How to Eat Like a Local: Top 10 Foodie Secrets

When you travel, you get out and about and experience all that a city or country has to offer. Monuments and landmarks to visit, walk through famous streets and parks, breathe the local air and meet people - there's so much to do and experience. But we cannot go a day without food, and your experience will be enriched in many ways when you sample delicious local food. So no matter where you go, you can eat like a local and enjoy the essence of what you can really enjoy. Now, it takes some practice or proven tricks to eat like a local. Are you ready to hear tips from the trade?  

1.    Increase appetite

When you're hungry, you can eat anything and everything tastes great. So if you want your palate to be active while traveling, pack as many routines into your schedule as possible. Explore, wander, and you'll develop an appetite, and if you let it grow, you'll be able to taste anything and really get a taste of the place.

2.    Be sure to do some research before you start!

A food blog or travel vlog is your best source of information. No matter what city you're traveling to, just type the city name on YouTube and "restaurant" and you'll get tons of hits. The great thing about watching a video is that you can see the overall vibe of the venue and see if that's to your liking. You are then free to plan your route, combining sights and restaurants to sample before arriving at your destination.

3.    Go to Trends

You can always search Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the most talked about food in town. Most of these offer fresh presentations of traditional fare, and since they are new and popular, they are certainly of high quality. While you're there, you can ask the people waiting to order for their honest opinion. Most of the locals will open their doors to you and you can make a decision. You can get more information about other places and get great advice when you talk to them.  

4.    Food tour? Sign me up!

There are guided tours of each major city, where a local guide will take you on a journey and explain exciting facts to you. Then, there are evening pub crawls where large groups can enjoy the local spirit and atmosphere until morning. Foodies, however, should sign up for tours that focus primarily on eating places or specialty foods along scenic routes. While you can do some research online before your trip, we recommend checking with your hotel for the best concierges who can arrange a guided food tour for you.

5.    Explore street food anytime, anywhere

You might think street food stalls are unhygienic and sometimes unappetizing, but most stalls prepare fresh food as most stalls disappear at the end of the day. Plus, the stalls and carts are open, so you can easily assess and observe their cleanliness before ordering. No matter which tourist destination you visit, you'll always find piles of buildings around the corner or in the city center. However, these places have local delicacies, and the prices are relatively cheap.

So even though the restaurant is busy outside, there is fresh food that tastes good. The more clients they have, the more popular they are.  

6.    Google Maps is your friend

You can start by pinning a spot on sites like Trip Advisor, but remember that they recommend places that are tourist-friendly. You won't find any real good food or jewelry on these sites. Once at the study site, go to Google Maps and see the suggestions there. Most of the reviews on Google Maps are from locals, which can give you a better idea of ​​the quality of the place.

So browse the places with the highest stars and the most reviews first. That way, you have at least one or two places throughout the day where you can sample local food.

7.    Talk to employees

Talk to the receptionist at the hotel or the bartender at the bar; they live there and will recommend things you like. Some of them might even take you there, it's nice to have locals in your company. Keep up the good work and you'll enjoy some great places.

8.    Take a detour from time to time

As mentioned before, decide on the location before you get there. From there, mark a 1km radius, and look if there is one off the main road. Expand the circle as far as possible to find the next less traveled spot.  

9.    Practice the language

This is important for people with allergies or restrictions e.g. B. if they are vegetarian or for religious reasons. If you know a local saying to explain to locals what you do or don't want, they will be more than happy to entertain you. Sometimes it is not easy to memorize sentences or answer them in the local language. You can always use technology to find what you need. Most translators can now use voice commands to translate instead of typing, making your navigation easier.

10. Plan a food festival

While it may be held annually, it's a great way to enjoy most of the local food in one place when an event is on. You can also find monthly or weekly events to attend, or an entire food street is your paradise. However, this means you may need to be more flexible with your travel dates. But for foodies, a small change in the itinerary is not a big deal.

Enjoy as a local

These are the best recommendations for travelers who are also food junkies. So enjoy as much as possible during your trip and experience everything the destination has to offer.