Global Delicacies Await: Uncover Hidden Culinary Gems Across Cultures
One of the best things about traveling is sampling local cuisine. My husband is on a quest to find the best Bolognese sauce in the world. So far, he’s sampled it in at least six countries. Who’s ahead? So far, he says, it’s pretty much a tie between a sauce prepared by a Macedonian chef on board a cruise liner off the coast of Italy, and one served up by a transplanted Roman chef at a small Italian restaurant in Belize, of all places.
Traditionally, countries like France and Italy have had well-deserved reputations as foodie destinations, but other countries and regions are stepping up their culinary game lately, says CNN Travel.
There is a “new Nordic cuisine” movement afoot, apparently, drawing attention to Scandinavian dishes like meatballs. Yes, the humble meatball, prepared Swedish style, comes swimming in gravy with buttery mashed potatoes on the side, green peas and “a dollop of sweet-and-sour lingonberry jam.” Especially treasured at Christmas time, Swedish meatballs long ago found their way to American buffet tables, and they’re always a hit.
Pickled herring is an acquired taste, but not in Scandinavia, where it is widely served and relished. Onion and carrot, mustard and the creamy “archipelago” variety, seasoned with roe and chives, are some of the favorites, especially during the holidays. The leading brand of Swedish pickled herring is called Abba, but it predates the rock group by over a century, dating back to 1838.
Other Scandinavian favorites include cured salmon, the goose dinner, fermented herring and—get ready for it—the caviar and egg sandwich.
Bolivia, a landlocked nation in South America, hasn’t been known as a foodie destination, but its reputation is growing. In the capital city of La Paz are three restaurants currently listed among the top 100 on the continent. About ten years ago, young Bolivian chefs decided that their nation’s cuisine deserved more recognition, and so they came up with “zero-kilometer cuisine,” using as many ingredients as possible that are raised or grown locally and having direct contact with the farmers and ranchers who produce the food. At the city’s renowned Gustu restaurant, co-founder Claus Meyer, a transplanted Dane who helped found the aforementioned New Nordic food movement, has a menu featuring signature dishes like raw Lake Titicaca trout with mango, llama with Amazonian vanilla and ajipa root, Amazon fish with gooseberries and a fermented yuca, and a lamb tamale that is considered the best in the world.
Bolivia and its neighbors in the Andes cultivate more than 4,000 types of potatoes. There are over 3,000 varieties of quinoa, a hardy grain which was banned by the Spaniards as a means of controlling the indigenous population. Today, NASA is planning to feature quinoa in the indoor greenhouses that will help feed human settlements on the moon and Mars.
Just about everybody has dined at a Chinese restaurant at least once—but not necessarily in China itself. Today, of course, China has thousands of restaurants serving traditional dishes. But one Chinese wanted to know what China’s rulers used to eat. Zhao Rongguang, a food historian, entered into the daunting task decades ago. It took him 40 years of research, gaining access to ancient records from Beijing’s Forbidden City, but he’s now beginning to publish his results.
Until the last one was ousted in 1924, China was ruled by imperial dynasties, whose families and hangers-on lived secretive lives within the Forbidden City. Zhao’s research took him back to 1644, when Kangxi seized power and began the Qing Dynasty. As things settled down in the country, Kangxi’s table began featuring more exotic fare, such as tiger testicles and rooster combs, both thought to be aphrodisiacs. Kangxi, evidently, was an enthusiastic tiger-hunter. He also had at least 17 sons, so maybe he was onto something. He also began offering more traditional ethnic Han dishes at his table, such as duck gizzard stew.
Kangxi’s grandson, Quianlong, ruled from 1735-1796 and kept meticulous records of his menus. Visitors to the Hong Kong Museum can see an elaborate display showcasing the food served up by Quianlong’s chefs. Milk tea was a dietary staple. Tea bricks would be broken into boiling water; milk, butter and a pinch of salt were added. The tea leaves were then filtered out and the tea was served in elaborate silver teapots. When he visited outlying parts of his empire, Quianlong would bring along a Mongolian tea master to prepare the royal court’s daily tea. Back in Beijing, his table often featured exotic game dishes, like Sika deer tail and smoked red-braised duck, along with fried spring bamboo shoots with pork and bird’s nest soup, made from the solidified saliva of swallows. The emperor liked the soup so much, it is said he enjoyed it every morning. You can see it in the picture above, and it looks fairly tasty. Just ignore the part about the saliva.
Ready to start exploring the restaurants of the world? Give us a call, and we’ll get you over there. (Bring your own bibs.)
Sue Tindell
