Our Community Shares: Dishes That Became Home Staples After Traveling
Travel affects us profoundly, from expanding our worldview to enhancing — and often pleasantly surprising — our taste buds. We asked our Road Scholar Facebook community, after traveling, what local dishes became staples in their home kitchens — this is just a sampling of the over 550 responses this post garnered!
African Chicken Peanut Stew
“Carrots vinaigrette — I made them in a cooking class in Portugal.”
— Jeanette B.
“West African peanut soup with chicken. I had it in Alaska!”
— Tracy J.
“Baja fish tacos made with mahi-mahi or ahi or salmon, avocado, shredded lettuce or cabbage and homemade fruit or tomato salsa on the best soft tortillas you can get.”
— Misty M.
“I went to Naples, Italy, and loved their pizzas so much my husband built a pizza oven and bought all Italian ingredients! Fresh pizza all summer and fall.”
— Theresa F.
Stir-Fried Japanese Lotus Roots
“I learned how to make Portuguese vegetable soup after my trip to the Azores!”
— Barbara C.
“Puerto Rican rice and beans and authentic bacalaitos (crispy fish patties). I loved it so much when I visited, I learned to make my own sofrito, season the beans with spices and make bacalaitos from scratch. Delicioso!”
— Sibyl B.
“I’m in Tokyo right now, and I’m going to try some lotus root recipes when I return home!”
— Barbara S.
“Asparagus sandwich on toast. I first had one in Newfoundland. Butter and salt and pepper on the toast, asparagus laid in line.”
— Cynthia M.
Traditional cheese fondue in Switzerland
“Shrimp and grits, after visiting Charleston, South Carolina.”
— David H.
“Cheese fondue, first encountered on a trip to Switzerland in 1972. It was a favorite for a while; had the fondue pot, the heating element, everything. I'd love to pick it back up again.!”
— Jean M.
Road Scholars are as passionate about food as they are about educational travel — feel the same way? Peruse our collection of culinary-themed learning adventures on our website or our book list dedicated to inspired flavors.
What must-have dishes have you brought home after your travels? Join the conversation — and the community — on Facebook.