Cuisine is always a major part of experiencing a new culture. It’s the easiest way to be daring, without really trying. Picking a dish from a menu you have never heard of. Buy something from the supermarket you’ve never seen before. Anyway, you can’t really escape eating when you’re on holiday, so why not heighten the experience by trying something different?

Here are some interesting delicacies from around the world which may raise an eyebrow or two:

Durian (Malaysia)
Labeled as The King of Fruits, this large stone fruit is consumed all across South East Asia. Covered in sharp thorns and grown on high fruit trees. It is an acquired taste with many foreigners describing smell of Durian to rubbish or vomit. Personally I wouldn’t go THAT far. But word of warning if you wish to be staying in a Wimdu B&B in Kuala Lumpur. Many hotels and accommodation lodges ban the fruit from being consumed in rooms due to its pungent smell.

Source: http://socyberty.com/society/the-huhu-grub-a-new-zealand-maori-delicacy/

Huhu Grub (NZ)
When the Huhu beetle is in its larvae stage, it is considered a kiwi delicacy. Well not exactly. It is very unlikely to come across a ‘huhu grub’ on a restaurant menu in New Zealand but you may be dared to eat one at the annual Wild Food Festival, or when tramping through the country’s rugged bush. If you’re ever put in this situation, there is no need to fear. Apparently these grubs have a flavor similar to peanut butter…

source: http://bertc.com/subfive/recipes/japanese_ice_creams.htm

Wasabi ice-cream (Japan)
If you are wanting a different flavors to taste, then make your way to Japan! From nutritional breakfasts to their sweets and snacks, there is probably something you will be offered which you have never seen before. Wasabi ice-cream for instance! Care to indulge in a cool but strangely spicy treat? Well, this is sure to confuse the taste bugs. This is just one of some of the very odd ice-cream flavors you can see (and taste if you’re game enough). This is not really a traditional delicacy per say, but one of the very strange ‘fusion’ foods the Japanese love to experiment with.

Souce: http://www.grocerycouponnetwork.com/community/may-24th-national-escargot-day/

Escargot (France)
Ahh, now how can we forget one of France’s most infamous delicacies. The humble snail. Although you probably may have eaten one in your garden as a child for free (and maybe a horrified look from your mother), a plate of Escargot with a baguette in a nice Paris café will cost you about.5-12euro. Sizzled up with some garlic, parsley, butter, escargot still has a rubbery texture which many French still love during special occasions.

Source:http://uniquefoods.org/uncategorized/deep-fried-tarantula-crispy-goodness/

Fried tarantulas (Cambodia)
Yep, I see you looking horrified there. Now like the huhu grub, whenever insects are stated as a delicacy, we all start screwing up our faces. During the Khmer Rouge years, many fleeing and displaced Cambodians discovered the tarantula as a nutritional form of survival. And tasty as well, with people comparing the taste to chicken. Fried with a few seasonings, baskets filled with these creepy crawlies can be found in markets in particular Cambodian towns. Most of the time it’s tourists who flock to these stalls to test their ‘fear factor’ levels.

Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak

Kopi Luwak (Indonesia)
Now this truly is a delicacy as Kopi Luwak beans (Luwak coffee), are some of the most expensive in the world. From personal experience there is a distinct flavor when drinking a cup of Kopi Luwak and fair enough when it has been digested and excreted from a civet. Oooh, there I see your face scrunching up again! The digestive enzymes from the civet change the coffee bean and give it a little less bitterness making it very appealing for die hard coffee lovers.

Take a look at premium accommodation listings for apartments in Singapore, Beijing & Lyon and heighten your taste buds the next time you’re staying with Wimdu.

Trying to squeeze a little too much in for holiday travels

For those Erasmus students, long-term adventure travellers or even us every day folk going on vacation for a few weeks, we have all come across this scenario:

All our clothes and desired possessions that we wish to take with us on holiday stacked on our bed… and our suitcase or back pack next to the mountain. Tiny in comparison. We then come to the realization that the clothing cull needs to take action.

For women, this scenario is all too common. Where do we start? How many pairs of shoes do/should one take? There are so many variables that come into play as well. How long is the holiday, what is the purpose, what is the climate at your destination? As you can see now, it isn’t an easy task.

Here are some starter tips:
To start off, try and limit all clothing items to a couple of pairs. Of course for socks and under garments you can be a little bit more generous but for the majority, 2-3 pairs should be enough. Same goes for shoes. 1-2 pairs maximum (ok, 3 pairs for ladies). Depending on your holiday having one outfit which can be dressed up is always a safe option in case you happen to organise a nice lunch or evening out.

And if you know there will be a lot of retail therapy involved during your holiday. Well, just take your passport and skip the whole packing process altogether!

The reason why we have to be so strict from the beginning is because at the end of the day, a lot of clothes we pack when we are feeling lenient, are never used anyway. They are almost like a comfort blanket. But you’re going on holiday! No need for comfort blankets when you’re on an adventure! On a semi-serious note though, we also have to take into consideration other items that might be a little difficult to roll and pack tightly like technical equipment like chargers and cameras along with toiletries, (which should be transferred into travel packs if you are being extra strict on luggage weight).

After putting the pressure on your clothing and toiletries, you should have ample of space for your travel journal, Frisbee or whatever else will be keeping you entertained.

Another quick tip! With security checks at almost every international airport and border, having luggage (and carry on) without too many loose ends can make life easier once you encounter these situations. Storing your laptop and liquids at the top of your bags in case it needs to be checked and leaving all that jewelry in your bag once all your security checks have finished.

We asked the lovely people of Amsterdam to rent out their houses, because there’s a shortage of places to stay during their biggest national festival, Queen’s Day. Actually, we didn’t just ask – we taped a big square on a beautiful canal house in Amsterdam in the Dutch national color with the word ‘BEZET’ taped in the middle, which means ‘BUSY’.

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