When we do a home exchange there is only one rule: leave the house or the flat as we found it.
This seems a well-advised rule under the sign of mutual respect and good manners.
But when we swap our house with someone what happens to the food?
Did you think about it? Leaving the fridge empty is quite easy (one has just to eat everything! ;)), but what about our feed in the cupboard?

Our cupboard...

No rules have been written about that (like: “it is forbidden to touch the food!” “stay away from my supplies!”,”Do not eat my chocolate!”, etc.), though one could think of doing it.
Personally I think that it’s much better not having written rules and following the good common sense… Besides how much food can we accumulate? Tons?!? I don’t really think so…
However…If we focus on how much we’ll save in hotels thanks to the home swapping it will be anyway a good deal (also because we’re going to eat our swappers’ feed).
Rather I would suggest that a food exchange could be extremely interesting (and obviously tasty!)
An option could be that of giving free access to our “ordinary” supplies (only if there’s a mutual agreement between the two families) or we could think of something more original instead.
What would you think of preparing a typical food tasting (of your area or country)?
When could we have a better occasion to know the gastronomic tradition of a region?
Think about it…Going to a stranger land, staying in a real house instead of a hotel room and finding on the table (or in the fridge…) a taste of typical food of the place, selected and suggested by “native people”. And, above all, without spending as much as we would if we went to a fleecing restaurant for tourists or in a very expensive gourmet shop…
This little gesture would assure an original taste of the food of the area, directly selected by its people and, therefore (nearly 100% sure), “on the beam”.

Think if to the family who’s coming to our place we left a black pudding (without telling them exactly what it is…;) ).

Black pudding

Or if the Spanish family where we’re going to left us a succulent “butifarra”?

Butifarra

Or a delicious “ensaimada”?

Ensaimada de Mallorca

What if our Italian family left for us a soft “pandoro veronese”…?

Pandoro veronese

Or a mouth-watering “pastiera napoletana”?

Pastiera

…Or a “polenta”?

Polenta trentina

Or…?

Wouldn’t it be original and somehow amusing? A food exchange.
And the same could be done with wine, beer, seasonal fruit (all things that last for some time)…
What do you think about this idea?

And what about you? What would you leave to the family you are going to swap your home with?
How would your welcome taste be?

Let me know!
Cheers,