A Culinary World Tour
Laura Hinson
One of the best ways to get to the heart of a new culture is by sampling the local cuisine and every country has something new to offer. From spices to herbs, meat to vegetables, there’s a whole lot of variety out there just waiting for you to give it a try! To give you a little helping hand we’ve put together a brief round the world tour to introduce you to some exciting national dishes that you’re really going to want to try!
Let’s start with Germany…
We often associate German food with beer and sausages, but the German appreciation of healthy, well-prepared foods is also well known.
There are hundreds of different dishes and beverages many of which are typical only to some German regions and cannot be found outside Germany. You’ll find many places to sample German delicacies such as the Konditionarei where you’ll find a wide selection of tasty German pastries and the street side Schnell Imbiss with its many German fast food specialties like Curry Wurst, Bratwurst, Pommes Frites, Fleish Spiese, Kabobs. It’s also worth visiting local restaurants for more traditional meal ideas.
Festivals
One festival not to miss is called Karneval or Fasching (52 days before Easter) dating back to the middle-ages, the way to stay warm!
Heading east to Croatia…
Croatian cuisine is extremely diverse and is known locally as ‘the cuisine of regions.’
The main regional differences depend on whether you’re on the mainland or in coastal regions. Mainland cuisine tends to be influenced by Hungarian, Viennese and Turkish food styles, whereas coastal regions take their influences from Greek, Roman and Illyrian cooking as well as Mediterranean cuisine, particularly from Italy and France.
Festivals
Food is really important to traditional Croatian festivities and every holiday has its own typical dish. Pork and potato stew is eaten on pilgrimages and at fairs, cod is prepared for Christmas Eve and Good Friday, doughnuts are a major part of carnival festivities, and in the south they prepare a similar sweet fried dish known as hrostule. Ham and boiled eggs are served with green vegetables at Easter, while traditional cakes (e.g. pinca) are served as desert. Kulen (hot-pepper flavoured sausage) is eaten at harvest time, goose on St. Martin s Day and turkey and sarma (meat-stuffed cabbage leaves) are served on Christmas Day! So the delicacies that you try while you’re there really will depend on when you travel.
Don’t miss… the spit-roasted lamb and suckling pig, grilled fish, calamari and the barbecue dishes - raznjici, cevapcici and mixed grill.
And onto India…
When travelling in India it's hard not to recognize the country’s diversity and Indian cuisine is no exception. While vegetarianism is prevalent in much of the country, particularly in the south, climatic conditions and historical influences have resulted in a diverse outlook on food.
In the north, meals resemble Middle Eastern or Central Asian cuisine and it's common to eat a great deal of meat. In the south, however, meals mainly consist of rice and vegetables. The western part of the country also displays strong Central Asian influences, while the east has been greatly influenced by Eastern Asian cuisine. Although cooking styles vary from region to region, spices play a huge role in all Indian kitchens.
Festivals
It is well worth checking out the seafood festival in Goa. This five day festival takes place annually and focuses on Goa’s incredible marine-food. Goans' have elevated cooking to a delicate art and over the years a unique cuisine, inspired by a mixture of Western and Indian influences, has evolved.
A number of stalls run by reputed caterers from the best hotels, restaurants and even local housewives offer travellers a rich experience of Goan cuisine. There are also stalls selling aerated drinks, alcoholic beverages, ice-creams and snacks. Cultural programmes and firework display are also available as the country celebrates its traditional cuisine.
Next comes Thailand…
Thai cuisine is extremely distinctive thanks to the liberal use of spices, herbs and market-fresh ingredients. It combines the best of Chinese and Indian culinary traditions while retaining its own special character.
Much of what we recognize as Thai cuisine developed from the central region. Rice, fish and vegetables flavoured with garlic, black pepper and fish sauce, along with an abundance of fresh fruits make up the basic diet of local people. In addition to freshwater fish, there is seafood from the nearby gulf, as well as a wide range of fresh vegetables and fruits, including mangoes, durians, custard apples, and guavas. Sino-Thai food is popular in places like Bangkok, with noodle dishes proving the most popular. You’ll also find a selection of European, Levantine, Asian, and Oriental cuisine in gourmet restaurants across the country.
And now Indonesia…
Indonesia’s traditional cuisine has influences from India, the Middle East, China and Europe. Rice is the main staple here, except in Maluku (the Moluccas) and Irian Jaya (Indonesian New Guinea) where sago palm flour, sweet potatoes and cassava reign supreme.
As in the rest of Southeast Asia, other dishes are eaten in extremely small quantities. Meat, fish and vegetables are condiments designed to flavour the staple and sauces, such as fiery sambals, add character. Westerners are accustomed to eating much larger portions of meat and fish and may find Indonesian food is a little too hot for them.
One thing’s for sure - Indonesian food would be unrecognizable without the wok! Stir-frying is vitally important to Indonesian cooking!
Then south to Australia…
Australian has one of the most diverse ranges of quality cuisine in the world. Within the capital city, Sydney, there is a swarm of 'Modern Australia' restaurants, with inventive chefs at the helm and an audience of willing hedonists at the ready. This culinary reawakening is due to two factors: the wealth of superlative Australian produce (including native food) and the plethora of international cuisine brought to Australia by its international immigrants.
Australia is also well known for its fresh ingredients such as seafood, local fruits, beef and lamb, as well as its world class cheeses. Like in Italy and France, Australia can be divided into regions that are widely known for particular products such as King Island cream, Sydney rock oysters, Bowen mangoes, Coffin Bay scallops, Tasmanian salmon, and Illabo milk-fed lamb. Each state has its acknowledged specialties which every traveller should take advantage of.
And back round to Kenya…
The multicultural heritage of Kenya is the basis for a wide range of gourmet foods. Traditional African dishes are supplemented by English and Indian fare. Kenya offers an assortment of quality beef and seafood dishes, supplemented by an array of tropical fruits and vegetables. Portions tend to be generous, and elaborate buffets are common at hotels and lodges. Even the more expensive restaurants are reasonable by American and European standards.
The majority of quality restaurants are located in Nairobi and Mombasa. One restaurant of note is the Carnivore in Nairobi. A popular tourist location, the Carnivore features a large barbecue pit with meats available from zebra to warthog!
Potatoes and rice eaten with chicken or beef are the staples for most meals. A typical festive meal includes large amounts of nyama choma, roasted meat. Bananas, pineapples, and papaya are available year round and citrus fruits seasonally. It’s not unusual to find markets on roadsides selling roasted corn to passers-by. Snacks may include mandaazi, a sweet deep fried dough cake, and egg-bread; a wheat flour pancake wrapped around fried eggs and minced meat.
Be prepared to ask for a cold drink, as the sodas are typically served warm. Fresh fruit juices are readily available, with passion fruit being commonly served at breakfast. Two lagers are offered in most locations, Tusker and White Cap. Premium and Export versions are also available.
Then down to Argentina…
Argentina is well known for the excellence of its meat, which is the result of a first rate cattle industry in the country. Lunch and dinner often consists of pizza, pasta and meat dishes but North American, continental and Middle Eastern cuisine is also widely available.
Those who are fond of exotic cuisines will be pleased to find that Argentina offers a selection of exquisite regional dishes like empanadas (minced meat and vegetables covered with puff pastry) and locro (a pork and maize stew). Argentina is famous for 'asados', restaurants specializing in barbecued and grilled meat dishes. Beef dishes are particularly common here and you’ll find they’re of a very high quality. The variety of cuts of meat and methods of preparing these is nothing less than spectacular!
Sandwiches de miga are wonderful dainty sandwiches made of very thin-crusted white bread and filled with slices of ham and cheese. Churros are a bit like donuts and can come filled with dulce de leche or chocolate, and are definitely worth a taste!
Don’t miss…Argentina's whiskies and gins, they’re outstanding. The wines are excellent and inexpensive and their quality is recognized throughout the world. 'Ginebra bols' and 'caña' are both national specialties.
Brazil
This tropical country is most famous for its beautiful beaches and raucous Carnival celebrations but it’s also a food lover’s paradise. Travellers are likely to discover a new dish everywhere they go.
While you will find arroz (white rice), feijao (beans) and farofa (manioc flour) on most tables, regional differences truly stand out. From Bahia, where African influences such as dende (palm tree oil) reign, to Minas Gerais, known for dishes based on pork and collard greens, Brazilian cuisine is full of contrasting flavours.
Fill up on grilled meat at churrascarrias, where you'll pay between $12-$30 for an unlimited amount. Ask for a Chopp ("shope"), a pale blonde pilsner draft when ordering beer. Brazilian beer, or cerveja, usually comes in a 600ml bottle, and is commonly shared by people.
Don’t miss… Caipirinha, Brazil’s national drink. It’s made with lime, sugar and cachaca (sugarcane liquor) and is particularly tasty!
And finally Mexico…
Real Mexican food is quite unlike the dishes found in your local Mexican Restaurant. It’s characterised by superbly rich and spicy dishes.
The staple food of ordinary Mexicans is tortillas, either made with flour or maize. They’re served alongside a meal in much the same way that bread would be. Chillies are another important part of Mexican Cuisine. Large Poblano chillies are stuffed and served as a main course while the small habañero is ferociously hot and rarely eaten whole.
A hugely popular and well known dish from Mexico is guacamole. This can be used as a dip or a garnish and consists of avocado mashed with onions, chillies and cilantro (coriander).
Festivals
Mexico is home to a vast number of exciting and original festivals that feature both traditional dishes and unique culinary creations. An example of one such festival is Tala Nayarit, Fiesta de Elote, the Corn Festival. This event features a wide variety of Mexican appetisers and snacks based on the corn tortilla. There are bullfights, cockfights, games and processions. Tala is easily accessible from the main highway that connects Tepic and Guadalajara.
And there our tour comes to an end. That’s just a taster of the culinary delights that are out there waiting for you and there are so many more delicious native dishes for you to try, so next time you travel make sure you give the local cuisine a try. You won’t regret it!
