Anyone who knows me knows I love to travel. One of my favorite aspects about travelling is learning about a different culture. I love eating where the “locals” eat, going into their supermarkets, and pharmacies all to see beyond what tourists normally see. I especially love being able to bring home a piece of another lifestyle. Usually, it’s their food.

For example, while in Alaska, I learned and tasted the difference between wild salmon and farmed salmon. As a result, I try to almost always buy wild salmon. I also learned to cook salmon using the combination of sweet and savory spices that Alaskans prefer, now buying the spices on Amazon directly from Alaska.

In New Orleans, I fell in love with the coffee and chicory combination that the people in the city love. And I continue to purchase coffee mixed with chicory from Café Du Monde also on Amazon. In Greece, it was their olive oil that I enjoyed, which has so much more flavor than that which we use here and is apparently healthier. I continue to use authentic Greek olive oil in my cooking.

Recently, in Iceland, I tasted and really enjoyed Skyr, which is the Icelandic version of yogurt. I love Greek yogurt and this reminded me of that, although Skyr has much less sugar and more protein. Upon returning home, I was thrilled to see authentic Icelandic Skyr in the grocery store. I stocked up on it and enjoy a little taste of Iceland now most mornings for breakfast.

Through my travels, my palate and my kitchen are becoming more diverse. Have your brought back food from your travels?