There are many untrue recommendations on the Internet. How to find food that locals like when traveling? ?

We can judge whether a food is authentic and trustworthy by looking for recommendations from multiple sources. If a food is recommended on multiple travel websites or social media platforms, it’s likely that it’s a real hit. On the contrary, if only one website or person recommends a certain food, we need to treat it with caution. In addition, we can also look for recommendations from local people, because they know the local food culture better and their recommendations are more reliable.

For example, suppose we see a food recommendation about a certain city on the Internet, claiming that the signature dish of a certain restaurant is the best in the area. We can start by checking the reviews and ratings of this restaurant. If a majority of people in the reviews praise the taste and texture of a signature dish, then it's likely a genuine recommendation. However, if the review contains a lot of exaggerated adjectives and an overly positive tone, we need to be skeptical of the recommendation. In addition, we can also search for recommendations of this restaurant on other websites or platforms to see if anyone else has also recommended this signature dish. If multiple sources recommend a dish, it has more credibility.

The most fundamental way to find food that locals like is to understand the customs and habits of the people in the area in advance. Let me give you the simplest example: Nanmi Beimian. Through this method, you can often eat local traditional food, and feel the taste different from your own hometown dancing on the tip of your tongue. It is really amazing! Here, I recommend you to watch a well-known program "A Bite of China" among us Chinese. Find the column of the place where you want to travel, and you can know what the local food is.

You must pay attention to the way you travel. Free travel is the basic prerequisite. If you go into a residential area, the shops with a lot of people in the old residential area are basically authentic, and mobile stalls are more reliable, but if you are concerned about hygiene, I don't recommend it. Mid-range residential areas are generally not particularly authentic, but the taste should be more suitable for most people, and the hygiene is generally better. High-end. . . Forget it, it’s basically hard to find the old flavor there.

If you are joining a group, don’t think about it.

Think about it, the schedule is too full, you have to time to go to the toilet, eat the group meal, and the flies you don’t eat are considered good - I I actually ate it once that year. (There are exceptions to everything. I went to Xuexiang one year. Time was tight and transportation was inconvenient. I signed up for a local tour group. When I came back, the tour guide arranged for a goose stew in an iron pot. It tasted really good. It can be seen that the folk customs in Northeast China are generally very simple.)

The biggest advantage of independent travel is that people are free. You can adjust your itinerary at any time and increase the time you spend looking for delicious food. This is very important. Chinese people focus on sightseeing rather than food when traveling. Their primary goal is to visit scenic spots. It is too difficult to find delicious food.

Good food requires effort and luck. Once I went to Weihai, Shandong, and rented a car and drove myself. On the last day, my return flight was late. I checked out early and didn’t want to go to the scenic spots, so I drove around the sea aimlessly and walked to a small town just in time for dinner. I found a local farm shop that seemed to be doing good business and ordered local fish (unnamed, a bit like eel, black), Pippi shrimp, which tasted quite good, and local Shandong steamed buns, which were huge and served three people. I'm full after eating just one. The key point is that the noodles are so good and fluffy, with a hint of sweetness in the mouth. When dipped in miso, it's really cheap and good.

Another time in Tianjin, I passed by a steam seafood restaurant for lunch. There was a huge queue at the door. When I asked, many of them were locals, I joined the queue. The queue lasted for an hour and a half, but after eating, I felt it was worth it and the price was affordable.

If conditions permit, you can ask a local friend to introduce you, and this friend must be a foodie (but not me. I still don’t know what specialties Hefei has. If you know, you can recommend it to me). One year I went to Guangzhou to receive a private reception from a local friend. I found a restaurant that was not so business-like and had a small reputation. Even though I searched for several years, I couldn't find one. But the taste was amazing. It really made me experience what Cantonese food is. I have been to Guangdong many times before, but I was not as impressed as that time.

My experience is threefold

1. Don’t expect too much

For example, I guessed before eating the noodles at Suzhou’s noodle bar that the noodles would not be amazing. , but the toppings are probably good and you won’t be disappointed after eating it.

2 Find out what food is available in the local area and judge whether you will like it first.

Although many places have their own special food, there is no need to try if it is not suitable for you. For example, I just don’t like seafood. When I go to Japan, I won’t eat a single meal of sushi or sashimi. Definitely don't force yourself to try it, I like meat Japanese beef is good. I went to eat barbecue. I couldn't figure out which restaurant was better, so I chose a restaurant that had good advertising and many restaurants. The food was not bad, but the price/performance ratio was not good.

3 So don’t worry too much about cost-effectiveness

Although you need to be more vigilant about restaurants near scenic spots, it is not completely forbidden to go. Although the time-honored restaurants are said to be rarely eaten by locals. But it’s not necessarily impossible to eat time-honored brands. Take Quanjude in Wangfujing, for example. People who live in Beijing rarely choose to eat roast duck here.

But if you come to Beijing and focus on the attractions and activities, you will most likely have an experience of more than 60 points if you eat Quanjude.