As anyone who has lived abroad will tell you, homesickness hits in unexpected ways—sometimes, it sneaks up on you in the form of food cravings. Suddenly, you find yourself yearning for that particular brand of peanut butter, your favourite childhood candy, a scone or the unmistakable comfort of a traditional home-cooked meal. This longing is more than just missing a favourite dish; it’s an emotional connection to home, familiarity, and identity.

In Barcelona, a city known for its vibrant culinary scene, international residents often find themselves craving the food from their passport country. But why? What is it about the food we grew up with that makes it so emotionally potent? In this post, Therapy in Barcelona Director and Founder, Australian Registered Psychologist Leigh Matthews explores the psychological factors behind this phenomenon of craving food from our countries of origin. 

1. Food and Memory: The Power of Nostalgia

One of the primary reasons internationals miss the food from their home country is because of the deep connection between food and memory. In psychology, this is known as episodic memory, which refers to the ability to recall specific events or experiences from our past. Food plays a critical role in these memories because it’s often linked to rituals, celebrations, and even the ordinary moments of daily life.

When we eat familiar foods from our childhood or cultural background, we are not just satisfying hunger. We are, in many ways, travelling back in time to moments where we felt safe, loved, and at home. Eating a certain dish can evoke powerful emotions, reminding us of family dinners, festive holidays, or even quiet afternoons with a snack we loved as a child.

Nostalgia is the driving force behind this phenomenon. It’s a bittersweet emotion, both comforting and poignant, because it reminds us of a past that we can’t fully return to, especially when living abroad. For internationals, the taste of home serves as an anchor to their identity, making them feel connected to their roots in a foreign environment.

2. Food as a Form of Cultural Identity

Food is not just sustenance; it is also an essential part of our cultural identity. Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss once said, “Food must be good to think as well as good to eat.” By this, he meant that food is deeply embedded in the way we make sense of the world and our place in it. The dishes we grow up eating are part of the cultural fabric that shapes who we are.

When you live abroad, especially in a place as diverse and dynamic as Barcelona, the foods from your passport country can serve as a reminder of your origins. It’s a way to stay connected to your cultural heritage, which can feel like it’s fading in a foreign environment. For instance, an Italian expat might miss the ritual of preparing pasta or sharing a plate of tiramisu with family, while a person from Japan may crave the simplicity and precision of sushi, or the warmth of a homemade miso soup.

Cultural identity is fluid, and it adapts as we live in new places. However, food remains one of the few tangible links to our past that doesn’t change. It’s a form of continuity in an ever-shifting world. For many internationals, cooking or eating traditional dishes becomes an act of preserving a piece of home, grounding them when they feel lost or adrift in their new surroundings.

3. Comfort in Familiarity: The Role of Food in Stress and Adjustment

Moving to a new country involves navigating unfamiliar surroundings, languages, social norms, and ways of life. This period of adjustment can be incredibly stressful, and during these times, we naturally gravitate toward what is familiar and comforting.

Comfort food is a well-known psychological phenomenon. These are the foods we turn to when we’re feeling stressed, anxious, or homesick. They provide a sense of safety and well-being, primarily because they are associated with positive emotions and secure environments. Studies have shown that comfort foods can even affect our mood by triggering the release of dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, in the brain.

For internationals living in Barcelona, where the food culture may be vastly different from what they are used to, the desire for comfort food from home can be particularly strong. This craving is not just about the taste; it’s about the emotional reassurance that familiar food brings. In a world where so much feels different and new, eating a dish from home is like wrapping yourself in a warm, familiar blanket.

4. The Social Nature of Food: Connection and Belonging

Another significant reason internationals miss the food from their passport country is the social aspect of eating. Food is inherently social—it’s meant to be shared. The communal act of eating together fosters connection, belonging, and a sense of community. For many people, the experience of eating certain dishes is intertwined with memories of gathering with loved ones.

In a new country, where social connections may still be forming, the absence of these shared food experiences can deepen feelings of isolation. Many internationals miss not just the taste of home but also the ritual of eating with family and friends. Food brings people together, and when you’re living abroad, recreating these moments of connection through food can be a powerful way to combat loneliness.

For example, international residents in Barcelona might host dinners where they cook and share dishes from their homeland. These meals become a way of building community, sharing culture, and creating a sense of belonging in a foreign place.

5. Food as a Sensory Anchor: The Multisensory Experience of Home

Food is one of the most powerful sensory experiences because it engages all five senses. When we eat, we don’t just taste; we smell the aromas, hear the sounds of cooking, feel the textures of ingredients, and see the vibrant colours of the dish. This multisensory nature of food makes it an incredibly potent trigger for memories and emotions.

For internationals, the familiar sights, smells, and flavours of home-cooked meals can act as a sensory anchor to their homeland. A whiff of curry, the texture of freshly baked bread, or the sight of a well-loved dish can instantly transport someone back to their home country. This sensory connection can be especially comforting when everything else feels foreign and unfamiliar.

In psychology, this is closely related to the concept of embodied cognition, which suggests that our thoughts and emotions are deeply rooted in our physical experiences. The sensory aspects of food trigger emotional responses that remind us of home, safety, and identity. For internationals in Barcelona, these sensory experiences are often one of the most profound ways to stay connected to their origins.

6. The Complexity of Food Availability Abroad

One of the frustrations that internationals face when living abroad is the difficulty in finding the specific foods and ingredients from their home country. Even in a cosmopolitan city like Barcelona, where you can find cuisines from around the world, there are still some products and dishes that are hard to come by.

The unavailability of these familiar foods can intensify cravings and make internationals feel even more disconnected from home. The search for ingredients becomes a quest for belonging, as people try to recreate the flavours and dishes that remind them of their past.

When these foods are difficult to find, it’s not just a culinary inconvenience—it’s an emotional challenge. It can feel like a part of one’s identity is missing, or that the link to home is growing weaker. The effort to track down familiar ingredients, whether it’s through specialty shops or online stores, becomes a way to reclaim a sense of control and connection to home.

7. Food and Emotional Regulation: Managing Homesickness

Homesickness is a common experience for internationals, especially in the early stages of adjusting to a new country. Psychologically, homesickness is often related to feelings of loss and separation from familiar people, places, and routines. Food plays a key role in how people manage these emotions.

For many, recreating dishes from their home country is a way of emotionally regulating the discomfort of homesickness. It provides a tangible, controllable way to reconnect with home when other aspects of life abroad feel uncertain. Cooking a meal that you grew up eating can help ease feelings of dislocation and restore a sense of normalcy in a new environment.

In this way, food becomes a form of self-care. It’s a way of nurturing oneself emotionally, providing the comfort and familiarity that is often lacking in the early days of living abroad.

8. The Adaptive Nature of Food Culture: Blending the Old with the New

While many internationals long for the foods from their passport country, living in a new place also provides an opportunity to expand culinary horizons. Over time, food culture becomes an adaptive experience, where individuals blend the old with the new.

Internationals in Barcelona might incorporate local Spanish or Catalan ingredients into traditional dishes from their homeland, creating new hybrids that reflect their evolving identity. This blending of food cultures is a natural part of the expatriate experience. It represents how our identities evolve and adapt to new environments while still holding onto the core elements of who we are.

In this way, food becomes a metaphor for the broader expatriate experience: a mix of old and new, familiar and unfamiliar, tradition and innovation.

Conclusion: Food, Identity, and the Expat Experience

For internationals living in Barcelona, missing the food from their passport country is about much more than taste. It’s about memory, identity, culture, comfort, and connection. The food we grew up with holds emotional significance because it’s tied to who we are and where we come from. When living abroad, recreating these tastes and experiences helps maintain a connection to home, offering emotional comfort and a sense of continuity in an unfamiliar environment.

At the same time, the international experience also presents an opportunity to expand our culinary horizons, blending the old with the new to reflect our evolving identities as global citizens. This adaptation process doesn’t mean abandoning the foods we love or the cultural practices we hold dear. Rather, it enriches them by adding new flavours, ingredients, and experiences to our personal and cultural narrative.

As internationals, we live at the intersection of multiple cultures, and our relationship with food beautifully mirrors that reality. While we might long for the foods of home, living abroad also teaches us that we can grow our identity by embracing the culinary diversity of our new environment. A paella might not replace a beloved dish from home, but it can coexist alongside it, offering a new source of comfort and connection.

Practical Tips for Navigating Food Cravings as an International

If you’re living in Barcelona or another foreign city and find yourself longing for the food from your passport country, here are a few practical ways to manage these cravings while embracing the culinary possibilities of your new home:

1. Seek Out International Food Markets

Many large cities, including Barcelona, have international food markets or specialty stores where you can find ingredients and products from various countries. Finding these shops can help you recreate your favourite dishes from home and satisfy those cravings when they strike.

2. Connect with Fellow Expats

Join online communities or local groups of fellow internationals who may share similar cravings or experiences. These groups often exchange tips on where to find specific ingredients or might even organize cooking gatherings where you can share food from your respective countries. There are some great Facebook groups like Barcelona Foodies, and Ingredient Hunters Barcelona to name a couple.

3. Host a Food Exchange

Why not invite friends or fellow expats to a food exchange where everyone brings a dish from their home country? This not only satisfies cravings but also creates a sense of community and shared experience around food.

4. Try Fusion Cooking

Experiment with local ingredients to recreate traditional dishes from home. This can be a fun and creative way to combine your culinary roots with the flavours of your new city. For instance, try using local seafood in a dish from your passport country or substitute regional spices to see how they enhance your favourite meals.

5. Embrace Food as a Coping Tool

Acknowledge that craving familiar foods is normal and that it can serve as a helpful coping tool during your adjustment period abroad. Don’t hesitate to indulge in these comfort foods when you need them. Recreating meals from home can be an important part of your emotional well-being.

6. Build New Rituals Around Food

While it’s important to honour your food cravings from home, consider building new food-related rituals in your new city. Whether it’s trying out local tapas on a Sunday afternoon or exploring Barcelona’s vibrant food markets, creating these new culinary habits can help you feel more connected to your new environment.

Where to Find International Food in Barcelona: Expanding Your Global Palate

Barcelona is a haven for internationals craving familiar flavors from home, offering a wide array of shops and markets that cater to specific cuisines. Here are a few places where you can find the tastes you’re longing for:

• Japanese: Head to Tokyo-Ya, a Japanese grocery store located near Sagrada Familia. They stock everything from sushi rice and seaweed to sake and matcha. For fresh sushi or ramen cravings, Ramen-Ya Hiro is a popular spot for authentic Japanese dishes.
• Italian: If you’re missing Italian pasta, olive oil, and cheeses, Market Casa Italia in the Gracia neighborhood offers a range of imported Italian goods. For the freshest pasta and ingredients, check out Pastificio Santoni in El Raval, a tiny shop with handmade pasta and other essentials straight from Italy.
• Polish: Polish expats can find a taste of home at Delicatessen Polonesa in the Eixample district, which offers classic Polish products like pierogi, kabanosy sausages, and a variety of traditional pickles.
• Latin American: Barcelona also has a robust selection of Latin American food. Visit Taste of America for Mexican and Tex-Mex staples like tortillas, hot sauces, and other essentials.
• J.K. Indian Supermarket in El Born stocks a decent selection of spices and Indian ingredients. For those looking to recreate authentic Indian meals, Spicy Yuli in Poble-Sec offers a great range of hard-to-find spices and sauces.
• Middle Eastern: Super Halal in the Raval neighborhood offers Middle Eastern essentials like pita, tahini, hummus, and a wide variety of spices and halal meats.
• A Taste of Home is a beloved British and Dutch shop, offering everything from Marmite to tea blends.
• Dong Fang stocks an odyssey of gastronomic delights from the SE Asia region.
• If you’re craving American snacks, A Taste of America has all the essentials, from Reese’s to Pop-Tarts.
• And for those from down under, Aussie Foods EU have got your covered. Antipodes Grill offers a meat selection from NZ and Oz. CloudStreet in Eixample and the Federal Cafés around Barcelona offer a taste of Australia. Funky Bakery even have sausage rolls.

Barcelona’s international food scene ensures that whether you’re missing the flavours of Tokyo, Milan, Warsaw, or Mexico City, you’ll find a way to recreate those cherished tastes and stay connected to your cultural roots. Finding these familiar tastes can provide a comforting link back to your roots while living abroad.

Final Thoughts: A Journey of Taste and Identity

Living abroad is an experience that constantly shifts and shapes our sense of self, and food is a core part of that process. For internationals, the foods from our passport country provide a vital link to home, comfort, and identity, but they also remind us that our lives are in flux—constantly evolving, just like our relationship with food.

Whether it’s recreating the flavours of home or embracing the culinary offerings of a new city like Barcelona, the journey of taste becomes a reflection of the broader journey of living internationally. By blending the old with the new, we enrich our identity, celebrate our roots, and embrace the possibilities of the present.

In the end, food is far more than nourishment. It is a vessel for memory, culture, and connection. And for internationals navigating life in a new country, it offers a taste of home in every bite while inviting us to explore new horizons, one dish at a time.

At Therapy in Barcelona, our therapy therapists understand the unique emotional challenges faced by internationals living in a foreign country. Food cravings may seem small on the surface, but they can carry deeper emotional weight, symbolising feelings of loss, homesickness, and identity. 

If you’re struggling with the complexities of adjusting to life abroad, including homesickness and the emotional impact of missing the comforts of home, our team of culturally aware therapists is here to help. We specialise in working with the international community in Barcelona, offering support in multiple languages and understanding the unique stresses and joys of expatriate life. 

Contact us today to see how we can support you in finding emotional balance and well-being in your new home.

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