Summer brings travels, and opportunities to try new things and experience new cultures.

While some such as senior Maria Ingea go home to visit families, others such as seniors Miki Konishi and Samantha Klonaris travel to new and foreign places, experiencing different cultures and their food.

Ingea traveled back home to Lebanon to visit family.

“Every morning we had Man’Ouché,” Ingea said. “It’s Za’atar on flat bread.”

Za’atar is a type of spice with dry thyme, suma, sesame seed, and it can also include cheese.  While in Lebanon Ingea also had Tabouli, which is a type of salad. Tabouli includes parsley, mint, lemon juice, and olive oil.

One of Ingeas favorite meals while in Lebanon was Soltan Ibrahim, which was a type of fish not found in the United States.

“The closest you can get to it is a red snapper,” Ingea said.

Ingea also recalls some of the best food she had was at a small diner her and her brother went to.

“My brother and I were staying in this small town and we could go to this small restaurant,” Ingea said. “At night when it was really late we would go and have, tea, Lebanese olives, Labneh.”

Labneh is the equivalent to American cream cheese.

“It was a lot tastier and a lot less calories,” Ingea said. “You sprinkle it with olive oil and sometimes tomatoes, cucumbers, and nuts.”

Senior Samantha Klonaris went to Cancun, Mexico this summer, and was introduced to the local food.

“I had some of the best food while there,” Klonaris said.

Klonaris remembers Tancun as one of the more authentic places she ate at.

“It was a small place with six tables outside. I had steak and fajitas, and it was the type of food that no matter how full you were you just wanted to keep eating it. It was really authentic.”

Other places Klonaris visted included a restaurant by the name of Surfing Burrito.

“It was like chipotle in the sense you were able to build your own burrito,” Klonaris said.  “They had three tables seated outside that had eight seats for table, so everyone was really close.”

Klonaris had the chance to visit Blue Gecko which is the fifth best restaurant in Cancun.  Blue Gecko was the first time Klonaris had authentic Mexican food.

“Ever since coming back my family doesn’t want to eat Mexican-American food,” Klonaris said. “it’s just not the same.”

Senior Miki Konishi had the chance to visit multiple places in Europe this summer including Salzberg, Vienna, Venice, Florence, and Bologna.

Konishi recalls a meal a homemade meal he had whole in Bologna.

”We went to a family friends house,” Konishi said. “She made us this lasagna type of rolls, that were filled with spinach, ricotta, and with truffle oil on top. She also made a quiche, with spinach and ham.”

While in Austria Konishi was able to experience traditional Austrian food.

“The restaurant was called Salmbräu, which is also a brewery that serves traditional Austrian food.” Konishi said. “ I had a farmers platter, which was sour croute, large dumplings, a sausage, slice of pork and ham, and gravy. It was incredibly filling and delicious.”

Konishi’s favorite meal was in Venice, after a long day of walking with his family.

“We saw a small restaurant and decided to go back to it,” Konishi said. “The host didn’t speak that much English, [on the menu] there was description of the dishes underneath in English. I got the seafood ravioli.”

Konishi’s ravioli was filled with shrimp and scallops, and covered in a heavy cream sauce, and sprinkled with poppy seeds.

“My sister ordered the tiramisu for dessert. It was the most moist and fluffy tiramisu I’ve ever had in my life.”