How to appreciate food you don't like
Feb 25, 2009

When you travel, it is sometimes challenging to try local food. You think you want to experience new tastes but often what you really want is the what is familiar. Here in Liberia, people cook with things that I don't normally like - for example, Maggie boullion cubes or canned meat. It is hard to find the mindset to appreciate new cooking when it is something so different from what you are familiar with or are accustomed to. We tend to judge other food by a certain standard when, of course, everyone has different standards.

I am trying to learn to appreciate good Liberian food. I must admit that there are very few dishes that I really crave or love, but slowly I am beginning to appreciate the small differences in the dishes. I am learning to judge the food by Liberian standards, not by my usual standards. In that way, I find that I can consider foods that are different on their own merits, even if what I really like personally is different. I like healthy food that is light and fresh - that does not leave a lot of room for oily rice and spam. But the cuisine itself should be judged separately from the way it is cooked... I may not like the cuisine but I am learning how to spot a really good Liberian cook.

So even when the food is different, I still love the experience of trying and learning about local food. You feel close to the local people and you begin to understand them better than you did before by appreciating the differences within a culture, not just beween cultures. That is what living abroad is all about.