The Frosted Flakes Foodie

There is nothing like a bowl of Frosted Flakes with ice cold 2% milk. It is hands down my favorite cereal which I can eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I cannot truly express the joy I’ve felt discovering a box of Frosted Flakes in the store during any of my travels. No, that is not the only thing I ate abroad – but I still felt excited about knowing I at least had the option. This post is a list of some of the other foods I discovered in different places – some that have been added to my favorites list:

Cairo, Egypt

I don’t remember a lot of the dishes, but I do recall my diet there was definitely lamb heavy. I also recall that we couldn’t drink the water unless it had been boiled or was bottled, and that all of the fast food restaurants had different menus from those at home. For instance, McDonalds sold lamb burgers and combos and I think you could get lamb on a pizza from Lil Ceaser’s.

Trip Favorites:

• Mahshi (stuffed grape vine leaves)
• Lamb Burger

Barcelona and Madrid, Spain

The first place I found Frosted Flakes (Frosties) abroad and where I had Haagen Dazs for dinner – waffles with ice cream has great nutritional value. 😏 One thing about Spanish food – it appears to be all about sharing – think tapas or paella. Tapas are “small plates” – appetizer portions and you will find tapas bars all throughout the city. Typically, you’re given a menu with photos of different small plates and you pick several to enjoy and share. One tour guide told us the proper way to enjoy tapas is to go to as many tapas places as people in your group – a different member of the group pays for the entire bill at each location.

Trip Favorites:

• Paella (seafood and rice dish)
• Patatas Bravas (Spanish fried potatoes with spicy sauce)
• Bombas (stuffed potato balls served with sauce)
• Seafood (Be forewarned – once ordered seafood soup and the shrimp still had eyes)
• Gelato
• Churros con chocolate (Madrid)

Beijing, China

I went to Beijing as part of a study abroad program in law school. During our welcome dinner for the trip we got to sample a lot of different traditional dishes including what I was later told was pigeon (not recommended). Breakfast was a little surprising in that you had the option of chow mein and salad with your oatmeal, eggs, bacon, toast, watermelon and coffee. Beijing was also the second place I found Frosted Flakes abroad. Somehow our group also ended up finding a sports bar called Lakers that served pizza and beer, which we frequented on more than one occasion. Aside from the pigeon dish, I pretty much enjoyed everything else we had to eat in Beijing.

Trip favorites:

• Peking duck
• Ramen
• Dumplings, potstickers and bao
• Tsingtao

Sydney, Australia

Trip Favorites:

• Wagyu beef
• French fries
• Meat pies (specifically from pie face)

Rome, Florence, and Venice Italy

While in Italy I sampled pizza, pasta, enjoyed a midday cappuccino, and went on a winery tour. Italian pizza just didn’t move me – I enjoy a deep dish in Chicago much more. That being said, I did enjoy the pasta. My favorite food experience however was probably the snacks provided on the wine tour – I absolutely love bread and cheese.

Trip Favorites:

• Pasta
• Tiramisu
• Bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• Salami and cheese
• Chianti

Reykjavik, Iceland

The standout for this trip was definitely the soup. I visited Icelandic Street Food where you could get free refills on their menu items – the two most notable being the lamb soup and seafood soup. I also had an Icelandic hotdog (not Chicago style but still good), ate at a Thai restaurant, sushi restaurant, and Seafood buffet. Icelandic seafood is good and definitely fresh, however you may want to pass on the shark, whale, and stingray. Since I have a sweet tooth, I also had cupcakes, ice cream, and crepes.

Trip Favorites:

• Lamb Soup
• Seafood Soup
• Cupcakes

Quito, Ecuador

My first evening in Quito, I went on a foodie walking tour which is definitely recommended for any of my future travels. We visited 6 different locations – sampling food and drink at each. One thing I learned is that Ecuadorians love corn. Additionally, some of the other tours I booked included a breakfast or lunch component so I got to try a lot of different Ecuadorian foods.

Trip Favorites:

• Bizcochos + caramel
• fritada (fried pork)
• Tostado (Andean corn nuts)
• Pinchos (skewers)
• Empanadas
• Canelazo (warm alcoholic drink that seems perfect for cool weather)