Top 10 cuisines travellers crave when on holiday
LOS ANGELES, Aug 1 — It may come as no surprise that Italian and French fare have emerged as the top cuisines among globetrotters, but a new survey has found that travellers are also increasingly seeking out foods like sushi and ramen during their voyages abroad.
In a worldwide survey from accommodation site Hotels.com, 18 per cent of the 27,000 respondents surveyed around the world named Japanese cuisine as their favourite food when on holiday, a figure that’s closing in on traditional favourites like Italian and French food, which received 32 per cent and 24 per cent of the vote respectively.
The survey results show how far Japanese cuisine has come, as it managed to edge out Chinese, Spanish and American cuisines in the top 10 list. American fare was defined by foods like burgers and fries.
What was once regarded as exotic and alien to Western palates — ie. raw fish — is now firmly entrenched in the mainstream Western dining scene, with foods like ramen, sushi, tempura, soba and teriyaki common words in the dining lexicon.
“Japanese food is seen as great example of healthy eating and there are a variety of Japanese restaurants in every multicultural capital,” said Alison Couper from Hotels.com. “...The fact that it beat more traditional holiday dishes such as tapas and burritos is testament to the world class reputation of Japanese chefs.”
The survey also found that palates are increasingly seeking out the bold, punchy flavours of Asia, with Thai, Taiwanese and Indian cuisines rounding out the top 10 list.
Here are the top 10 cuisines for travellers when on holiday according to Hotels.com:
1. Italy 32%
2. France 24%
3. Japan 18%
4. China 13%
5. Spain 11%
6. USA 10%
7. Mexico 8%
8. Thailand 8%
9. Taiwan 5%
10. India 5%
In another survey by Skyscanner, respondents named Italian pasta as their favourite international dish, followed by pad Thai and paella. — AFP/Relaxnews
