Soy sauce, beef jerky, tea bags, instant noodles: the comfort foods – and drinks – travellers can’t live without when they are on the move
- When on holiday or on a business trip, some travellers keep homesickness at bay by turning to a favourite snack, drink or condiment
- Hong Kong travellers pack soy sauce, Britons tea bags, and Chinese instant noodles; Malaysians and Greeks take as much of their go-to coffee as they can carry
The three “Fs” – family, friends and food – are the things we miss most when travelling abroad, according to online forums and informal polls.
But while we might not be able to take our nearest and dearest on a business trip or round-the-world backpacking tour, we can at least keep homesickness at bay by slipping a few of our favourite foods and condiments into our luggage.
Unless you are flying first class and have a baggage allocation to match, it is crucial to plan carefully. Keep things light and portable by packing sachets, not glass bottles, and pastes rather than liquids.
One advantage of carrying culinary “essentials” at the expense of clothing is that your luggage gets a little lighter each day. By the end of the trip, there will be plenty of room for souvenirs.
Savvy travellers will always find room in their rucksacks for dried fruit.
Raisins, dates and apricots are as nutritionally dense as fresh fruit but weigh less and come in compact, travel-friendly packaging.
