Málà - numbing and hot – that’s Sichuan cuisine. The wild Sichuan peppercorn (huājiāo), a little bit pink, a little more purple – really sets Sichuan cuisine apart. Take a bite of one and your mouth tingles as an addictive numbness makes its way to your lips. This is the má. Combine it with the characteristic hot blanket of chili peppers – the là – and you have … [Read more...]
Country and regional food round-ups
Country food guides, regional cuisine guides and broad and deep food overviews from our around the world travels.
Top 10 Chinese Dumplings
Can (wo)man live on dumplings alone? The answer in China: Yes! Steamed, fried or boiled; round, crescent, or amorphous; meat or veg; thin-skinned or thick, dumplings in China form a universe all their own. By no means are we experts in Chinese dumplings. That's a life's work. But we can offer a brief primer and the best of our dumpling experiences in China. … [Read more...]
Top 10 Xinjiang Dishes
We begin our Chinese food series in the same place we entered China: in the city of Kashgar in China's western frontier province of Xinjiang. Like the native Uighur people and their culture, food in Xinjiang province resembles Central Asian and Turkic cuisine more than stereotypical Chinese food. … [Read more...]
Central Asian Food: The Good, the Bad, the Inedible
Mystery vegetables are better than mystery meat. – the mantra we adopted after eating Central Asian meals for over three months Although we would not advise an exclusively culinary expedition to Central Asia, the region does have its appetizing moments. Surrounding those moments, you’ll primarily find a nomadic carnivore’s dream or a vegetarian’s nightmare. … [Read more...]
Kutabs and Kebabs: Azerbaijani Food
Given that Azerbaijani culture and language is Turkic in origin, it's not surprising that its cuisine also carries a strong Turkish influence. Doner kebabs are so prevalent on Baku's streets that you'd swear they were Azerbaijani by origin. One thing is certain though. Azerbaijanis like their meat, with shashlik (barbecue) as the style of choice. One meal took … [Read more...]
The Lost Table: Armenian Food
Searching hopelessly one night for what turned out to be a defunct traditional Armenian restaurant, we inquired with the locals in Yerevan regarding where we could find good traditional Armenian food. "There," all fingers pointed in the direction of one of the handful of local kebab joints. We declare - man cannot live on kebabs alone! And anyway, could grilled … [Read more...]
Georgian Food: A Culinary Travel Guide to the Republic of Georgia
Georgian food is quite appropriately an expression of the culture. Warm, gooey comfort food like khachapuri (cheese-stuffed bread) finds balance with matsoni (sour yogurt). Herbs like tarragon, flat parsley, dill and coriander combine with walnuts and garlic for rich fillings and sauces. … [Read more...]
Lao Food Lowdown
Authentic Lao food can be difficult to find in well-touristed areas like Luang Prabang where Thai curries are often cloaked as local fare. Fortunately for us, we stumbled upon Tamarind Café early in our stay. Its unique menu made a point of introducing and promoting Luang Prabang cuisine. … [Read more...]
A Taste of Hanoi
Everyone raves about the food in Hanoi. However, we found our street-eating selves a bit stymied the first few days of our visit. Not sure if it was the fickle weather, our outlook, or the fear of being served a surprise chicken foot or pig ear, but our initial impression of the cuisine was not quite impenetrable, but less than accessible. Many street stalls offer … [Read more...]