Travel blogger interview: Asian delicacies and dip secrets

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Across Asia, often with a focus on exotic dishes and ingredients that make some people's stomachs turn. This is probably the best way to describe Henrik vom' travel style. Along for the ride but always thinking outside the box and with a flair for the extraordinary.

Henrik takes you on his favorite food experiences and reveals quite a bit about himself in this little interview

Travel Blogger Interview: Asian delicacies and dip secrets

Tell me a little bit about your blog and what you focus on!

The idea for my blog came about in the summer of 2017 when I was on a short trip to London. At this time I was always thinking that I wanted to do something useful besides my job. Something where I can combine my passions for food and traveling.
The result is "Fernweh Koch – The big world in small portions".

So on my blog I started writing about my travel experiences and culinary highlights in different countries. Since I am quite structured and like to plan, the content of my articles already starts with travel planning and travel tips. Then there are tips and hints on the

Because I'm a passionate hobby cook, of course you can't forget the recipes, so I try to take a cooking class at each destination or at least learn more about the local dishes to recreate them at home afterwards and put them on the blog. I think this area is now even the largest of my three main focuses. So whoever is looking for, feel free to get inspired.

What culinary experience has influenced you the most?

I think there's not just one experience, but a lot of them. My cooking story started after I graduated from high school. Until the start of my apprenticeship I had about 2-3 months time and spent this time to learn from my mother how to cook. That was something like the starting signal, to what is today one of my favorite occupations.

This was followed by some saucy culinary experiences when I lived several and came in contact with authentic Asian cuisine for the first time there. I have eaten dishes that many Europeans would never touch, such as wedding soup made from swollen chicken testicles, raw koi carp in spicy sauce from Sumatra, or grilled silkworm and strangler snake. The latter is by the way really damn tasty and offers really good spare ribs.

These experiences have taught me that it's always just our psyche that keeps us from experiencing surprisingly delicious things. Nowadays I try (almost) everything first and then decide whether I like it or not.

What dish (or ingredient) can't you keep your hands off of?

As an ingredient, I'm kind of a sucker for Thai basil. I like this mostly discreet taste, which, as soon as one has caught a leaf, becomes totally intensive and so typically Asian.
Other than that, I'm afraid I have a weakness for gummy bears.

What did you also bring back home from your culinary travels?

From about every trip I bring back at least one cookbook and a lot of spices. In 2019 I was in Southeast Asia for several weeks only with the backpack, there it became at some point a little difficult to take more things with me.

What is your absolute favorite dish and why?

I think the one absolute favorite dish I do not have. In German cuisine I really like kale, which I love to eat at home with my parents. But I am also not averse to a nice snack with cheese.

Internationally, I really like ramen noodles and noodle soups in general, because you can try a lot of different variations and such a nice noodle soup is just a real soul food. I'm glad to live in Dusseldorf and to benefit from a great asian community here.

How often do you try out new recipes?

If I'm not writing a recipe for my blog, I always just cook by feel and combine everything with everyone and see if the result is delicious. At the moment I like to bake different breads and experiment with nuts and fruits or smoke cheese and see which spices can spice up such a cheese in which way. But if you need a number, I say 2-3 times a week.

Which food trends do you find particularly exciting??

Frankly speaking, I don't think much of food trends and I don't implement any of them either. I'll put it this way, I register them and wave as I go by.

Think outside the box: What's your next big project??

My girlfriend convinced me to write a cookbook. Since she loves my dip creations so much, it will probably be a dip cookbook. Perhaps it will also get international aspects, as well as ingredients and recipes from other countries. Somehow I have to stay true to my concept.

More about Henrik:

The big world in small portions – On is all about travel and food. Henrik gives tips and tricks for travel destinations on his blog, shows you what and where to eat delicious food and gives you recipes from all over the world if you want to recreate the goodies at home.
His vision is to bring different cultures closer together through cooking and eating and to be able to support social projects in the long run.