H eadingback to the UK after a holiday abroad, I often look for ward to going back to my usua l food staples. I’m not thinking about a traditiona l roast dinner, although I’m a lways up for one. Instead, I’m crav ing homemade curries and a mea l out in a favourite Thai or Korean restaura nt.
Sta ked out on a Greek beach, I’m happy to eat wa ll-to-wa ll g yros and spana kopita. In Vietna m, I’ll be savouring pho and banh mi. In Tunisia, variations on couscous and brik are more than acceptable for a week. But, I soon start pining for the variety and diversit y of cuisine that we we ta ke for granted in these isles.
If you’ve lived or travelled abroad, you w ill probably have noticed that non-indigenous food possibilities are more limited elsewhere. Italy is a prime example. A lthough it has ex por ted dishes like pasta and pizza worldw ide, on their home tur f, Italians show only a modest appetite for foreign cuisine.