12 Popular Travel Destinations with the Worst Food

When it comes to food, we all have our personal preferences, and none of us can judge a dish objectively. What may be delicious for some may be disgusting for others. We often tend to like the food we grew up with and may have a hard time enjoying flavors we are not used to. That being said, there are a few countries whose food tends to be criticized by most. If you travel to try new flavors and dishes, you will surely find this article interesting. Here is a list of places to avoid on your next trip.

Scotland

Scotland is popular for its Harry Potter-like cities, wild nature, and friendly people, yet you probably cannot mention a single dish from this place. And for good reasons! To give you an idea of what people eat here, haggis is one of the most popular dishes. This consists of a pudding made from sheep’s heart, lungs, and liver and mixed with other ingredients such as oatmeal, onions, suet, and spices. Of course, it’s also traditionally cooked in a sheep’s stomach.

Iceland

Similarly to Scotland, Iceland’s typical cuisine may not sound delicious to most. Cultivating any kind of vegetable in the cold weather typical of this place is basically impossible, meaning that locals are used to eating mostly fish and meat. This makes the local culinary tradition relatively limited, especially when compared to other European countries.

Cuba

While most Latin American countries are renowned for their delicious cuisines, this is not true for Cuba. Most people say it’s kind of bland, even though other tourists truly enjoy their culinary experiences on this iconic island. Despite everything, we strongly suggest you visit this country due to its unique history, marvelous vibes, and friendly locals.

Norway

Like many other northern European countries, Norway is popular for its stunning scenery and comfortable lifestyle. Yet, food is not one of the factors attracting tourists here. This is because growing vegetables and fruits in Norway is incredibly hard and used to be basically impossible before the arrival of modern technology. However, this may be the place for you if you are eager to try unusual flavors, such as moose, reindeer, and deer. Yet, prepare for extraordinary high prices.

Mongolia

Located north of China, Mongolia is a vast country renowned for its vast plains. Food in this corner of the world mainly consists of meat, animal fats, and dairy products—not the most balanced diet. Not only are vegetables limited, but so are spices, meaning that food here can be quite bland. While eating in Mongolia for a few days is okay for most travelers, you will most likely miss your usual dishes after a few weeks.

Australia

Can you name three dishes from Australia? If you’re not from here and have never visited this country, chances are you cannot even mention one. There is no reason to worry. You are not alone. This is because Australian cuisine seems to blend different culinary traditions and lacks a strong individuality and uniqueness that distinguishes many other countries.

Canada

Despite being one of the largest countries in the world, Canada did not succeed in developing its own unique and delicious cuisine. Many people here tend to eat food from other countries and rarely cook traditional meals from this region. This may also be because this is a relatively new country, meaning it still has to develop its culinary traditions.

The Netherlands

The Dutch’s aversion to good food is evident from their breakfast, which consists of bread and Hagelslag, a small chocolate granule. Sometimes, people may add butter to their bread or opt for a unique Hagelslag flavor, such as white chocolate, but this is basically it. The situation doesn’t improve for lunch and dinner. Most Dutch just opt for a quick meal of bread and cheese or dishes from other cuisines.

Chile

Compared to all other Latin American countries, Chile is often put at the very end of the list regarding food. Why? First and foremost, it’s difficult to compete with its neighborhood. But this is not all. Despite its name, people complain that this country doesn’t have spicy food to offer its citizens, plus travelers often complain that nothing interesting is served by local restaurants, especially for vegetarians.

Morocco

Okay, okay. We all love cous cous. But you cannot eat cous cous and tajines for a week! While some dishes such as harissa and msemen bread may appeal to most, the truth is that we aren’t the biggest fan of this culinary tradition, which is especially limited for vegetarians and vegans. While some may love it, we prefer other cuisines like Turkish.

Finland

Here is another country in Northern Europe that is not renowned for its food. Compared to other countries in Scandinavia, people here may have a few more traditional dishes containing vegetables, but fish and meat are still the protagonists of local cuisine. If you are heading to Europe and are eager to try delicious recipes, we recommend Italy, France, Turkey, or Bulgaria.

Philippines

The Philippines is often considered the worst country in Southeast Asia for foodies. Just think about it. Have you ever seen a Philippine restaurant? No? There is a reason! People tend to think it contains too much sugar, salt, and oil, which is quite unhealthy. That being said, the food in Southeast Asia is often incredibly tasty, meaning that many people heading here may compare this food with other neighboring countries known for their delicious cuisine.