Cooking international and local dishes: what is it, why would you do it, and where is the best place to go?

What is cooking international and local dishes like?

• When cooking international and local dishes, you work with dishes from other cultures, often using ingredients, flavors, and techniques that you are not yet familiar with.
• The difference compared to just eating is that you participate actively when you cook. You learn not only what a dish is, but also how it is made and why. This often provides more insight into a culture than simply tasting food.
• You work with different ingredients, unfamiliar techniques, limited resources (e.g., in hostels or while traveling), and sometimes without knowing exactly what you are doing.

In addition, culture plays a major role here as well. For example, you notice that:

• cooking in some countries is a social activity done together.
• recipes are less precise (“a little of this”), or conversely, extremely precise.
• certain actions or ingredients follow traditions.
• preparing food is connected to family, rituals, or daily routines.
• cooking abroad also require you to adapt. The cooking method is most of the time different.
• it can be helpfull to observe, ask questions and learn.

In practice, you will notice that:

• you become more creative with the ingredients that are available.
• cooking often leads to connection and collaboration.
• you gain more appreciation for food and preparation.
• small successes (making a successful dish) feel extra rewarding.
• cooking can happen on your own, or with others during a cooking workshop or cooking classes.
• cooking abroad goes hand in hand with learning by doing, connecting through food, and experimenting and discovering.

What are the reasons for cooking international and local dishes?

• To actively learn new skills and understand how dishes are constructed.
• To be creative with ingredients and situations that are different from what you are used to.
• To work together and connect with others while cooking.
• To gain more insight into culture through ingredients and preparation methods.
• To take initiative and become more independent in your daily life.

What skills and motivations do you need for cooking international and local dishes?

• Being creative: you improvise with ingredients and techniques.
• Being flexible: you adapt your recipe according to the ingredients that are available.
• Working together: you often cook with others and divide tasks.
• Planning: you think about timing, ingredients, and preparation.
• Being service-oriented: you take into account the people you are cooking for.

What are the best countries and locations for cooking international and local dishes?

• Strong culinary cultures: Italy, Thailand, India, Vietnam.
• Cooking workshops and courses: Indonesia, Morocco, Mexico, Peru, Sri Lanka.
• Travels involving self-catering: Australia, New Zealand, Canada.

What are the risks of cooking international and local dishes, and are you insured against those risks?

What are the risks of cooking international and local dishes, and what happens with some regularity:

• that you become ill due to unhygienic cooking or incorrect use of ingredients.
• that you do not know ingredients well and apply them incorrectly.
• that allergies or dietary requirements are difficult to manage.
• that cooking becomes stressful due to limited resources or time.
• that you waste money on ingredients you do not use.
• that you become frustrated when something does not turn out as expected.
• that you get injured while cooking, for example by cutting yourself.

Are you insured while cooking international and local dishes abroad?

• During activities and trips abroad, the coverage of your own health insurance in your home country may be insufficient, or even lapse. See the pages on insuring activities abroad.