Things I can’t help but splurge on

I probably spend most of my money on food ? not only is it essential for sustaining human life, but food is at times comforting, it can bring back memories from another time in your life and is a definite element of culture around the world.

The term foodie has become popular in the last few years and many people have gained a large following on social media by simply talking about food and posting photos of their food online. As the world becomes more globalized, I feel that there is also an increased interest in food from different cultures, especially in major cities around the world.

Tokyo, being one of the biggest cities in the world, is a fantastic place to find all kinds of good food. I personally like to find small, cozy, hidden restaurants because the food is usually cheap and delicious. Japanese food has become popular around the world in the last few decades, but it is still better to have it in the country of origin. I personally didn’t like sushi until I moved to Japan, as I had always assumed sushi was just California rolls, which I don’t like. But after moving to Japan, I tried nigiri for the first time and found that I really like it. There are a lot of kinds of Japanese food I wasn’t very familiar with before, such as tempura, kushikatsu or even all the different types of ramen, and I often enjoy trying new food.

One could spend a lot of money on food in Tokyo, simply because there’s so much to try: the city is home to about 160,000 restaurants serving various types of cuisine. So if you want to try Thai, Italian or Mexican cuisine, it’s just a matter of finding the right restaurant!

But of course, as I already mentioned, trying food in its country of origin is the best way to go. So the other thing I can’t help but splurge on is travel. I love exploring new places, learning about the local culture and even learning a few words in the local language. Of course, sightseeing is a must as well, and I love being able to see famous sights up close. A recent study has shown that people who spend money on experiences (such as traveling or concerts) are happier than people who spend money on material things. For this reason, I think spending your money on traveling is good for you and can help you to be more relaxed.

And of course, if you travel you can try all different kinds of new food as well, which is definitely another great point of traveling. I think trying local food is a great way to learn about the culture of the place you are visiting, and perhaps you’ll find your new favorite dish. In many countries you can also take a cooking class, so you can learn how to cook the local food and which ingredients are used, so you can try to make it yourself when you are back home.

Ilze

Vocabulary

foodie (n) ? someone who loves food
globalized (adj.) ? extending to other parts of the world; worldwide or international
cuisine (n) ? a style of food or cooking, usually from a particular area
exploring (v) ? walking around, seeing and learning new things in a new place