Japan is the favorite Asian destination among food lovers worldwide, according to a survey of 27,000 travelers by Hotels.com.
The top overall food destination was Italy, which received 32% of top votes. Pizza, pasta and gelato were named as its biggest attractions.
France came in second place as the top pick of 24% of respondents who loved its pastries and baguettes, along with dishes like steak frites and its wealth of Michelin-rated restaurants.
The big surprise was that Japan — with its sushi, sashimi and tempura — came out in third place with 18% of the top votes, ahead of vast and populous China (4th with 13%), the multi-cultured US (6th with 10%), sunny Thailand (8th with 8%) and richly vegetarian India (10th with 5%).
Other food destinations ranked in the top 10 include Spain (5th with 11%), Mexico (7th with 8%) and Taiwan (9th with 5%).
A big surprise omission from the top 10 is Korea with its mouth-watering barbecues, tofu dishes and bibimbahp, all of which have won widespread popularity around the world.
