the culinary comfort zone
and choosing to leave it even when trying food from another culture is stressful
Dearest reader,
It’s New Year’s Eve, and if you need something to pass the time till the Ball Drop, or midnight when the calendar numbers change, why not read my latest musings on food and life? This is something I’ve been thinking about over the last couple of months :)
Ordering food from a different culture when you’re unfamiliar with the language and the cuisine can easily be overwhelming. I’m the type of person who cares about being an informed eater (knowing the “who what when where why” behind a menu item infinitely increases my enjoyment of it), and this penchant often means I’m frantically googling menu items (involving a lot of browser tabs that are not fun to navigate on a small mobile screen), relying on the service staff to answer my list of questions (oftentimes unsuccessfully), or if I’m lucky, dragging a subject matter expert with me to guide me through the process. The first two, most definitely, can leave me a flustered mess even if I manage to successfully place an order.
example of dishes and meals where at least 1/3 aforementioned methods were used 👇
I say all of that to say: I understand and empathize with the “culinary comfort zone”. It’s just less stressful to eat at the same three restaurants you’re comfy with and order the same tried and true dish that’s never once disappointed you.
But, instead of giving in to the temptation to live in that culinary comfort zone forever, I’ve resolved to continue putting myself out there. Even if sometimes restaurants and their menus intimidate me…or I get embarrassed with all of the questions I’m bombarding the service staff with…or I feel like I’m wasting money on a flopped order…I’m going to continue to try new things.
That mindset (because if we’re honest, change doesn’t happen with a single resolution, but after a continual process of making small decisions with the same intention), paired with my natural bent for notetaking, has led me to the idea of compiling my own “cheat sheet” resources that consolidate takeaways from my various dining experiences. These will be work-in-progresses that I’ll add to as I encounter new foods and learn new tid-bits. They may take on different formats, but will generally feel like pages in a little digital pocket book. Expect to see definitions, examples, etc. on terms related to a specific cuisine or food type. The purpose of these cheat sheets is not to replace a subject matter expert, but only to serve as a knowledge-gap-filler until you find one (orrr become one?!) and to share my journey on learning more about the world through food with you. 😊
How are you, and do you have a culinary comfort zone? What does it look like, and how do you navigate it? Would love reading your responses in the comments below 💕
Cheers 🥂 to the new year and to not letting menus intimidate us~
As someone who has just entered her ✨date era✨ I’m obsessed with this