What we like (and don’t like) to eat is deeply personal and often weird to others. Some of us are naturally curious and experimental eaters. Others like to stick to what they know. For some, the plate is a battlefield, featuring wars on fats, allergies, spices and indigestion.
I have always been an eclectic eater: I knew I liked my pasta al dente before I knew that Italy existed. Through years of traveling, my culinary compass is delighted by only 5 cuisines:
– Japanese
– Thai
– Chinese (esp. Sichuan)
– Italian (esp. Southern)
– French (esp. Southern)
[I also tolerate Turkish/Greek/Middle Eastern, but find these foods do better when cooked at home, rather than in restaurants, in general].
The rest of the world is, for me, a terrifying gastronomical challenge. One of the worst black holes in this universe is *Eastern Europe*, the land of meat-and-potatoes, cabbage & beets. And soggy beige dumplings.
Here’s how I cope when I go there…