As many seasoned travelers will tell you, one of the most important parts of traveling and making friends overseas is trying new and usually “different” foods along the way. While the ubiquitous hamburger has made it to most places around the world, the best way to break the ice in a new country is to try the local cuisine with some new friends, whether it be eating street food or attending a fancy banquet. Your stomach might not always thank you but the acceptance of the locals more than makes up for it.

I recently emailed our staff, a very well traveled bunch, and asked them what some of the most interesting/different foods they have had on their travels. Not only did they get back to me quickly but they came back with replies of stuff I didn’t even know were edible. I have grouped their replies by world region and the first installment will be Africa. As always, please feel free to post a comment about the most interesting food you have had while on the road.

Tom, Vice President of the North American Office, enjoyed grass cutter in Ghana. Don’t be fooled by the name which sounds somewhat cow like. You can actually see in the photo above. It is actually just a big rat.

Faye, a Program Advisor at our Headquarters in the UK, reports that when she was a volunteer in Ghana she had fish eyes. Whether she enjoyed it or not is another question!

The cuisine of Eastern Europe will follow tomorrow. So be sure to check back!