Traveling and Food.

LadyBelle

LadyBelle

Veteran
Joined
2 Mar 2017
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11:58 PM
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498
Location
Wales - the Welsh bit
I love to travel, and am sad that I discovered the joy of it relatively late (in my late 30's). Since then I have made up for it, with a few awesome trips, but I wish I'd had the opportunity to do the whole back packing thing when I was young and healthy.

For me one of the highlights of any trip is the eating! I like trying new foods and particularly anything associated with a place. You know Waldorf Salad at the Waldorf, pizza in Naples - I have a list of cheesy things like that.

I wondered if you had any memorable meals from travelling and recommendations for things to try in various places?
 
Talapia on the Nile in Uganda - where I lived/worked for a three month secondment. The fish was super fresh and delicious - if a little fierce looking.
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I lived in Cairo for a year (many many years ago) and the food was very interesting. Although I was beginning to get interested in cooking I was by no means an accomplished cook and I really didn't make the most of some of the fantastic ingredients. We had yoghurt delivered freshly to the door every morning - which was delicious. I also remember the huge prawns which cooked over charcoal by street sellers and the delicious flat breads. My favourite thing was Ful Medames - which is something of a national Egyptian dish. Its cooked dried fave beans (broad beans) with lemon, olive oil, garlic, parsley. Delicious!

This is my version with poached egg:

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Recipe here: Ful Medames
 
At the last count, I'd been to 46 different countries, so I've managed to try a few different things. Being a vegetarian, I'm not going to be able to say what any meat dishes taste like or anything like that, but I've never found it too hard to get vegetarian food anywhere I've been.

I always try to eat local food, even if it's just something like burek which you see in all countries in the Balkans. I lived in Eritrea for two years and I've worked in Ethiopia, too, so I couldn't have missed the local bread, injera, if I'd tried. You'll also see quite a bit of Italian food in that part of the world, a colonial legacy.

As a veggie, I enjoyed Sri Lankan food a great deal. The curries were wonderful and the fruit there is also glorious. The best fruit I have ever tasted, though, was when I visited a pineapple plantation in Ghana - pineapple cut fresh from the plant is unforgettable.
 
It's maple syrup season in Vermont, so I hope to be able to pick up some if we go for an end of the season ski trip in a few weeks. Maple candy as well.
Also, some nice cheddar, and New England clam chowder made with fresh cream.
Vermont is famous for its small dairy farms.
 
buckytom said:
It's maple syrup season in Vermont, so I hope to be able to pick up some if we go for an end of the season ski trip in a few weeks. Maple candy as well.
Also, some nice cheddar, and New England clam chowder made with fresh cream.
Vermont is famous for its small dairy farms.
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Trade you tortillas, peppers and potatoes for Maple syrup.
 
morning glory said:
Do Sri Lankan curries use coconut milk? I could look that up! I adore curry but I really don't like coconut milk.
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It is not, I believe, a legal requirement. Coconuts and indeed their milk are often used, but I've seen plenty of dishes and recipes that don't use coconuts at all.

Should you happen to be passing through Colombo on the way to, say, Maidstone, drop in at the Galle Face Hotel. Stunning curries and rather wonderful colonial grandeur.
 
The Velvet Curtain said:
Green Papaya Salad. The tastiest, healthiest thing on this planet. It is a constant craving for me. @Yorky of course has a ready supply, but I am limited to a couple of weeks a year max, and not every year.
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There's a Thai place here that makes a dish of broiled fish topped with a green papaya slaw. It is delicious!

Now I'm craving Thai food.
 
buckytom said:
There's a Thai place here that makes a dish of broiled fish topped with a green papaya slaw. It is delicious!

Now I'm craving Thai food.
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Thai is my favourite, the combination of coconut milk, chilli, lime and fish sauce takes me back to some of the best meals I've ever had.

Sadly there is no Thai restaurant in Leicester, we are dominated by Indian outlets, and those in nearby towns are mediocre at best. Britain ( outside London) is not a top destination for Thai chefs.
 
The Velvet Curtain said:
Thai is my favourite, the combination of coconut milk, chilli, lime and fish sauce takes me back to some of the best meals I've ever had.

Sadly there is no Thai restaurant in Leicester, we are dominated by Indian outlets, and those in nearby towns are mediocre at best. Britain ( outside London) is not a top destination for Thai chefs.
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We have a few Thai restaurants here in Nakhorn Nowhere. Unfortunately, we don't have a single Indian restaurant (although there are a few in Bangkok).
 
LadyBelle said:
I love to travel, and am sad that I discovered the joy of it relatively late (in my late 30's). Since then I have made up for it, with a few awesome trips, but I wish I'd had the opportunity to do the whole back packing thing when I was young and healthy.
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Backpacking: In '71 we were travelling between Melilla (Sp.) and Oujda in Morocco and when crossing the border on the bus we were obliged to present ourselves at the Immigration Office with our passports (we were the only ones on the bus neither Spanish nor Moroccan). After a little shilly shallying, we finally received our "visas" and returned to the bus - which had gone. We therefore had to wait a few hours for the next bus so decided to buy something to eat. There was a little shop/cafe nearby so we went there but not being able to speak Arabic we had to gesticulate that we wished something to eat. We were brought a big bowl of couscous (and only couscous) which was the most tasteless food that I'd ever eaten. That was, and still is, the only time I've ever eaten couscous.

Not all memories are good ones.
 
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