Food blogger Katie the Tasty Traveler proves that Japanese food is much more than sushi and noodles. Describing herself as a hungry, sarcastic nomad whose love language is food, Katie has lived in seven different countries, and visited over 30, before finally settling in Tokyo where she now works and blogs.
“The Tasty Traveler has been a project since 2016, when I began blogging while traveling in Europe and living in Prague,” she writes on her personal website, where she explains her meandering journey. “Before starting the blog, I was incredibly active on Yelp writing reviews across the USA, with a heavy focus on Oklahoma and Colorado.”
Being constantly on the lookout for the most exciting and satisfying tastes, when it comes to the food itself, Katie has only two restrictions: it can’t be alive and it can’t be illegal. Most recently, she sunk her teeth into Japanese insect cuisine. “By the time we made it to dessert, I felt like a new carnivore,” writes Katie. “I was proud of myself for eating all the creepy, crunchy, and squishy things. I was also pleasantly surprised how much of the food wasn’t awful. I was fully expecting to be grossed out by every dish, but only a few really made me hesitate. It was difficult at first, but at the end of the day, they’re just bugs.”
But mostly, she blogs about Japanese desserts and sweets—anything from ice cream to more local delicacies, all colorful and appealing. Her blog posts include a Tokyo Pancake Quest, The Japanese Kit Kat Project, and Marigold Dessert Ranking, and her Instagram page is a real treat for Japanese enthusiasts.
