I love to eat but am not what you might call a “Foodie”. Foodie usually means someone who has a strong interest in food, as in creating a hobby around food.There are some foods which drive me directly to book a trip. There are others I must bring home. There is a third category of affordable food gifts.
Start with India: some women are concerned about spiciness or about raw foods.
Here are the surprises: Up front breakfast at the quality hotels we stay in has European, often Japanese, Indian and American breakfast. How about a croissant in India?
Not all Indian food is spicy. Tourists’ palates are taken into consideration by the hospitality industry. Wait staff will ask you about tolerance for spice. Restaurants accommodate even the blandest requests. Northern India where we go, has cuisine totally different from other areas. Spices include turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, coriander, and asafetida, all countered by sweet dried mango, coconut milk and other fruits. Food is often grilled so is prepared without sauces. Tandoori meats, fish, vegetables and buttered breads are more of a bbq genre.
Vegetarians adore Indian cooking with beans: kidney, lentils, pigeon, mung, rice and semolina. As long as food is cooked through, relax and enjoy your feasts in India.
Dairy in the form or yogurt, lassi, is generally fine to drink. Cheese is both European style like Cheddar from the British legacy, and local, more like feta, salty and crumbly texture.
Sweets are very sweet. They can be fried or baked. Honey is used as well as jaggery a type of molasses/sugar sweetener.
Finally you will love the tea. After all it comes from India and you will want to bring it home as gifts.
Arrive in France? Breakfast is the first treat. Start your day with a newly baked croissant with or without chocolate, a thick cut of baguette with sweet butter, brioche roll? Fruit and yogurt. For lunch hunt down a fixed price meal; these are advertised on menu boards outside restaurants. For a budget lunch, croquette monsieur: rich grilled cheese slathered in butter and a side salad of soft lettuces. .
Germany: go for the sweet braided pastries, sausages and crunchy schnitzel. German immigrants introduced their goods in 19c America. You will recognize a lot of the goodies in a German bakery.
Italy: this is easy, a bowl of pasta- try the pasta local to the region you are visiting. Tuscan beef is grass fed and in ways better than US beef. And gelato: especially if it is covered not in open air containers.
Britain: Medium Cheddar right from the supermarket shelf. Salt and vinegar potato chips ie crisps. Veal if in Spring and berries anytime. Intense ginger cakes and cookies and hearty meat pies work well in British weather.
And on a river cruise, sit back and enjoy local wines and foods for each area you sail by. River cruise meals have choices, snacks, and wines to make the French country side even more glorious. Travel Tips for Hungry Women from award winning The Women’s Travel Group Contact us at https://www.thewomenstravelgroup.com/contact/ or 646 309 5607
