Top 5 Destinations for Authentic CuisinePresentation by Eric Gaulin

Which destination has the world’s best foods?

Last year, CNN asked readers to vote for their favorite culinary destination in an open Facebook poll.

https://www.facebook.com/goaseantv/posts/384576191738112

Based on those findings…

Here are the Top 5 Destinations Worth

Traveling to for Authentic Cuisine

#1 - Taiwan. including a total of 8, 242 votes

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

The island’s food is a mash-up of the cuisine of the Min Nan, Teochew and Hokkien Chinese communities, along with Japanese cooking.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

The Taiwanese capital, Taipei, alone has around 20 streets dedicated to snacking. And then there’s Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest city, which is often referred to as its food capital.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

#2 - Philippines.including a total of 1, 528 votes

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

Filipino food isn’t as well known as the other cuisines on this list, but with more than 7,000 islands and a colorful history, this archipelago has some delicious dishes of its own.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

Adobo, for instance, is an ubiquitous dish whipped up in every household in the Philippines. It’s Mexican in origin, but Filipinos found that cooking meat (often chicken and pork) in vinegar, salt, garlic, pepper, soy sauce and other spices, was a practical way to preserve meat without refrigeration.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

Lechon, meanwhile, is the Philippines’ most popular party guest. An entire pig is spit-roasted over coals, with the crisp, golden-brown skin served with liver sauce, the most coveted part.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

#3 - Italyincluding a total of 810 votes

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

Italian food has enslaved taste buds around the globe for centuries, with its zesty tomato sauces, those clever things they do with wheat flour and desserts that are basically vehicles for cream.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

Whether you’ve hit up Sicily to gorge on arancini, made a special trip to Naples to sample the world’s best pizza or took a train to Modena to taste the world’s finest Parmigiano-Reggiano, no corner of Italy will leave your stomach disappointed.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

#4 - Thailandincluding a total of 470 votes

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

With influences from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and a royal culinary tradition, Thai cuisine is the best of many worlds.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

The combination of so many herbs and spices in each dish produces complex flavors that somehow come together like orchestral music. For something really flavorful, check out the country’s northeastern — or Isaan — cuisine.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

Popular Isaan dishes include som tom (papaya salad), larb moo (minced pork dressed with lime juice, fish sauce, mint leaves, onions, chilies) and ko moo yang (grilled pork neck), which comes with an incredible dipping sauce.

som tom (papaya salad)

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

#5 - Japan including a total of 445 votes

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

Typically, Japanese apply the same precision to their food as they do to their engineering, taking their love for food a step further than most nationalities.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

You can get a lavish multi-course kaiseki meal that presents the seasons in a spread of visual and culinary poetry or grab a seat at a revolving sushi conveyor for a solo feast.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

If you liked this piece, please check out: Eric Gaulin’s Cooking Website

Eric Gaulin has always had an open mind to new food, with a “try anything once” mentality. While in attendance at Elon University, Eric helped to launch a cooking club at and later became the lead, event coordinator.