Traveling, across the board, is one of the most pleasurable experiences in life, second perhaps to dining. One couple, however, has had the experience of a lifetime combining both activities.
Gabriella Zanzananini and Nicolas Petit have traveled the globe, “eating their way” through 20 countries, and recording their extended international dining extravaganza on their widely recognized blog called The Funnelogy Channel. It all started when the couple decided to quit their nonprofit sector jobs in order go the distance, with knife and fork in hand.
They first set out from Brussels in April 2014. Traveling only by land, their journey lasted 306 days. The couple then trekked across such countries as Hong Kong, Greece, Iran, Turkey, Tajikistan, Myanmar and Laos, opting to taste more eclectic and exotic dishes, rather than the typically famous ones.
With Zanzananini focusing on the writing aspect of the blog, and Petit focusing on the photography, The Funnelogy Channel contains highlights of their wondrous journey through videos and photographs. For example, one time, the duo battled against blood sucking leeches in the Laos jungle to enjoy a jungle papaya salad prepared by locals there. The couple also listed “steamed jiaozi,” a Chinese dumpling that usually contains minced pork and leeks or mushrooms, as one of their favorite dishes.
One of the difficulties with the trip, however, was trusting locals in each country. The couple had to come into close contact with many people in order to stay true to their goal: to eat more home-cooked meals with local flavors as opposed to famous dishes. But the dangers were well worth the experience for the travelers. According to Zanzananini in a blog post, “Since we both love eating and cooking, what better way to engage with others than through food? Where our language skills would be lacking in some countries, food as a universal language would provide a bridge. Food is also one of the best representations of nature being translated into culture.”
