Eat

Millions of tourists travel to Egypt each year. The reasons for taking a trip to Egypt are certainly wide-ranging, but there is an obvious attraction whose popularity rises above the rest – the Pyramids of Giza.

Following the Pyramids in popularity are sites like the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, the Valley of the Kings and Luxor Temple. I could continue, but the point is clear: the biggest draw of tourism in Egypt, by far, is what remains of the great Ancient Egyptian civilization.

Ancient Egypt is an interesting subject, one that I now find even more interesting than prior to visiting the country. The temples, tombs, mummies – these are great reasons to visit Egypt.

But there are other reasons, too.

Namely, the Nile River is fascinating. Cairo is an historic megacity. The Red Sea is stunning.

What about the food? Do people visit Egypt for the food?

To be frank, I have not heard of anyone going all the way to Egypt for the food. I mean, let’s not kid ourselves. Egypt isn’t a culinary destination like Italy, France or Thailand – and that’s okay! Being famous for something other than food doesn’t automatically mean the food is bad… Right?

Rest easy. Egyptian food is indeed pretty good.

I had minimal expectations about eating in Egypt. I absolutely hoped that the food would be good, but I didn’t know enough to make many assumptions. There was only one way to find out.

What is Egyptian Food? Is it good? Expensive? Safe to eat? I’ve done some of the “research” for you, so let’s dig into Egyptian food.

What is Egyptian Food?

To over-generalize the cuisine of Egypt, it can be said that it has similarities and elements of cuisine found across the Arab world, the Maghreb and Mediterranean region. The Nile River plays an important part in agriculture but less as a direct food source. Along the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea coasts, seafood obviously has a larger presence than the interior portions of the country.

Staple Dishes & ‘Must-try’ Eats in Cairo

Egyptian cuisine has a lot to offer, and Cairo is a massive place with thousands upon thousands of restaurants, cafes and food stalls. My research was fairly extensive (and tasty), but there is far more beyond this summary. This should give you a good idea about what you can look for and where to start your journey eating in Cairo.

Bread

Bread is the most important part of the Egyptian diet. Bread and grain is the primary staple of many diets, and this was especially true from an historical perspective. Even in modern Cairo, eating anything from snacks to large meals revolves around bread. When you walk the streets of Downtown Cairo, you will come across huge mounds of fresh-baked bread for sale on the sidewalks.

Bread is so important in Egypt that it is subsidized by the government. Tens of millions of Egyptians have their bread subsidized to the tune of billions of dollars annually. While this is partially to help poorer citizens, it’s also a cultural expectation. Governments in Egypt have been providing the citizens bread for a long, long time.

In Cairo, bread is equally important. And there is the added big city bonus, meaning it is plentiful and widely available.

Baladi – Street Bread of Cairo

The primary bread eaten in Egypt is aish baladi, typically just called ‘baladi.’ The closest thing I can compare baladi to is pita. It is a flatbread that puffs up when it’s fresh and slowly deflates to a more dense, finished product.

What I love the most about this bread is that I found it for sale on sidewalks all around Cairo. Freshly-baked bread sold on the side of the road – that’s just something I have not (and, likely, will not) ever experience at home. The interruption of big city smells by fresh bread is a nice treat.

Another reason to appreciate baladi is the price. You can get several chunks of flatbread for pennies. It’s filling, too. The final reason I enjoy this Egyptian favorite is that you can eat it with anything. Jam, cheese, tahini – it works for any of these. My apologies to Egyptians if this is not the norm, but it worked well for me.

Bataw

Bataw is another flatbread that is an important part of Egyptian cuisine. Bataw is thinner than baladi, and is an excellent choice to snack with other foods. I most frequently encountered bataw for breakfast in hotels, usually with cheese. My preference was, again, with jam, but this particular bread is a cheap and easy choice to snack on throughout the day.

Feteer

This one is something else. I don’t know what the Egyptians do to get this just right, but Feteer is now one of my favorite breads in the world.

It’s flaky, layered and buttery with a subtle sweetness. Feteer is similar to filo bread, but it’s better than any filo I’ve ever had. Feteer can be sweet or not, and sometimes it is even filled with cheese, meats, spices or sugar. My preference is for the savory variety, but I’ll take it any way it is offered. Hands down, feteer is one of the best breads in the world.

Koshari

While bread is the most important part of Egyptian cuisine, it isn’t the most exciting. For that, we turn to some of the more interesting parts of eating in Cairo.

The best place to start is Koshari, the national dish of Egypt. No breakdown of eating in Cairo is complete without mentioning this interesting dish. And no trip to Egypt has the full experience without trying it once or twice.

What is koshari?

That’s not easy to sum up concisely. Koshari is a strange mix of foods all together in one. Honestly, it kind of seems like it was created by a toddler throwing all of his favorite foods into the same bowl. There is no disrespect intended here. It’s just a strange combination of food, a little bit of everything, seemingly at random.

Koshari generally consists of chickpeas, rice, pasta, noodles, lentils and crispy onions, with a little bit of tomato sauce. Garlic vinegar is a popular addition, and I was served this with a citrus fruit more than once. To me, it looked like a lime. However, I was told it was a lemon, and it did indeed turn out to taste like a lemon.

It’s easy to see why I find this to be a particularly odd combination of food. It is an odd mix of ingredients. And no two places make it the same, so that’s a fun game to play.

The important thing is that koshari is good. The flavors are spot on, and I highly recommend adding the garlic vinegar, a squirt of lemon and even a dash of hot sauce.

Koshari is one of those foods that likely arises out of necessity. Times were tough, options limited. Meat was probably too expensive and out of the question. So they used what they had, put it all together, and it has been fine-tuned over the centuries.

The mish-mash bowl of everything isn’t complex. It’s really tasty, though. You can find it at cafes or on the street. Koshari is still popular as an affordable option, so it should be cheap for you, too.

Falafel

Did you know that falafel originated in Egypt? In fact, according to an Egyptologist to whom we spoke, there is an ancient recipe for falafel found in hieroglyphics. The source is often where you find the best version of any particular food. And with archaeological evidence going back thousands of years, you know it’s going to be authentic.

Better yet, Egyptian falafel is, by far, the best I’ve ever had. Prior to visiting Egypt, my falafel knowledge was extremely limited. I’d eaten it many times, but it didn’t stand out.

This changed in Cairo. My first taste of Egyptian falafel was a game changer and set the standard for all others. According to locals, true falafel is made from fava beans – not chickpeas. Perhaps this is the key difference. I like think it also has to do with the previously-mentioned ancientness of the popular snack in Egypt.

Whatever you do, don’t pass up the chance for falafel in Cairo. It’s a cheap, quick snack and is eaten any time of day.

Egyptian Desserts

When one ponders Egyptian cuisine, pastries and cakes are likely not at the top of the mind. Well, I am here to share that the best syrupy sweets I’ve eaten in my life came from Cairo. Diabetics, beware.

I was not expecting this at all. Never in my life have I tasted such delectable sweets as those I inhaled in Egypt. It’s probably best that I don’t live near an Egyptian dessert shop, or I might be more sugar than human.

I sampled probably a dozen different sweet treats, each one eliciting an even greater explosion of my taste buds than the last. Had it not been for a tree nut allergy, I would have eaten more. There was an attempt to get some of these without nuts. For the most part, it wasn’t worth the risk. I am unable to remember the names of all of the incredible treats, but three of my favorites are Kunafa, Basbousa and Zalabya. The little semolina cakes are unbelievable.

Many of these popular desserts are not necessarily Egyptian in origin. Some are Egyptian, and others originate elsewhere in the Middle East, but I would have a hard time believing anyone else can do it better. I recommend visiting Valero Sweets for a sweet sampling. The name is in Arabic, so this is what Google Translate told me. Another way you can find it is to go to Orabi Al Tawfiqia (Al Tawfiqia Square). There is only one sweet shop in the small square. That’s your place for happiness.

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Eating Cheap in Cairo

Eating in Cairo is generally inexpensive. Like most places in the world, especially tourist destinations, the same basic principles typically hold true:

• International chain restaurants are more expensive than local restaurants.
• Foreign cuisine, i.e. Western or not local, is more expensive.
• Hotel dining is more expensive, especially at large international hotels.
• Restaurants near tourist sites (near famous museums in Cairo or the Pyramids in Giza) are going to be more expensive than restaurants farther away.

Core travel-eating practices aside, eating in Cairo is still cheap. With the exception of large international hotels, straying from the key principles above won’t bust your budget.

A typical meal dining out in Cairo will cost you a few dollars. If you budget $10 per person, you should easily be able to stay within that range, eat well and add a drink or two. You definitely should not go hungry at that rate.

For instance, at one of the nicer restaurants we ate (not fancy by any stretch), an espresso costs about $0.50, beer approximately $2.00, appetizers about $2.00 and main courses $3-6. Conversion rates have varied wildly in the last few years, as the Egyptian pound continues to weaken.

There is a serious discussion that goes along with the strength (or weakness) of currency and economic stability, but that can wait for another day. For now, the economic situation essentially means that Egypt is a cheap travel destination. Food is especially affordable for many tourists who visit. It’s a great time to stimulate their economy and maximize your experience, too.

Fast Food

No, we’re not talking about McDonald’s or KFC. Yes, you can find those in Cairo, but let’s dive into the local fast food.

Fast food in Cairo isn’t what many of us are used to. There are burger joints, sure, but the local fast food is a little different. This is where you’ll find a quick shawarma, falafel or something along those lines. It’s local fare, quickly served and sufficiently unhealthy. So that qualifies as fast food in my book.

Most importantly, it’s good. Honestly, I can’t be sure what I was eating most of the time. It was a guess-and-point game. Whatever came out was excellent. I wouldn’t make a habit of eating greasy food like that, but it was delicious. And it was very cheap.

For about $10 USD, we ordered something that looked like (in a photo) a couple of sandwiches, two Cokes and chips. What we received was 5 meaty sandwiches, two Cokes, fries and some kind of meaty bite-sized snacks. One person could easily fill up on fast food for less than the equivalent of $5 USD.

I’m sure there are local fast food chains, but I remain ignorant to these brands. Instead, judge with your eyes. If you see a restaurant that has a lot of people sort of hanging about, perhaps it opens out onto the street, that’s probably a good sign. Give it a shot.

Street Food in Cairo

Street food in Cairo makes for a curious scene. Upon arrival, there didn’t seem to be a lot of street food happening. There are stalls and small shops that open up to the street, but I didn’t see as many vendors cooking and selling food directly on the street as I expected.

As the sun set, I immediately realized what was happening. Cairo is hot, really hot. Not many people want to swelter in the Egyptian sun next to even more heat cooking on the street. After dark, that’s when the city comes to life. Street food included!

From my observations, most of the street eats were on side streets. The large squares and main thoroughfares are apparently not the place to set up shop. As we didn’t wander down any alleys or small roads the first couple of nights, we missed all of the street food.

Downtown Cairo has an excellent night time street food scene. Particularly, I found the smaller side streets of the ‘Abdin area to have some excellent street eats. Admittedly, I don’t know what I was always eating, but I certainly enjoyed it.

The areas in which we wandered at night were well-lit and busy. As mentioned in the Hangry Backpacker’s First Impressions of Cairo, we were largely unbothered in Downtown Cairo. Away from the museums, people left us alone. Be smart, but the area felt safe to us.

Food Safety

Since we’ve just finished discussing street food and cheap food, perhaps it’s appropriate to mention food safety. If you’re an adventurous eater like me, you will eat almost anything. I try my best to embrace local food when I travel. There are few opportunities that prove more effective to learn about the culture of your destination than food.

”Food and drink is an open window into another culture.” I’ve said this many, many times over the years. It’s still true.

Anyway, my curious appetite and insatiable desire to explore a destination through food often comes back to bite me. In fact, I think I’ve had food poisoning on 4 different continents, so that’s a fun fact about The Hangry Backpacker.

In the end, despite a few regret-filled and sleepless nights, it has ultimately been worth it. I travel prepared (with appropriate medications) and almost expect some moments of unpleasantness (depending on the destination).

In my experience, Egyptian food isn’t inherently unsafe or dirty. Perhaps an argument can be made about some of the street food being less than ultra-hygienic. For the most part, though, I think food in Egypt is fine.

I can’t accurately comment on the kitchen conditions, so I won’t get into that. However, generally speaking, health codes and food safety is not on the same level we are used to in the United States, Canada and most of Europe.

Our hygienic practices are great for overall safety, but it also leaves us vulnerable when we stray from that food safety bubble. Our guts are not as experienced; hence, the reason so many Americans get sick in Mexico but locals who eat and drink the same things are fine – we’re just not used to it.

All that is to say that eating in Egypt is simply different. Standards are different. And you can never be 100% certain that your silverware, plate or glass is sterilized.

Common sense will get you pretty far. Avoid raw or undercooked food. Choose street food wisely. Stay away from fresh veggies unless you can ensure they’ve been cleaned with CLEAN water.

Make sure you travel prepared (consult a doctor beforehand), but don’t let it scare you from trying new things. Eating in Egypt is both fun and tasty.

“Can I drink the water in Egypt?”

This is probably a question that some people have had to ask. It seems like an obvious answer to me, but I suppose you never know for sure.

Well, the answer is no. Absolutely not. Do not drink the water.

Let me say it once again: Don’t drink the water in Cairo. Don’t drink the water on a Nile River cruise. Don’t drink the water at your fancy Red Sea resort. Do NOT drink the water.

Hopefully, this is clear enough to get the point across.

P.S. Unless you want violent diarrhea with a hearty dose of vomiting, do not drink the water in Egypt.

Drinking Alcohol in Cairo

Drinking in Cairo? In Egypt? Yep.

I, too, expected alcohol to be scarce during my time in Egypt. My presumption was that any drinking in Egypt would largely be confined to resorts. Ignorantly, I completely disregarded the many millions of Christian Copts in the country, for whom consumption of alcohol is accepted. In my defense, I assumed that the Muslim-dominated culture and government would render alcohol a scarcity. This was an incorrect assumption.

To be fair, it’s not as if there are bars to be found on every corner. In fact, bars are scarce. Aside from Western hotels, bars and pubs in Cairo are indeed very few and far between.

That’s okay, though. You don’t travel all the way to Egypt and visit Cairo for the booze. At least I hope not. You’ll surely be disappointed.

That being said, you can still enjoy the occasional drink in Egypt. They even have liquor stores on the streets of Cairo that sell some interesting products.

Here are some tips for consuming alcohol in Cairo:

• Forget about drinking on the street. While alcohol is available, it remains taboo (illegal, to be precise) for a vast majority of the population. Public consumption of alcohol in Cairo is a great way to find yourself in trouble with the law. Getting caught would likely lead to a fine or arrest. Avoid drinking in open areas unless it’s within the grounds of your hotel.
• The amount of options varies significantly across the city. Areas home to larger expat communities, wealthy neighborhoods and more popular tourist areas are your best bet to find a place for a drink.

Neighborhoods in Cairo where you are more likely to find a decent watering hole include Zamalek, Maadi, Heliopolis and Garden City. Downtown Cairo is not the place to go for a splash of booze. There are a few exceptions, such as the Roof Garden. Generally, Downtown Cairo is a great area to visit and explore but not for alcohol. Portions of Cairo that are poorer or lack Westerners will have little-to-no drinking establishments.

Liquor stores are an even rarer sight in Cairo. Much to my surprise, I randomly came across a small liquor store on a corner in Downtown Cairo. It was a simple operation, but I couldn’t resist checking it out. My limited experiences purchasing alcohol in Egypt (outside of bars or restaurants) certainly elicits the feeling that there are prying eyes over your shoulder. Go about your business quietly and quickly – that sums it up.

Cairo is not a boozing destination, and that’s okay. There are other experiences and sights far more interesting than any alcoholic beverage you may find there. If you’re getting the itch, though, and you just want a quiet drink, it’s there.

Prices

Alcohol in Egypt is fairly inexpensive from local shops. It’s not proportional to the cheapness of most things – there is clearly a sin tax applied to purchases – but it largely depends on what you buy.

Foreign brands are more expensive. Everything from Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker to Grey Goose and Hennessy – you can find these in many of the liquor stores. Although these aren’t on my shopping list at home, the prices were in line with what I expect to see in my local store, equivalent to around $30 USD for a bottle of Jack or Grey Goose.

Local brands are significantly cheaper. The quality, however, varies wildly. For half or even a third of the price of imported brands, it might be worth the risk. And it does make for a fun way to experience something local.

Local Products

After I realized that alcohol isn’t a rarity in Egypt, I was even more surprised to learn that the country produces its own goods. Perhaps my ignorance was shining through, but I genuinely did not expect to find a decent variety of locally produced alcohol in a muslim country.

First, I came across the beer. This was the least surprising. Good beer can be found in Egypt, but the most popular choice and overwhelming favorite is Stella. NOT Stella Artois – just Stella. In fact, this is the original Stella beer, older than the world famous (and highly overrated) Belgian brew. It’s decent for a mass-produced brew.

The sight of Egyptian wine was the biggest surprise. Geographically, it makes sense. Sunshine, dry air and good soil. Those are pretty much the basics for viticulture, right? Either way, I was not expecting to find Egyptian wine. We tried a few varieties, all sourced near Alexandria. It was fine, nothing exceptional, but certainly worth a sampling.

Lastly, there are even local spirits in Egypt. This is where you will find the greatest disparity in quality. Egyptian liquor varies from pretty good to passable to hard-to-drink. My personal favorite is the Champollion brandy. It’s a solid drink. Nothing fancy but decent.

There are several local options from which to sip in Cairo. I recommend trying at least a couple of them. Temper your expectations, but enjoy the chance to get an extra taste of the local experience.

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Eating in Cairo is fun. There’s no denying that the cuisine here isn’t on the same level as other, more famous culinary destinations around the world, but it’s not something to ignore during your trip.

The sites of Ancient Egypt are incredible, but the modern country of Egypt today has a lot to offer, too. You can start by sampling the local eats. In a city the size of Cairo, there are going to be more choices than you could try in a lifetime. You have to start somewhere.

There are few better ways to get a taste of your travel destination than eating, and food is an excellent way to explore Cairo. If you want some extra guidance or reassurance, there are good food tours. Feel free to send us an email about food tours in Cairo, and we’ll send some suggestions your way. If you’re adventurous, I suggest fighting through the language barrier at the first spot that looks good. No matter the method, eating in Cairo is going to be fun.

Eating in Brasov is a mix of modern tourist mainstays and traditional Romanian cuisine. Despite its location in the historic region of Transylvania, dishes of Hungarian and German origin are less common on menus than other cities in the region.

For most tourists in Brasov, meals will primarily be in and around the old city. This part of Brasov dates back several hundred years and is home to many of the city’s top attractions, which, in turn, draw the bulk of tourists. Naturally, this is where you’ll spend a lot of time sightseeing and eating in Brasov.

When you’re like us and the goal is cheap and local, there are challenges to finding the right place to eat in Brasov. In general, Romania is inexpensive. Food plays a big part of this affordability, too, but navigating the dense crowds of tourists and the sea of restaurants that target these visitors takes a little extra effort.

When you’re in Brasov, don’t let the sights and crowds of Old Town wear you down in your search for good food. There’s plenty of it! Whether you want to eat as cheaply as possible, strictly focus on Romanian cuisine or just want the best, here’s how you can navigate, understand and make the most of eating in Brasov.

Is this Italy?

Romania has a lot of Italian restaurants. Brasov might be the epicenter of Italian food in the country. You don’t have to walk far to see plenty of menus touting all kinds of pasta-laden dishes that are clearly not Romanian.

The most likely reason that there are so many Italian restaurants in Brasov is due to two main factors. 

First, Italian food is delicious. Whether it’s pizza, carbonara or tiramisu, we all love it. Pizza, of course, is probably the single best food (food group, to be precise) that exists. As mentioned in our Romanian Food Guide, I see pizza more as a global food despite originating in Italy. But even other Italian favorites are hard to pass up. And these are plentiful in Brasov.

Second, the more likely reason in my opinion, also provides more insight into tourism in Romania. Brasov welcomes large numbers of domestic tourists. This is evident when you walk around but also on the menus.

Consider it this way. If a Romanian goes on a trip to Brasov, they probably want to eat something other than what they eat on a regular basis, i.e. Italian food and not Romanian food. With so many Romanian tourists, the restaurant industry in Brasov is simply catering to the desires of its guests. And these guests clearly want Italian food.

As a food-focused traveler, this is frustrating to me. I love Italian food, but I would go to Italy if finding the best lasagna was the objective. I don’t blame the restaurants in Romania. It’s a business decision, and this must be what the people eating in Brasov want.

Eventually, my frustration simmers down. I can’t help but be amused. There I was, thousands of miles from home, walking around a city in Transylvania in search of local food. And all I can find is pasta.

What can you do? Apparently, eating in Brasov involves Italian food. You might as well accept it and order the risotto.

The Search for Romanian Food

My approach to eating in Brasov was simply to find Romanian food and eat it. When food is my objective, I’m not one to let great food get in my way of finding other great food.

I did not know or expect that I would have any challenges, but sometimes the challenges are worth it. The good news about eating Romanian food in Brasov is that you can still find it almost anywhere.

There aren’t as many restaurants strictly serving Romanian food, but it’s still there. Even most of the Italian restaurants in Brasov have a section on the menu devoted to local cuisine. If you find yourself sitting at a non-Romanian restaurant, look for the section labeled “Tradicional” or something similar to this.

While many tourists in Brasov want something different for dinner, you can still find Romanian food among the sea of restaurants.

The farther you venture from Council Square and Strada Republicii (Republic Street), the more likely you are to find cheap Romanian cuisine. As you wander even farther away from Old Town Brasov, this principle holds more weight.

Eating Cheap in Brasov

Old Town Brasov is the most crowded and expensive part of the city. This is the same for food. Where tourists linger, prices surge.

One of the best parts about eating in Brasov during Summer (and Romania as a whole) is the outdoor dining. Give me some warm sunshine, an historic setting and a cold beer, and I will happily stick around for a while. This is easy to do in Romania.

Often, the most picturesque outdoor options are a little more expensive. Here, the streetside cafe seating extends beyond the main square, so you can still find that picturesque spot to relax and enjoy the scene.

Thankfully, it’s Romania. For those used to or expecting Western European prices, Romania is a cheap destination. Restaurants in Council Square are more expensive, but you can still find fancy meals here for less than $15 USD, and you can get a good pizza for $5-7 USD.

In fact, pizza is one of the best cheap eats in the country. I had several pizzas in Romania that were magnificent. These usually came in around the $6 range. The same pies in the US would have been three times that price.

Backpackers and others on a shoestring budget can rest easy knowing that the prices in Council Square are on the high end.

If you walk 5-10 minutes outside of Old Town, you will find local cafes where you can easily stick to your budget. How about soup and a sandwich for less than $4 USD? Espresso for $1?

This is how you eat super cheap in Brasov. Leave Old Town. The food is local. It’s good. And it’s cheap.

Eating in Brasov: Costs

A solo traveler can eat for a day in Brasov on less than $10 USD, about 45 Romanian Lei. This doesn’t leave room for fancy meals, but it’s completely possible if you’re on a backpacker budget.

For $25 USD/day, about 110 Lei, you can eat almost anything you want. Bear in mind that prices near Council Square may not be conducive to this budget but are more reasonable a couple of blocks away. Unless you go clubbing or are seeking the most expensive restaurants, 110 Lei will allow you to sit down for every meal and have a couple drinks with lunch and dinner.

In my experience, eating in Brasov is more expensive than other popular Romanian travel destinations like Sibiu and Bucharest. Here are a few examples of prices I paid:

• Domestic Beer: 10-15 Lei
• Craft Beer: 20-30 Lei
• Glass of Romanian Wine: 15-20 Lei
• Sarmale: 25-30 Lei
• Pizza: 20-40 Lei

Hangry Backpacker Recommendations

I tried several different places. Ranging from cheap to traditional, here are some of my personal recommendations for eating in Brasov:

• Gaura Dulce: I ate here twice. Central location, good Romanian food (especially the Romanian pastrami), cheap Romanian wine – that’s a solid combo.
• Pizzeria della Nonna: About 15 minutes from the center of Old Town, outstanding pizza (pictured above) that is cheaper than in the tourist area.
• La Ceaun: Food here (Strada Michael Weiss location) is decent, and they have several nice local options. I enjoyed the Bulz, a hearty dish of polenta, meat and a heavy hand of cheese. 
• Tipografia: Excellent local craft beer selection – this isn’t cheap by local standards, but it’s good!
• Strada Vlad Tepes & Strada Iuliu Maniu: 10 minutes from Old Town, there are a few really cheap places near this intersection, such as La Ionut and Patiserie.
• Kifla MEAT-ing Point – My go-to option for a cheap backpacker meal is shawarma or doner, and I always make a point to find it.
• Pickles: The plum dumplings here were fantastic! Paired with Romanian white wine, this is an easy dessert choice for me.
• Restaurant Mamaliguta: A tourist spot on Strada Republicii, an okay choice for a quick bite of local cuisine in Old Town. Tourist prices here, but the focus is on Romanian food, which is a plus.

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Eating in Brasov is a more touristy experience than other places in Romania. As a more popular destination for domestic and international tourists, it also has higher prices than most other places in the country.

Local cuisine doesn’t stand out, and it’s often easier to find Italian favorites than Romanian staples. Variety is abundant, though. Despite having a foodscape that differs from Romania as a whole, you can rest easy knowing that eating in Brasov, with a little patience, still includes good, local food for a fair price.

Eating is one of the best parts about travel in Romania. The country has a revealing cuisine that sheds light on local life, history and tradition.

Romania’s geography – this is mentioned further in our Romania Travel Guide for backpackers and first-time visitors – is also a huge part of the local cuisine. The seasonal climate is great for growing an assortment of food. A LOT of it. To name a few, Romania is one of the world’s top producers of corn, wheat, sunflower seeds, plums and grapes.

Eating in Romania is a fun tour through the country’s culture and history, and your travel menu should include several essential basics and an extra taste beyond. This comprehensive Romania food guide will help you get a thorough sample of the country one bite at a time!

What is Romanian Food?

Romanian food is good. While that is the most important note for the Hangry Backpacker, the study of local food is fascinating and enlightening.

Understanding what you’re eating and where it comes from (literally and historically) is a great way to understand the place in which you’re traveling.

Romanian cuisine may not be complex in creation the way that French food is, for example, but the accompanying  history is far from simple.

History & Influences

Romanian food is a vivid reflection of its past. With a history of aggressive neighbors and shifting populations, the food has a variety of outside elements and traits that come together to make something unique and distinct.

The present-day borders of Romania have seen centuries of foreign invaders and occupiers. From the Russian Empire, Habsburgs, Poles, Ottomans and so on, the territories within modern-day Romania have been under control of, and influenced by, dozens of foreign powers.

While foreign occupiers left flavors and recipes behind (among other things), the various ethnic groups to call Romania home are more visible in the cuisine. Modern-day Romania is the result of three historic regions (Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldavia) unifying to make one state. 

These regions have been home to several notable ethnic groups, including sizable populations of Hungarians, Germans, Ukrainians and Poles.

Each of these eras and ethnic groups made an impact on Romanian food as it is today. Some of the impact is visible, while much of it blends together to create the present-day cuisine.

For instance, the region of Transylvania is historically German and Hungarian. Food with Hungarian roots remains a common sight on menus despite most of the ethnic Hungarian population assimilating or emigrating over the past century.

Other notable influences stem from centuries of Ottoman occupation. Sarmale is one of the most well-known and popular Romanian dishes, but the origin is Turkish. Even the name comes from the Turkish word ‘sarma.’

Not every dish in Romania is foreign in origin, and you don’t have to spend hours researching the origins of every meal. That’s something I enjoy and am happy to share. But it is a fun way to learn and tour the history of the country.

Structure

The traditional Romanian diet is fairly simple and straightforward: meat; dairy; grains. This is an oversimplification, of course, but it’s the basic foundation of a traditional Romanian meal.

Eating local food in Romania typically involves a plate with meat (usually pork or cured sausage), dairy (sour cream or cheese) and some kind of starchy grain. Strangely (to me), it is often served with a fresh pepper that unpredictably ranges from mild to super spicy.

A typical Romanian breakfast is on the simple side. Common breakfasts consist of eggs, toast with jam, covrigi and perhaps some cured meats.

Traditional lunch in Romania does not vary much from breakfast. Lunch often includes something like a sandwich or polenta with cured meat or cheese.

Dinner is generally the largest meal of the day in Romania. Expect a hearty meal, and expect dinner to last a while. Especially when dining out, I noticed local Romanians sitting, eating, drinking, smoking and talking for a long time.

Meals vary depending on location in Romania. In rural areas, food is more traditional. Rural workers are also likely to eat heavier breakfasts and drink a bit more than their urban counterparts.

Holidays

As a very religious country, holidays, feasts and fasts of the Romanian Orthodox Church play a big part in what’s on the menu.

Christmas and Easter, in particular, are a time when seasonal foods make a widespread appearance. Christmas is the season for lots of pork and cozonac, a sweet bread. Around Easter, drob (a sort of lamb haggis) and pasca (a sweet, creamy and cheesy pie) are traditional foods to eat in Romania.

Most of the year falls under various fasting periods of the Romanian Orthodox Church. These are vegetarian fasts. There’s no need to worry, though! You can still satisfy your carnivorous cravings during these fasts.

Eating Vegetarian in Romania

We usually don’t highlight vegetarian or vegan eating at the Hangry Backpacker. However, when something is local, we have to mention it!

Most well-known traditional Romanian food is not vegetarian. There is a lot of food in the country that is vegan-friendly, though.

The aforementioned fasts in the Romanian Orthodox Church are not only vegetarian fasts. They are usually vegan, and menus across the country cater to the devout population.

The word you herbivores are looking for is ‘post.’ In Romania, post means fast, which equates to vegan food. Even if you aren’t practicing in the Romanian Orthodox Church, employ use of this word to comfortably find all the local rabbit food you can eat.

Must-Try Famous Romanian Dishes

Covrigi

Traditional eating in Romania begins each day with covrigi. It’s a light, tasty thing that’s easy to eat on the go.

What is covrigi? It’s basically a Romanian pretzel. It’s also not a pretzel. By that, I mean, locals don’t call it a pretzel – it’s covrigi.

Even though it is shaped like a pretzel and baked like a pretzel, it’s technically not. Walk like a duck, talk like a duck, must be a duck, right? Well, covrigi is not from pretzel dough, so therein lies the small distinction.

Anyway, this not-a-pretzel pretzel is a simple bread that is topped with sunflower seeds or poppy seeds. Covrigi is a great choice to eat breakfast like a local, especially urban-living Romanians looking for a quick bite on the go.

Covrigi is really cheap and sold pretty much everywhere. My favorite part is eating the leftover sunflower seeds that fall off the pretzel – I mean, not-a-pretzel.

Mici

Mici is one of the most well-known things to eat in Romania. Your Romanian travel menu is not complete without sampling mici on a few occasions.

This grilled sausage is small, hand rolled and has no casing. Mici is popular as a snack or meal. It is typically served with mustard and bread.

I ate a lot of mici in Romania. I’m sure inadequate mici exists – perhaps my palate is not refined to Romanian standards – but I enjoyed it every time.

Personally, I find mici to be very Balkan in nature. However, when I mentioned to a local that it was similar to chevapi (a popular grilled sausage in the Balkans), my comparison was not received well. I meant no offense, but it is similar. No matter. If you like chevapi, you will love mici.

Sarmale

This is another classic staple of traditional Romanian cuisine that is a must-try when you travel to this country. Sarmale is also an excellent example of foreign influence on Romanian cuisine.

Sarmale is, simply, cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and spices. Specifically, it is fermented cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of minced pork, rice, onions and seasonings. Most common seasonings are thyme, bay leaves and a touch of dill.

Traditional sarmale in Romania is cooked with bacon (pork belly) and sauerkraut in large batches in a single dish. Portions are usually 3-5 rolls, accompanied by a healthy dollop of sour cream, polenta and, once again, that possibly-spicy-but-maybe-mild green pepper.

Sarmale sometimes uses grape leaves in place of cabbage leaves. For this version, look for the word vita on the menu. While I love the more common version with cabbage leaves, the version with grape leaves is outstanding.

The origins of sarmale are very Middle Eastern/Turkish. What makes it uniquely Romanian is the minced pork, pork belly and the cabbage wrappings.

Mămăligă

Mamaliga is essentially polenta. Polenta is a staple of Romanian cuisine. Your travel menu anywhere in Romania will, inevitably, include eating plenty of polenta.

From a historical standpoint, polenta in this region of Europe likely dates back to Ancient Roman times of eating other grains in slop-form. When corn was introduced to Europe, the version of polenta we know today (from corn) became a staple food. It provides a lot of sustenance and energy for poor workers in a simple, cheap dish. And Romanian agricultural lands are excellent for corn production.

For many Westerners in the 21st Century, polenta is not the most appealing food. It looks simple, like grainy yellow slop, and isn’t bursting with flavor.

Personally, it reminds me of grits, which is extremely similar. As an American southerner and Louisianian, I would happily eat grits every day. However, grits are not as common outside of the Southern USA (especially in the Pacific Northwest, where I currently live), so I was enthusiastic about my mamaliga eating in Romania.

Most of your polenta encounters in Romania will come in the form of a simple side item. It’s not flashy, but it’s filling. Add a touch of salt and pepper and it’s good. Mix in some sour cream and throw in some meat or peppers (or hot sauce, if that is available) – now we’re talking.

Bulz

Bulz is Romanian polenta (mamaliga) that is dressed up to make a delicious full meal. This is a common dish across Romania, but it’s one of those foods that is never the same. Every restaurant and every grandmother has a unique rendition of the traditional Romanian meal.

With a base of polenta, bulz typically adds meat and a lot of cheese. An egg usually tops the dish. Eating in Romania is never complete without sour cream, so expect that, too.

Bulz is a heavy meal. Even what may appear as a smaller portion can be a gut bomb. It’s not the healthiest meal, but it is good. If you are planning a big hike or a night of partying, bulz is a decent base for your endeavors.

Sausage

Pork is the most commonly eaten meat. Cured meats are also popular across the country, eaten as part of breakfast or lunch, as appetizers or snacks.

I enjoyed every slice of sausage I tasted. Some of the flavors are quite unique, too, though it was more of a pointing-and-guessing game for me. Local varieties of salami are commonplace and easy to find, even in small convenience stores.

Cheese

Cheese is another very popular dairy item to eat in Romania. There are too many types of Romanian cheese to mention them all.

Honestly, I had a tough time differentiating between them. The most common Romanian cheese is a mild, white cheese. It’s decent. Not outstanding or especially memorable, but good.

Dips

Romanians eat a lot of dips, often as a spread for bread and served with olives, veggies (i.e. mild peppers, cucumbers), cheese and sausage. There are four dips I found most common in Romania:

• Salată de vinete – Eggplant dip. Salată de vinete, a Romanian staple of pureed eggplant mixed with lemon juice and sunflower oil. I enjoy eggplant, but this was not my favorite.
• Zacusca – Bell pepper dip. Zacusca is a popular dip that is made from pureed red peppers, eggplant and tomatoes with sunflower oil. The peppers are gogoșari peppers, which basically tastes like bell peppers to me.
• Fasole batută – Bean dip! This is ‘Romanian hummus.’ Fasole batută is a dip of mashed white beans mixed with oil and garlic, topped with pickled veggies in a tomato-ish paste. It’s pretty good!
• Salată de icre – Fish dip! This is a dip that is made with roe, specifically carp roe (usually spelled ‘crap’ in Romania, so that’s fun). It is made with oil and a touch of lemon. Carp isn’t eaten often in the United States and, to my surprise, this was my favorite.

These foods are eaten as part of a charcuterie plate when dining out (seen above), but they are also enjoyed frequently at home. This is a staple of Romanian cuisine and something many locals always have in the fridge.

Ciorba de Burta

Ciorba (pronounced CHOR-buh) is the Romanian word for soup. There are a lot of delicious Romanian soups to eat, but the most famous is ciorba de burta. 

Ciorba de burta is tripe soup. You’re probably thinking, “Oh, hell no. I’m not eating stomach soup.”

I’m here to tell you that it’s delicious. I’ve eaten more than my fair share of tripe, and, honestly, it’s usually not great. I keep trying it in various places, hoping that someday I start to actually enjoy it.

Romanian tripe soup is, by far, the best tripe I’ve ever had. But ciorba de burta isn’t simply the best of something that generally underwhelms. It’s delicious.

The hearty soup is made from a base of egg yolks and sour cream. It is buttery and slightly sour. You eat it with garlic, vinegar and (more) sour cream, paired with bread and a spicy pepper.

These ingredients may still sound odd or off putting to many palates, especially American palates, but I implore you to give it a try. It is genuinely good! If you happen to overdo the Romanian wine one night, ciorba de burta will be a lifesaver the next day.

Romanian Pastrami

Forget about sandwiches. This is not a Katz’s Delicatessen sandwich with thick slices of pastrami between mustard-slathered slices of rye.

As much as I love a New York City pastrami on rye – seriously, one of my favorite foods in the world – Romanian pastrami is similar only in name. (Although, the NYC pastrami sandwich has Romanian roots, too, coming from Romanian Jewish immigrants.)

Romanian pastrami is not brisket. ‘Pastrama,’ as it is called in Romania, is more about the process of aging the meat than any specific type of meat.

In Romania, many meats that are brined and aged are considered pastrami. This can be veal, mutton, pork and even turkey or goose. In my experience in Romania, the pastrami on menus is mutton.

Eating pastrami in Romania also has nothing to do with a sandwich. Mutton pastrami is served as an entree of thick slices/chunks of meat. This frequently comes with polenta and is a hefty meal.

Romanian pastrami is not the deli variety. For one, it’s typically mutton and not beef. It’s also a little greasy and fattier, which adds more natural flavors. Overall, it is phenomenal.

Plăcintă

Placinta is a pie-like Romanian pastry. It is round and flaky.

This is another wonderful example of Romanian history showing up through food. The origins of placinta trace back to Ancient Rome, and it is commonly eaten today in a form that likely hasn’t changed much over time.

Placinta is traditionally filled with cheese or fruit (sometimes with sour cream, of course). Today, however, you can find placinta with any number of ingredients.

The simplest placinta is stuffed with cheese. This is a tasty snack, though generally enough of a “snack” for two people. Things change when you add other fillings. Sausage, pastrami, duck, peppers, olives, spinach – “fancier” placinta can have any number of ingredients. This is a full meal, and there are tempting dessert varieties, too. And it is so, so good.

Pizza

I know what you’re thinking: “Romanian food… pizza?”

Why would anyone go to Romania for the pizza? Well, no, you don’t go to Romania for the pizza. Not exactly.

Pizza is everywhere. Italy may have the best pizza, but being the first to create or produce something doesn’t necessarily mean you are the best. It certainly doesn’t mean you are the only ones capable of making it well.

I’m not belittling Italian pizza. There’s no doubt that there are few culinary experiences that can compare to a real, authentic Neapolitan pizza straight from a brick oven.

Pizza is a global food, though. Yes, some places do it better than others, but it’s everywhere. Good pizza is everywhere. I love pizza, and I have an open mind to ALL pizza!

Pizza in Romania is pretty good. As it should be! With a great climate for farming and plenty of fresh, local ingredients, it’s only natural that it’s easy to find a decent pie in the country.

Believe me, it is easy to find pizza in Romania. It’s not all great, though some of it does indeed stand out as exceptional.

I include pizza as part of this Romanian food guide and travel menu because of the amount of restaurants I saw full of locals eating pizza.

Sometimes we need an easy, familiar occasion when traveling. Pizza is the perfect choice for such an occasion!

It’s silly to exhaust yourself searching for hidden local gems for every single meal. There are a lot of pizza restaurants in Romania serving a lot of locals, so that is eating local in a way.

Romanian Desserts:

While I typically spend less time writing about desserts and sweets, I do possess a serious sweet tooth. Unfortunately, traveling with a serious tree nut allergy makes eating sweets at random tricky in certain parts of the world.

For me, Romanian food is fairly safe to navigate (especially compared to the Middle East and Central Asia), but desserts and sweet treats do have slightly more tree nuts than other courses.

This makes me hesitant to try things when I cannot be certain of the ingredients. That being said, eating dessert in Romania has quite a few notable creations for you to try. These are just a few of the sweet treats you should try:

• Papanasi – Romanian “doughnuts,” these are more of a dense pastry filled with a mild cheese and topped with berries or jam and a semi-sweet sour cream sauce. Good but heavy.
• Galuste cu prune – Don’t let the name deter you. These are plums, not prunes! Plum potato dumplings, to be precise! Plum and potato sounds weird, but these delicious potato dumplings are filled with plums that turn into a molten, jam-like goo. They are coated in breadcrumbs and tossed in cinnamon – a delightful surprise when eating in Romania!

• Gogoși – Fluffy, moderately dense pastries typically filled with jam or cheese and sugar on top.
• Scovergi – A round pastry often with cheese or jam inside, sometimes plain and doused with sugar.
• Colțunași – Romanian sweet dumplings with plums or cherries, these appear similar to pierogies.

Eating Cheap in Romania

Eating in Romania is generally cheap in comparison to most of Europe and North America. But what if you are sticking to a budget, can you eat even cheaper in Romania?

Yes, absolutely! And it’s not that difficult.

The simple rules of cheap eating and travel also apply to Romania. Here are a few tips to find cheaper food anywhere:

• Don’t eat near tourist areas or landmarks.
• If the menus are not in the local language (i.e. an English menu in Thailand), it’s likely targeting tourists.
• Avoid famous, international restaurant brands. Outside of the USA, McDonald’s is often more expensive than local fare.
• Find out where locals eat. The average local citizen isn’t paying tourist prices for a typical meal out.
• Grocery stores and supermarkets are always the more economical option.
• Tacos, burgers, sushi and pasta all on one menu? Stay away!

What about Romania? How can you eat even cheaper there?

The same tips above also apply to Romania, but there are a few specific things you should look for when seeking cheap food in the country.

Find an ‘Autoservire’

I cannot say for certain that the Autoservire is the Romanian version of fast food, but these places are quick and cheap. However, this isn’t where to go for a greasy sack of chicken fingers and fries.

I visited three Autoservires in Romania. They were each incredibly cheap for a full plate of food. I paid less than $5 on each occasion, and the food is local. You won’t see many tourists here.

Autoservire food isn’t flashy. It’s not going to make a great shot for the ‘Gram. It’s cheap and local, though. And pretty good, too. These were the places I saw lines of local Romanians waiting to get food.

What about Street Food?

Street food doesn’t exist in Romania the same way as you will see in many countries. The closest thing to street eats will be the window stands where you can grab a quick ice cream, covrigi or other baked goods.

These window stands of food are also much less prevalent in smaller towns. That being said, you can fill up on a variety of Romanian pastries (sweet and savory) without spending much. In theory, you can spend about $5 and have food for the day. It’s not a balanced diet, but it is cheap food.

Leave the Tourist Bubble

I know this is mentioned in the general cheap eating tips above, but it is especially true in Romania.

Prices in tourist areas are much higher than elsewhere. What sets Romania apart from other European countries is that the prices in tourist areas really aren’t that bad. You can often find a beer or glass of wine in a main square for $3. Believe me, that is not happening in the center of Madrid, Munich or London.

In Romania, though, that $3 beer can drop to less than $2 if you leave the tourist bubble. You might only have to walk a few minutes. Suddenly, the tourists disappear and your nice, large dinner went from $15 to less than ten bucks.

Eating in Romania is cheap in most places. A teensy bit of effort can lead you to ever cheaper food!

Eating as a Tourist in Romania

Eating as a tourist in Romania does not come without challenges. If part of your travel plans include eating and enjoying local food in local establishments, this can require a little extra effort.

Romania is not unique in this sentiment. As tourists, it is often a challenge to escape the areas in which we find ourselves. The very sites that attract us to an area have everything we need: attractions, accommodation, shops, restaurants, etc.

To successfully navigate the tourist bubbles in Romania and eat locally, plan on doing some walking. That’s the simplest method to find local eats. Leave the historic, touristic area.

The most popular tourist destinations in Romania are also very popular for domestic tourism. A lot of these places, especially during pandemic times, are extremely reliant on domestic tourism.

How does domestic tourism affect what you eat as a foreign tourist?

Restaurants in high traffic areas are more likely to cater to what the bulk of their customers want. From my time in Romania, I can confirm that the local population is not looking for their local cuisine.

Romanians love Italian food. Well, we all love Italian food, right? Of course.

The tourist areas in Romania are flooded with Italian restaurants, though. Even when a restaurant isn’t specifically an “Italian Restaurant,” the menus frequently suggest otherwise.

Without a doubt, I saw more Italian food in Romania than anything else. By far. Clearly, domestic tourists in the country want to eat something different. Don’t take this as criticism – it makes perfect sense.

What this means for foreign tourists in Romania is that traditional, local food isn’t always abundant in popular areas. To be fair, many restaurants have a small section of local specialties. So, if you find yourself in an Italian restaurant against your will, look for the menu section that says something along the lines of ‘traditional’ or ‘Romanian.’

If you have the time, walk away from the tourist areas and find a busy restaurant or even a busy bar. If locals are there, you’ll be in good hands.

At the very least, stick to traditional restaurants in tourist areas. The prices are higher than they should be, but at least you can get an idea of local eating in Romania.

When the time comes and you’re too hangry to continue searching, take solace in the fact that you can eat good food in Romania for a good price. Find that ‘traditional’ section of the menu.

Prices/Cost Examples

If you’ve read this far, you will know that Romania is a fairly cheap place to eat. Similar to most places in the world, cities and tourist areas are more expensive. Tourist areas in cities are even more expensive. The largest city – in this case, Bucharest – is generally home to the most expensive eats.

Cheaper food in cities is found away from tourist attractions, and cheap food is abundant in smaller towns and rural areas.

However, what is expensive in Romania is going to be cheap for a lot foreign visitors. This is a win for you, and this is a win for local restaurants. You won’t break the bank dining out every night.

Here are some prices I paid for food and drinks in Romania (in 2022, in approx. USD):

• Domestic Beer: $2
• Craft Beer: $4-6 
• Doner: $4.50 (my go-to cheap, quick eat abroad)
• Traditional Meal w/beer: $8-12 (in tourist center)
• Traditional Meal w/beer: $4-5 (outside tourist area)
• Whole Pizza: $5-10 (enough for two people)
• Covrigi: $0.50
• Romanian Fast Food: $4.50 (a ton of food)
• Mici (tourist restaurant): $6-7
• Mici (local spot): $3.50

Drinking in Romania

Romania has a long history of drinking, and the foreign influences are apparent in the booze, too. Local beer is basic (but improving rapidly), spirits are strong and representative of traditional culture and it is an underrated Old World wine producer.

Wherever you are in Romania, you will see that drinking is a big part of the cuisine.

Wine

Romania has a long history of winemaking, one of the oldest in the world. It is not on the same level of notoriety and production as France, Spain, Italy or other famous wine-producing countries, but the same climate and geography that yields a bountiful agricultural output is great for wine, too.

Romania’s wine production is growing. Current production places it 4th or 5th in Europe and 10th or 12th in the world (varying by source). That’s a lot of wine!

While Romanian wine receives far less attention than wine from places like Portugal, New Zealand or even Georgia (the country), the quality matches their production. The country is also an appealing choice for a more affordable, wine-focused travel destination.

My knowledge of beer is far greater than that of wine, but I can confidently report that Romanian wine is good. It is inexpensive, and it deserves more attention than it receives. When you’re in Romania, sample the local product for a pleasant surprise.

Romanian Liquor

Did you know that Romania is one of the top two producers of plums in the entire world? No, of course not. There’s no need to have this information in your brain.

The good news is that this is true. Romania’s climate is great for growing plums! An overwhelming majority of these plums are not eaten, though.

Where do they go? Liquor!

Romania’s two most popular spirits are tuica and palinca. These are different types of brandy. Tuica is strictly a plum brandy, while palinca is often plum-based but can be derived from other fruit.

Tuica is the de facto national spirit of Romania. Although palinca is also widespread, its roots are Hungarian and, within Romania, Transylvanian.

I enjoy brandy, and I have tasted varieties of brandy from several countries in Europe. However, my palate is not especially developed with respect to brandy, and most of these taste quite similar to me.

That’s not to say I dislike any of them. In fact, some are pretty good. Whether it is rakija, chacha, raki or tuica, they are all fairly similar.

Before anyone becomes upset, I am not saying these are exactly the same.

I will say that Romanian brandy is strong. Brandy consumption is more prevalent in rural areas where home distillation is common. This is a spirit to sip, so don’t try to keep up with locals.

Make sure to try some tuica and palinca in Romania! It’s good. Sip it responsibly with a snack or before your meal.

Beer

Domestic beer in Romania is fine. Like most Big Beer around the world, there isn’t a lot of variety between major brands. It’s not exceptional by any stretch, but it’s a hell of a lot better than Big Beer in the United States.

Basic beer in Romania pairs well with a hearty meal of traditional food. Best of all, beer prices are reasonable.

Craft beer in Romania is growing in popularity. Breweries are popping up across the country, and they are producing some great beer. Craft beers are more expensive but remain more affordable than craft brews elsewhere.

The Hangry Backpacker’s Guide to Beer in Romania is coming soon!

Hangry Backpacker Tips

• Tipping is weird. A lot of information out there says to round up or tip 10% if service is great. Well, service is extremely hit-or-miss in Romanian cities. Rounding up 5 or 10 Lei is generally acceptable. Maybe tip up to 10% if you’re with a large group or eating somewhere nicer.
• Request your bill at least 10 minutes before you plan to leave a restaurant. Quality of service will vary, of course, but ask for your check early unless you want to sit for ages trying to catch a server’s attention.
• One more thing: don’t pronounce the ‘i’ or other vowels on the end of words, unless you want a funny look from locals. For example, covrigi is pronounced co-VREEJ, and mici is pronounced MEECH.

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Romanian food offers insight into the country’s history and culture. Better than that, and most importantly for hungry travelers, the food is good.

Travel destinations in Europe with affordable food are becoming fewer and farther between. What sets Romania apart from others is that you can sample a traditional culture – one that is very much alive in the 21st Century – and you can experience that culture through food.

Romanian food is not flashy or pretentious. It is practical, representative of the people. And again, it’s good.

Pizza in the Columbia River Gorge is a fun, unique Pacific Northwest dining experience. The Gorge is primarily known for its remarkable landscapes and as a haven for outdoors fun. Aside from hiking, mountain biking, fishing and the like, the Gorge has a limited amount of notoriety regarding food. – [UPDATED 5/2023]

Food-related notoriety in the Gorge largely concerns grapes and fungus. The area is popular with mushroom-lovers for foraging and is also home to dozens of wineries. The unique climate, ideal for viticulture and a utopia for mycophiles, occurs where the soggy Pacific Northwest climate clashes with the dry, inland continental climate at the Cascade Mountains.

For those who aren’t enthralled by geography, it means this: the Columbia River Gorge has a very unique climate; stuff grows here.

What does agriculture and geography have to do with pizza? Absolutely everything!

Pizza in the Columbia River Gorge is a direct reflection of the surrounding environment. Ingredients are largely locally-sourced, and menus are a reflection of local gardens and farms.

Oregon and Washington lack a discernible, distinct cuisine, and this is evident in the Gorge as much or more than anywhere else. Pizza is different. Best of all – let’s be clear, most importantly of all – the pizza is good. As we also show in our Portland Pizza Guide, this area of the country has good pie despite the ongoing culinary identity crisis.

Menus tend to vary seasonally (depending on what’s available) but always include traditional pizzas. Even the classic pies employ local or regional ingredients.

Wild mushrooms are a common, popular staple. If there are greens on the pie, you can bet they are in-season, fresh and local. Pears, cherries, plums – yes, it’s okay, fruit can go on pizza – that’s local, too.  When the season arrives, the heirloom tomatoes provide a taste of local that is unmatched and unforgettable.

A “Next Day” rating, from 1 to 5 (bad to good), is also given to each pizza, along with comments on whether the pizza is best reheated in the oven, microwave or eaten cold.

At the end of the list is a brief mention of my favorite neighborhood slice shops.

More travel info for what to do, where to eat and more in the Columbia River Gorge is coming soon!

**The Hangry Backpacker is not an influencer. All pizzaventures are funded by the Hangry Backpacker. None of these reviews or ratings have been affected by such means, deals or handouts.

***This list is updated periodically, with new Columbia River Gorge pizza reviews added accordingly. If there is pizza in the Columbia River Gorge that needs our attention, let us know in the comments or via email.

Hood River

Hood River is the epicenter of food in the Columbia River Gorge. Owing to its position as the tourist center and home to a more affluent community, there is a greater range of restaurants in Hood River.

There are also more choices for pizza in Hood River. These options range from regular pizzas to artisan, crafty and trendy pies. Not lost in the fold is plenty of what makes pizza in the Columbia River Gorge notable: an impressive use of local ingredients.

Double Mountain

Double Mountain Brewery likely holds the title of most popular eatery in Hood River for tourists. I’ll be the first to admit that, prior to relocating to Hood River, Double Mountain was my go-to stop whenever I was in town or passing through.

Don’t let Double Mountain’s popularity with tourists scare you away. Yes, the line can be off-putting. This is especially true during Summer, weekends and holidays, but this is a clear case of “there’s a reason the line is long.”

It’s really good.

Double Mountain serves New Haven-style pizza from a brick oven. The thin crust pies vary from traditional options to seasonal and specialty pizzas with plenty of local flair.

The brewery’s version of a sausage and peppers pizza, the Jersey Pie, is a can’t-miss. It’s absolutely fantastic. From a seasonal look, late Summer/early Fall brings the Heirloom Tomato, a pizza with local heirloom tomatoes that are, unequivocally, the best tomatoes I’ve ever eaten.

I haven’t had a bad pizza at Double Mountain. Having dined there at least a dozen times over the last several years, I have never been disappointed by any the food. Beer at Double Mountain is consistent, too. You won’t get a bad pint.

The atmosphere at Double Mountain is a busy one on weekends. My preference for a more relaxed vibe is better suited to weekdays. The service reflects the atmosphere. With a lot of tourist traffic to make things stressful, the staff, on occasion, leaves something to be desired.

Though prices have increased significantly over the last few years, Double Mountain has the fairest prices for pizza in Hood River when accounting for quality, size and taste. A small pie can feed two people. A large can handle 3-4.

Next Day (4): Day-old, thin crust pizza generally requires a little more time to enjoy. In other words, it’s not best eaten cold or quickly reheated in the microwave. Double Mountain pizza is best eaten fresh but reheats well stove-top in a pan or in the oven.

My go-to reheating method for Double Mountain pizza is stove-top in a nonstick pan, covered, on medium-high heat. This usually takes a few minutes.

Solstice Wood Fire Pizza, Cafe & Bar

Solstice Wood Fire Pizza, Cafe & Bar sits on the Hood River Waterfront. Across the street from the park and Columbia River, Solstice has the coolest location of all pizza in the Columbia River Gorge. It is in an area of newer, higher-end establishments along the river.

The pizza is fantastic. It is absolutely incredible. The ingredients utilized by Solstice are second to none. It is certainly the kind of place where they make no secret of how fresh and awesome the ingredients are, but I have to give it to the Solstice kitchen. They know how to use them.

Variety of pizza at Solstice is also impressive. They range from traditional options like a carnivore or veggie to house specialties that are wonderfully creative.

The eponymous Solstice pie is far from traditional – Canadian bacon, pineapple chutney, jalapeno crema – but it may be the single best pizza in the Columbia River Gorge. Other options heavily feature local ingredients of the Hood River Valley. Cherries, pears and mushrooms are far from unusual toppings at Solstice.

Before you scoff at eating these on a pizza, think twice. The chef at Solstice clearly knows better. The ingredients are top notch, and the flavors work well.

The creativity at Solstice extends to their inventive cocktails that also employ plenty of local style. However, the beer list is baffling. Hood River is very much a beer-loving town, and the restaurant sits BETWEEN two breweries. Yet the choice of beer is slim.

Menu prices also leave something to be desired. Small pies are essentially personal pizzas and come in around $15. Large pies that can feed 2-3 people are less than $30. Get the large. The only drawback is you cannot get a half-and-half pizza.

My primary issue with Solstice pizza is the pricing, specifically the cost of additional toppings. On one of my visits, I chose to add an additional topping to my pizza for two. When the bill came, the charge for adding a few slivers of red onion was $4. It is clearly marked on the menu, so that’s on me. But $4 for a few pieces of onion? That is excessive.

The atmosphere at Solstice pizza is okay. The restaurant stays fairly busy due to the location (which is probably a factor in the pricing) and attracts a mix of locals and tourists.

The quality of service is consistently inconsistent. Single or couple diners are less important. Staff may be short and curt or genuinely friendly. They tend to treat guests like tourists, and that is not a good thing. And whatever you do, do not linger.

Overall, Solstice is worth a visit. The incredible pizza makes up for the shortcomings. The main purpose here is to judge the pizza, and Solstice makes some of the best pizza in Hood River and the Columbia River Gorge.

Next Day (4): Avoid eating day-old Solstice pizza cold. Keep it out of the microwave unless you intend to use a spoon to eat your sloppy mess. However, reheating this pizza in the oven or in a skillet on the stove is a decision that will transport you back to the moment you took the first bite – it’s great.

Pietro’s Pizza

Pietro’s Pizza is the most kid-friendly pizza joint in Hood River. One of the first places in town to greet visitors, Pietro’s is located Downtown, right off Interstate 84. It is a small chain with 4 locations around Oregon, the others being in the Portland area and Salem.

The pizza at Pietro’s is hit-or-miss. My first visit to Pietro’s was a delightful surprise. The pizza was great. The second trip yielded stale food, despite witnessing my fresh pizza come out of the oven.

Pizzas fall along the traditional lines here, with staples like a Hawaiian, veggie, BBQ chicken, supreme and all-meat.

The ingredients at Pietro’s are fine. They are not as fanciful and farm-to-pie (and bragging about that, of course) as other restaurants in Hood River. The toppings are fine and plentiful, resulting in pizza that is more filling. Pietro’s prices are a little on the high side, but the heartier nature of the pizza makes up for it.

The layout in Pietro’s Hood River is an open one. There is plenty of seating, and the atmosphere is calm most nights. Pietro’s is pretty lively during weekends and tourist season. The staff is friendly and stays fairly busy.

The arcade makes it an easy choice for those with kids. Though kid-friendly restaurants aren’t the first choice for everyone, it’s nice to find a pizza place that is simple and less pretentious.

Next Day (1): This pizza should be eaten fresh. It goes stale rather quickly. When eaten cold or nuked in the microwave, it’s closer to eating beef jerky. Reheating a Pietro’s slice in the oven or skillet is better, but it remains on the stale side.

Andrew’s Pizza

Andrew’s Pizza is another option for pizza in Downtown Hood River. On Oak Street, Andrew’s is a few steps from the “main” downtown intersection. It is a popular spot with tourists due to the prime location, and locals love it, too. It is larger than it looks, with a movie theater and a small arcade hiding behind the restaurant.

The pizza at Andrew’s is good, East Coast American style pizza. It is thin but not “New York thin.” The menu consists of a few traditional pizza options and many house specialties. These include their own rendition of classic pies and several unique options.

For instance, the Thai Peanut is a pizza with a peanut sauce base that tastes like a sweeter version of a Thai chicken peanut dish. It may sound unusual, and, well, it certainly is different. But it works. It’s good. Other unique pizzas such as the Viento or Celilo are great options in a noticeably local “Gorge-style.”

The ingredients are good quality, and there is a healthy balance of local. The crust is good, especially when fresh. Though the pizzas can do with a little more sauce, Andrew’s pizza is good.

The atmosphere at Andrew’s Pizza in Hood River is fine. Winter tends to be sleepy, but that is the case across Hood River. Summer brings a lively vibe. The Skylight Theater and arcade makes this pizza joint a great place to spend an evening.

The staff at Andrew’s is excellent. They are the friendliest of any staff I have come across in Hood River.

Prices at Andrew’s are on the high end for pizza in Hood River. However, the pizzas are big, the toppings are plentiful and the thin crust isn’t paper thin. Large pizzas come in around $25, and extra large (Family) are a little over $30. Don’t let this dissuade you. A family pie can easily feed four people. It’s a lot of pizza, and it’s good.

Andrew’s may be the most locally popular pizza in Hood River. The family-owned restaurant has been around for over 20 years. The flavors represent the area well, and, this may be cheesy (pun intended), but it has a friendly sense of being part of Hood River.

Andrew’s also serves pizza by the slice.

Next Day (4): Andrew’s Pizza makes for a good day-old slice. It’s alright cold pizza, but best to avoid the microwave. It is good reheated in the oven and even better stove-top in a pan.

Cascade Locks

Cascade Locks is a tiny town of about a thousand people set right along the Columbia River. For most visitors, Cascade Locks is simply a reference point in the Gorge, approximately halfway between Hood River and Multnomah Falls and home to the picturesque and curiously-named Bridge of the Gods.

Sandwiched between the mountains and the Columbia River, there’s not a lot of room for much of anything, but Cascade Locks is seeing new growth. This is puzzling due to the fact that it’s one of the rainiest places in Oregon (and that is saying something!) but visible with the two shining, new breweries in town.

Cascade Locks Ale House

By far the best pizza in Cascade Locks – nevermind that it’s the only pizza in Cascade Locks – Cascade Locks Ale House is the go-to spot for a pie. Should you find yourself in Cascade Locks or passing by and in desperate need of pizza, rest assured, you can find a decent pie.

The only pizza place in the small town in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge, Cascade Locks Ale House is in the middle of town. Right on the main drag – also the only drag, because it’s a tiny town – Cascade Locks Ale House serves regular, American-style pizzas. It’s not thin crust, nor is it thick crust.

The pizza is pretty good. A heavy hand of toppings is wonderfully appreciated, with plenty of cheese and quality meat. The whole pie is cooked well. The crust is just right – fluffy, crispy and flavorful. Cascade Locks Ale House pies are significantly better than the typical lone pizza joint found in towns this small.

Aside from pizza, the menu includes daily specials, housemade soups (including a housemade salmon chowder), salads and a host of tempting sandwiches. There is a full bar, with 10 taps pouring craft beer plus one pouring water – pardon me, Budweiser. The atmosphere screams Old Oregon, small town in the West. It’s great.

There are a few minor negatives to the pizza at Cascade Locks Ale House. Most notably, the pizza is a bit on the greasy side. The sauce is hard to judge, as there isn’t much there. Also, it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so that’s something to note. My only honest complaint is that they don’t take all major credit cards. It’s not that big of a deal, but I’ve become a SkyMiles junkie.

Overall, Cascade Locks Ale House is a good representation of pizza in the Gorge. Even if it wasn’t the only pizza in town, it would be worth a visit.

Next Day (5): Cascade Locks Ale House pizzas hold up extremely well as leftovers. Reheated in the oven, the pizza comes out great. Maybe even better than fresh. In a skillet, it is fantastic! The crust is on the chewy side when eaten cold or nuked in the microwave, but the rest of the pizza is delicious. 

The Dalles

The Dalles is located on the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge. The quick, 20-minute drive east of Hood River leads to a town with an entirely different geography. The largest city in the Columbia River Gorge, The Dalles is wide open, with fewer trees and noticeably more sunshine.

Lacking the influx of tourist dollars in other areas of the Gorge, The Dalles appears rough around the edges next to the likes of Hood River or White Salmon. That is changing, though. The cost of living in the Gorge can be shockingly high, causing the population to seek more affordable places to live (a controversial topic for another time).

The positive of this shift is that Downtown The Dalles is revitalizing. It is noticeably more attractive than my first visit several years ago, and it has a lot more to offer locals and visitors.

Freebridge Brewing

One of the places marking the comeback in Downtown The Dalles is Freebridge Brewing. Freebridge is tied to local history, named for an historic bridge and located inside a former U.S. Mint building.

The bulk of the Freebridge Brewing premises is occupied by vats, tanks and other beer production necessities. The pub sits inside, overlooking the warehouse for an up-close-and-personal experience for your pint and pie.

Freebridge Brewing pizza is good. Not great, but good. House options for pizza are creative, with fewer traditional options than one might expect. 

The flavors are pretty good, but they fall just short in matching the creativity of ingredients and appearance. However, any place that can put apples or potatoes on a pizza and make it work – and, ultimately, they do make it work – is on the right track. Oh, and the apples and potatoes are local products, too.

The crust is the weak link. Good pizza depends on sauce and crust, and the thin crust at Freebridge is neither crispy nor soft. It’s in an awkward gray area. The sauce options are inventive and fantastic.

One Freebridge pizza can feed 3-4 people, and the prices are alright. Large pies come in around $26-28.

The beer that accompanies your pizza at Freebridge Brewing is good, and it stands out from the crowded landscape of IPAs. The Pacific Northwest loves IPAs. They are everywhere. The bite of a strong, hoppy and well-crafted IPA is great. In a sea of IPAs, though, it is refreshing to find a brewery that offers variety.

More on Freebridge Brewing’s beer coming soon in a Guide to Beer in the Columbia River Gorge.

Freebridge Brewing’s atmosphere is pleasant. The staff is wonderful. They are friendly and accommodating. In the best way possible, it feels like a close-knit community where everybody knows everybody.

Overall, Freebridge Brewing has good pizza in a nice environment. It is the Hangry Backpacker’s go-to spot for a pizza in The Dalles.

Next Day (2): Freebridge Brewing pizza does not hold up well. A little chewy but edible, it reheats okay in the microwave. It is mediocre (that’s a stretch) reheated in the oven. Reheating this pizza is best stove-top in a skillet/pan. Avoid eating this pizza cold.

Pizza in the Columbia River Gorge (Washington side)

Backwoods Brewing – Carson, WA

Carson is a small town on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. It is about 20-30 minutes west of White Salmon (20 miles from Hood River). Carson officially has almost 3000 people. Surely, this must include a larger area, because the town of Carson is tiny and sleepy. It is, however, surrounded by a lot of beautiful nature and is a nice, quiet community.

Options for food in Carson are limited. Thankfully, it has some good beer and pizza!

Backwoods Brewing is home to the best pizza in Carson, Washington. Is it the only pizza place in Carson? Well, yes, but that’s not important.

Carson is a tiny town in the Columbia River Gorge, and Backwoods is, by far, the most popular spot in town. Aside from the obvious, the brewery specializes in pizza and barbecue. And this is one of the reasons that Backwoods makes some of the best pizza in the Gorge.

Imagine a place that makes good pizza and good barbecue in the same kitchen. A lot of the meaty toppings are going to be better and more unique. How about a pizza with brisket, pulled pork or sausage that is cooked on-site? Add that to daily, fresh-made dough and good beer, and Backwoods has a perfect recipe for some of the best pizza in the Gorge.

In full transparency, this was not my first visit to the Carson brewery to test the pie. My initial visit left me considerably disappointed. The pizza wasn’t bad, but it did not live up to the hype.

This most recent visit completely changed my opinion. I confidently say that Backwoods Brewing makes excellent pizza. And the beer has been consistently good on each visit.

The pizzas are a little on the expensive side, about $28-30 for most large pies. To be fair, expensive food has become the norm, especially in the Columbia River Gorge. The good news about Backwoods, though, is their pizzas are hefty. You (and a couple of friends) won’t leave hungry, so at least it’s worth the price more than other pizza joints in the Gorge.

The atmosphere here is what I refer to as a ‘lively family’ feel. This is the most popular spot in town for locals and tourists alike. When the weather is nice, the place is full inside and out.

The service at Backwoods is excellent. You get a feeling of friendly and local with the staff that is generally far more pleasant than most restaurants in Hood River.

Next Day (5): Backwoods Brewing has excellent day-old pizza. It’s pretty good for cold pizza and decent in the microwave, too. An oven reheat is okay, but the best way to eat your Backwoods pie the next day is reheating in a skillet/pan on the stove.

Walking Man Brewing – Stevenson, WA

Stevenson is another small town in the Columbia River Gorge. It is across the river from Cascade Locks and home to a little less than 2000 people. Situated near the Bridge of the Gods (and closer to some of the main attractions of the area), Stevenson has developed into a tourist hub for the Washington Side of the Columbia River Gorge. There are a few shops, several restaurants and the town is an attractive one with great surrounding scenery.

Walking Man is another pizza-focused brewery on the Washington side of the Gorge. In Stevenson, it’s popular with hikers and other tourists in the area, but there were also a few locals here during my visit.

The pizza at Walking Man is pretty good. They don’t lean on the basics and get creative with their pies. I chose the Spicy Hawaiian. It has excellent flavors. The pork is good, and the teriyaki drizzle is a great touch.

Prices are fair. Pizzas generally range from $15-20. They aren’t very big (12” pies), but two people can share one pie if neither is super hungry.

The atmosphere at Walking Man is okay. I definitely recommend enjoying the outdoor area in nice weather for a post-hike reward.

The staff is friendly, and the service is fast. Overall, Walking Man is a solid choice is you need a pizza fix in Stevenson.

Next Day (3): This pizza is best eaten fresh. It’s not bad leftover pizza, but this is the kind of pie where the flavors are more pronounced when it’s fresh. It’s mediocre cold pizza, and I don’t recommend the chewy result from reheating it in the microwave. The oven is a decent way to eat these leftovers, but stovetop reheating is the best method – it’s almost as good as fresh!

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Coming Soon!

• More Pizza in The Dalles & Hood River
• More Pizza on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge

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Pizza by the Slice in the Columbia River Gorge

Downtown Hood River

• Andrew’s Pizza – Your go-to spot for a quick slice in Downtown Hood River or near the riverfront

The Hood River Heights

• Solstice Pizza Truck – The slice option in town for the Heights (up the hill)

West Hood River

• Pellinti’s – Great lunch specials like two big slices, a drink and a cookie for $10

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Finding good pizza in a small town can be a challenge. Maybe Italy provides an exception to that sentiment. New Yorkers will surely argue that attitude as well.

Small town USA, especially in the West – now there’s an area where you don’t have high expectations of finding quality pie. The Columbia River Gorge, a geographical phenomenon of beauty unequaled – and a place known for scenery, not food – may be another exception.

The Gorge is an outdoorsman’s paradise. It’s not a place of high culinary repute. Perhaps food in this part of the United States deserves a little more attention. After all, it’s a sort of regional bread basket, legally protected for its historic agricultural importance and production.

People come to the Gorge to experience nature in the physical sense. Hiking, fishing, kite surfing, skiing and other snow sports. That’s the claim to fame, but maybe it’s time to recognize and experience the Gorge for the magnificent flavors, too. Pizza in the Columbia River Gorge is a great place to start.

Traveling with a food allergy requires extra care for those tormented by certain dietary dangers. On the surface, food allergies are a minor inconvenience. To those of us who can be vanquished by something as small as a pistachio, food allergies dictate significant portions of our lives.

Having a serious food allergy is a malady that afflicted individuals must constantly consider in their daily lives. I can personally attest to this. Food allergies suck. Traveling with food allergies requires extra care, but it doesn’t have to be a deterrent to seeing (and tasting) the world.

There is no cure for food allergies, and thousands of people die each year from allergic reactions to food (about 200 in the USA alone). Traveling with food allergies changes things.

How a Food Allergy Can Change Travel

Food allergies are annoying. Traveling makes having food allergies even more aggravating. Whether that food allergy is to peanuts, gluten, fish or shellfish, eggs, dairy, soy or something else, ignoring it is not an option when traveling.

For me, traveling to countries/regions where tree nuts are prevalent in the cuisine is a headache. Well, to be clear, eating in these countries is a headache. And a possible death sentence.

Missing Out

Eating and enjoying local food is one of the best experiences of traveling abroad. For those with food allergies, sometimes this equates to missing out on that portion of local culture.

Personally, my allergy to tree nuts, described by my doctor as “deathly” in some cases, frustrates the hell out of me. First and foremost, the Hangry Backpacker is a food-focused travel blog. My love of eating cheap, local mystery food is not always wise with the risk of severe reaction.

Make no mistake. There are always tree nut-free options. No one needs to worry about my going hungry. When in doubt, there’s always shawarma and pizza. Plus, beer brewed with tree nuts is exceedingly rare. So, I manage just fine with a pint and pie.

However, that is not to say there is always an adequate nut-free alternative when traveling with food allergies. Often, there is not. You simply miss out on a local specialty.

I cannot eat Baklava in Greece (or other Eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern countries). There will be no macadamia nuts for me in Hawaii. In New Orleans, no pralines. Those heavenly-smelling roasted nuts in Christmas markets – nope, I’m running the other way. Pecan pie, pesto, biscotti – nope.

I can attest to the annoyances of traveling with a food allergy. When my stomach leads the way, disappointment occasionally lies ahead.

Don’t feel bad for me, though. I’ll happily raise a pint to your turkish delight! I’m used to it. I’ve conditioned myself to be cautious in spite of my curious taste buds, and there’s less to mourn when you don’t really know what you’re missing.

That’s how I choose to handle missing out on certain foods when I travel. Finding a suitable alternative (if possible) and accepting the situation is the only way. “Risking it” is not a viable course of action, so the best solution is to accept it and focus elsewhere.

Eating at Restaurants

Eating at restaurants brings a greater risk for those with food allergies. It’s difficult enough trying to determine the ingredients of most food in a foreign country, but that challenge is amplified in restaurants.

Restaurants are not required to list every ingredient in the same way as pre-packaged foods. Restaurant kitchens are also a prime spot for cross contamination, meaning that the nature of work in a restaurant kitchen is simply not as reliable to keep surfaces constantly cleaned and potentially deadly ingredients separated from other foodstuffs.

Finally, restaurant standards vary greatly around the world. Not only does food safety vary by region and country, so do the rules and laws requiring restaurants to list all ingredients, warn at-risk customers or employ methods to avoid cross contamination.

Travelers with food allergies should absolutely NOT skip out on restaurants abroad. They should, however, exercise caution when there is any uncertainty or questions around potentially harmful ingredients in their food.

Language Barriers

Language barriers are the most challenging part of traveling with a food allergy. When I’m in an English-speaking destination, there’s no issue. It’s easy to determine whether or not a dish is safe to consume. When English is not the predominant language, it gets tricky.

When I was in Spain for a few weeks, I was never able to determine the actual Spanish word(s) for “tree nuts.” It sounds absurd, but I had a hell of a time trying to find that (seemingly) simple translation.

I was told one translation for tree nuts by a friend, a Spaniard. When I repeated that later in a shop, the attendant looked at me completely befuddled. So, I went to Google for an answer. Again, the expressions I received were pure, sincere, absolute confusion. No one had any idea what I was asking.

In instances like this, language barriers are frustrating and even a health hazard. My solution, if unable to ascertain a confident answer, is to play it safe. When I travel with my girlfriend, she’s my own personal cupbearer. But with food.

Even a personal food tester is not foolproof, and I usually travel alone without that benefit. The wise course of action for traveling solo with a food allergy is to be cautious, do your own research and be prepared.

Do NOT let a language barrier scare you and your food allergies away from traveling. There are resources worth your investment, so you can travel with peace of mind and enjoy the local food, too.

Tips for Traveling with Food Allergies

My tendency to eat like a starving barbarian comes with risks. Through the haze of shoveling who-knows-what down my gullet, I manage to take precautions.

At this point, I think it is largely something I do subconsciously. Thus far, after eating strange foods on a whim across dozens of countries and five continents, I haven’t had a single allergic reaction abroad. Though rare, it tends to happen at home when I’ve let down my guard.

To ensure safety – by the way, that also results in saving time and cheaper travel in the long run – I follow a few simple rules and tips:

Cuisine Research

Before I go anywhere new – particularly, when I travel where English is not the local language – I research the local cuisine. My motivation for research is to eat good, cheap and local food, but the benefits of cuisine research go beyond what’s for lunch and dinner.

Knowing a little about food before reaching a travel destination makes it easier to delve into local eats and start my search for those elusive delicacies. It also helps in understanding a little more about local culture.

The most important part of travel cuisine research has to do with food allergies. It’s not so fun as figuring out what I want/hope to eat, but it’s necessary. Learning what ingredients are popular in local food is the first step in safely traveling with a food allergy.

Cuisine research is as simple as a quick web search to determine what ingredients are prevalent in any local/regional cuisine. From there, you can look further into specific dishes to determine what ingredients may or may not be a risk to you.

Excessive research prior to a trip is good and bad. For many travelers, it’s also not fun. On one hand, too much research can diminish the excitement and the feeling that you’re discovering a new land. On the other hand, it’s good to be prepared to avoid wasting time figuring out minor details on the ground. Additionally, for those traveling with a food allergy, prior research is not a matter of fun or discovery. It’s a matter of safety and necessity.

The Local Language

The best way to ensure you travel safely with a food allergy is to attain fluency in the local language of your destination. If you are able to seamlessly communicate with your cook or server, it will be easy to avoid ingesting harmful ingredients.

Unfortunately, the reality is that most of us are not polyglot savants. Personally, I am attempting to learn other languages, but that is typically a long, slow process. Thankfully, there are other ways to navigate the language barrier of food allergies.

If languages aren’t your thing or you want to be more comfortable, invest in your health and well being. You can never be too certain about the ingredients in your food, especially when you have a serious allergy.

Food allergy cards designed specifically for travel are the answer. These cards have pictures of the food or ingredients in question, along with words in the local language of that food and your allergy.

For example, let’s say you have a gluten allergy and are in Japan. You can purchase a card with pictures of gluten/gluten-containing food and the words describing your condition in Japanese. The same can be applied to a variety of allergies, such as dairy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, soy, tree nuts and so on.

These cards are available in dozens of languages from Arabic and Mandarin to French, Spanish and even Zulu. Travel food allergy cards are an affordable, one-time cost that could save you a lot more money by preventing a reaction.

Obviously, this simple, small, pocket-sized card can save a lot more than money. When you’re traveling abroad, there is no price too high for your safety and peace of mind. Whether you’re traveling to Hong Kong, Paris or Rio, this is the easiest preventative measure for those of us traveling with a food allergy.

I’ve had numerous instances traveling where I chose not to eat something based on what I assumed might be among the ingredients. Safety first, of course, but why not make sure. I would hate to find out later that I missed out on a spectacular local delicacy that was actually nut-free.

Naturally, I would also hate to find out the wrong way that an inadequate attempt at navigating the language barrier resulted in an emergency room visit, a costly trip to the hospital trip that could have easily been avoided with travel food cards.

Consult a Physician

This is potentially the most important part of traveling with a food allergy. Prior to setting off to faraway lands, talk to your doctor.

It is important for people with a food allergy to consult with a doctor, take the proper measures to determine precisely what they are allergic to and also understand the seriousness of that allergy. For instance, on a personal note, while I am allergic to tree nuts, allergy testing showed that I am more allergic to pecans (and others) than almonds.

After determining your precise allergies, get a fresh prescription for your epipen or other necessary aid. Most medication has a shelf life, so you’ll want to be sure you’re traveling with a new prescription.

This is especially true in foreign countries. Local laws, availability of medication and language barriers can make procuring the right medication tedious, if not altogether impossible.

Consider costs as well. Even if you are able to find the correct medication abroad, it may be prohibitively expensive. Without good insurance or deep pockets, you really don’t want to foot the bill for an epipen in the United States.

Assess Your Risk

Be honest with yourself. How serious is the allergy?

For example, if you have a peanut allergy, maybe think twice before flying to Thailand in hopes of exploring the country through food. People with a rice allergy – yes, though less common, this is a real thing – might want to reconsider a culinary adventure in rice-heavy Asia – from bread to liquor, rice is in pretty much everything in East Asia. Someone with a deadly fish allergy might want to reconsider traveling to a place with seafood-dominant cuisine.

I don’t want to discourage anyone from traveling to somewhere new, and there are almost always safe alternatives for food allergies. Rather, if you’re traveling with a food allergy, and that allergy truly has deadly effects, consider the dominant cuisine in a destination before visiting.

If you feel you can safely navigate the cuisine, by all means, pack that epipen and go! I certainly never let it stop me. However, if you’re doubtful or uncertain about comfortably monitoring your diet, perhaps it may be best to consider another destination.

To be clear, the perfect destination for traveling with a food allergy does not currently, nor will it ever, exist. Every cuisine, every destination, will have an unexpected dietary roadblock.

Assess your comfort. Assess the seriousness of your allergy. After thoroughly covering the bases and talking to professionals, decide the best course of travel for you.

Note Medical Facilities

For travelers who want a little peace of mind, take the time to note where medical facilities in your destination are located. Just in case of a worst case scenario – this logic can also apply to all travelers – bookmark medical clinics, hospitals and pharmacies in the area.

Hopefully it does not come to the point where seeking medical attention is necessary. However, should an emergency arise, not having to waste precious time doing research figuring out where to go can be a literal lifesaver.

There is one problem that often arises when seeking medical attention in foreign countries: the language barrier. Trying to explain symptoms and causes to someone when you don’t share a common tongue, especially when you may be frantic or feeling unwell, can be maddening.

Seriously, purchase and pack food allergy safety cards. Translation apps are unreliable, and language barriers don’t expire. This is equally as important as travel insurance.

Travel Insurance

Speaking of travel insurance, it is always important to purchase travel insurance before an international trip. Some health insurances may include coverage abroad, but that is likely limited. Especially with the the uncertainties in travel and around the world, travel insurance is a must.

Travel-specific insurance will provide peace of mind. If someone traveling with a food allergy has a severe reaction, it will be nice to be reimbursed for medical costs. I travel with World Nomads coverage for their clear, straightforward language and top-notch customer service. An added bonus is World Nomads covers a lot more than a potential medical emergency.

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Traveling with a food allergy is a pain. It’s annoying, frustrating and occasionally puts a damper on the exciting and tasty parts of travel.

While food allergies can change the way we travel, they don’t have to limit or prohibit travel. We can take measures and prepare accordingly to ensure safety and peace of mind when exploring the world.

Travel insurance, proper packing and thorough research will help you minimize the risk of, and prepare for, a possible reaction. Above all, travel allergy food cards are a simple, tangible way to ease the burden of a food allergy on travel each day. There’s no reason to let a few bad fish or nuts get in the way of enjoying your travels to the fullest extent possible.