Why it’s completely natural to crave familiar flavors when you travel

On his trip to the United States more than a century ago, British theatrical mogul Richard D’Oyly Carte was so taken with the luxurious American hotels he visited that he returned home and opened Britain’s first purpose-built luxury hotel in 1889 – the Savoy.

Like any prestigious hotel, it needed a top-tier food and drink offering. Enter the American Bar, intentionally created to cater to American visitors. Over the years, it became a favorite haunt of icons like Ernest Hemingway and Marilyn Monroe.

Today, with the abundance of culinary awards, travel guides, and TV shows, sampling local cuisine has become an essential – if not the primary – part of any trip. But just like the guests of the American Bar in the past, we still seek out familiar comforts when abroad. And there’s a solid reason behind it.

“The Savoy was the first luxury hotel to open in London, specifically designed to appeal to refined American travelers,” says Andrea Di Chiara, bar manager of the now-iconic venue, which remains London’s longest-standing cocktail bar and was named the world’s best bar in 2017.

“The American Bar was conceived as a natural extension of that vision and continues to attract a global clientele,”

It’s no surprise that both luxury and budget travel spots are capitalizing on the homesick traveler or those craving familiar tastes from home.

The rise of food-focused travel

While this boom is great news for the restaurant industry, it also means that travelers are more likely to be judged for food neophobia – the fear of trying unfamiliar dishes – or given strange looks for choosing something they could easily find back home.

At a recent dinner in Hong Kong, one of my companions confessed that on his first day in Paris, all he really wanted was a comforting bowl of noodle soup to ease his “Asian stomach.”

“Why on earth would you…?”

The idea was so absurd that another diner couldn’t even finish his question. A few moments later, even he had to admit, “I suppose I’d occasionally crave McDonald’s.”

Stories like this aren’t unusual, even though many of us hesitate to admit it.

Most of us have a friend who gets teased for bringing Diet Coke in their luggage or for choosing Starbucks over a local café while traveling. A British colleague of mine always packs Yorkshire tea bags when traveling abroad. My own mother, who lives in Hong Kong, brings a mini rice cooker and a bag of rice ‘just in case.’ When I lived in London, I missed Hong Kong’s bubble waffles so much that I ended up opening a market stall.

At the heart of it, we’re all searching for the same thing – a taste of the familiar in an unfamiliar place. And according to experts and scientists, none of us should be judged for this, as our choices to embrace or avoid local foods are deeply ingrained in our instincts.

The science behind resisting new foods

A 2019 study conducted by professors in the US found that factors like cultural familiarity, personal motivations, and personality traits have a stronger impact on tourists’ food choices than cost or convenience.

“Travelers seem to be more influenced by the desire for comfort and safety,” says Angel Gonzalez, an associate professor at California State University, Monterey Bay, who co-authored the study.

“People who are more cautious or unfamiliar with local cuisine often gravitate toward food they already know,”

Interestingly, Americans of Hispanic descent are more open to trying local foods, Gonzalez points out.

“This might be due to a broader familiarity with diverse food cultures,” Gonzalez speculates, while noting that the research only provides a limited glimpse into food behavior. The study involved interviews with 330 people in the US, asking how likely they were to try local foods while traveling.

“Although the findings are fascinating, we would need a more comprehensive study to fully understand the complexities behind travelers’ food choices abroad,” he adds.

In the absence of a clearer explanation, Judson Brewer, a neuroscientist and behavioral professor at Brown University, encourages us to reflect inwardly.

He explains to Dinogo that our brains undergo two main processes when it comes to making food choices.

“Travel is often a balance between the thrill of discovering something new and the comfort of sticking with what we know,” says Brewer, who authored a book on eating habits titled “Hunger Habit.”

“Do we choose to try a new dish, or do we head to the familiar fast food chain just around the corner?”

In these moments, he explains, our orbitofrontal cortex – the part of our brain responsible for decision-making – evaluates which option will be more rewarding for our survival.

This is known as the ‘explore vs. exploit’ dilemma, an instinct rooted in our hunting and gathering heritage – when early humans had to choose between seeking out new food sources or making use of what was already available before resources ran out.

When traveling, he explains, our planning brain may determine that it’s safer to stick with familiar food to avoid the risk of physical discomfort.

“Our brains don’t tolerate uncertainty, and travel (especially to unfamiliar destinations) can be unsettling,” says Brewer.

These uncertainties can spark anxiety, which activates another process in our brain.

“From a young age, we start to link food with emotions and mood. We learn to associate certain foods with comfort – which is why we have the concept of ‘comfort food,’” says Brewer.

“The psychological comfort we get from familiar foods is like a sense of ‘home,’”

Food has increasingly become a way to manage our emotions, driven in part by modern advertising and pop culture. Remember when a heartbroken Bridget Jones dove into a pint of ice cream in the movie?

When emotions take over, the rational part of our brain takes a back seat, and the survival instinct takes charge.

To soothe the pain, it urges us to find comfort in food – even when we’re not hungry – triggering the release of dopamine (a feel-good hormone) as a reward, reinforcing the habit of seeking out the familiar.

“Familiar flavors can act as an anchor, offering psychological comfort and a sense of security, helping us feel more grounded in an unfamiliar setting,” explains Brewer.

How the travel industry addresses the needs of homesick tourists

Located at 3,454 meters (11,332 feet) above sea level, Switzerland’s Jungfraujoch is the highest train station in Europe. This snowy mountain destination exemplifies how attractions cater to homesick travelers.

In the 1980s, noticing an increase in Asian visitors, Jungfrau Railways began offering noodle soups at its mountaintop station. By 2023, it launched the King Noodle Bar, a restaurant dedicated to Asian noodle dishes, which has quickly become a favorite.

The company also highlights regional culinary traditions whenever possible.

At Jungfraujoch’s Restaurant Bollywood, which opened in 2000 to cater to the growing number of Indian tourists, the menu combines Swiss and Indian flavors. Guests can enjoy rosti with Swiss cheese, Zurich-style sliced chicken with mushroom sauce, and Swiss chocolate desserts alongside classic Indian dishes.

“The goal is to blend local Swiss dishes with global flavors to create a diverse and authentic dining experience, helping visitors feel at home even when they are far away,” says Kathrin Naegeli, head of corporate communications at Jungfrau.

Researcher Gonzalez highlights the importance of combining familiar tastes with local culinary offerings to make travelers feel more comfortable.

“This approach helps ease the worries of hesitant eaters while gently encouraging them to expand their culinary horizons,” he explains.

When the American Bar first opened in the late 1880s, international guests had perhaps more reason to seek its familiar offerings. A 1890 guide to London, published by Langham Hotel, notably listed hospitals and docks but offered no restaurant suggestions.

Today, the bar continues to serve many classic favorites, but now incorporates local flavors into its menu.

Gerald Quadros, the Savoy’s executive chef, explains that the American Bar’s menu “draws inspiration from iconic American dishes, which we’ve reimagined using British ingredients, creating a menu that feels both familiar and pleasantly unexpected for our guests.”

“A perfect example of this fusion is our sliders, made with organic Denbighshire beef, which emphasizes the blend of American and British culinary traditions,” he adds.

“The beauty of travel lies in how it sparks creativity, as different cultures come together and influence one another,” he reflects.

Overcoming culinary anxieties

Beyond blending cultures, there’s also a scientific reason why we should push ourselves to try new foods.

Brewer explains that habits require minimal energy because learning new things takes effort, and exploration demands cognitive resources.

“If people have a set of foods they enjoy and are content with them, why would they expend time and energy trying something that may not satisfy?” Brewer questions.

“Consider our bodies: If we spend all our time sitting, our muscles lose flexibility and become prone to injury. The same applies to our minds – staying in our comfort zones isn’t healthy.”

The neuroscientist has devised techniques to help his patients break free from unhealthy eating patterns, such as practicing mindful curiosity, which he elaborates on in his books and lectures.

Brewer believes that cultivating curiosity is essential for hesitant travelers, as it transforms stress into an opportunity for growth.

“Rather than succumbing to fear, curiosity allows us to shift our mindset from ‘oh no’ to ‘oh, what’s this?’ This opens us up to new experiences, both in food and life,” he explains.

This approach has not only helped Brewer manage his own anxiety but has also led him to unexpected, enriching experiences during his travels.

On a recent trip to Italy, Brewer’s Italian postdoctoral colleague took him to a charming, family-owned restaurant off the beaten path.

“That evening, the restaurant’s specialty was donkey,” says Brewer, a vegan who has refrained from eating meat for over two decades.

“I thought to myself, ‘I’ll probably never have donkey again, so why not give it a try?’ My curiosity got the best of me. And it was surprisingly delicious.”

While the donkey didn’t change Brewer’s stance on meat, it serves as a perfect example of the mental flexibility he advocates for.

“Life is in constant flux. When we become too rigid, it becomes much more difficult to navigate change,” he reflects.

“Embracing curiosity and exploration helps us maintain mental flexibility. That way, when change comes, we’re better equipped to accept and adapt to it,” he concludes.