How To Eat Like A Local While Traveling Abroad

After weeks of eyeing airfares and saving up, you finally took the plunge and booked a trip abroad. Congratulations! Now, the fun begins. You’ll start mapping out where to stay, what to see, how to commute, and most importantly, where to eat.

“Food, cooking, and dining rituals play a central role in every culture, and they bring the local community together. By eating locally you are able to dive into traditions that have been around for hundreds of years,” explains Tanja Roos, CEO and cofounder of Nectar & Pulse, a collection of city guides curated by “your local soulmates.” 

Roos references German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach, who once said, “Man is what he eats.” She adds that because eating and human behavior are strongly linked, if you get to know the food of a culture, you get to know the entire culture itself on a very fundamental level.

With the culinary industry booming and social media making local restaurant scenes highly visible, there are now plenty of hacks to avoid frustrating tourist traps. However, while there may be a wealth of resources outside of Fodor’s and Rick Steves, sometimes the amount of information to sift through can be overwhelming. That's why we sought the guidance of several food and travel experts — read on for everything you need to maneuver the system and successfully plot out your local cuisine experience.