Travel

"Those are Egg Noodles!"

I went to Germany on academic exchange during university and was quite worried about my peanut, tree nut and egg allergy with regards to the language barrier. I bought a package of noodles that only had a German ingredient list but assumed that they would be safe, since it looked like standard pasta. As I unloaded my groceries in our residence kitchen, a German friend pointed to my package of pasta and said “Those are egg noodles!”. Apparently, in huge German writing on the front of the package, it said plainly: egg noodles.

What can others learn from this?

I’m very lucky I had a fluent German speaking friend nearby before I actually consumed the pasta. It really shows how important it is to not take risks if you are not 100% sure a product is safe. It’s also crucial that your friends and dorm mates are made aware of your food allergies.

"Chili with Peanut Butter!"

While travelling through Latin America, I had a difficult time finding safe meal options because of my peanut allergy. One night I was invited to a dinner where the host was serving Chili, which I eat at home all of the time so assumed it would be safe. As the food was being prepared, I went to grab a drink out of the kitchen and noticed a jar of peanut butter right beside the pot of chili on the stove. I asked the person cooking it if he had put peanut butter in the chili and he said yes! Apparently it is very common for them to use peanut butter to make the chili thicker.

What can others learn from this?

Even if you are really trying to play it safe when travelling with allergies, surprises can arise. Different cultures have different dishes and ingredients. Don’t make any assumptions on something that might have been safe at home, since it might not be made the same in other parts of the world.

Have you experienced risky situation while travelling? How did you manage it? Share your experience!