Most Memorable Food I Ate While Traveling

I got the idea for this post from The Poor Traveller. Not sure if it was Yoshke or Vince who asked on their FB page what's the most memorable food you've eaten while traveling. I used to travel a lot for work, so there's usually something I remember from each country I've visited. 

So here's a few I still remember:

Pakistan

Brain and balls! Definitely memorable since I was the only one brave enough to try it, haha. I did it for my scout brother, Badar. The brain's texture was definitely something I've experienced for the first time. I think I was too weirded out after the first try and didn't have a second serving. Eating it is supposed to do wonders for you. The balls normally known as soup #5 in the Philippines, but in Pakistan it's prepared differently. I think it was grilled? My memory is a bit fuzzy about it since we ate it in the dark (there was a power outtage). So since it was dark my colleagues tried it too.

Vietnam

Scorpion! They told us it can be poisonous if not cooked correctly. Also best not to eat too many since sometimes it can have a side effect. I just tried a tiny bit and it tasted like crab. 

South Korea

Raw octopus! It was still moving when it was served to us. It was honestly hard to pick up with chopsticks since it was slippery. I ate it with a lot of soy sauce and just swallowed it immediately, haha. I had a bit more when it stopped moving (I was scared it might get stuck in my throat!). 

Bangladesh

The spiciest chicken nuggets in the world! My scout brother, Monirul, invited us to his home. He knew I don't eat spicy food so he had his cook make me some chicken nuggets. I was so excited, but was so shocked with their idea of "not spicy". The nuggets were freshly made, but still had bits of pepper in it. Needless to say, I drank a lot of water that night. 

Taiwan

The best chorizo in the street market! I don't really like chorizo, but eating a stick of it in the street market was truly unforgettable. The closest I could get here is the one from Dayrit's. 

General Santos, Philippines

Tuna sashimi, of course. We got to experience tuna being carved right in front of our eyes. That meant bottomless sushi for the whole night! 

Zurich

Very expensive plate of pasta! We had an allowance for food, but that plate of pasta cost two-thirds of my daily allowance. It was good, but after that I would just buy ready to eat food from the nearby supermarket. 

Japan

Uncle Fumio's sukiyaki! Celebrating New Year in Japan was a very unique experience. We stayed at Uncle Fumio and Tita Pet's home and got to celebrate new year with them. To this day I couldn't forget Uncle Fumio's sukiyaki. It's the best one I've tried in the whole wide world!

I'll try to remember if there's any more memorable dishes I've had when I used to travel, so I'll leave this post open-ended! :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

　

Lakwatsera Fridays: That Time I Went to Dhaka

Visited Dhaka, Bangladesh almost 10 years ago. It was a very short trip where I attended a mapup and a devfest. It was a rare experience to visit South Asia. The funny thing is they though I was a local. They said I looked like a Bengali from northen Bangladesh. They said people there were fair-skinned like me. I truly have a generic Asian face. 

With Monirul and Hadi.

It was an epic trip! A happy memory was experiencing the hospitality of my scout-bro, Monirul. He welcomed us to his home and where we were able to sample local cuisine. He asked his chef to prepare non-spicy chicken for me. He said all their food is spicy, but he knew I don't eat spicy food so he had something specially prepared for me. I can confirm everything is spicy, even the non-spicy chicken, haha. It was a heart-warming experience though since I got to meet Monirul's friends too. 

The mapUp was meant to map Banani Road, one of the main streets in the city. It gave me an opportunity to see what were popular businesses. I managed to visit a grocery also and what they sell is very different from our groceries. They had many different types of spices and tea I don't normally see. I got some tea for Sweetie and he said it was definitely different from other countries. 

The only landmark I was able to visit one of their famous lakes. I don't recall the name of the lake now, but I remember it's a beautiful spot in the city. It was so serene and you won't feel that it's in the middle of a concrete jungle. Too bad we didn't get to stay long since it was just a quick stopover. 

What struck me about the people is their passion. Those who mapped were all volunteers and the developers were all excited to make something that would help their country. Some of them I met in one of the events I did in Indonesia before I visited Dhaka. 

Hadi and I had a very memorable "exit". I got food poisoning and he almost got detained. Everyone truly thinks his country is full of gold and that's probably why they tried to withhold his passport. We sent an SOS to Monirul and we managed to go home. Hadi was so scared I won't make it through the flight. I did and went straight to the clinic at the airport. They said the medication given to me were not meant for food poisoning (lol). It was nonetheless a memorable trip and Monirul will forever be one of my favorite people (he gives amazing hugs!) :)

*Chronicling my old adventures since I know someday it would be harder to remember. :)

#BeKind #StaySafe