The Comforts of Home Abroad: Why It’s Okay to Seek Familiar Food While Travelling

Travel is often painted as a culinary adventure — a chance to dive into street food stalls, taste spices you’ve never heard of, and discover dishes that become memories in themselves. And while that’s all true, there’s another side of travel that isn’t talked about as much: the craving for something familiar. Sometimes, after weeks on the road, all you want is a burger that tastes exactly the same as it does back home. And that’s okay.

Food is as much about comfort as it is about culture. A quick stop at McDonald’s doesn’t mean you’re not embracing the local experience — it just means you’re human. Travelling is full of risks and rewards, and food is one of the best ways to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Trying a steaming bowl of pho on a Hanoi street corner or tucking into fried insects at a Bangkok night market can be transformative. But that doesn’t mean you can’t also order a familiar pizza on a night when you’re tired, homesick, or just craving the known.

The truth is, travel isn’t a competition. There’s no prize for who eats the most exotic meal, nor should there be shame in grabbing something ordinary. What matters is striking that balance — pushing the boat out to discover new tastes and traditions, but giving yourself permission to fall back on comfort food when you need it. Because ultimately, travel is about connection, inclusivity and curiosity. Whether your meal comes wrapped in banana leaves or a paper bag with golden arches, the important thing is that you’re out there exploring.

There’s a kind of unspoken pressure in the travel world that you’re supposed to always “do it right.” Eat what the locals eat, avoid anything too familiar, and never be caught dead in a global chain. But travel isn’t about ticking off authenticity points — it’s about living the experience in your own way. Some days, that experience is chasing down a street vendor who only sets up shop after midnight. Other days, it’s finding comfort in the glow of a familiar logo when you’re exhausted, lost, or simply craving a taste of home.

I know this from experience. On my first ever trip to Paris, a work trip in the depths of winter, I arrived late at night to rain-soaked streets, hungry, nervous, and not knowing where to go. The city felt overwhelming. Eventually I spotted the golden arches, and my first Parisian dinner was a McDonald’s. At the time, I felt a little embarrassed, but in truth it gave me exactly what I needed: comfort in new surroundings. That meal didn’t define my trip — but it anchored me enough to enjoy the adventure that followed.

The irony is, even those big-name chains can become part of the travel story. A McDonald’s in Tokyo isn’t the same as one in London — you’ll find shrimp burgers, teriyaki options, or matcha sundaes you’d never see back home. In that sense, even comfort food abroad carries its own cultural twist. You’re not betraying the journey by stepping through those doors — you’re just experiencing a different layer of the world, one that’s shaped by globalisation as much as tradition.

Food abroad isn’t just about the dishes you can’t find at home; it’s also about the little rituals that keep you grounded. Anyone who’s travelled through Southeast Asia knows the quiet joy of ducking into a 7-Eleven for a toasted ham and cheese sandwich at two in the morning. It’s not glamorous, but it’s part of the journey — a rite of passage almost as legendary as the temples and beaches themselves. Those fluorescent-lit convenience stores become lifelines, offering quick fixes, cold water, and a sense of security in a place where everything else feels new. The toasties may not be haute cuisine, but they’re as much a travel memory as a bowl of pad thai eaten on a Bangkok side street.

The same goes for coffee culture. For some, travel means exploring third-wave cafés in Melbourne or Lisbon, tasting single-origin beans roasted with almost scientific precision. For others, it’s simply sitting in a quiet café abroad, ordering something familiar, and taking a moment to breathe. Coffee, in its many forms, is one of the most universal comfort rituals — whether it’s an espresso shot at a tiny Italian bar, a café au lait in Paris, or even a Starbucks latte when you’re craving consistency. These pauses, with a cup in hand, remind us that travel isn’t just about movement and novelty; it’s also about finding stillness, even in unfamiliar places.

Food on the road isn’t only about taste — it’s about memory. Sometimes that familiar bite has the power to transport you home, even if you’re thousands of miles away. A simple sandwich might remind you of school lunches, a certain brand of chocolate might echo long car journeys, or a plate of pasta could spark memories of family dinners. When you’re travelling, those flavours can carry a weight far greater than the food itself: they become anchors to your past, little bridges between where you came from and where you are now.

It’s why comfort food abroad feels so powerful. A traveller biting into a burger in Seoul or a packet of crisps in Lima isn’t just eating — they’re reconnecting with something that makes them feel safe, understood, or simply less alone. That nostalgia doesn’t erase the adventure of trying new things; it sits alongside it, reminding you that travel isn’t about shedding your old self but carrying it with you as you discover the new.

At the end of the day, food is just one thread in the bigger tapestry of travel. What matters isn’t whether you spent every meal in a bustling night market or whether you ducked into a chain café now and then — it’s that you were there, open to experiencing a world beyond your own. Travel has room for every style, every taste, and every budget. There’s no right or wrong way to explore, only the way that feels authentic to you.

For some, that means chasing the most adventurous plate they can find, from fermented delicacies to fire-breathing curries. For others, it might mean leaning on comfort food when the day feels overwhelming or homesickness creeps in. Most of us fall somewhere in between — embracing the unfamiliar, but also appreciating the grounding force of the familiar.

And that’s what makes travel so inclusive. It isn’t a test of bravery or an endless quest for authenticity; it’s about connection, curiosity, and joy. Whether you’re sampling something you can’t even pronounce at a local market, slurping noodles at a roadside stall, sipping a flat white in a hip café, or unwrapping a 7-Eleven toastie at 3am, you’re part of the same story — one of movement, discovery, and shared humanity.

So let yourself have both. Try the dishes that scare you, the ones you’ll tell stories about for years. But don’t be afraid to embrace the comfort foods too, because sometimes they’re what give you the strength to keep going. In the end, the best traveller isn’t the one who eats the “right” thing, but the one who keeps exploring — plate by plate, place by place. Because the best souvenir isn’t just the food you tried, but the memories you made along the way.