Journey — Page 3

How Feijoada (Portuguese Bean Stew) Made It Around the World

May 9, 2013 By Jillian

How many times can we repeat that one of our favorite aspects of travel is sampling new food? It seems like we aren’t the only ones given the complete obsession in America with global food. From Anthony Bourdain to the food network, American’s are obsessed with bringing a taste of their vacation or their dream travels home to their dinner table. We are really no different. From the unusual ingredients we saw hanging in markets in Asia to the easily recognizable beans and potatoes sitting in baskets across the Americas, we try to incorporate our favorite dishes or ingredients from our travels into our everyday life.

Guidebooks always tell you what the “staple” dish of a place is, but sometimes more interesting than the ingredients is the history of the dish. Sometimes you can get this from a recipe book, but better yet, get it from actually going to the place where the dish originated. We love the history of food, for it’s really the history of human exploration. Given that globalization started happening centuries ago, it’s not hard to draw similarities between the dishes of exploration centers like Portugal and far flung ports in Mozambique or Brazil. Enter one of the best examples of Portugal’s dominance in world exploration- the simple, yet delicious feijoada.

Feijoada is one of those “traditional” dishes that calls multiple countries, separated by a vast ocean, home. Originally from Portugal, Feijoada is a bean, beef and pork stew that we saw in Brazil, Mozambique and pretty much anywhere we traveled along a coastline that the Portuguese had explored. The Brazilians in fact, call it their national dish. Why? Well, like so many of the “great” dishes of a culture or region it’s simple, homemade food. Although you can find it at the best restaurants and although you can find it at any Portugal hotel or restaurant, it’s a dish beloved by many and found in all levels of Portuguese cuisine. There’s nothing pretentious in feijoada, just beans, pork and oh let’s say the most delicious mix of spices you’ve ever had. Think of it like a Sunday supper meal that stews all day. The name, feijoada actually comes from the Portguese word for beans – feijao.

Although I love anything that has the word “stew” in it, for me the most interesting aspect of feijoada is its long history. Just as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago, Portuguese families still make this dish, albeit with certain variants for a delicious weekend supper. Food made at home and meant to be consumed family style is the best, especially for those travelers looking to get a taste of regional flavor and take it home with them.

Maybe on our next trip through the Iberian Peninsula we’ll make a tour of feijoada….who’s with me?

Photo Credit: Shared via a creative commons license from flickr user Fotos Gov/Ba.

Eat Your Heart Out in Cyprus

March 1, 2013 By Jillian

When visiting the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, there are a few foods you won’t want to miss. While Greek influence is strong, Cypriot cuisine has a unique spin on some of the more typical Greek dishes.

Souvlaki is a favorite “fast food” on the island of Cyprus. Skewered lean meat, usually lamb, pork or chicken, is tucked inside a wrap of Cypriot pita bread. Lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and onion are some of the accompanying condiments. White cabbage and green chili peppers are other common additions, as well as tzatziki dip made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and spices. In addition to the regular souvlaki, you can also get it “mixed” with sheftalia, a kind of spiced and minced pork sausage. You might see either version being served street side or as a to-go food from neighborhood restaurants. Don’t miss it!

If it’s vegetables you prefer, Cyprus is known for its fresh vegetables including asparagus, artichokes, and elongated Cypriot potatoes. Many meals are complemented with a fresh village salad made from cucumbers, peppers, black olives, onions and tomatoes. It’s often tossed with local olive oil and feta cheese. While this may sound typically Mediterranean, in Cyprus fresh coriander is usually sprinkled on the salad giving it that extra Cypriot touch.

Cyprus also has plenty of delicious desserts that you can’t miss, even if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth! It’s worthwhile checking out flights to Cyprus when your sweet tooth strikes for some fresh Cypriot baklava. Baklava is a sweet concoction of finely chopped nuts, usually walnuts and almonds, combined with sugar, cinnamon, honey and lemon juice and wrapped in paper-thin layers of filo pastry. This syrupy nut and cinnamon mixture is a common basis for Cypriot desserts, similarly featured in daktila, a kind of finger shaped pastry.

Photo Credit: Flickr user Geoff Peters 604

A Traveler’s Taste of Polish Cuisine

February 26, 2013 By Guest Blogger

Editor’s Note: These Polish dishes sound absolutely delicious. We may just have to make a trip to Poland soon..

We all know food plays a significant role when traveling the world. If you decide to head to Eastern Europe and spend a few days in Poland, there are certain dishes you might not be familiar with, but you definitely need to try them in order to have a taste of traditional Polish food. Polish cuisine might be considered by many as “heavy” and “stodgy” as most of dishes are made of flour and cereal (pastas, dumplings, noodles), but putting a few pounds on is absolutely worth it! You will discover a fresh taste of sour cream, cottage cheese, mushrooms and Polish sausages and your mouth will start watering when looking at Polish cakes.

Here are 5 top traditional Polish foods you can’t miss:

1. Soups – Rosó? (Polish Meat Broth)
You can come across many different varieties of rosó?, but the one you should definitely have for your lunch or dinner should be traditional chicken soup, served with homemade thin noodles, fried onion, boiled carrot and parsley. This dish will definitely warm you up in cold days and get you back on your feet when you have a cold! It’s a custom to have it on Sunday.

2. Starters –Polish herring
Polish people love eating pickled herrings for Christmas and Easter. It’s not only tasty and affordable, but also very easy to make it. You can either have your herrings in sour cream or oil with some pickled onion. Traditional Polish herring is slightly salty and sour.

3. Main course – Polish pierogi
Pierogi (Polish dumplings) are made of unleavened dough and filled with either cottage cheese, cabbage with mushrooms, fruits or meat and vegetables depending on the season and the weather (strawberry and blueberry pierogi are mainly served in summer, cabbage and mushrooms in winter). Pierogi are extremely delicious, but difficult to make. They are boiled first and then baked or fried in order to get crispy texture. Served with oil, onions and tiny pieces of bacon or sour cream and sugar (fruit ones).

4. Snacks – Faworki
Faworki are thin and crispy biscuits sprinkled with icing sugar. They are often called “Angel wings” for the sake of their shape of twisted ribbons. Faworki are not very sweet, so it would be a perfect snack choice for anyone. If you want, you can put some strawberry jam or nutella chocolate on top. Faworki are eaten in the period just before Lent, often during Carnival and on Fat Thursday. I used to make them with my mom and grandmother for Christmas too.

5. Dessert – Hot szarlotka
Who would resist the temptation of a little piece of amazing Polish apple tart? Nobody, believe me! Especially when it is served with whipped cream or ice cream of your choice. Szarlotka’s crust is very sweet and it is made with butter, looks very sophisticated but is not that hard to make.

As you can see Poland has a lot to offer in terms of its traditional food. Whether you feel an urge to try something super sweet, sour or salty, Polish cuisine will definitely live up to your expectations.

About the guest author:
Agness is a Polish vagabond who, after graduation, left her comfort zone and set off for a journey of her lifetime to China in 2011. She has been constantly traveling the world since then (slowly, but surely as she says), living like a local for less than $25 a day. She became a photography passionate and adventure blogger sharing her life enthusiasm and travel experience with everyone around. Connect with Agness on Twitter or Facebook!

Photo Credit: Guest blogger Agness

Destination Honeymoons for Frequent Travelers

February 5, 2013 By Lauren

In theory, I’m planning a wedding. On February 18th my Australian fiancé and I will have been engaged for a year. At the time, I said to him, “I don’t want to be one of those couples who are engaged for years before the wedding.”

Oops.https://ishouldlogoff.wpengine.com/2013/02/20/luxury-mud-and-salt-a-visit-to-the-dead-sea/

In that year, we’ve finished working in South Korea, traveled through South America, and come to the US, where we’re putting together a de facto partner visa application so I can get to Australia.

Big Merino, Australia — Only in Australia.

Once that’s approved, we’ll get down to business on the wedding. Like, setting a date. And deciding which country we’ll get married in. But then you get all the messy details like catering, venues, flowers, color schemes; all the stuff that doesn’t interest me.

So I allow my mind to wander to more fun things.

Like our honeymoon.

Among all of the questions we get about our cross-cultural marriage, people are constantly curious about the honeymoon.

“But you’ve been to so many places. What’s left?”

And that is where they are wrong. There are plenty of places left. And it’s our honeymoon, so I figure we’ve got a license to splurge on some luxury. Right?

So I get lost in travel websites like Exsus, imagining what it would be like to let someone else take over the planning. To sleep in a fancy room with windows and fluffy pillows, have everything paid for in advance so we’re not thinking about the budget every day. A vacation in pure, unadulterated, luxury.

Drumroll, please: I now present you with my top three fantasy honeymoon destinations.

Africa

As in, the whole continent. I haven’t narrowed it down to a country yet, but here are some of the things I want to see:

One of those blazing sunsets where the sun takes over the whole sky and multiplies in size to the point where you can’t believe the sun is this big and you’ve never seen it like this before

African Sunset — Like this but BIGGER. Image Credit

Animals. Specifically lions, elephants, or giraffes, doing their thing in the wild. The real wild. Not a fancy-schmancy zoo that looks like the wild (although I am a sucker for those, too).
Victoria Falls. Though whether or not I’d get into that pool on the edge remains to be seen.
Morocco. Everything in Morocco from Marrakech to romantic and luxurious Casablanca.

That’s it, really. Any suggestions for exact locations are welcomed.

Whale Sharks

I realize that ‘whale sharks’ is not a country. But I feel like anywhere that has whale sharks has other desirable aspects, like clear blue waters, tropical climates, and secluded beaches. Countries that could satisfy this requirement include Borneo, Belize, Mexico, and Madagascar, but I’m flexible. Ideally, we’d be able to surf there, too, because it’s only fair that the honeymoon be about both of us.

Caribbean

I know. It’s generic, but I’ve never been there. Except for once, in college, when I went to the Bahamas with a group of friends. We stayed at a rundown spring break resort that had crazy happy hour specials and plenty of drunk students crowding the postage stamp-sized pool. One time I got on a bus and the driver was swigging from an open beer. Taking a trip to the Bahamas or even another island like Anguilla or Antigua would be just plain nice.

I was thinking somewhere a little more swanky for a honeymoon. Not much, but a little.

Help! Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Did you go luxury or backpack?

Switching Between Lives – Traveler vs. Normal?

January 22, 2013 By Jillian

When you travel or live abroad you do things that you wouldn’t normally do at home. You enjoy a beer on the Nile. You talk to people you’ve never met, maybe people from a place you’ve never heard of. You soak up every experience, because that is what you are there to do, you are there to soak up the world.

“You ate what?” your friends at home remark.

“You slept where? You did THAT?”

Confidently you respond in the affirmative, “Yes, I did THAT. We were traveling, that was just the thing to do.”

While traveling you don’t envy those left at home. You look at their routine with a bit of disdain. It might be ok for your friends and family, but routine, well it will never be ok for an explorer like you. You will never settle/fall into a routine/become shackled by normalcy.

And one day it happens. You open your laptop and you realize, you have a routine. You have settled into a daily routine of blogging, checking your email, checking your Facebook and then hitting the town to explore a bit. Map and guidebook in hand you plot out your day or your week or if you are really organized, your next two weeks. You set up a routine.

Now that I have a routine I have to wonder whether routine is actually bad. Is knowing where you are going or what you are doing a bad thing? I’m an adventurer at heart, but I recognize that I also crave normalcy. I love knowing within reason what is coming up next. Sure I love surprises and I roll with the punches when things come up, but I do love feeling like my life has a direction. It gives me some sort of sense of purpose in my life. Now that I’m living a less nomadic life, I’m surprised at how happy routine makes me. Call it a revelation if you will, something about myself that I would have never known had I not traveled, but not something that I recognized on the road.

I thought switching between my traveler life and a less nomadic life would be harder than it was. Don’t get me wrong, it was very difficult, but it was a lot easier than I expected. Perhaps it is because I was craving that which I was pushing away so much, perhaps it is because I was craving a routine, or just this adorable puppy.

People ask us all the time if we’d do another RTW. Our responses have changed depending on the day, the moment and what is going on. Each time we speak with other travelers, especially those living a nomadic lifestyle I think that the conversation is going to be hard, that it is going to make me want to be nomadic again – but it almost never does. I find that I don’t envy those that are living out of a backpack or from flight to flight. I don’t think about exploring a region for a year or going out to travel without a plan. Instead I think about taking a few weeks off to intimately explore one region in particular or to achieve one goal in particular (usually an epic hike or a mountain!).

Maybe it’s not a switch between lives that takes a person from the life of a travel to something more normal. Maybe it is a switching between phases of life.