In Lieu of International Travel, Get into International Snacking

The very best part of international travel is not sitting on some idyllic beach with a cocktail and your smartphone turned off. It’s not wandering around moss-covered ancient ruins, nor is it visiting world-class art galleries. No, the very best part of visiting a new country is experiencing delicious food. And I’m not talking about fancy-ass, Michelin-starred haute cuisine (although that is fun). I’m talking about the exotic snacks you load up on at the local bodega around the corner from your Airbnb. I’m talking about having lunch at the café down the road where no one speaks English and your smartphone can’t catch enough signal to power Google translate. It’s in those little moments when you can really learn about the local culture from consuming a bag of squid parts (seriously. delicious.) or a plate of insalata de trippa.

Alas, 2020 is not the year for experiencing international cuisine. While there are whispers of certain countries easing travel restrictions for Americans, it’s certainly a bad idea to go pinging around the globe until the pandemic is under control. Thankfully, a new crop of snack boxes and meal kits packing international flavors are available for delivery to your front door. Each one of these kits includes something a little different—there’s unusual candy, weird chips, even some hubcap-sized steaks—but all provide a way of knowing other cultures in bite-sized form. And sure, they make great gifts. But we’ve all been through a lot this year. Maybe the ideal person to buy one for is you.