Every time my group of friends and I plan an outing, there is always a tug of war. When exploring a new place, is it better to go for food or for drinks?
It is a popular belief that one of the ways to explore the surprises a culture holds is through the delicacies peculiar to them; Italians have pasta prowess, Parisians are pastry masters, and Nigeria is where you go for Jollof rice. These countries have a gourmet you would love to try when you travel there, but the popular idea is to go for food.
Food does have a wide range from vegetables to meat, grains to legumes, and all are made with different spice combinations in different parts of the world. But, what about drinks?
Drinks span from the alcoholic to the non-alcoholic variety like sodas, wines, cocktails, mocktails, herbal teas, coffee and so much more. It is amazing that many countries and cultures have drinks that are also peculiar to them and their recipes have been passed on. Some examples of these drinks are palm wine in the Philippines, eggnog in the UK, and mate in Argentina.
Many cocktails and mocktails we have in bars today have been blended into menus worldwide and it is almost impossible to tell their origins.
So, is it better to go for food or drinks when exploring a new place?
A lot of times, the mood and the person or persons involved determine the choice. Some people are picky eaters and would not go out of their way to eat unfamiliar dishes while others love the thrill of the unknown. With picky eaters, it is usually safer to try out drinks instead. Group hangouts with a lot of interaction intended, also tend to talk over drinks.
Sometimes, it’s the food. A lot of joy comes from trying out different flavours especially when one knows it is not something they get to try all the time.
My friends and I will always go with food over drinks and choose to chew while simultaneously trying to talk at the same time.
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