I don’t know why it took me so long to realize how closely tied food and travel are. I don’t think I really got it until my first trip to Italy where good food is never more than a footstep away. Choosing a restaurant in a new city is as important as seeing the major tourist sites – if not more so. I’ll happily spend a day hopping from breakfast to lunch to dinner with two or three snacks in between just so I can try all the delicacies the city has to offer.

Now most who know me know I’m a very picky eater so I sadly can’t just walk into a restaurant and say “give me the most popular item on the menu”, for fear that I’d end up with a pork loin covered in a banana coconut sauce and liberally sprinkled with cilantro. But I can usually find one or a hundred yummy things to try no matter where I am (possible exception: Djibouti). It is impossible for me to narrow it down to one favorite, so I’ll choose three that I love AND that are hard to get in the US. For example, I love sushi, but I can get that on nearly any street corner in any country, so I’ll leave that off the list.

1. Okonomiyaki – A kind of mix between a savory pancake and an omelet that they serve in Japan. You choose what you want to mix into the batter (meats, seafood, veggies, spices) and then the waiter gives you the batter and you get to fry it up at the sizzling grill at the center of your table. Instant gratification!

2. Knefe – one of the most delicious sweet breakfast treats around. Thank you, Lebanon! I’m not sure how the heck they make it, but it involves ricotta cheese, phyllo dough, butter and sugar which is cooked up in huge pans then shoveled into a seeded bun. Delicious! And it is best served at 4:00 am after a night of partying. Always good to get the bulk of you calories for the day before the sun even comes up!

3. Koshari – If you’re trying to cut back on your carbs, stop reading right here. This inexpensive Egyptian country food will fill you up for hours and perhaps pack on a few pounds – but it’s worth it. Macaroni noodles, chick peas, rice, lentils, fried onions with tomato sauce and garlic and vinegar. When backpacking in Egypt, we’d fill up on a big bowl of Koshari for the equivalent of a few dollars – backpackers are always looking for a bargain. And the fact that you can get it to go and that it tastes so good makes it the perfect travel food.