This may be surprising to those who know me well, but there was a time when I was not a very adventurous eater. It wasn’t until I spent time living abroad, in places far from western cuisine, that I discovered the exhilaration of trying something with a totally new texture or unexpected flavor. From street food in Manaus to the spiciest sauce on the planet in Sumatra, I am a firm believer that one of the best parts of travel is food. That’s probably why some of my favorite online travel sites are actually not about travel, but instead about local cuisines, near and far. In no particular order, the sites I’m loving right now:

Foodspotting – Billing itself as a “a visual local guide that lets you find dishes instead of just restaurants,” the website is addictive (even though I use the iPhone app more). From Rhubarb Cheesecake to Lobster Bisque, you can find about any dish, with pics.

Chevia – A competitor to Foodspotting, the interface is rougher but it includes a wider range of products – which may or may not ultimately be a good thing.

Urbanspoon – The iPhone app is fabulous fun, letting you search for specific cuisine (by neighborhood and pricepoint), or you can shake the phone – literally – to let the app randomly select a recommendation. Bonus: it looks and feels like a slot machine, complete with sound effects.

Yelp – I’m fully aware of the controversy around Yelp, but I generally find the reviews helpful, and especially love the discussion boards for discovering new eateries.