Cambodian Fried Spiders? (with 2 polls)

Fried tarantulas are a delicacy in Cambodia. For 8 cents a spider, you can eat your very own. But watch out for funky spider breath (they cook it with garlic)! (Source: Woman’s Day). Photo courtesy of Paul Mannix via Flickr. If you aren’t into spiders, you might prefer Amok – a cooking method common in Cambodia, specifically food steamed in banana leaves. Mmm, now that sounds more like it! 🙂 . Feel like taking a quiz all about Cambodia? National Geographic has one! Have fun! 🙂

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About Cambodian Food

Divided by the waters of the great Mekong river, the flat plains of Cambodia are fertile ground for mile upon mile of wet rice fields. The people also draw fish from this river and other, smaller waterways, for most meals. Brothy soups cooked with limes (pickled or not), lemon grass, tamarind, or even coconut milk are standard fare. Here’s a recipe for Chicken and Pickled Lime Soup. Many curries and stir-fries are based on Kroeung spice pastes, all of which use lemongrass as the main ingredient. The result is salty, sour  flavor, reminiscent of Vietnam and Thailand, without the eye-watering, mouth-sweat heat found in either of those countries. In fact, although red chili peppers are used, black pepper is the main vehicle for heat in Cambodian cooking. Meals are filled out with fresh vegetables and unripe fruit, such as long beans, mango, papaya, pineapple, and squash. The most popular of the meats is either pork or chicken, found in many soups, noodle dishes and stir-frys. The grill is also an amazing tool in Cambodia – used, …

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Monday Meal Review: Burundi

Burundi reminds me of my mother – wonderfully inventive with just a few ingredients. She could whip up dinner with a bucket of cement if she had to. Although made with simple, affordable ingredients, the plate you see before you is a feast worthy of any table – spicy, sweet, fresh, flavorful – betraying no signs of poverty or struggle. What a lesson we can learn from the creativity and fortitude of Burundi. Getting Ava to eat her meal was also a lesson in creativity and fortitude. A test of wills. And of patience. With several quick head shakes, Ava has refusing food down to an art. She wasn’t interested in the beans. Or the plantains. Or the tomatoes. Once in a while she faked interest, opening wide for a bite, but once the food touched her tongue, she pushed it back out, screwing her face up into a squinty smile. Little stinker knows she’s making my hair turn grey. In all of beautiful Burundi, fish was her only interest. With quickly fading hope, I filled her …

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Witness the sights and tastes of Burundi

In this first video, you’ll see the longest lake in the world, Lake Tanganyika, as well as mukeke, one of the fish that comes from these beautiful waters. In this second video you’ll view scenery from the small lakes region of Burundi, as well as spectacular fresh produce. Finally, watch drumming performances at the Avocado Oil Festival, followed by a display of food made with avocado oil.

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Meals in Burundi (with poll)

While you are reading this, I’m on a plane. Flying to Virginia. On Friday the 13th.  The flight left at 6 am. Yes, I made the reservations. Who knows what I was thinking. All I can hope for is a little relaxation. I bet I could find some at this beach, in Burundi… For today’s FFF,I thought it would be fun to share 4 first hand accounts of meals in Burundi, followed by our weekly poll: Lunch at the Market restaurant A heaping plate of rice and peas in tomato and onion sauce, fried bananas, a piece of beef (having lived a long and toil-filled life before landing on the plate), accompanied by slices of fresh pineapple, by bananas, peanuts, and a soft drink, cost $1.50 each. Move over McDonald’s. Burundian Delicacies …gorging ourselves on a number of Burundian delicacies – many different cooked vegetables, fried plantains, rice, sauce with beef (none of which was all that unusual to our American palates – though we think the cheese in one of the salads may have …

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About the Food of Burundi

Nestled up to the largest lake in the world, Lake Tanganyika, is the tiny country of Burundi. There, amidst the rolling hills and the lush tropics, live a people surviving on a simple bounty of beans, bananas, plantains, maize (corn), cassava, sweet potato, and peas. Peek under the lid of any Burundian pot, and you’ll likely find red kidney beans. Cooked simply with a little red palm oil, onion, and spicy chili powder, the nutrient rich bean becomes a delight.  To avoid monotony, many Burundi mix things up by stirring in slices of sweet plantain (recipe). This completely stunning comfort food is both rich and savory. The banana and the plantain can be found everywhere, piled high on the back of bicycles, old truck beds, and in baskets on top of women’s heads. These sweet treats are served plain, fried (recipe), and in home-brewed banana beer called Urwarwa.  In fact, there’s little in the way of cooked dessert served in Burundi. Instead, the people enjoy a ripe banana or juicy pineapple slices. Fish, drawn daily …

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Monday Meal Review: Burkina Faso

“The smell is making my eyes water. One bite, and I can’t get the flavor out of my mouth! It’s like I’m still eating it. That counts, right?” Keith looked at me with his best puppy dog eyes. And, since his eyes are hazel, he didn’t look much like a puppy. “Just eat half of it,” I said. “I can’t,” he replied, turning his plate so the Babenda was as far away as possible. I kept eating, thinking about how fishy the Babenda tasted. Maybe he would eat some more of the unusual West African dish if I hadn’t tossed in so many dried anchovies. Or if he hadn’t seen me put them in. Maybe, just maybe, if we had some adventurous friends over, he might succumb to peer pressure and eat just a little more. I took a big bite and  then gave Ava some. “Your loss!” Ignoring me, he picked up another lamb skewer, buried it in a blizzard of Kan Kan Kan and took a bite. “Now these are good!” he grinned. Sigh. This …

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Popular Foods in Burkina Faso (with poll)

Happy Friday! I’m craving a giant slice of chocolate cake. But enough about me, let’s talk about Burkina Faso! Most meals in the villages are shared out of a single pot (true family style) and the right hand is used to scoop up the food. The cities eat European style – fork, knife, spoon, plate. Frog and toad meat is eaten “dried or fried” in Burkina Faso, with hundreds of frogs laid out to dry in the hot African sun (Photographs are available to view on National Geographic,  Fried or dried, frogs are popular food in African Markets) Part of the country was colonized by France, therefore many French foods and techniques have made their way into Burkinabe tradition, such as the ubiquitous green bean. Bissap, Roselle, sorrel, and Hibiscus are all names for the plant leaves that flavor Bissap Tea, high in vitamin C and believed to help reduce cholesterol

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About the Food of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a dizzying landscape of dusty red plains and grassy savannas, broken up by stunning rock formations that tower above the ground. The culinary landscape of Burkina Faso is similar – plain, sparse even – with the occasional burst of unexpected flavor. Let me explain. Most meals are centered around pieces of Tô, a firm ball of white starch made with millet, sorghum, or corn. These bland balls are wonderfully adaptive because they take on the flavor the broths, soups, and stews that they are dipped into, often tomato or peanut based. This is every day fare – the turkey sandwich of Burkina Faso. And, just like our sandwiches, Tô is eaten by hand. This simple meal routine is broken up with rice, cous cous, or even maize. Here’s where the burst of unexpected flavor comes in. A blend of bitter greens, such as spinach, kale, or even mild cabbage, can be cooked with the grains to make a complete dish called Babenda (recipe). What makes Babenda interesting are the fermented locust beans (called …

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Monday Meal Review: Bulgaria

“Where’s the beef?” said Keith’s dad, wide eyed. In all his sixty-plus years on earth, this was probably his first vegetarian meal. Ever. What can I say. He’s Oklahoma, through and through. Six months ago, I would have been nervous about putting this feast in front of him. I’d probably have served a platter beef on the side. Heck, I who am I kidding. The entire meal would have been a meat-lover’s delight. I’m a people-pleaser, to the max. But eating food around the world has changed me. I love trying new foods with friends and family. I love the discussion it generates, the unexpected reactions, the laughter, the fun. Although he didn’t say much after his initial wide-eyed outburst, I could tell by the polite, but pained look on his face that this was not a meal he’d eat again. Too cold. Too weird. Too … meatless. Still, I took pride in the little I could do to broaden his palate of experiences. Simply put, watching him eat an entirely cold, vegetarian meal was …

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