All posts filed under: Learn

Eating Out in Benin (with poll)

Because there is a shortage of information on Benin, I had to dig really deep to find some fun facts. In my search I happened upon a lovely blog by a young woman named Jen. Jen is an American who spent 2 years in Benin for the Peace Corps. I enjoyed reading through her experiences (although I am sad to report that they end mid-trip, suddenly and without explanation). First, I want to share a picture I found of her cooking class in Benin. You will see the lengths Jen and the other students are going to to get the food mashed and ready to eat. Makes you appreciate blenders, food processors, immersion blenders, and power gadgets in general. AND it makes me not feel so bad for having to peel 1,000,000 beans the other day. Upon reading some more of Jen’s blog, I learned that food service is typically very slow (in this entry she was visiting an area called Grand Po Po). In fact, some restaurants take 1-2 hours to prepare the food. Why, you …

The One of a Kind Flag of Belize (with poll)

Bamboo Chicken Locals call the native Belizean iguana “Bamboo Chicken.” Considered a delicacy, the meat is stewed and served with white rice, vegetables, and fried plantains. The iguana egg is also enjoyed as a special food. Dügü (Feeding of the dead) Dügü is a Garifuna feast held to appease dead spirits and bring healing to the living. Families gather together to celebrate and show respect to the spirits of their ancestors. Mangoes Over 20 types of mangoes grow in Belize with such favorites as Julie, Number Eleven, Slippery, Bellyfull, Blue and Hairy mango. The Universe The Maya, a prevalent indigenous culture in Belize, perceived their universe to be quadripartite. They thought the earth was four-sided, like a crocodile or turtle, and floated in primordial sea. Cow-foot Soup Feel sick after a night of partying? Try cow-foot soup. Made with cow’s hoof that has been stewed and seasoned with local herbs and spices, this hearty soup is served hot with white rice cooked in coconut milk. Hurricanes The capital, Belize City, was moved to Belmopan in 1970 after …

You’ll Never Go Hungry in Belgium (with polls)

Photo is courtesy of the CIA World Factbook. This stunning art-nouveau home was built between 1901 and 1903 for painter Georges de Saint-Cyr. There are over 400 kinds of beers in Belgium. Most are made from barley, although some are made from wheat. When a baby is born, the Godparents give out white Jordan almonds to family and friends. Chocolates are popular. One kind, called Fruits de Mer (fruit of the sea) is a seashell shaped mixture of chocolate and ground hazelnuts. Brussels has more than 2000 restaurants. The Belgian pieman, Noel Godin (a.k.a. George the Glooper), throws pies in the faces of people who take themselves too seriously. In 1998 he hit his 50th victim when he creamed Bill Gates! Belgium is home to the largest aviary (bird zoo) in Europe. The Parc Paradisio houses over 2,500 birds. Belgium uses about 46% percent of its land for farming and livestock. The country grows about 80% of what they need. …

Raspberries for What Ails You in Belarus (Poll)

At traditional Belorussian weddings guests chant “Gozko” after the groom drinks from his glass. “Gozko” means bitter. The chanting urges the groom to kiss the bride, an act which should make his drink sweeter. If you catch a cold in Belarus, they might offer you any of these remedies: – vodka with salt and pepper – milk blended with raw egg yolk and honey – raspberry jelly – raspberry tea Much of Belarus cannot be farmed because of falloff from Chernobyl (70% of the contaminants landed in Belarus, even though the explosion was in Ukraine). Still, Belarus is a major producer of potatoes, buckwheat, rye, beets, flax, and dairy products. Many families grow their own produce and have their own livestock (mainly chickens, pigs, and cows). Belarus is the 3rd largest producer of tractors in the world. Easter eggs are dyed with red onions (they are boiled together) and then taken to church to be blessed. To celebrate Kaliady, winter solstice, children wear masks and dress up as animals. They parade through the town, stopping at …

The Concord of Barbados

TGIF everyone! – Barbados is tiny at only 430 square kilometers. The island was uninhabited when the British moved in to make sugar plantations. As a result there is not much that can be grown commercially on the island, aside from sugarcane, some vegetables, and cotton (Source: CIA World Factbook). – Although the supersonic Concorde planes have been permanently grounded, one was retired to Barbados to serve as a museum for tourists and locals. http://www.barbadosconcorde.com/ – Flying Fish and cou cou is the national dish of Barbados. Cou cou is a smooth puree of cornmeal peppered with okra. – I’ve asked around. Rumor has it there’s not a whole lot of veggies being eaten in Barbados. The veggie-type foods they do eat include sweet potato, asparagus, plantains, okra, and cucumber. – Bakes, made of flour, water, and sugar, are considered the most basic food in Barbados. According to Totally Barbados: Bakes are affectionately known as “survival food”, and rightfully so because when cupboards are bare, you can almost always find these three ingredients somewhere. – Jimmy Buffett …

Working with Dried Beans

Take a stroll down the beach. White sands. Crystal waters. Beans. If you’re in the Caribbean, chances are you’re going to have beans on your plate at least once during your stay. Beans show up most famously in ‘Peas n’ Rice.” Don’t be fooled by the absence of the word “bean” in the title, though. In this case “peas” refers to the bean called Pigeon Peas (or Black Eyed Peas). As an alternative Peas n’ Rice is sometimes made with kidney beans. If you don’t end up eating Peas n’ Rice, you’ll probably end up eating a spicy soup or side dish made with black beans. Dried beans are healthy and cheap. I used to be one of those people who popped open a can of beans whenever I needed them. Then I found out that a can of beans contains my daily allotment of sodium. Unable to stand the guilt, I started to use dried beans. Dried beans contain no sodium, so the power is in your hands to make them as healthy (or unhealthy) as you …

The Wild Weather of Bangladesh

Happy Friday, everyone! Here’s a few fun facts about Bangladesh: – the country earned it’s independence in 1971. – “Bong” is a nickname for people whose mother tongue is Bengali (this applies to people in Bangladesh and some parts of India – check out Desihomecook’s comment on this post. – The weather is terribly dangerous. Floods, cyclones, tornadoes, and tidal bores are almost yearly occurrences. According to Wikipedia: In September 1998, Bangladesh saw the most severe flooding in modern world history. As the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Meghna spilt over and swallowed 300,000 houses, 9,700 kilometres (6,027 mi) of road and 2,700 kilometres (1,678 mi) of embankment 1,000 people were killed and 30 million more were made homeless with 135,000 cattle killed, 50 square kilometres (19.3 sq mi) of land destroyed and 11,000 kilometres (6,835 mi) of roads damaged or destroyed. Two-thirds of the country was underwater. There were several reasons for the severity of the flooding. Firstly, there were unusually high monsoon rains. Secondly, theHimalayas shed off an equally unusually high amount of melt water that year. Thirdly, trees that usually would have intercept rain water had been …

Eating Out in Bahrain (Polls)

Hope your week was lovely! Here are a few fun facts about food and culture in Bahrain: – Souqs are the markets in Bahrain: Historically, souqs were held outside of cities in the location where a caravan loaded with goods would stop and merchants would display their goods for sale. Souqs were held when there was a caravan or more available. At that time, souqs were more than just a market to buy and sell goods; they were also major festivals and many cultural and social activities took place in them. Later, due to the importance of the marketplace and the growth of cities, the locations of souqs shifted to urban centers. (source: Wikipedia) – Rumor has it there are no Bahraini restaurants in Bahrain. Sounds unlikely, but this advice holds true, no matter where you travel: if you want to eat authentic food, go to someone’s house. – Italian and Lebanese restaurants are preferred by locals. – When drinking ‘gahwa’ (Arabic coffee) be sure to shake your cup side to side when you are full. …

Once upon a Conch in the Bahamas (Polls)

I know we spent yesterday talking about the lovely slug-like conch, but we’re not quite done. Stay with me. You’re going to love this. You see, I have a mild obsession with children’s stories and it just so happens that there is a Bahamian folk-tale involving a conch. Food often makes its way into folk-tales in interesting ways, and the conch is no exception. Guess what? The conch is in a race! A race! Oh, the silliness. Let’s remember what a conch looks like: But perhaps this isn’t so far fetched: Jumping Snails! A conch does not just slowly creep along. Instead, it can move in jerks. While most other snails have a broad operculum to seal the shell opening, members of the Conch family have a narrow operculum. Instead of a broad flat foot, a conch has a narrow foot that is strong and muscular. The conch digs its claw-like operculum into the sand and pushes against it to ‘hop’ forwards like a pole-vaulter. Source: Wild Fact Sheets So here’s the story: One day …

For the Love of Plov: Azerbaijan

Sharbat: When the summer sun roasts everything from the birds, to the bees, Azerbaijani enjoy Sharbat drink, a traditional, fruity nectar whose name evokes the refreshing dessert, Sherbet. This drink is chilled, not frozen, however. Popular flavors include pomegranate, cherry, mint, and lemon. The drink can also be flavored with saffron, honey, and basil seeds. Canned soda is gaining popularity, however, threatening to push this homemade drink to the back of dusty shelves. Ovhsala: Ovshala, or rose petal drink, is popular throughout the Caucus. Rose petals are literally plucked from fresh roses, boiled with lemon juice, and sweetened with sugar. Make this drink with your family and friends as a fun summer project, instead of traditional lemonade! Just be sure to use flowers from your garden, not the chemical-sprayed roses from florists and grocery stores. Plov: Azerbaijani enjoy more than 40 kinds of Plov, or rice pilaf. Plov is served at special gatherings, including weddings, and is considered the true test of a cook’s skill. Many include crusts, such as the potato crust, pictured above …

Austrian Sacher Tortes and Farming (POLL)

About the Sacher Torte: The Sacher Torte is shiny chocolate sponge cake layered with apricot jam from Austria. The cake was invented 175 years ago by 16-year old Franz Sacher. Many years later, his son opened the Sacher Hotel. You can still order this gorgeous cake from their web site. They ship around the world! Go take a peek. Gosh, they are beautiful! The cake was designed to impress the uber-rich, but word spread and various establishments tried to imitate the cake. Most famously, one copy cat resulted in a seven-year law suit between the Sacher Hotel and Demel’s Cafe. Sacher won and the rest is history. Fun Farming Facts: – Only 17% of the land is farmable (because of the mountains) but Austria grows more than 90% of its own food. – Main produce includes apples, pears, plums, peaches, grapes, beets, corn, barley, potatoes, rye, and wheat. – A local harvest ritual includes parading cows through town: “Dairy farmers in part of Austria dress up their cows as a way of telling their neighbors they …

Australian Barbies, a.k.a. BBQ (POLL)

WHAT’s SO GREAT ABOUT AUSSIE BARBIES? 1. They make the word “barbie” a whole lot manlier. You’ve all heard it before. There’s nothing manlier than throwing hunks of meat on roaring flames, while sipping beer. Even calling barbecue a “barbie” doesn’t make it any less manly. After all, in Australia, barbecue is (generally) men’s work. You have to love that an entire country of men love playing with their Barbies. And, by that, I mean adjusting the flame… of course! Thank you Australia, for making a much better definition of the word “barbie.” 2. Beer is required, as illustrated by this old Australian saying: When hosting a barbecue, a knock on the door should never be answered as it means the guest isn’t carrying the required case of beer. (One should only answer a kick on the door.) 3. Speaking of beer, in 1954 Bob Hawke (from Australia) downed 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds, granting him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. He then became Prime Minister. What’s the correlation to Barbies?? …