Some foodie travel experiences are more obvious – restaurants, cooking lessons and food tours.
But don’t miss other windows of opportunity that can be equally rewarding and easy if you are looking out for them.
They can come at any time and are often free and flexible. A great idea for a break in the itinerary or for a rainy day.
You often come across more opportunistic experiences if you know a bit about what you’re looking for. A resource like The Penguin Food Guide to India is a great tool for developing a ‘short list’ of regional dishes and foods that you can highlight and flag in the handy electronic version, great for your phone.
Then just keep an eye out for those more surprising opportunities to ‘taste’ through the list including…..
Breakfasts…often include regional dishes and buffets mean you can try a little of many different flavours. Don’t be limited…. if there’s sweets to try, or chaat snacks…why not!
Thalis….lots of small dishes and accompaniments
Watching your guesthouse meal being prepared
Supermarkets…especially good for learning more about the ingredients in a food or to buy some to try (terrific for gifts to take home too)
Chattting to locals about their meal…(everyone loves talking about food)
Local food markets
Local food magazines
Popular snack bars on the street or in stations (look for busy spots where the food is quickly prepared and sold)
On the train
Food shops….
Fine Eating 