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 …

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About the food of Bangladesh

Once in a while I hear a word which causes the most curious knee-jerk reaction harking back to my formative school years. For example, whenever I hear the word “Bangladesh” my mind automatically and violently spits back “Dhaka!!!!!” Take this to be a testament to my 7th grade geography teacher. Similar reactions occur when I hear Lima (Peru!!!!!), or Bhutan (Thimphuuuuuu!!!!).  The exclamations marks are subtle compared to how passionately these words materialize. Once out of my subconscious, they rattle around my brain for hours, like a song you can’t get out of your head. So here we are in Bangladesh (Dhaka!!!!) where the climate is tropical and the weather is sunny with alternating floods, droughts, and typhoons. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, about 45% of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. (Source: CIA World FactBook) Let’s talk a bit about their food. Generally speaking, the food of Bangladesh is reminiscent of Northern Indian and Middle Eastern food. Some of the spiciest …

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Monday Meal Review: Bahrain

This is meal #13 in my personal challenge to eat one meal for every country in the world. “Shrimp Balls?” my husband asked, frowning. “We’re having Shrimp Balls for dinner?” “Yeah. Like Meatballs. Only Shrimp. You’ll love them.” Technically I was lying since I never had a shrimp ball in my life, I wasn’t looking forward to trying them, and  I wasn’t even sure why I decided to make them. I know. You’re wondering where my integrity is. I promise you, my heart is in the right place. Sometimes little white lies are necessary if I’m going to beat his Picky Eater Syndrome. Trust me. Still unsure? Well, let me tell you a secret. He was a big fan. He liked the shrimp balls more than I did. So there. Roasted Eggplant Dip (Uukkous Al-Badinjan) [Recipe]   What I liked most about this dish: I’m in love. Really in love. As in… I’m never making baba ganoush again. As you know, I am a big fan of making food ahead so that I can enjoy the party. …

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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. …

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About the food of Bahrain

NOTE: In the time it took me to write this post the temperature dropped ten degrees and fits of rain sporadically fell on Tulsa. Although cold, rainy days are perfect for writing, I couldn’t help but think “Bah, rain.” (I’m working on my mom humor, what do you think?) All 700 square km of the island Kingdom of Bahrain is in the Persian Gulf. Bahrain is made up of many islands (some sources say 33, others say 40). The name means “two waters” and refers to the country’s water sources, salt (from the sea) and fresh (from the springs that bubble up and provide irrigation for crops). Although spring water is available for crops, not much can be grown in Bahrain, so imports are the main source of foods. This also means that Bahrain is particularly susceptible to outside influence on cuisine and culture (such as India who, by international trade,  spread their love of turmeric and tamarind to Bahrain). The kingdom is very well-organized and is considered one of the most modern countries in the Middle East. Their …

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Monday Meal Review: Bahamas

This is meal # 12 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. Our Bahamian feast in a snapshot: An especially nerdy group of writers eating Bahamian food under the stars, vaguely lit by tealights, reading Hemingway to the crickets. I’ve always used the word nerdy as a compliment. To me, a nerd is a person who cares enough to delve deeply into a subject and really get to know it. Quite the opposite of superficial. So, as I was saying, this week I hosted a backyard Bahamian pot luck for my especially nerdy writer’s group. I’ve already told you how much I loved the pot luck we had for Australia. There’s something exciting about seeing what everyone will bring to share. This week was just as great. Here are the contributions: – A Bahamian inspired playlist on her iPod (who says people can’t bring music to a pot luck? What a great idea!) – Various wine – Fresh mango – Carrot cake with pineapple and other goodies tucked …

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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 …

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About the Food of the Bahamas

Remember this part of Forrest Gump? Well, in the Bahamas, seafood comes any (and every) which way you want it. The most popular seafood treats are the giant, snail-like conch, crayfish, shrimp, and the clawless spiny lobster. Take conch, for example. Typical food shacks keep live conch on hand, cleaning them for each order. Most menus offer boiled conch, crack conch (deep-fried), grilled conch, and steamed conch. Some customers eat the sweet mollusk raw while others prefer it cooked. The creamy white flesh can be  tossed with fresh lime juice, laid on a salad, layered in a sandwich, made into a grilled patty for a burger, or floated in a brothy soup. And in case you were hankering for fish for breakfast, you’re in business. Locals eat seafood for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bubba Gump would be impressed. Not a fish person? There are plenty of other great foods from the Bahamas, many of which are also loved in the US south. Grits and johnnycakes are popular side dishes. Another side dish, Peas n’ Rice is …

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Monday Meal Review: Azerbaijan

This is meal #11 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. “Hey, wait a minute!” Brian said. Startled, I looked from him, to his fiancée, to my husband. We were standing in the kitchen. I was pouring drinks and telling them about the Azerbaijani food we were about to eat. “What?” I asked. Brian didn’t answer immediately; he was scanning my kitchen. I followed his gaze nervously, wondering if I’d missed a spill. The counters were clear. The dishwasher was running. Maybe that was the problem. The dishwasher was a little loud, I thought. “Oh, I’m sorry, I can run this later,” I said, pulling the door open. The rythmic swish of the water stopped suddenly. There was a pause while we shifted in the new silence. “No – where’s the,” and he trailed off, looking at the empty stove top. “The food?” I asked, finishing his sentence, laughing with relief. “It’s  under control.” I pulled a tray of raw lamb kabobs from the fridge and headed to the …

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