In today's episode of Sunshine Travelers Podcast, we're going fort first into one of our favorite parts of travel, food, with Taylor Kaiser from Culture Craving Couple. Taylor and her husband, Caleb, split their time between U .S. contract work and extended stays in Europe, chasing flavor, culture, and adventure wherever they go, from Michelin -starred bites in Spain to local sandwich hunts across Italy. Taylor brings an infectious passion for finding hidden culinary gems and embracing local traditions. Whether you're planning a foodie -focused getaway or just want to know how to eat like a local abroad, this episode is full of practical tips, inspiring stories, and a whole lot of delicious travel talk.
We're Scott and Melissa, the Sunshine Travelers. We're all about exploring the world and sharing the journey with you.
all about exploring the world and sharing the journey with you. Whether you're a seasoned traveler, dreaming of your next adventure, or just here for the stories.
No matter where you are on your travel journey, we've got firsthand experiences, tips, and plenty of inspiration from some of the most amazing places on earth.
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All right. So full disclosure, we should probably issue a snack warning before the episode. If you're hungry now, just know it's probably about to get a lot worse.
Seriously, Scott, I don't think I've ever craved a sandwich as badly as from this conversation. We talk a lot about food when we travel, but today's guest takes travel and food to a whole new level.
Yeah, she really does. Taylor Kaiser, she's half of the culture craving couple, is joining us today. And she and her husband, Caleb, they've built their travels around, you know, key ingredients like culture, cuisine and cocktails.
And their story is super unique. So Caleb works as a traveling anesthesiologist in the U .S. on contract work. And that gives them the flexibility to live and travel, mainly through Europe, for months at a time between his contracts. And so while they're there, they seek out and eat very well, I might add.
Yeah. So in this episode, Taylor shares everything from their favorite food destinations in Europe to how they hunt down the best local restaurants, which I'm excited about. the sandwiches, and even some cooking classes. It's packed with tips and yes, a lot of talk about tapas. So whether you're planning your next foodie trip or just want to learn more about flavors of the world,
whether you're planning your next foodie trip or just want to learn more about flavors of the world, you're going to love this one. So let's welcome Taylor to the show.
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Taylor, thank you so much for being on the podcast. We want you to start out with just telling us a little bit about yourself and your husband, where and how you travel, because your story is a little bit different from a lot of people.
Yeah. So hey, thanks so much for having me on the show you guys. I'm excited to be here. So like you said, our lifestyle is a little bit different. So I'm Taylor. My husband is Caleb. Together we're the culture craving couple. He is not here right now. And that kind of leads us into our story. He works. He's a traveling anesthesiologist. So like travel nursing. but for doctors. So what we do is we take contracts around the States. They're around, you know, four to six months for one contract. And then we pack off everything that we own into a little Jeep, I guess the big Jeep, and then drive it to a storage unit, store it. So everything that we own is now in a car. And then we fly to Europe and we go to Europe for six -ish months and we travel around and we do our thing. And then we come back to the States and he takes another contract. And we take our Jeep out of storage and we drive to the next place. So we unpack in the house and we just repeat. So we kind of have this like half Europe life, half working in the States life. And it's pretty great. It allows us to travel full time in the States because we're always in new locations, but also travel full time in Europe, if that makes sense. So that's what we do.
That's awesome. Yeah. And, you know, as we're going to go and have a lot of conversation around food today, I made sure that I had dinner before this call. Me too.
too. Yeah.
So I think Melissa is the only one that didn't have a snack or anything. Yeah.
So super hungry.
Yes. And so Taylor, you guys have dubbed yourself as culture craving couple. So that's what you guys are on Instagram and you have a blog, YouTube channel and stuff like that too, which we'll talk about in just a little bit. And so when you guys travel, you really do try to focus on finding unique culture, hidden gem places. but also the cuisine and the cocktails. And so that's what you focus on, not only for your own travels, but then like sharing that out, right? Which I think is super unique, right? Because a lot of people do like these whole destinations and stuff like that. So we're going to talk to you a lot about food and how you find those places and then just any tips that you have too. And then any tips too that you can share, you know, about affordable travel and that longer travel, right? Because that's something that you also do just because yours is so unique. So let's... Let's start with what your favorite country or place for food is. Let's start with that one.
I'd like to say, oh, it's so hard, but it's not. I know you guys were going here, so I'm so excited. It's Spain. Spain is like, it is the foodie mecca, I think, of Europe, of the world. We've been to Southeast Asia, we've been to all over. And like, it's like the tapas culture and trying so many small things at once. And it's very affordable. And there's so many different flavors from different region to region. We love Spain. That would be my.
Yeah, I love Spain as well. And we are we're excited to be back there in just a couple of weeks from now. And so the food was a really big part of why we enjoyed Spain so much. I mean, the you know, obviously it's a beautiful place and we really love we fell in love with Barcelona because you had the excellent architecture, the excellent food. You had the beaches like what's not to love about. barcelona and so excited to go back there and i'd love to hear more about you know the places that we need to find in spain even if we're not going to go there this time yeah so you definitely need to go to the basque country so san sebastian bilbao we're going there in the fall again we've been that is like i think that san sebastian itself has the most michelin -starred restaurants per capita or something like that in all of europe and even if you don't like michelin food like it's just
so you definitely need to go to the basque country so san sebastian bilbao we're going there in the fall again we've been that is like i think that san sebastian itself has the most michelin -starred restaurants per capita or something like that in all of europe and even if you don't like michelin food like it's just All the food's like on little sticks and you walk between bars and you have your little food on your stick with your vermouth. And it's just like every bar does like one thing and they do it like really well. So you go somewhere for your muscles and then somewhere for your anchovies. So that's one of our favorite spots. But honestly, our favorite spot in all of Spain is Madrid. I think it's a sleeper hit. Most people think, oh, it's like a fly -in city or like it's where the working people of Spain are. But it just has this like buzz. that doesn't like that Barcelona doesn't have the other places that don't have. And the food scene is incredible. So we've been there like 10 times. We love Madrid.
That's interesting that you say that. And I think this is what Scott was going to say is he's actually, he had traveled to Madrid several times for work and I had not gone with him. And he was just always like, oh, you have to go to Madrid. And we have to go out. Unfortunately, our first night there, I think was like a Sunday night when things were like. That's the worst thing. So he's like, wait a minute. Okay, we got to try this again. But yes, he was so excited. So it's interesting that you say that. Yeah, that Madrid is.
And that is exactly what I loved about Madrid is, you know, we went to all these little bars. And like you said, and there was no expectation for you to like hang out there for hours and stuff like that. It was you went in, you grabbed a drink, you got a little, you know, tapas or something like that. And then you went on to the next place. I believe that was the first time that I actually tried pulpo.
like that.
So octopus. And I was hooked like immediately. I was like, I can have this for the rest of my life.
I was like, I can have this for the rest of my life. Yep. Just don't watch my octopus teacher. I watched it after and now I feel bad eating octopus.
But I still do it. I've seen that. But someone has told me about that, that I need to go and watch that.
Don't. It'll ruin you. You don't want to eat octopus anymore.
So what would you say runner up destinations? Do you have a couple of other ones that get honorable mention for you? Of course.
course. So I mean, this is going to be like, so like obvious, but Italy, I mean, it's a foodie destination for a reason. It has so many, what I think most people don't understand about Italy, and maybe we'll talk about this later, is it's so regional focused. There's like, there's like 20 regions or something in Italy and each has its own like,
I mean,
unique little like culinary. seen inside it's not just like everyone eats pizza and pasta and it's all just so fresh and good between regions and then like our kind of like run like our sleeper destination that like everyone people like really like to go back and forth with me on this like oh it's terrible oh it's delicious is Denmark we think the food in Denmark is really good I love the bakery I love the open -faced sandwiches the seafood is really good so we have always loved it we have not been to Denmark yet and so it was on our list of places
think the food
love the bakery I love the open -faced sandwiches the seafood is really good so we have always loved it we
have not been to Denmark yet and so it was on our list of places that we maybe wanted to try to visit this year, but we haven't made it there. So I'm excited to hear that we're going to hit two out of your three top favorites. Yeah, you are. In a couple of weeks. So we'll be in Italy and Spain.
was on
Yeah, you are.
Yeah. And I'd actually reach out to you. We have shared with our podcast listeners that we are actually headed to the region of Umbria, just below Tuscany. I had actually reached out to you and said, have y 'all been to Umbria? Because what you guys do a really good job of. like you just mentioned, is finding the local thing there, right? What the local delicacy is and then also the local spots to go. So what are your tips? Like how do you do your research to find out those places? Well,
it takes me a lot of time. Let me tell you that I'm working on our next trip this past couple of days. I think I've been researching for one video for like three days, but some, not everyone has that kind of time. So some kind of high level tips are. One, this is so you can really go down this rabbit hole is Reddit. Like Reddit can be a dark hole on the interweb, but it can also be kind of amazing. If you Google like best X in X, there's almost always a Reddit thread and there's locals who just like share their tips. And I look for the places that like a lot of people are saying, yes, this is the one, this is the one, this is the one. And then I look at that place and I'll go and I'll read reviews and then on Google. And I look at the reviews and this goes with anything, even if it's not a Reddit recommendation. And I look at the language that all of the reviews are in, because a lot of times if they're all in English, probably a pretty touristy place. Unless like it's like, you know, Scotland where English is the language. But if it's in Italy or something like that, you want to go to places that have more five stars from people speaking Italian. Those are kind of like my tips. And also to utilize Facebook groups. A lot of people don't know this, that a lot of cities and countries have Facebook groups that are just run by locals. You can just go in there and say, I'm coming to X city or your favorite places to eat. And those groups are just filled with locals who want to just show you their city or country in the best way. If you go to blogs, I mean, I'm a blogger too. So this goes for all of us. A lot of us just like go to the same restaurants because they're like the touristy hits or the whatever. So you're going to get the same recommendations over and over and over again. If you go in these Facebook groups, you get a lot of more like local picks. So those are kind of like my secret, not secret ways of finding that.
I like that. tip about looking for the reviews in the local language. We'll definitely have to steal that one.
Yeah. I'm glad that you shared that because I think you actually shared that maybe on Instagram or something a couple of weeks ago. And I thought that was a fantastic tip, right? Because our brains think in, okay, everything's going to be in English and this is what I'm looking for or whatever, right? Or who, you know, wherever you are. But I think that is an awesome tip and some things that people might not have thought about.
I've never used Reddit for or trip planning. So that's something that we'll have to add to our arsenal there.
something that we'll have
Yeah. You can really go down the rabbit hole, but it's great.
And I will say, because we live in a touristy destination, right? And so we definitely have those places that we would. steer people away from and we try we try to be nice and we're like if we didn't mention it usually but so we get it right it's the places that you see those locals visit over and over again now you guys also do some cooking classes yes when you travel as well so tips for finding those what to look for those are typically more i find like on viator or get your guide but there is a really good site called with locals i think it's with locals .com and it's just a website
when you
are typically more i find like on viator or get your guide but there is a really good site called with locals i think it's with locals .com and it's just a website made by local people i think it's kind of like a big you know company now but they hire specific locals from x city and they can put you they can show you a cooking class in their house or a market tour like it's all or like a food tour that you can tell them these are the kind of foods i like and they'll kind of organize a more like more like custom on diy because they're leading you tours so that's kind of a fun thing if you don't want like a something that's like there's a big group if you want something a little more local than i like okay and so you usually try to find ones where it's just like just you and caleb and the person or have you done them with like where it's like a bigger thing or we've done both and i find like for cooking classes i kind of like when it's just me and caleb because it feels more intimate with the host and we can get some wine and talk but then with food tours we've done it where it's like just us especially if we're filming a youtube video and it's kind of awkward with a group
and so you usually try to find ones where it's just like just you and caleb and the person or have you done them with like where it's like a bigger thing or we've
done both and i find like for cooking classes i kind of like when it's just me and caleb because it feels more intimate with the host and we can get some wine and talk but then with food tours we've done it where it's like just us especially if we're filming a youtube video and it's kind of awkward with a group And I do find that it's more fun, like those kinds of things with a bigger group, especially once the wine is flowing and the whatever, and everyone's friends, like, you know, by the end of the tour, I'm like, gosh, you're my long walk brother or whatever. But those things are more fun, I find with more people, but like the cooking costs we try to do on our own.
and the whatever, and
Okay. And that was gonna be my next question was about finding food tours. Same thing, probably reading the reviews. Do you typically, if you're gonna do one, do you typically try to do it when you first get into a town?
Yes, if we're gonna do one, it's... almost always i mean day one or day two depending on when you land because i feel like it really helps you get a lay of one the land because they're always you know food and walking tours but then you also get a local telling you hey like we went to these restaurants but we also love these restaurants and then you can check them out as well so i think like it's a must if you're going to do one to do it day one or two whatever yeah i think we found that to be true and have recommended that as well the last one we did was in iceland
i think we found that to be true and have recommended that as well the last one we did was in iceland Now, unfortunately, it was on the day that we were leaving. So we didn't get that opportunity to hear from the local. But there were people who had just gotten there and she was giving them that information. And so they were going to have that for the next few days while they were there.
didn't get that
Yeah, she actually sent us an email, right, with all her favorite spots and her grandma's recipe for one of the things we ate. So it was just really, it was really, really cool. So if you ever want a recipe for a mushy,
you ever want a recipe for a mushy, fishy thingy, we have one.
Did you try that weird, super fermented fish? Yeah.
Yeah. Did you try it?
you try it?
We did. It actually wasn't. It's not good. No.
It's not good. No. We hated it.
We hated it. It's, you know, it has a really strong smell. But, you know,
know, it
know, she told us, she said, chew it seven times, not eight. They told us too.
told us too. But I will say that is not something that we would have tried if we hadn't done the food tour. And so that is where those things come into play. You're not going to go get a bunch of that. And, you know, even she mentioned this is something that the older generation keeps in their fridge when they start to feel bad. And so you get to try some of those things. While we're still talking about food, you guys. eat a lot of sandwiches. You love sandwiches. So tell us a little bit about your quest for the best sandwich in the world.
Oh my gosh, I don't even know how we became the sandwich couple. But here we are. We are the sandwich couple and we own it. It started when we were in Italy in the Amalfi Coast like two years ago. And we're just like looking for a cheap lunch. And like, I'm not a sandwich person at home. Like, I mean, I don't mind a BLT, but at home, it's fine. And then we're looking for a cheap lunch and we're in Italy. So like we had the sandwich. I don't know. Like, it like changed our life. bread is crispy and soft and then the fillings with the meat and the you know the cheese and the everything and ever since then like we have just started searching for sandwiches like we could be in like sylvania and we'll be like italian sandwiches near me like we're always looking for italian sandwiches so then we went to italy last year for like six weeks and we had i did a lot of research and we found the best sandwiches they're cheap they're like six dollars they're as big as your face so they feed you for the whole day and they're just like
and we'll be like
sandwiches near me like we're always looking for italian sandwiches so then we went to italy last year for like six weeks and we had i did a lot of research and we found the best sandwiches they're cheap they're like six dollars they're as big as your face so they feed you for the whole day and they're just like so unique and good and have so many flavors going on. So I feel like that is the sleeper head of Italy is like the sandwiches.
Oh, we say that too, though, about sandwiches. You don't eat sandwiches at home because they never taste as good as when someone else makes them. It's almost like a salad. You know, you can go somewhere and you can get this great salad, but you try to recreate that at home. It's not going to be the same. It just always tastes better when someone else makes it. I agree.
the same.
agree. When you go to Italy. Sandwiches are a must.
Sandwiches. Okay. We'll do some Umbria research for you guys. Yes, please. So how do you pick the places that you are going to travel each year when you get ready to set out? It's overwhelming because we don't want to see the whole world.
overwhelming because we don't want to see the whole world. My bucket list at this point is just world. That's how I shortened it. So I feel like we look at... There's a little bit of strategy because we do have a YouTube. We have a blog. We want to... look at the keywords and see what's trending, what do people search for, that kind of thing. So we'll kind of look at what's trending, what kind of topics people are interested in, and then kind of marry them with like, where do we want to go that's the top places within those trending kind of content. So we usually kind of pick our top places within that. And then we'll throw some like random picks in there. Like last year, we went to Romania because we wanted to. No one was really searching Romanian food, but we wanted to go to Romania. So it's kind of like the main place that we spend the most time on are kind of going to be those searchable places. And then we prepare kind of just like just for us kind of places. I think that's a great,
think that's a great, I think that's a great balance. And then when, when everybody's tired of those people going to those, you're going to be first in the content, right? Because everybody's going to be like, oh, Romania. Okay, exactly. They're going to be seeking that out. And then how much time do you recommend in a destination,
going to be
a destination, like minimum? Because I know you guys move around a lot. And you try to see a lot of places. And then how do you, like,
to see a lot
how do you kind of figure that out?
Yeah. So this year is actually going to be probably the slowest travel we've ever done because we have, like you said, we travel really quickly. And especially when you're filming YouTube videos, like every day because you need to move along, it gets very exhausting. So kind of what we're doing this year is if it's a big city where there's actual things to see, you know, like museums and restaurants, we're trying to spend at least three days and that's going to allow us to see those things at like a leisurely pace and not feel like, We're literally walking the whole city every single day. And if it's more of like a smaller, like cute village, then we just give ourselves a full day because we are not like, we're not huge museum people where we need to devote a day to go see the paintings and the whatever. So normally two to three days for a big city is good for us. And then a day for kind of like a smaller city. I'm trying to think of an example of what a smaller city would be, but kind of like those day trips. Usually very, very healthy for us.
us. I think we find that that's about right as well. you know, three to four days max, and then move on and see something different. Unless you're in a place like London, where it's just going to take you years of every day to try to do everything. And so I think we're like 13 trips in right now or something like that. And still every time we go finding new things.
think we're
London will do that. Yeah. I'm super curious to see what you guys find in London as well, because we're not big making reservation. You know, we're kind of like, let's see what, you know, see where we stumble upon, see what, so we're not like, you know, rushing and stuff like that. So what other tips would you have for people seeking out, I don't know, food, food in different destinations and finding the best places?
we're kind
Or do you ever let food be the guide for a destination? Is there ever a time where you're going specifically for the food?
I think, I mean, honestly, most of the time we're going for the food because we're researching food things that are trending. Or like last year we went to Italy, we went to Puglia because we heard it was very local food. So I think we're kind of always going for the food because if there's not good food, we don't want to go.
Does that make sense?
that make sense? Yeah. And that's just how it did. Because for us, we eat out for every single meal, which we are going to change this next year. You don't feel very good when you eat up for every single meal for six months. But we learned that the hardware bodies are not 20 anymore. But I think we'd mostly go for the food. But I also think it's something that I could mention that I think is also a sleeper tip is use your Instagram places. If you go to like your Instagram and you go to like a little magnifying glass, you swipe over, there's a little places tab. And if you click that, you can put the city you're going in. And it's going to show all of the posts that are tagged in that location. So you could find. where people are eating. You could find things that people are doing that you can't find on blogs. You can kind of find all these like little hidden gems from activities to food. I use that a lot as well when I'm building our itineraries. That's kind of their little tip I'd say.
Yeah, that is a great tip, right? Because there's a lot of things that don't make it right all the way into the blog. And then, I don't know, a lot of times the guidebooks are so high level or outdated or sponsored or whatever. Yeah,
we talk about There was a Southern Living article about where we live and the place they recommended you to go to had already been closed. By the time the article came out, it wasn't there anymore. And so, you know, sometimes you have to just wonder about these articles that are just kind of mass written or mass produced. Did they just use AI or something like that to totally generate it? Because in the same article, their top thing for you to do was to go to... the lighthouse and go up in the lighthouse. Well, we do have a lighthouse, but you can't go up in it. And so, you know, that was never been here to this island.
generate it?
know, that was never been
been here to this island.
So selfishly, we're going to get some tips from you on the three countries in Europe that we're about to go. So let's start with Germany. So we will be in Berlin and then I guess in kind of the north part of Germany. But specifically, what are some things that we should look for food -wise as far as dishes and things like that? So our favorite,
our favorite, so technically this is a Bavarian thing. So you may not find it in Berlin, but maybe you'll find it at like a beer hall or something like that. It's a Bavarian breakfast. So in Bavaria, like Munich, they eat a big pretzel. with honey mustard and this called vice first it's a white sausage and it's kind of like there's a little bit of ginger in there there's like some cilantro it's like very interesting and they boil it and then you eat it with your pretzel and your honey mustard and a beer like you see these like 80 year old men nine in the morning and they're later hosing their beer and their bavarian breakfast it's amazing we stuff all the time so if you can find a bavarian breakfast with a vice first pretzel you must and have a beer with it because it's cultural And then I would say go to the sausage stands. They're just like really cheap. But currywurst, which is kind of like a sausage with a curry ketchup and fries. I'm sure you maybe had that before or you've seen it.
Yeah, he loves curry. Curry ketchup.
Yeah, that's for sure. And then one thing that we really love is spatzel, which is like these little dumpling noodles and specifically kaisa spatzel, which is like cheese noodles. It's basically like our macaroni and cheese, but like. 10 times better. So I would say that. Duck is really big there. So duck with red cabbage. Really delicious. Of course, Mitchell. Bratwurst, like all those German things. Bring your stretchy pants. Germany food is not nothing. And then for drinks, try a Rattler, which is beer with sparkling lemonade. I'm not a beer girl. but that's like a way that I can go to the beer gardens and enjoy.
Yeah. I really enjoy a Shandy or Radler. Great. I think those are. And a lot of people may not know this about,
a lot of people may not know this about, and I don't know all the times a year that you've been to Germany, but hopefully the white asparagus will still be in season. Yes. Because when that is in season, that is fantastic. And they serve it, you know, with.
Well, we have a reservation for the restaurant where you had that white asparagus. Pretty sure. Very good. We'll have it.
Okay. So then we're going to be going to Italy. And so thankfully we are going to be walking. We're doing a walking tour. So we have five miles, then what, six miles or 10 miles and then 11 miles. So we'll be walking so we can eat as well. So I know that you said Italy is very regional, but what are some things that I guess we should look at? I'm trying to think,
So we'll
what are
trying to think, because I haven't been to Umbria, so I can't give you what they're regional. foods are. One thing that you get all across Italy. Have you guys been to Italy? You have. So you probably had these, but the Cornettos with pistachio cream for breakfast. I'm sure you've had the little, it looks like a croissant filled with pistachio cream. Very delicious. Very rich. But that's all over Italy. So definitely eat a lot of those.
all over
definitely eat a lot of those. I'm trying to think. I mean, there's like the pizza and the pasta, but those are so like Rome -ish. I don't know exactly because I don't know about Umbria.
So in Umbria, I've read like their main dishes have to do with wild boar.
Oh, okay.
And then truffles. So truffles and wild boar make up a lot of their dishes. So similar to Tuscany,
similar to Tuscany, because I know Tuscany has wild boar a lot. Well, it's literally,
Well, it's literally, it's like the regions, they touch each other. So you've got Tuscany and Umbria is basically still one region. So yeah, it would be very similar then.
Sagrantino wines. So I think that's the wine of the region or the grape that they grow there is Sagrantino.
I think that's
Sagrantino. Well,
we will definitely be using some of your tips then to find. We'll be in some little small towns. So to find some restaurants for dinner then.
Just make sure they're not open all day. That's a tip I have for Italy. If the restaurant's open all day, it's probably for tourists. Okay.
They should close for the afternoon. Lunch, dinner.
Okay. That's a good tip. That is a good tip. Well, let's switch gears back to Spain. So from Italy, then we are going to head to Barcelona. So give us a little primer. We have done bar crawl tapas before, but for people who are not familiar with the process, how does that work? And what kind of should you look for? And what's the etiquette and all the things for tapas?
So give
We did not do this right the first couple times we went to Spain because it is, like you said, it is very overwhelming. It's like so many things happening at once and what do you do? So kind of the etiquette, one is... I always tell people, first off, embrace the awkwardness. If you get weird about it, you're just going to stand out even more. You're already a tourist, so you already stand out. So just embrace it. Just go. If it's busy, slide up to the counter. It's fine. That's what Spaniards do. Just embrace that. Don't bring a big backpack. People don't really realize this, and they bring a big bag, and then they're hitting people because it's literally like sardines. So you just want to be able to go in and be smooth. Just bring a little side bag or something like that. And then the actual etiquette is like we said earlier, most places you just go for maybe one or two things a lot. Like when we first started tapas crawling, it wasn't even a crawl. We'd order a whole dinner at one restaurant. We just get like 10 tapas. That's it. It all looks so good.
all looks so good. It looks so good.
It looks so good. It's true. It looks good. But you want to have like two or three things and don't order everything at once. Because a lot of tapas, not all, but a lot are pre -made. So if you order them at once, you're just going to get like a slew on your table and you can't go. Enjoy it and go slow. Maybe have one or two things with a vermouth, not a sangria. Sangria is for tourists. Vermouth. Or a Tinto de Verano, which is just red wine with like 7 -Up or something like that. It's kind of like an actual Spaniard sangria. Spaniards don't drink sangria.
Uh -oh. We messed up already. Yep. We're signed up for a sangria class.
Oh, gosh. I mean, you can drink it. It's just it's not what like the authentic. drink is. Vermouth is way better. If you haven't had it, it will change your life. It's so good. You have to have that. Have you had vermouth, Spanish vermouth?
you had vermouth,
Have you had it? I don't think so.
think so.
How do they drink it? It's great with some olives and a little orange peel in it. It's sweet vermouth. It's not like Italian Campari. It's really good.
Have you ever had it mixed in a cocktail or something like that? No, it's completely different.
Have you ever had
that? No, it's completely different. It's dark. We have it at home right now. We literally bring it back from Spain because it's so good. So you have that or your Tinto de Verano. If you want something more light, the red one with a seven, with a like seven up or something like that, or squirts, they don't have squirt, but it's like something like that.
you have that
And then you do your tapas, order one or two things, go to your next place, get a couple of things, just keep going as the night goes. And that's kind of like the proper etiquette. Okay.
your next place,
Sounds like a lot of late nights in our future.
Starts at around nine. If people are going before nine, it's probably not going to be very local because most restaurants are going to open at eight or later. Plan for late. you know, bring, bring some energy drinks, bring some coffee late night.
Well, so that's what I found when went to Madrid was that, you know, you started at nine or 10 and went on. And so when we were going out that night and it was a Sunday night, I told her, I said, well, you know, we can take the kids out to dinner because they were old enough that they could just stay back at the hotel. Really? We'll just. take them out to dinner, feed them. And then afterwards, then we'll go and go out to the bars. And literally everything was closing as we were going out. Yeah,
for the Sunday. So that was our first. So that was the one thing that we learned. Now, what if you go to the places? So you mentioned the places that have the, and you call them the ones with the toothpicks. The pinch toes. Pinch toes. Pinch toes. Okay. So now how does that,
Okay.
now how does that, because a lot of times they just have those like out. Right. Compared to what you're talking about, about ordering stuff or.
Yep. So what you do is you go up to the counter and if there's pinch shows, they're all going to be on sticks to grab what you want. And then at the end, you pay by those like different costumes. It's a color. Sometimes it's a lot like a circle or something like that. All the sticks, you may not realize that when you're eating it, have different color codes or number codes or something like that. And at the end, when you're done, don't throw away your sticks. Hey. You put them on your plate and the waiter will come over and look at your little toothpicks and see each one has like a dollar value to them. And that's how you pay. So you just take what you want and you pay at the end based off whatever you stick. Great.
And I think your best tip is just don't be shy. Just like jump in there and do it because if not, you're really going to miss out on the experience. It's crazy and it's supposed to be.
crazy and it's supposed to be. So just like embrace it. It's so different than like our American culture. So it feels super weird, but that's fine. They just love it.
So Taylor, we're going to kind of wrap up and we're going to have you share too, where people can find all your stuff. And you guys, they have some great videos with them showing and eating the sandwiches and they're fantastic. And you need to eat before you watch their videos too. But what would you say is your favorite place in the world that you have ever visited?
Well, I would say Madrid, but we already said that. So let's take a different place. I think I could probably go back to, I can't think I was like an exact. city but region puglia in italy but actually not puglia sicily sicily i have to say the island of sicily the food there is it almost compares to spanish it's so unique because it's a mix of italian and like kind of like african food because it's so close to africa and it's just like fennel and pine nuts and like saffron but also tomatoes and basil and cheese and that
i have to say the
food there is it almost compares to spanish it's so unique because it's a mix of italian and like kind of like african food because it's so close to africa and it's just like fennel and pine nuts and like saffron but also tomatoes and basil and cheese and that kind of marriage of italian and african it's so so so unique and just the culture there it's wild like it's just we just put like a street food video today and it's just like it's just chaotic but it's so fun it's okay we're definitely we definitely have that on the list our list is like your list what's remaining on your travel bucket list that you haven't done yet you know you said the world but like the top things that are still on your bucket list i think top like if it's top two japan and i guess japan and korea so that's two
okay we're definitely we
definitely have
definitely have that on the list our list
is like your list what's remaining on your travel bucket list that you haven't done yet you know you said the world but like the top things that are still on your bucket list i
are still on your bucket list i think top like if it's top two japan and i guess japan and korea so that's two we really, really, really want to go to Japan and Korea. We haven't done, we've done Southeast Asia, but that's all we've done in like Malaysia and Thailand and Vietnam and Singapore. So that would be probably the top. And then Morocco, that's been a good list. And we've tried to go a couple of times, but for some reason, it's literally always Ramadan. And we try to go, I don't know if it changes every year, but it's always Ramadan and they don't eat then. So that would be a sad time to go.
Yeah, that's true. That is definitely on our list. Scott likes to tell the story. We went to Gibraltar one time and As you go there, his phone actually connects and says, welcome to Morocco. And it's just right there.
just right there.
Yeah, of course. Can we get a boat and just go over there?
course. Can we get a boat and just go over there? I'm sure you could.
sure you could. We were on a cruise,
sure you could. We were on a cruise, so you would have to be like, there's a couple other times that we've been like really close to Morocco, but just not there. Right before Kevin,
before Kevin, we talked about going for a weekend or whatever. We're like, nah, that's not enough times. No,
we talked about
you need more than a week. Yeah, for sure. Yeah.
In Portugal, I was like, how far would it be for us to get from here to Morocco? And then we tried to do it when we did our Africa trip, but we just couldn't find flights that worked for the rest of our trip. Like we could get to Morocco, but then to get to the rest of Africa, we'd have to fly back to Europe or the UAE or something like that. So anyhow, it's still very high on the list of places to go.
We ended up in Cairo. And the food in Cairo is very good. Really?
Really? We had a local guide and she took us and she ordered for us.
had a local guide and she took us and she ordered for us. And that was the way to go because she knew the places.
You know, like Middle Eastern food. Like what is the food like?
Yeah. So like we had pigeon.
We did have pigeon.
That's a common dish there. She said when people come and visit her in her home, that's what she prepares for them. So we had that.
The breads and the meds.
The breads and, you know, the grapes and rice and, you know, those types of things. So it is very much a Middle Eastern influenced diet.
is very
Yeah, very similar to that. But we just didn't expect the food to enjoy the food that much. So, yeah. I love when that happens. So you guys are headed out soon. So kind of at a high level, what's on your, I know y 'all are going to go to London. for part of the time. And so then kind of what else is on your list to check off this next trip?
So we have a very epic England foodie road trip. So we're going to go and discover the real traditional foods in England because it's not just fish and chips. I've been researching the heck out of it. We're also doing the same thing in Scotland. We've got Scotland food is not just bad. So we're going to do that in Scotland. And then we're also doing some Northern Ireland. And then we're actually going to do Georgia. We're going to fly up to Georgia. We're very excited about the birthplace of wine. And then some Spain, some France. And then we're not sure about Christmas markets yet. That'll take us to December. We'll probably be back in the Baltics. We love the Baltics at Christmas. Estonia and Riga, Latvia and Lithuania. So we'll probably head back there.
the birthplace
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Oh, how many more?
So like, yeah. So like they have a drum that they beat and they've got the haggis that they're carrying. And I think somebody is like singing or chanting or something like that. It was quite a quite a show. We had it at I think we were staying at the Turnberry in Scotland. And they did that for us because we were there with a larger group and they brought that in. So I don't know that was a thing.
don't know that was a thing.
Yeah. See if you can find a ceremonial presentation of the haggis. All right. I'm going to read it tonight.
right. I'm going to read it tonight. My next hole. And I'm sure you'll have a video about the haggis as well. Yes. Yes.
Yes.
So tell everybody where they can find you and yeah, connect with all your great foodie content. Yeah.
So we're at culture craving couple everywhere. Our biggest platforms are Instagram and our YouTube is new, but it's growing. And that's kind of where we. I think that's where we've really focused our efforts right now is YouTube. So I would say YouTube and Instagram.
is YouTube.
And I love your videos too, because they're not like super long, right? So it's like, you know, a destination. So definitely if you are going somewhere, go check out and see if they have been, because they will have some really good food tips. And then anything about Christmas markets, you guys have a ton of content about Christmas markets. You're going to do Christmas markets anywhere in Europe. They are the people to go check out.
I'm going to do it tonight because I'm not currently following them, but I will because I'm excited to see all of these places. Unfortunately, right now, we've talked a lot about food. My food, my diet is very strict because I'm having a histamine reaction.
I had this interview.
Yeah. So I don't get to have all this great food while we're on our trip, but someday it will be back to normal and I can't wait to go and try all these great things. Coming.
It'll be better when you do it now. Be waiting for it.
Well, Taylor, thank you so much. And hopefully sometime we can meet up in Europe and have a meal together. Would love that. That'd be great. Thanks for having me, guys.
Melissa, there were a few things that really stood out to me and I think are going to help us do some better planning for food experiences in the future. And one of those was using Reddit. So I've never thought about using Reddit for that in the past. So that's something that we're going to have to dig into. Then she also talked about looking for reviews in local languages and never crossed my mind at all. I think you had heard it on one of their episodes or something like that and said and talked to me about it recently when we were preparing for this. But it's just not something that we've done before. And then finally, you know, using the locations feature on Instagram. I'll admit I'm not an Instagram expert. I enjoy, you know, flipping through and watching reels and stuff like that. But that's something I didn't know that even existed.
Yeah. And that's so true because so many people. casually share those types of things that aren't going to make it into long form YouTube content or blogs or anything else. They just casually show that and I'm here and different things. So I think that is a really, really good kind of insider tip. Yeah. And then the other insider tip that I thought was really good is she said, if the restaurant is open all day, then it's probably for tourists. And so looking to see, do they have that time where they close in the afternoon? So we're going to have to really check that out.
Yeah, I think she was probably referencing Italy for certain. But we've seen this in other countries as well, where they actually close right after lunch. And then I guess they prepare for dinner at that time and stuff like that. And then they reopen for dinner. And so paying close attention to that will help us find those true authentic. restaurant experiences. Yeah.
And I imagine that's definitely true for Spain too. And if they open for dinner too early, it's not for the locals as well. So also we'll have to remember the tip about just jumping in and ordering the pinch toast and the drinks. I guess the vermouth is going to have to replace the sangria that we've had there before, but that's, I mean, we haven't seen that. So we're really excited to dig in and do that like a local.
We can still do the sangria class, though. Well, I thought it might be fun to just kind of wrap up this episode with a few of our food stories from travel. And the first question I'd have for you is, what would you say is one of the funniest or strangest foods that we've ever had during our travels? So I think that time,
I think that time, one night several years ago, we had one afternoon in Milan. And then we went to the smaller town Bergamo to fly out the next morning. And we went to a little restaurant. And we noticed that they had American pizza on the menu. Not much description. And I think we got it out of just more curiosity.
Yeah, I think we had ordered a real pizza for us to have. But then we ordered this American pizza too, just so that we could try it.
And they were probably totally laughing at us. So it ended up being like little pieces of... I mean, what we would consider hot dogs and then I think some ground beef and stuff like that. And crinkle cut French fries. I mean, it was not anything like we don't even eat hot dogs and French fries.
hot dogs and French fries. Right. So very,
very, very strange. They probably were totally laughing. So it was really more out of curiosity. And it was not. And no, it was not very good.
So you're not going to recommend that one.
And it couldn't have been like it was it was definitely kind of more of a local place because it wasn't like a big tourist area. So I don't think so. Scott, where would you say that the best food that we've ever had?
So when I think of the best food, I think of when we were in Greece in the little islands like Milos and Sifnos. And we just had that fresh seafood. You know, like, for example, the octopus that they had it out there. They caught it that morning. They were drying it on those lines. And then they were serving it for dinner that night. And, you know, we just had so much great, really fresh seafood there. Great, cheap wine, you know, and those little pitchers, just having the house wine. And, you know, to me, when I think about our best food experience, like that's what pops up in my mind.
I mean, you just can't get any fresher than that. And even before that trip, I was on the island of Idra. First time in Greece. And we went to a place and they were like, okay, you know, we're having this fish. Like that's what's on the menu. And then we waited for quite a while. And then we noticed like they were went down to the boat to like the guy was coming in with them. I mean, so you just can't beat think like really fresh food. And then especially when you see it, like here's the boat that caught it or whatever. So yeah, I totally agree that. I think that tops it.
So finally, is there anything in Italy or Spain that you're really looking forward to? So I think for Italy,
I think for Italy, I am excited to dig into some of her tips. We're going to be in smaller places and just kind of see what we can find with the tips that she gave. And then trying to find out what is the local thing to eat, right? Because we typically think, okay, Italian food is pizza and pasta and what. And you mentioned boar and...
Cruffles and the Sangatino wine, like that's going to be dominating the local menus there.
So looking forward to that. Really love the tapas culture in Spain though. And I think, I mean, I think we did pretty well last time, but I think just thinking, having the confidence to just kind of to jump right in and just try things. And so super excited. And not over order.
And not over order.
Yeah. And not. Yeah, not try to go to a bunch of places.
to a bunch of places. But I think one of the problems is it's always like we're starving when we go there. And so, you know, it's hard to just have that one little dish and then, or, you know, a few little bites and then think about going somewhere else. Because usually also like the glasses that they give you to drink from, they're pretty large. And so you can't do a whole lot of that. So I think you almost have to be comfortable with saying, you know what, I'm not going to finish that drink as well.
Yeah, I think that's... And I don't think anybody in Spain is going to judge you on that either.
And I don't think anybody in Spain is going to judge you on that either. I think it's part of the culture is just to have a little bit and move on. And there's no expectations.
And just embracing that.
Well, thanks again to Taylor for joining us and sharing her incredible insights and cravings from around the world. Whether it's tapas in Spain, hidden sandwich shops in Italy, or those breakfast pretzels in Germany, I've got to check that out. We hope this episode has inspired you to travel with your taste buds leading the way. You can find Taylor and Caleb online at Culture Craving Couple on Instagram and YouTube for even more foodie focused. I went out, I looked at some of these. They're great, high quality produced little videos, very short. And then, you know, as always, head over to sunshinetravelers .com for destination guides, travel tips, and more resources to help you plan your next journey. The world is full of sunshine and surprises. Make 2025 the year that you explore beyond the familiar.
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