Someone once asked me why I am willing to try so many different kinds of food. Not talking about choosing the tripe Pho over the chicken Pho or the lengua (“tongue”) burrito over the same old carnitas one but the tendency to order dishes from the very bottom or back of the menu. The ones I sometimes think the restaurant probably never had on hand but kept on the menu to appear like they have a wide variety. The one with the usual reply: “sorry, we’re sold out”. Skeptical smirk. The one they make only for those that really want to get to know the cuisine.
I am not trying to sound like a foodie (I still loves me some Micky Ds french fries); I just like a variety of food. Why limit yourself to only one shade when there is an entire spectrum to choose from? Mocha could be good. So could a flat white or a deep chocolatey ebony. A cheerful yellow. An intriguing and exotic olive.
After four and half decades of eating, I have come up with the perfect response: because I can. That’s it. Pure and simple.
I’m kidding (sort of). The sensation of trying something new and finding it to be delicious can only be experienced in the moment. Very few would disagree, but no matter how hard you try, you will never again be able to recapture the moment you had your very first kiss. It’s that way with food for me.
It may sound overly romantic but a dish can also tell you much about a place and the people who prepared it. Som Tam (green papaya salad) reminds me that southeast Asia is a humid place where fresh fruits and vegetables grow with almost no abandon. The bird chilies in the salad are a variation of the chilies that were first cultivated in meso-America and brought eventually to Asia by European colonizers. The street vendor who prepared the salad has had the recipe in her family for generations and tries her utmost to keep that culinary tradition true to the original.
My earlier response was partly in jest but there is some truth in it. In America, we are a country, when our better angels prevail, welcoming of many races, cultures, religions. Very few countries in the world enjoy the diversity we have on our own soil. It seems a shame, a waste really, that we do not explore this richness of (culinary, among others) differences. Perhaps this will bring us closer together, one bite at a time. Cheesy? You betcha.
Now back to travel. Travel brings this passion for trying new foods front and center. In fact, I’m salivating right now just thinking about it!
