Earlier this week, Tourdust writer David Jobanputra looked at how tourism pushes Western tastes and habits on to other parts of the world. In a provocative piece on 'travel as imperalism', he referred - among other more complex issues - to those who want/expect hamburgers in India and banana pancakes in Asia.

But surely travel is not always such a one-way flow? Many independent travellers want the exchange of taste and ideas to run both ways, and this is especially true with food.

Among the less-closed minded travellers, the chance to experience new foods and bring back new recipes can be one of the best things about a trip.

Some tastes I've particularly enjoyed acquiring on my travels are ceviche (the "raw" - ie marinated in citrus - fish dish found in Peru, Ecuador and Mexico); Jamaican ackee and saltfish (a breakfast dish, which I have sought out in Carribean restaurants in London); and the simple pleasure of Middle Eastern Za'atar (a mix of herb best enjoyed with good olive oil and pita bread).

So today's question: how many times have you brought a dish back from your travels and tried to either recreate it at home or seek it out in a speciality restaurant?

If you nail it, you can feel like you're instantly transported back to the place you first tasted it. A well-made Thai curry can (almost) make you feel like you back at that special beach restaurant.

If you fail, it can be for a number reasons. The ingredients don't match those you get on the spot. Or sometimes in hindsight you realise that the outstanding meal you had was less about the actual dish and more about the mood and setting.

Have your experiences been a success? Or have never been able to get it quite right?

To get the ball rolling, I confess to having had a few mishaps along the way. During my first experience with cooking quinoa (the Andean grain, which makes a great alternative to rice), I didn't realise how much you need to wash it and my risotto came out with a not-very-appetising layer of grey scum.

And for some very bizarre reason, I once dediced to try and make my own poutine, ie the famous Quebecois fastfood dish of chips, gravy and cheese curd. Except we didn't have chips. Or cheese curd. We ended up tipping a tin of "special Poutine sauce" over microwaved leftover potatoes and adding grated cheese on top. I am sorry, Quebec. Although I blame your fine range of microbreweries for this particular incident.

Please feel free to post your successes, failures, recipe links (please!) and restaurant tips below.

And a final thought: should we be too worried if we slip into the occassional McDonalds on our travels? This writer thinks not.

Photo: Ecuadorian ceviche via Toastforbreakfast on Flickr Creative Commons.