Hungry for the World and Culinary Travels – How to Turn Your Passions into a Way of Life

Filip Turowski, known as Głodny Świata, is the owner of the tastiest travel and food blog, a lover of good cuisine, and also the organizer of unique culinary workshops. If you are going on a trip abroad and don’t know what to eat, we guarantee – Filip is a master in his field. We asked him how his adventure with traveling began, whether cuisine is an important element when getting to know the culture of other countries, and which unusual story from his travels stuck with him the most!

WINGS: Hi Filip! We’re glad you agreed to tell us about your culinary travels. We have to admit, just thinking about the dishes you show on your social media makes us hungry! To start with a fundamental question – where did the idea to spend your life traveling come from?

Filip Turowski: Hey! I’m happy we can talk. So, answering your question – it was the result of several things. First, at some point, I felt that a steady, stationary job was really limiting me and that I would gladly spend more than 26 days a year tasting the world. Second, I started feeling a strong inner need to do something big, cool, and inspiring that would give me wings. And third, at that time, I came across a few interesting travel books – starting with my favorite "Sell the fridge and travel around the world" – which planted the seed of an idea for a long, unlimited, and unrestrained journey that… simply has no deadline! The result of all this was a very long trip, which in turn led me to where I am today – living in and from travel. And I’ll tell you, it’s an incredibly awesome thing (smiles).

W: On your blog, you mention your crazy trip to Tokyo. Why there? Were you drawn by the local cuisine, or rather the culture and sights?

FT: Well, starting my big, long journey in Japan was actually the result of randomly pointing at the map (laughs). When I sat down to plan my trip, I started thinking about where I had always wanted to go but either lacked time, money, or motivation. Japan was always high on my travel dream list – mainly because of its culture, so different from ours, and its outstanding cuisine, which values freshness, simplicity, and the highest quality ingredients. I especially love looking back on the Japanese and Korean parts of my trip because many magical things happened there, like staying in a tiny ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn in the Japanese Alps, where I spent time in a rotenburo – an outdoor hot thermal bath – watching slopes covered with red maples, or a three-day adventure in a Buddhist monastery where we ate, slept, and spent time like monks. Those are wonderful memories!

W: This trip started your year-long journey around the world, during which you visited 12 countries. Looking back, can you pick one place that stuck with you the most?

FT: That’s definitely everyone’s favorite question (laughs)! So no, I can’t, unless we add the follow-up question "because of…".Every place I visited was unique in its own way, mainly thanks to the people I met during the trip. However, there are a few experiences that particularly stuck in my memory, like a five-day trek through the Peruvian mountains, which we ended at Machu Picchu, watching it in the first rays of the rising sun; a night on the world’s largest salt flat, Bolivia’s Sala de Uyuni; the previously mentioned stay in a Buddhist monastery in South Korea; or my first-ever climb up a volcano to see the sunrise from it. Those were truly magical moments for me!

W:During such a trip, you surely encountered unusual or funny adventures related, for example, to cultural differences. If you had to pick one that you remember the most, what would it be...

FT: The stunt my Korean friend pulled on me! When I was in Seoul, she took me and her boyfriend to a fish market – besides countless stalls, there are also tiny restaurants where you can try dishes with fish and seafood. Everything there is incredibly fresh, so it’s a great place, but I got a very daring task – my friends decided that I MUST try a very traditional Korean snack called sannakji. And now, a warning, it’s a bit macabre – sannakji is chopped octopus tentacles that still wiggle a bit on the plate… So there I am, sitting cross-legged at a low table, in front of me this moving plate, and behind it two smiling faces looking at me with genuine encouragement to try it. So I tried it and I probably will never do it again (laughs).

W: And what about cuisine? Which country surprised you with its national dishes?

FT: For years I have been and probably always will be a huge fan of Thai cuisine, which I simply like the most, but Indonesian cuisine from Bali ranks just as high – I remember being very impressed by the number of vegetarian and vegan dishes during my first trip to the island, all incredibly aromatic, simple, and very tasty. That’s also one of the reasons I keep returning to Bali, also with my groups during trips I organize. We always go together to the coolest places for the best flavors and spend a lot of time over the plates.

W: Now maybe the other way around – is there a place that you find boring and clichéd in terms of cuisine?

FT: I liked Cambodian cuisine the least – despite regular trips there and trying various dishes and restaurants, for me it’s the least inspiring cuisine, especially compared to neighboring countries. That might also be a bit of a curse for Cambodian cuisine – it doesn’t stand a chance against Thai or Vietnamese cuisine. However, to be fair: even in Cambodia, I sometimes came across great dishes!

W: Speaking of cuisine in different parts of the world, it’s definitely worth mentioning safety. Popular street food in Asia offers easy access to regional, often exceptionally tasty cuisine, but on the other hand, these places are not controlled in any way. Do you have advice on how to enjoy eating in such places without fear but with caution? Are there any tips at all?

FT: I always say – especially when I take my travelers to crazy Asian food markets – to above all observe. Go where there are lots of people because then the chances of stale food are smaller. Choose places where steam and fire are visible – woks must be sizzling, and pots boiling vigorously. If somewhere the smell or taste seems unpleasant – avoid it. Raw meat or fish in full sun? Pass. Someone aggressively invites you to their stall where nothing is happening? Smile and shake your head no. In my opinion, the most important thing is common sense and some precautions: vaccinations, hand sanitizer, your own chopsticks or cutlery set in your backpack, or a probiotic, which I try to take regularly during trips to less hygienic, hot corners of the world.

W: Can you imagine traveling without discovering new flavors? Some might see sightseeing and immersing in a new culture without culinary experiences as incomplete. How is it for you?

FT: There’s no such possibility! For me, food, cooking, restaurants, cafes, and watching people in them are fundamental in every trip! Sometimes I joke that before going to the hotel, I go for coffee (laughs). Food is an integral part of every culture, so in my opinion, getting to know it without engaging your taste buds makes no sense.

W: Watching your social media, you can also find tips about traveling in Poland. Here’s a tough question for you… Which region of our country did you like the most in terms of dishes?

FT: Always and unobjectively – Podlasie! I’m partly joking – I will always be an ambassador of my little homeland and I think everyone should visit Podlasie. But answering your question – I think it’s worth focusing on the great restaurants we have in Poland that know how to use their own regional flavors in an incredibly charming way. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a place in Pomerania, Silesia, or Podlasie – what matters is that we eat the simplest dishes made from the best, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients. I often show such places on my channels and always warmly encourage – try modern, amazing Polish cuisine there!

W: Now a control question – besides your love for food itself, does cooking bring you as much joy? Or maybe it’s the opposite and you don’t like spending hours in the kitchen?

FT: Oh yes! I love kitchen experiments, and I also have my favorite, tried-and-true dishes that I serve to guests. But to be honest – when planning cooking, time is key for me, so I go for dishes and recipes that are as compact as possible, which is why I very rarely spend more than an hour in the kitchen. That’s also one of the reasons why wok and Asian inspirations rule in my kitchen! Cooking there is really quick.

W: Finally, just one short but very important question for us. How is our new polypropylene suitcase model – Heron performing? We have to admit, you are really the first person to test it, and we were a bit nervous whether everything is okay and if the suitcases meet your expectations...

FT: You can be calm (laughs)! I’m impressed by the light weight of these suitcases – even the L size model I recently traveled with feels incredibly light. The flexibility of the material they’re made of is also very nice – I think this might finally be the answer to my problem with dents in suitcases. I’m tempted to jump on them! (laughs)

W: We’re very happy to hear that and glad our suitcases met your expectations! Filip, thank you very much for a conversation full of interesting stories and tips that will surely inspire many more people. We wish you many more equally delicious journeys!

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WINGS is a brand that breathes travel, which is why we want to share our passion with you. The interview with Filip Turowski (@glodnyswiata) is one of the planned publications dedicated to inspiring trips. We also conduct our activities on other communication channels, so... Follow us to stay up to date.