It's no secret that food makes the world go round. And when you're travelling around the world trying out the local fare is one of the best ways to get up close and personal with culture and the people.
Hop on board for CostSaver's guide to indulging in the neighbourhood street food and eating local throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Jambalaya on the bayou
If that old Hank Williams toe-tapping song doesn't get you in the mood to try out some of New Orleans' yummy jambalaya nothing will. Who can resist being a 'son of a gun' and the chance to 'have big fun on the bayou'?
This traditional rich dish has a range of ingredients that vary from seafood to sausage and chicken (or a mixture of all three) cooked to perfection with a wild dash of spice. It always delivers bold flavours and is a genuine New Orleans staple.
Pastrami on rye
There's really only one place in New York to sit down and dine on this iconic American sandwich and that's at Katz's Delicatessen on the Lower East Side. Every week this legendary Deli ploughs through nearly 7000 kilograms of pastrami and their's truly is the best in all of New York. Katz's Deli has been making their pastrami on rye for over 125 years so they really do know their stuff.
Ice cream and cookie sandwiches
From one type of sarmie to another - the ice cream sandwich. And you're likely to find the best in Los Angeles. Yes, the City of Angels is not only known as the mecca of movies, their local speciality is the ice-cream and cookie sandwich. The idea of squishing delicious ice cream in between your favourite cookie is pure genius, and the choices are virtually unlimited.
Try out the Peanut Butter cookies with Banana ice cream and candied bacon or oatmeal cookies with Sweet Potato and Marshmallow ice cream. If you're even more adventurous try out flavours such as Earl Grey Tea, Cucumber Sorbet or Coffee Toffee and pair them with your favourite cookie.
Dig in, claws and all
The East Coast of the United States offers up some of the most delicious seafood you'll ever taste. And in Boston, New England you'll be queuing up with the locals to get your hands on a Lobster Roll. Those in the know say that the hot butter option is the way to go, and it has tail, claw, and knuckle meat loaded onto a toasted brioche bun.
Itching for an enchilada
If its tasty Mexican food you're after then you simply have to indulge in an enchilada. These bad boys date back to Mayan times when people in the Valley of Mexico would eat corn tortillas wrapped around small fish. Taking various allergies into account means that these days both corn and flour tortillas are used and are filled with meat, cheese, seafood, beans, vegetables or all of the above. The stuffed tortillas are then covered in a chilli sauce making for a perfect Mexican breakfast.
Ever heard of a JapaDog?
Vancouver has a large and growing Japanese population which has led to the most incredible explosion of street food served from food carts all over the city. And one speciality you simply must try is the JapaDog. These Japanese inspired hot dogs are salty and sweet, with that unmistakable umami flavour that seaweed, teriyaki, miso, wasabi and kimchi infuse into these moreish morsels.
A photo posted by momoko90 (@momoko90) on Oct 16, 2016 at 9:39pm PDT
Adapted from a press release for IOL
CostSaver special
CostSaver will be travelling to the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2017 and they have trips starting from R1 883 per person per day.
This includes transport in luxury coaches, stays in comfortable, well-known hotels such as the Wyndham and Holiday Inn and lots of included sightseeing. This is particularly good value for South African travellers and to find out more visit costsaver.trafalgar.com or call (011) 280 8450.