As a national foodie, my tastes have been quite sheltered. My worldly tongue has been confined to the U.S. until now. I am on a quest to find the truly delicious. The perfect bite! I will scour the world until I have discovered this holy grail of cuisine. Beginning my travels in Turkiye, I shall broaden my tongue's horizons and become a true bon vivant!

Lemongrass, Coconut Milk and Everything Nice...

Thailand, I think, may translate directly to "Land of everything delicious!" As much as I adore Turkish food, I'm afraid Thailand takes the number one spot for best tasting. Literally every single dish I had was awesome! As many know, I hate shrimp and mushrooms, but even those were decadent!

Soaking in creamy coconut milk, the mango desserts are (eek cliches) to die for! Mango Tango still haunts me in my dreams; its clearly the most delicious dessert in Bangkok. Featuring mango pudding, mango ice cream, mango tapioca, mango lassi, and yes, just mangoes, Mango Tango has stolen my heart and then cheated on me repeatedly with the same three lady boys leaving me heartbroken and desolate.

Even the streets wreak of lemongrass and ginger, and fresh fruit stands litter every alley. Regardless of what you hear or read, eating the street food is essential! No matter how shady the cook looks, or how dirty his utensils appear to be, ingest as much of this heaven-on-a-stick as possible. Even if you do contract an intestinal worm, know that the food is worth it.

In addition to my newfound addiction, Mango Tango, there's another amazing street feature found (I believe!) only in Bangkok, and that is The Waffle. Ridiculously hot and gooey, they're made fresh with every order and found everywhere there's people ie, shopping plaza, bus stations and train stations. Just when you feel you're craving something sexy and sweet, one pops up before you! These psychic vendors charge very little (5 baht!) and generally only have four flavors, but each a different flavor than the last; original, rum raisin, and tarot were my favorites!

 I must say Thai food any where else in the world may be ruined for me. I will never leave an American Thai restaurant satisfied. My tongue will turn its smug little nose up at all impostors and forever be angry with me until I venture back to the Southeast.

Damn you, Thailand! Why are you so delicious?