Follow your nose? Why not!

Adventures are my favorite thing. I’ve had adventures on trains – from memorable subway rides into Toronto to unforgettable train trips to Munich in cars filled with Oktoberfest revelers (Interesting note: 8am is not too early to drink beer on a train when en route to Oktoberfest). And I've had my share of culinary adventures too. Moving to Toronto from a small town in northern Ontario, is in my opinion, what has helped me develop my sense of adventure the most, and especially my adventurous palette.

It started off small – believe it or not, up until I was 19, I’d never had Greek food, and it turns out that I quite enjoy the whole concept of meat on a stick. Being in Toronto, there is no shortage of international cuisine and I quickly learned that the best way to order is not to scour the menu, but to ask the server “So what’s your favorite?”. I’m always surprised at how candidly they answer and what cool new things I experience by taking their recommendations.

My bravery is most richly rewarded when I travel abroad, and if I don’t end up liking what I ate, hey – at least it makes for a good story! A few years back, I travelled to Singapore and had a short stopover in Tokyo. Not much time to do sightseeing, but there’s always time to eat! I came across this post recently that reminded me of the great seafood I had while I was there. But there is one little bite from that trip that I will always remember: my first (and only!) taste of durian fruit. We had been warned by the tour guide that the strange, rotting smell in the markets wasn’t week-old garbage but actually durian fruit, which is considered to be a delicacy in Singapore. It’s apparently a love or hate type of thing. I was on the hate side, but there are plenty of people who enjoy it. A lot of public establishments in Southeast Asia have actually banned the durian to try and keep the peace. One man’s tasty snack is enough to make another want to gag! Yup – to some people, it smells that bad!

Even though I didn’t want a second serving, I don’t regret having tried it. It’s all part of the adventure that is this big ol’ world, and I’m ready to take it on, one mysterious fruit at a time.