The journey is through the stomach

I recently had a date with a friend for dinner. Before that, we thought long and hard about where we wanted to eat. Zurich has a lot to offer. Japanese? Mexican? Lebanon? I think everything is great. A small culinary trip around the world in the city at Limmat. If you wish, you can escape from daily life here and dream of the cuisine of distant lands.

For me, travel and food inevitably go together. You can explore a country in all its depth only if you dare to try local delicacies. I never hesitate to try, I only eat meat and fish. And that doesn’t always make it easy to be on the go. In some countries it is easier, in others it is more difficult. I was pleasantly surprised in some places, like China, where there is an unexpectedly large number of vegetarian options. Or at least that’s what we were told. It is not yet clear whether the offline translator swallowed a few words.

These are my highlights in kitchens from all over the world:

Latin and South America, not for vegetables

Things are different in Cuba. I often go to bed hungry there. My stomach keeps rumbling as I remember. After all, you get enough exotic fruit – and they’re a real treat – but Cubans are pretty shy when it comes to vegetables. Some beans, tomatoes and (usually) boiled rice with a juicy piece of meat. That’s when. What I remember though: its sweet sweet smell on calls. I like hitting them.

We continue to Argentina, where strong steak is part of good taste. Also got a glass of Malbec. You can see it. Slightly better in the South American country than in the Caribbean island. There are also vegetarian-filled empanadas here. I was particularly attracted to dulce de leche, also known as milk caramel, which is found in many dishes.

Basically, the places where vegetarians occasionally reach their limit are Latin and South American countries. “Pollo?” is often the answer when you ask about “plato vegetarian.” You’ll usually find something, but whether it’s really meat or fish free and tastes good is another matter. I would add the USA and Australia to the list of less suitable countries for vegetarians. Dripping burgers are often served with meat patties. I’ve bracketed major cities with more options.

Asia is more convenient

In some places the further development of the menus seems to have come to a standstill. Eating without meat and fish has always been a part of etiquette in some countries. In Asia we “plant eaters” have many opportunities. After all, Buddhists and Hindus also eat vegetarian food.

I’ve had my money’s worth in Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, and also in China. I got my fill with tofu and veggie red Thai curry, vegetarian summer rolls or meatless kottu roti. I still dream of it today. Spices and herbs provide intense flavors and previously unknown vegetables make my mouth water. Exotic fruits I’ve never heard of can be found on every corner.

Besides China, Turkey also surprises me positively. During my visit I realized that the country offers much more than kebab. Sweet pastries such as spicy raw meatballs, pide and baklava trigger a flavor explosion with a cup of Turkish coffee. As in Spain, there are often plates with small “tapas” on the tables. You can try anything. Most of the plates are mostly vegetarian. I like!

So I’ve really eaten well everywhere – and above all, a lot. It’s just sometimes in between “extraordinarily good” and so-and-so. It’s important that I give each country a chance to find its way from my stomach to my heart. Because how do you say it so beautifully? Testing is better than working.