Gravy Train

The irony of my situation was not lost on me as the small plastic tray of dry food slapped onto the tiny table wedged against my chest on a recent flight from London. Folded on my lap was Food on the Move: Dining on the Legendary Railway Journeys of the World. As my mouth turned to the texture of blotting paper, I weighed my options: go hungry for several more hours or swallow both my culinary prejudice and the desiccated chicken. High above the Atlantic, I wished I could just travel by train.

To enjoy a spicy mutton curry and a cup of tea as the snow-­capped Himalaya Mountains pass by your window, or to eat prosciutto-­wrapped monkfish with warm bean purée aboard South Africa’s Blue Train, is to travel differently. A rail journey takes you from point A to point B in a way that focuses the attention on...