From Hummus Dips to Fish and Chips!

While traveling abroad, I had the opportunity to try out some unique cuisines and experience a different approach to dining. In the American culture, people like quick and easy food. Fast food restaurants line each corner, some places have a “to-go” option, and some even have curbside service. Also, restaurants don’t mind customers staying, after their bill has been paid, to sit and chat for a while. However, in Europe dining out comes with a whole new attitude. I learned that restaurants come with three different price options: one for dining inside, one for dining outside, and one for just picking up food and taking it away. The British and Parisians seemed to have a different view on food. It was not just a way to satisfy hunger. It was more of a way to bring friends and family together or spend time with someone. Each meal of the day was also different compared to meals in the United States. Here are some examples:

Breakfast: While in London, our breakfast was not too different than a continental hotel breakfast in America. We enjoyed scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, and tomatoes. They also had yogurt and fruit, toast and bagels, and an assortment of cereals and oatmeal. One major difference we noticed was that they do not use cold milk for cereal. We found this extremely hard to adjust to! In Paris our breakfast was a little different. Carbohydrates flooded our plates with plain croissants and chocolate croissants. They also had fresh deli meats and cheeses to enjoy on our bread. Breakfast in Paris was simple and delicious.

Lunch: In both Paris and London, lunch was my favorite meal. Maybe it was the free time that accompanied the food or the delicious choices we had to choose from. My favorite meal in London had nothing to do with the food. It was a breezy day in Baron’s Court and for lunch we stopped at a small deli called Pret a Manger. I later learned that this franchise is all over London. I got a sandwich on baguette and a sparkling water. Then we went and sat in a park full of people and just relaxed as we ate our food. We watched a children do cartwheels, a group of friends sunbathe and an old couple on a stroll. It was an awesome experience and one I will never forget! Throughout the rest of the trip, lunch usually consisted of a quick sandwich and chips. Simple was definitely a trend in all of our European lunches.

Dinner: Dinner was included in our tour so we always ate all together. In London, we had a cultural experience on various occasions. First, we tried a place called Hummus Bros where we enjoyed hummus with a spicy chicken on top. It came with pita and carrots for dipping. Being Middle Eastern, I thought the dish was delicious and I would definitely go back. We also tried Indian Cuisine at a place called Mela. Here we tasted classic Indian chicken over rice which was very satisfying. However, of course we had to try a British classic: fish and chips. Our tour guide said they were not the greatest fish in chips he had ever had in London, but they tasted great and we got to experience the famous dish of the city. One thing we learned about European dinners, or meals in general, is that they do not start you off with complimentary water. Our water was free through our tour, however, if we were to dine out on our own we would be forced to pay for water along with any other beverage. Also, they do not use straws much in Europe. Most noticeably, they rarely ever serve water with ice. This was a huge change for us Americans who were used to starting off our meal with large ice waters. We quickly adjusted to their way of life and began to think of room temperature water as normal.

Overall, our meals on our trip were satisfying and delicious. Whether it was a group meal or we were on our own, we went to very unique places and learned a lot about dining out of our own country!