The Best Food I’ve Tried Around the World

Some travel memories blur with time. Others stay so vivid you can almost taste them again.

For me, so many of those lasting memories are tied to food... not just what was on the plate, but where I was sitting, who I was with, and that exact moment when I took a bite and knew it was special.

In this episode, I’m sharing the most unforgettable meals I’ve eaten around the world. These aren’t fancy fine-dining experiences or viral Instagram spots. They’re the meals that made me pause and smile, the ones I still think about years later.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why food creates some of our strongest travel memories
• The meals around the world that left a lasting impression on me
• How simplicity often beats complexity when it comes to unforgettable food
• Why food-led travel creates deeper, more meaningful experiences

Helpful Resources & Links

• Related Blog Post: The Best Food I’ve Tried Around the World: Meals I Still Dream About Years Later 
• Explore More: Destination guides, itineraries and travel tips over on the Tourist to Traveller blog.

And if you loved this episode, head to the blog to explore the full food guide, or browse other Tourist to Traveller episodes for more inspiration to help you move from tourist to traveller.

Connect & Explore

Find destination guides, travel planning resources and more at touristtotraveller.com, and follow along on Instagram @_touristtotraveller for behind-the-scenes planning and future travel inspiration. 

Transcript

Speaker 0:00

Welcome to the Tourist to Traveller Podcast, the show that helps you go beyond the guidebook and turn your bucket list dreams into real adventures. I'm Tahnee, a travel blogger, podcaster, and everyday explorer who's been ticking off epic destinations for over 20 years while balancing a 9 to 5. Each week I'll bring you inspiring stories, destination deep dives, and practical tips to help you plan smarter, travel deeper, and capture those unforgettable moments along the way. So, grab your passport, pack your curiosity, and let's get started. You know how some travel memories fade, but others stay crystal clear no matter how many years have passed? For me, so many of those memories are tied to food. Not just what I ate, but where I was sitting, who I was with, the smells in the air, and that exact moment when you take a bite and think, oh wow, this is special. Today's episode isn't about fancy restaurants or chasing food trends. It's about the meals I still think about years later. The ones that made me smile, pause, and sometimes even plan a return trip just to eat them again. From street food to home cooked feasts, from unexpected vegetarian wins to dishes that completely surprised me, I'm sharing the best food I've tried around the world and why these meals became such powerful travel memories. So if you love eating your way through a destination or you want your future trips to feel more meaningful and less rushed, you're going to love this one. If you are listening on an empty stomach today, I apologise in advance. Because today I'm talking about some of the most delicious meals and drinks that I've experienced whilst traveling. And for me, food really becomes an emotional anchor for travel for me. I would not call myself a foodie, but I do love food. And within reason, I'm quite adventurous when it comes to food around the world. And it's funny that sometimes I actually remember the food more than the landmarks in some destinations. Now, I didn't realise how powerful food was until we were in COVID times. When we were sitting here in lockdown in Brisbane, Australia, we were talking about when we get out, what's the first meal that you're going to eat. And you start thinking about all of the best meals you've eaten in your life because for weeks on end, all you could have access to was cooking in your own home. And our lockdown wasn't really that long in the grand scheme of things. But it really got me thinking: what are the foods that I remember? What are the foods that I love? And if I could choose anything to have as my first meal out of lockdown, what was that going to be? And then I was devastated when the meal that I was dreaming about that I couldn't wait to have when we got out of lockdown, I then remembered I ate that meal in a different state. But that's okay. This is what got me thinking, and this is where my list started to formulate around all of the foods that I still am dreaming about. I'm going to kick this one off with the most cliche obvious choice, and that is the pasta in Rome in Italy. I know it's the obvious choice, but so many people have gone to Italy and said that they weren't really impressed by the pasta or the pizza, and that they tried better at home. And I have to disagree, for me, the pasta in Italy was so incredibly simple. There were so few ingredients, but it just tasted so good. It was fresh, it was flavorsome, and no matter where we went, it was perfect. And coupled with that, you have the experience of sitting in a beautiful, dimly lit cobblestone street at a family-owned restaurant trying the most simple but delicious pasta dishes paired with delicious wine. Is Italy at its best? The pasta is usually homemade with olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs. It is so simple. And I think it tastes so good because the Italians really put their heart and soul into it. And while in Italy, I have to say the pizza was top-notch as well. Next, we're gonna head over to Samoa in the Pacific Islands. I traveled to Samoa with my family for my 30th birthday, and I think it was my second night there. I ordered this taro pasta. Now, taro, for anyone who is not familiar with it, is a starchy root vegetable. I don't really know how to describe the flavor. It's kind of like a sweet potato, but not. And it is an absolute staple over in Samoa. And this pasta, it was a vegetarian pasta. I think it was fettuccine, it was creamy, it was full of taro, it was full of herbs. And it's another meal that was really simple, but it was flavors that I had never experienced together before, and it was delicious. And it didn't hurt that I'm eating this pasta in uh, let's face it, paradise in Samoa, this beautiful tropical island destination. Now I loved this pasta so much that I ordered it almost every night for the rest of the trip. It was absolutely incredible and something that I still dream about to this day. There is no way that I have the talent to replicate the flavors in this pasta. And I've never come across a taro fettuccine dish since. And of course, what adds to that memory for me is the fact that it was a milestone birthday trip. So no matter what we did, no matter what we ate, it was going to be special. But it really has formed part of my memory of Samoa. Next, we'll head back over to Europe to a destination that I visited a couple of times now. And I first went just after my 21st birthday with my partner at the time. The second time I went was just a couple of years ago with my family, and that is the Greek Islands. I've always been a fan of Greek food, but as most people will tell you, Greek food in Greece tastes completely different to Greek food anywhere, especially here in Australia. The thing that really surprised me there was in the Greek Islands how fresh the ingredients were in everything that we eat, we were eating. And once again, the simplicity of the food. And the ingredients were so fresh that for many of the cafes and restaurants that we were eating at, they were family-owned, family-run, and they would actually use the produce and the crops from their backyard or from their property nearby. So they had grown the ingredients themselves and then and then use those ingredients to put their heart and soul into delicious meals. Now, something you should probably know about me is that I don't eat meat. And I didn't the first time I went to Greece, and I certainly didn't the second time I went to Greece. And Greek food is often full of meat, but the vegetarian options are actually really stunning. So, yes, they are known for their lamb, for their seafood, but it really didn't matter because everything that I ate was so full of flavor. I think fresh bread, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh feta, beautiful dips, salads, uh, and of course every dressing was just incredible. I apologize in advance. I am terrible at pronouncing words that I'm unfamiliar with, but I'm gonna give this a really hot crack to talk through some of my favorite dishes over the years from the Greek islands. Starting off with dolmades, which are vine leaves that are stuffed with rice and herbs, usually served cold. Saganaki, which is usually baked or fried cheese. So when it's served, it's really golden and gooey and can be served with bread and other things. Spanikopita, which is kind of like a spinach and feta cheesy pie. They're known for their moussaka, and they also have many vegetarian risaka options, which are delicious. You've got tatsiki, tatsiki dip, you've got gyros, and so many other beautiful foods, including pastries, desserts, and Greek wine. And often you're eating this food in a family-owned, family-run restaurant surrounded by stunning views of the islands or the ocean. I was really devastated on my most recent trip to the Greek islands because in Milos I actually got really sick and I was dreaming about all of the meals that I was going to eat over the next couple of days, and instead I was put on a medical diet of rice and salt. That was it. Rice and salt. And I was so lucky that every restaurant that we went to, um, we just had to talk to the waiters to say, I'm really sorry, could you please make this for me? Because we were staying in an accommodation that didn't have a kitchen, and I didn't want to miss out on hanging out and going to these stunning restaurants and just taking in the vibes, even if I couldn't take in the food. And it's one of the cuisines that have come back with me every time I get back from the Greek islands. I cannot wait to make Greek dishes and just put olive oil on everything. Next up is the food in Sri Lanka. If you're vegetarian or vegan, trust me, you're going to love the food in Sri Lanka. Think fragrant curries with coconut milk, fresh spices, vegetables, lentils, sambal, string hoppers, rotty. I don't think I had a single bad meal in my time in Sri Lanka. Now I was lucky enough to do Sri Lanka in two parts. My first week I was there on a yoga retreat, and the second week I was traveling solo. And during my time at the yoga retreat, all of the meals were prepared fresh. They were mostly organic, they were all vegetarian or vegan, and we were also lucky enough to partake in a couple of cooking classes, and learning what goes in behind the food was a really cool experience. I will admit I love food, but I really hate cooking. But that was such a cool experience. So if you haven't tried Sri Lankan food, I highly recommend it, and it's something that I still dream about. Next, we're going to head to Morocco, to the city of Fez. Fez is known for its history and for having one of the largest medinas in the world. So large that rumor has it, if you go in without a guide, uh you may never come out. And in my experience, that appeared to be true. We went into the Fez Medina with a guide, and we went into a family wned and run riad where they had built a kitchen and turned the bottom floor into a restaurant. And they were serving traditional Moroccan food. And what the meal was might actually surprise you. So, first of all, almost anywhere you go in Morocco, you were brought out olives right at the start. I hate olives, I don't eat them, so that I did not touch. Then they brought out a series of salads, kind of like uh as an entree. These salads might not look like anything special, but every single one of them were one of the best salads I had ever eaten. There was a carrot, a sweet carrot salad. It had clearly been done with uh quite a bit of sugar. There was a smoked eggplant, there were beans, there were a few other bits and pieces, and it was also simple but so delicious. And we worked out that the secret ingredient in most of the salads in Morocco is sugar. They have so much sugar in all of their food, and I don't understand how most of them appear to be at a healthy weight based on the sugar content in their food, but it was delicious. Next came the main meal. Now I'm not gonna pronounce this correctly, I apologise, but the main meal was called pastilla or pastilla, and it's basically a flaky pie. Now, this pie was traditionally made with pigeon, but now it's mostly made with chicken, and they were able to do a vegan version of this pie for me, which is what I ate. And I think from memory it was dusted with like icing sugar and cinnamon, even though it's a savory pie. And it was mine was filled with uh with lentils, with um, I think it was kind of like vermicilli. Um that's obviously not the traditional version of the pie, but it was amazing. And then came dessert. For dessert in Morocco, most of the time, no matter where we were, we were served fruit, and that was definitely the case here. We were brought out platters of fruit. The fruit was piled on top, and I'm talking whole fruits, not chopped, not peeled, just whole fruits with a couple of large knives just stabbed into a couple of pieces of fruit so that you can kind of help yourself. But the fruit was so fresh, uh, and it went really well after the very flavorsome meal that we had just had. And then towards the end, then towards the end, they brought out these cookies and I think they called them snowballs. They were basically dusted with icing sugar and were light, crumbly, kind of like a short bread. Also, this other dish that was kind of like a biscotti. But every single item from start to finish, with the exception of the olives, which I didn't try and didn't touch, apologies if for all the olive lovers out there. Um, every single item was just amazing. And then to think that you were in a an old traditional Riyadh in the middle of the Fez Medina in a family-owned, family-run home that they've turned into a business. That moment was unforgettable. To make it even more memorable for me, uh, half of our group had actually um eaten something that did not agree with them the night before and weren't feeling well. So half the group couldn't really eat or enjoy the food. And I felt so bad for them because it was so delicious, and I didn't want to keep rubbing it into their faces, but I could not wipe the smile off my face when I was eating this meal. The next day we ate lunch on the rooftop of another riad in Fez, and look, it wasn't quite the same, but I would say it came close with a lot of the dishes. Very similar. Uh we started the same with the olives with a couple of salads that were delicious. But wow, Fez in Morocco is such a was such a highlight for me when it came to food. Now, remember at the start of this episode where I talked about the meal that I was dreaming about during COVID lockdowns, and it was the one meal that I wanted to be my first meal as soon as we came out. Now, I knew that this meal was something that I'd eaten in Australia, and I am Australian. And uh unfortunately for me at the time, I thought it was in Queensland, but actually I remembered once everything had reopened in Brisbane that this meal I'd eaten somewhere between Brisbane and Sydney, and it was somewhere on the coast of New South Wales. And the thing about Australia, and a lot of people don't understand this around the world, we're not really known for traditional Australian food. And if you ask someone what is traditional Australian food, most people don't really know. But we are known for really high quality food. And I would say Australia is a country where I've eaten some of the best food that I've ever eaten. The quality is usually great. Um, we have so many different cuisines here across the country, and that one meal that I was dreaming of that was in New South Wales, it was smoked pumpkin. Yes, I know, right? Smoked pumpkin, it doesn't sound very exciting. Uh, I don't eat meat. So most smoked foods are meat. And when I saw smoked pumpkin on the menu, I got really excited because I never really tried a smoked food before. This this smoked pumpkin, I think it was like a quarter or a half of a pumpkin. It was a lot of pumpkin, and it was on a bed of like uh couscous salad, pomegranate seeds. It was delicious, and I cannot stop thinking about this damn smoked pumpkin that I had. And do you know what? They no longer have it on the menu, which is devastating. And I've never come across a smoked pumpkin at a restaurant ever since. But that is what I remember. Uh, and there are so many hot spots around Australia for food. I have lived, uh I lived in Melbourne twice now for a total of 10 years, and Melbourne is very well known for their food scene for good reason. It is hard to get a bad meal or a bad coffee for that matter in Melbourne. Um, Sydney is great as well. There are a lot of hinterland areas around the capital cities that have a really great food scene or with fresh produce from the local areas. But somewhere that I went recently that was a highlight for me in terms of food was Tasmania. And it's a stage that many people skip when they travel to Australia just because we are a huge country with so much to see, and for some reason it just doesn't make it up towards the top of people's bucket list. But if you love food, I guarantee you're going to love Tasmania. Next, I'm going to shift to drink and more specifically, coffee. Now, here in Australia, we are known for having some of the best coffee in the world, but somewhere else that I loved for coffee was actually Vietnam. A Vietnamese coffee really surprised me. I was traveling here with my family. It was a really hot day. We had been walking and exploring on foot for kilometers and kilometers, and we sat down and we wanted an iced coffee. That is all that we could think about. So we ordered an iced coffee, not knowing what we were going to get, uh, and what we received was very different. And we had this little setup that had the ice, we had this cold drip mechanism where the coffee was dripping on top of ice. Um, there was a little thing of condensed milk, and I can't remember what else was in this beautiful setup for us. But here we would probably describe it as a deconstructed coffee. It was all of the parts that you needed for your Vietnamese coffee that you would then pour in together to make the coffee. And we thought, what the hell have we ordered? Um, we were grateful that it was cold, we were grateful for the ice, um, but that was it. And once we tried our first Vietnamese coffee, we were hooked. And really, the the secret here is the condensed milk. Which makes it really, really sweet but delicious. So, of course, we ordered many more throughout our trip. I'm now gonna head over to Jordan in the Middle East. And Jordan is quite well known for their falafel. And it's interesting, I visited Jordan and Egypt in the same trip. Both of these locations are actually known for falofel, but they have a different twist in each country. And if you visit them both at the same time, you can actually taste the difference. So in Jordan they use chickpeas, and in Egypt they use favor beans. I eat falafel a lot, but over here, Jordan and Egypt, the falafel is just on another level. Whether it is served on its own or with salad or with a fluffy pitter or with hummus, it was just delicious. Next, we're heading over to Spain for one of the first meals we actually ate in Spain was our favorite, and we still think about it today, and that is patatas bravas, which is essentially fried potato served with sauce. I know, simple, right? So we landed in Spain from Morocco and we landed in Malaga. Our first night in Malaga, we walked past so many food options, and all of these places were quite busy. And then we came across this little sports bar and we went in, we sat down, we got the last table that they had and we looked at the menu. The waiter spoke barely any English. We speak absolutely no Spanish, but we were both trying really hard, and the waiter was so friendly and was trying really, really hard to help us to find food that we were going to eat. So I was traveling here with my sister. My sister mostly eats meat and carbs, massive meat eater. Me, I don't eat any meat whatsoever, haven't since my teenage years, and we need to find food in another country, in another language, that both of us are going to be happy with. This is trickier than you might think. We ended up ordering pizza and patatas bravis and these little fried potato cubes that are served with a like a spicy, creamy sauce in this random little sports bar were the best that we had the entire time that we were in Spain. We ordered that dish so many more times throughout our time there, and nothing compared to that first night in Malaga. I really wish I could remember what this bar was called, but in general, the food that we had in Malaga was the best food that we had anywhere throughout our time in Spain. And finally, I want to touch on some wine regions that have stood out to me amongst my travels. Starting off with, once again, really, really obvious, and that is Italy. Italy is, of course, also known for their wine. Red wine, especially in Rome, was incredible. Next is Australia. We have some of the best wine regions in the world here in Australia, such as the Scenic Rim, the Barossa, Hunter Valley, Margaret River. There are so many that are really close to home for me. But no matter which state you're going to, you're going to find a great wine region. Next is New Zealand, who are also known for their wines, especially cool climate wines. And finally, Spain. The Spanish wine that we had was not only cheap, but was delicious. We visited a historic vineyard with a castle on the property in Spain. And obviously the wine was incredible. But even the wine that we were buying from the supermarkets that was approximately 2 euro per bottle. Yes, 2 euro per bottle was actually incredible. We loved it. We were super surprised by it. And of course, we were buying a bottle every single night. So those for me are my most memorable foodie moments along my travels. From pasta and wine in Rome to taro pasta in Samoa, fresh ingredients in the Greek islands, curries and coconut sambal in Sri Lanka, traditional Moroccan feasts in Fez, smoked pumpkin in northern New South Wales and Australia, Vietnamese coffee in Vietnam, falafel in Jordan and Egypt, batatas bravas in Malaga in Spain, and wine regions that really blew me away. These are the meals that I still think about to this day. And of course, it's never really just about the food, is it? The great thing about these memories is that it's about the food, the company, uh, the surroundings, the vibe, and the entire experience that surround each of these memories that make them what they are. That is why these meals still live rent-free in my head. I'm really curious to know what are the meals that you still think about from your travels? Those ones that if you could snap your fingers and go anywhere and eat anything, what would that be? Please share them with me because I need to add them to my bucket list. When I look back on these meals, it's never just about what was on the plate. It's the moment, the place, the people, the version of me that was sitting there, tasting something new for the first time. And that's what I want for you too. Trips that aren't just busy or box ticking, but full of moments that stay with you long after you're home. And if you want to dive deeper into the meals I talked about today, I've written a full guide on the blog. I'll link it in the show notes. Alright, let's wrap it up and I'll see you in the next episode. Thanks for tuning in to the Tourist to Traveller Podcast. I hope today's episode has inspired you to travel more authentically and plan your next adventure with confidence. Don't forget to head to touristtotraveller.com for today's show notes, resources, and free guides to help you plan like a pro. And if you love this episode, please hit subscribe and leave a review. It helps more travelers like you discover the show. Until our next adventure.