Hello, we’re Colin and Mitch (short for Michelle). We live in England with our cat, Jiji, and have been together since we were students. We’re not very Instagrammable so here’s a splendid picture of us drawn by our wonderful goddaughter. It’s a very good likeness.

We are very lucky to have been able to visit many parts of the world, to see amazing sites, wildlife and landscapes and to be able to experience many different cultures. Of the numerous pleasurable things about travel, one of the greatest is getting to sample and enjoy the local food.

Food is more than nutrition. It plays such an important part in so many cultures all over the world – bringing people together, it often forms a focal point for festivals and celebrations and is fundamental to the expression of cultural identity. 

Please join us on our journey into food and drink from across the globe. This blog is about the places we’ve visited and the food we’ve tasted as well as recipes for dishes that we’ve tried to recreate when we’ve arrived back home. We are also interested in growing ingredients and preserving food.

Our Travel Philosophy

Whenever we travel we try to adhere to the following principles:

Be respectful and kind. We are representatives for our country as much as our hosts are for theirs.

We have been very lucky to have met some amazing people on our journeys and to have experienced the kindness of strangers all over the world. It’s so important to accept hospitality with good grace. We always eat food that we are offered, even if it is a bit challenging.

We always try to learn a few words of the language of the country we are visiting. At the very least, we learn to say ‘Hello’ and ‘Thank You’. (We can also say “cheers!” in a fair number of languages!) Any attempt to speak a language, however incompetent, is always much appreciated. We can speak Japanese, Spanish and French (at a level where we can get by). We can read Hiragana, Katakana, around 100 Kanji/Hànzì, Cyrillic and we are just starting to learn Hangul.

We like to learn about local customs and traditions, to try to understand about a country’s history and culture.

We’re always aware that conditions and facilities may not be as comfortable as home. We consider ourselves lucky to be travelling. Many of the local people we have met on our trips, especially those who are hosting us or guiding us, have never had the chance to travel to other countries.

We try to be considerate of other people when taking photos and when we’ve taken the shot, we try to give others a chance to take theirs. And sometimes it’s really important just to ditch the camera and enjoy the experience.

Thanks so much for stopping by. We hope you enjoy this very tasty world. Here are our latest posts:

• A Northern Ireland Road Trip
  With vibrant cities, beautiful countryside and coastlines, here’s a Northern Ireland road trip itinerary for spending a some time travelling through this lovely country. Continue reading →
• The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House
  Director: Koreeda Hirokazu(是枝 裕和) From the manga by Aiko Koyama Starring: Nana Mori,Natsuki Deguchi,Aju Makita Cuisine: Japanese IMDB Link Netflix Link  Country (of film origin): Japan TV Rating: 9/10 Foodie Rating: 9/10 Review: Cuisine and culture combine in an emotional and educational entertainment about Kyoto life, friends, futures and food. There’s a line in anarchic … Continue reading →
• A Visit to Bhutan’s Punakha Dzong
  Punakha Dzong in Bhutan is of huge historic and cultural importance to the Bhutanese people. It holds a festival each year and also a celebration for the king’s birthday Continue reading →
• A Chiang Rai Temple and A Country Retreat
  In a visit of contrasts, northern Thailand offered us the Chiang Rai temple and a laid-back exploration of the local countryside. Continue reading →
• Setsubun Food – Bean Throwing Day
  Setsubun is on the 3rd February. It is a bean throwing celebration festival marking the coming of spring. It also has a setsubun food tradition. Continue reading →