Since my last post, I have traveled to Prague, Czech Republic; Nice, France; Barcelona, Spain; and of course I have been exploring Florence a little bit more. From these travels I have realized that food is just as much essential to the culture as art and history. Thankfully, I was able to experience the culturally significant cuisine in all of these places and here is what I found:

Prague knows its street food.

To me, Prague embodies a big beautiful, modern city that was taken right out of a Disney fairytale. The architecture is colorful and traditional while mixed with rows and rows of stores and restaurants. I found that the easiest way to eat good food while still being able to explore Prague was to get the street food. The first street food I tried was a trdelnik. If I could have one dessert for the rest of my life it would be a trdelnik. It is a hollow cylindrical pastry that can have fillings like Nutella or ice cream and are dusted with sugar, nuts or cinnamon. You can find them almost anywhere in the city being made right before your eyes.

It was pretty fishy in Nice.

The beautiful coast of Nice

Nice (pronounced like niece) sits on the coast of France and is one of the most beautiful cities. Surrounded by blue water and breath taking views, there is no place quiet like Nice. While not wondering the beach, I splurged on a local cuisine: seafood. From salmon to haddock to crab, Nice is a fish lovers dream. My first French fish experience was with a seafood spaghetti. Noodles covered in marinara sauce were paired with plenty of scallops, shrimp (that still had the eyeballs attached) and muscles. It was a meal that many Americans are probably familiar with, but not many have been able to experience the taste of fish from Nice, which is unlike any other.

Crazy for paella.

If you’re the type that likes to have an early dinner and be in bed before nine, then Barcelona is the yin to your yang. Barcelonans enjoy large late night dinners, which is paired with staying o
ut until 6 a.m. In between midafternoon naps, the people of Barcelona enjoy a big skillet of paella. Paella is typically rice cooked with fish, meat and an assortment of vegetables. It’s salty, savory and so filling that you want to roll out of the restaurant.

The more the merrier.

My favorite course of grilled vegetables

While in Florence I had the opportunity to experience a traditional five-course meal for a class that I am taking on food and culture. Our teacher took us to restaurant that is Chianti, an area in Tuscany that is known for its many wineries. Once at the restaurant we were seated and immediately served warm bread to start the meal. For the first course, we had a crepe that was filled with radishes and cheese. Once we were finished, we were served a creamy and thick risotto that had pieces of asparagus. Our third course was penne pasta with meat sauce and peas. Our last course before dessert was grilled vegetables with a smoked cheese (my favorite course). And lastly, we were given a dessert that looked like a piece of cake that was made out of ingredients for a cannoli.

If you think this sounds like an extreme amount of food, then you’re right. As Americans we aren’t used to eating this many courses at one sitting. But if you ever get the chance to experience a five course meal I highly suggest it!

Food has been one of the best parts of my study abroad journey. If you’re thinking about going over seas, I suggest preparing to indulge in the delicacies of the world by bringing loose fitting clothes. You wont regret it.

Location: Florence, Italy