amazing home-cooked food and really feel like a part of the city.
2.You eat authentic food
Locals want to be the best ambassadors for their country, which means, unlike the aforementioned tourist traps, they think about offering authentic experiences, and not about profit or monetary gains. You won’t find any chorizo in your paella when it’s made the proper way by locals in Barcelona!
3. You often learn a recipe or two!
The best souvenir you can take back from a vacation is definitely a local recipe; that way you will always have a piece of that country that you can reproduce whenever you like! There are loads of great courses out there, like learning how to make macarons in Paris, or Paella cooking lessons in Barcelona.
4.You discover local etiquette
There’s nothing worse than being the rude, obnoxious tourist- but it’s only natural that we sometimes do not know or understand the nuances of cultural etiquette. The best way to learn this is of course at a dinner table with locals, where they can teach you not to pass food with your chopsticks in Japan, or ask for more cheese with your meal in Italy.
5.You connect with a culture
There is a fantastic saying by the travel writer Deborah Carter: “You have to taste a culture to understand it.” Ask any Italian what reminds them of home, and the answer will often be the taste of nonna’s food. Cuisine is inextricably linked to culture, so the best way to experience a country is definitely through your tastebuds.
If you want to enjoy authentic cuisine in a local’s home just head over to www.bonappetour.com and use the code ACCBA20 for 20% off ANY dining experience around the world.
