Expat food bloggers of the world, unite

[Update:] Comments are now closed, since I'm no longer actively updating my blogrolls. Thanks for your interest.

While going through the entries for Food Destinations #2, I was struck by the number of people who are expatriates. Alanna Kellogg wrote about this briefly on BlogHer a while back too. I am myself an expat, even several times over: born in Japan, American citizen, lived for some time in England, living in Switzerland now, but who knows where I’ll be in 5, 10 years? In my case it’s not like I set out on purpose to become a world wanderer - my father’s job required that we move around quite a bit when I was growing up, and when I became an adult I just sort of continued in that way.

Anyway, I became intrigued by the number of people who were in a similar situation to me. I think that when you are an expat, and a food lover, your senses become attuned to food on two levels: nostalgia for the things you used to take for granted, which you can’t get that easily any more, and a newcomer’s appreciation for the things that are perhaps taken for granted in your new home. That’s certainly been my case, and is perhaps what best defines my food blogging persona. Reader Jesse recently sent me an email which described this much more eloquently than I could.

I am finding it increasing entertaining that you have so much to say and do with food. I think I get it. I have been an expat off and for almost nine years. You’re walking down the street and suddenly you catch a whiff of something… You know that smell, but you look around and nothing should be creating that smell even though you’re not quite sure what it reminds you of. Then it hits you. That’s the smell that used to emanate from that tonkotsu ramen shop near your house. It comes to you all at once. You want that ramen, but you know that it’s at least 7000 miles away. Now you really want it, because you know you can’t have it and you start to try to find ways to recreate it home, alas unsuccessfully. You always fall short.

I live in Japan and so I know what that’s like. It used to happen to me and Mexican food, and when I’ve been home (US), I would get that way about zaru soba.

(Emails like this really make my day, and keep me motivated to continue writing here. Thanks, Jesse!)

So, I have started to compile a list of fellow expat food bloggers, which I'll update periodically. My list (after the fold) is rather short so far - please let me know who I'm missing, by leaving a comment here or emailing me at maki (at) makikoitoh dot com.

Expat food blog list

(Unless noted otherwise all the blogs below are written in English.)

  • 1x umrühren bitte: A German-language blog by Swiss expats in Andalusia, Spain
  • Becks & Posh: English girl Sam, aided by French guy Fred, residing in San Francisco, CA, USA
  • Chili & Vanilia: Mostly-Hungarian language blog by Hungarian expat in Belgium Zsofi
  • Chocolate in Context: By Emily, former New Yorker, via Guatemala, now living in Melbourne, Australia
  • Cook sister!: South African Silverbrow lives in London, England
  • David Lebovitz: American cookbook author/chef/teacher living in Paris
  • English Patis: Filipina Celia lives in London, England
  • Eating Asia: By Americans(?) Robyn and David living in Malaysia
  • Il Forno: Italian nice guy via Napoli living in Germany
  • Lucullian delights: Swedish Ilva writes and takes beautiful photos in Tuscany, Italy
  • Ms. Glaze's Pommes d'Amour: Ms. Glaze is an American woman working in a 3-star restaurant in Paris
  • noodlepie: Brit Graham, formerly in Vietnam, now in Toulouse, France
  • Nordljus: Beautiful, gorgeous, outstanding food styling and photography from Japanese Keiko living in Bury St. Edmunds, England
  • Phnomenon: food in Cambodia: American in Cambodia
  • posie's place: Pamela, via Glasgow, living in Basel, Switzerland
  • savoury snark: Amanda, an American in Brighton, UK
  • the passionate cook: Johanna, Austrian in London, England
  • Too Many Chefs: Partly expat, since Meg is from Chicago and now lives in Paris (not sure if Barrett's recent move from Chicago to Baltimore qualifies him as an expat too :))
  • The Traveler's Lunchbox: Melissa via Washington State in the US, now in Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Veggie Way: Isli, from Istanbul now in Algiers
  • we must eat: Motoko, Japanese (married to a Frenchman) now living in Pasadena, CA, USA
  • whistlestop caboose: not a food-only blog, but a lot of great food-related posts. By Ellen who hails from Iowa, spent lots of time in Paris, and now lives in a beautiful lakeside town in the Romandie (French-speaking) area of Switzerland (married to an Englishman who grew up in Zimbabwe!)

Added Sep 11th:

Added Sep. 13th:

Added Sep. 16th:

Added Sep. 18th:

Added October 2nd:

  • Reality Bytes: by Caryn, and American in England
  • fleur de sel: a Japanese woman living in La Rochelle, France (in Japanese)

Added Jan. 7th:

  • Berlin Reified: Berlin, Germany based blog by Sylee who is from Washington, D.C.

Added March 12th:

  • Field to Feast: A wonderfully written foodblog by Carolyn from Zimbabwe, Africa
  • Oyamake Stoneware blog: Mike and Tomoko in Kobe, Japan blog about Japanese food (with video podcasts) on their company blog (they sell stoneware)
  • Homesick Texan: Okay Ms. Homesick Texan hasn't left the country, technically (she's in NYC), but she sure misses her Texas home. (and I guess you could argue that Texas is a different country...) Wonderful recipes and writing, and photography.
Submitted by maki on 2006-09-10 15:21.
Filed under:  essays other food blogs philosophy

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Comments

heather

10 September, 2006 - 16:28

this lady is an expat in Switzerland and runs a lovely food blog

http://kitschenette.typepad.com/redkitchen/

Riana

10 September, 2006 - 19:33

Hi, I have a food blog too, garlic breath as well as my normal one about an american living in the south of France. I have been reading your blog for a long time as well.

ALl the best,
Riana

Linda

10 September, 2006 - 19:51

I am an American expat living in France. Your posting made me think of the things I miss in the States-bar-b-que, mexican food, good tender steaks and, unfortunately, 7-11 where I can get drinks with ice and Ding Dongs, a probably horrible for my health chocolate snack. Of course, when I am in the States I dream of baguettes, foie gros, French chocolate, etc. That's how life is-always wanting what you can't get.

sam

10 September, 2006 - 20:59

fantastic idea - i have always been fascinated by the proportion of food bloggers who are expats.
I think this list is going to grow and grow! (and grow!)

maki

11 September, 2006 - 16:41

Added, Riana and Linda! Wow both of you live in beautiful areas of France.

maki

12 September, 2006 - 00:15

I'm adding to the main list by date, and also adding to the 'expat food blog' blogroll on the main page now too.

ExPat Chef

12 September, 2006 - 19:08

My blog, appropriately, is The Expatriate's Kitchen. It features posts on food and my past days traveling and living abroad, mainly on tiny islands most people have never heard and couldn't find on a map. It altered my view of food forever. From new tastes, to the ache for those unobtainable favorites from home.

Alanna

13 September, 2006 - 02:34

What a great list, Maki. A related one is how many "mixed marriages" there are among food bloggers, people of different nationalities, and as your list shows, often living in still another place. BTW I think Isil is back in Turkey again.

Dasha

16 September, 2006 - 17:31

I just found your blog and I love it, Maki! I wanted to recommend another expat's food blog. Blue Lotus is a blog by a Canadian woman who has lived in Tokyo for many years. She cooks Japanese and Western food and she's a wonderful writer.

Dasha

16 September, 2006 - 17:32

Gah, I somehow messed up the link to the Blue Lotus Blog. So here's the link, plain and simple: http://blue_moon.typepad.com/blue_lotus/.

maki

17 September, 2006 - 00:49

Thanks for the links and comments! I am very slowly adding the links sent in.

Ian Green

23 September, 2006 - 01:24

Ig you like real food check out Wensleydaleblog.co.uk and add your support

Lily

4 December, 2006 - 22:19

Lin Yutang wrote, "What is patriotism but the longing for the foods of one's homeland?

It seems appropriate here.

rowie

27 December, 2006 - 16:47

I'm not an expat, so my blog doesn't fall into your category, but I do know what you mean about food and nostalgia. I live in the Philippines now but spent the first ten years of my life in Hong Kong and Singapore. I've been posting more Chinese and non-Filipino Southeast Asian recipes than I have Philippine recipes.

Sylee Gore

6 January, 2007 - 22:42

Hi Maki,

I've been happily poring through your archives over the last few days. I was so pleased to discover your site and to take part in the latest Food Destinations event. Thanks for starting something so fun!

I'm an Indian-American living in Berlin, and I've also lived in Oxford, Mumbai, and Hong Kong, so I know exactly what you mean about the nostalgia and excitement of the new... My blog (focussing mostly on food) is Berlin Reified at reified.typepad.com.

maki

7 January, 2007 - 13:45

Hi Sylee! I've added you to the expat blogroll here. You have a lovely site!

Sylee

8 January, 2007 - 20:54

Thanks so much for the encouraging words, Maki!

Mike McKay

11 March, 2007 - 13:46

What a great idea. Yep. One more food lovin' expat American planted in Kobe, Japan for the rest of his life. I even started a dishware business because of my love for the food here in Japan. We're making cooking video vodcasts also. Thanks for uniting us Maki.

Jul

13 March, 2007 - 00:59

Hi Maki - I have a food blog, too (and I'm an expat, so I guess that would make it an expat food blog)... http://www.veggiechic.com

Great list!

Cass

18 March, 2007 - 11:34

Thanks so much for the link. Your posts about Japanese ingredients and recipes are great, I've learnt a lot :)

tyronebcookin

25 March, 2007 - 22:21

I am a missionary/volunteer/chef who had traveled quite extensively in the last 6 years...central america, caribbean, europe, africa, canada...I also keep several other websites that archive my trials and troubles in kitchens both on ships and on land. My cultural experiences have been both outstanding and humbling.

Biggie

10 April, 2007 - 10:14

Hi Maki,

I lived in Japan as an expat for nine years, and am now in San Francisco. I have a food blog where I apply speed bento tips from Japanese-language bento cookbooks to an international diet and an American kitchen. Blog includes children and adult lunches, recipes, packed lunch guidelines, and time-saving prep & packing tips. Lunch in a Box: Building a Better Bento

Prabhudesai

8 June, 2007 - 23:20

Hi,
I am an Indian living for the past few years in US. I write 3 blogs which are food related. Here are the urls:

Indian Recipe Club
http://indianrecipeclub.blogspot.com/

Benefits of Indian food
http://benefitsofindianfood.blogspot.com/

Go Organic
http://goorganic.blogspot.com/

I would appreciate it if you will add me to your blogroll. Thanks.

vegetablej

11 July, 2007 - 01:07

Another Canadian in Japan with a blog, this one about the vegetarian experience here, from Shikoku. Nice idea for a blogroll. :)

Indy

21 August, 2007 - 16:34

Hi,
I am an Indian living in NYC and I have a blog about Indian food. I would appreciate it if you could add me to your blogroll. Thanks.

http://potoba.blogspot.com (...adhi potoba)

-Indy

Dessert Blog

29 December, 2007 - 21:17

Do you like my new blog:
http://dessert.fwh247.com/blog/

we speak only about italian cakes and sweets

Debra Solomon v...

24 January, 2008 - 22:19

An ex-pat artist/designer living in the Netherlands (which she lovingly refers to as the 'Polar Circle') writes about food-related art and design, including her own projects.

Debra Solomon v...

24 January, 2008 - 22:20

An ex-pat artist/designer living in the Netherlands (which she lovingly refers to as the 'Polar Circle') writes about food-related art and design, including her own projects.

Culiblog has been described as Wallpaper meets Permaculture Activist on FOOD.

Sir NoshALot

11 April, 2008 - 10:45

Looks like I'm about a year too late to get a mention. But if you update this sometime, and my site is still alive, check out NoshALot. It's not totally expat-centric, but I'm another American transplant to Switzerland, and I've been posting about some of the fun places to try within reasonable traveling distance of Basel.

third world gourmet

12 April, 2008 - 16:42

What a fantastic blog you have here! I stumbled across it while looking up all things gyoza related. I'm a fellow expat foodblogger - Polish/Australian living in Sierra Leone with my Japanese boyfriend - thirdworldgourmet.blogspot.com

Looking forward to exploring more of your blog

ewa

Dan

24 June, 2008 - 16:24

A buddy and I have made it our personal goal to eat and drink our way through the "snail" of 20 parisian districts, documenting it as we go.

http://greatplatedebate.com

AdventureFood

2 September, 2008 - 19:17

A Canadian living in Denmark. I write about food and travel with recipes from around the world

Venice

15 September, 2008 - 18:30

I am an English woman living with my partner and our baby in Puglia, southern Italy and I write a lot about local food as well as producing our own olive oil and wine.