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Exploring the Flavors of Mauritius

A Melting Pot of Cuisines

February 7, 2020

Laureen

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Location: Mauritius Island, Indian Ocean

Culture Clash

The flavors of Mauritius come from cuisines far and wide. The Island of Mauritius was uninhabited by humans until the arrival of Arabs in the 12th century. Then the Portuguese and Dutch dropped by and eventually the French and British colonized the island. The Dutch used the island as a stopover port between Madagascar and India and later for harvesting the ebony tree. Slaves were brought from Madagascar to assist in that pursuit.

Sugarcane occupies 36% of the islands total area

The French brought more slaves from the African continent in the 1700’s. Those slaves brought with them much of the African cultural foods and spices attributed to the flavors of Mauritius on the island today. French is still the main language of the island.

The British claimed the island in 1810 and slavery was abolished in 1835. To maintain the growing sugar cane industry the British secured indentured servants from China and Malaysia and eventually a large number from India. Much of the island today feels more Indian than African and Hinduism is the largest religion.

Today sugarcane remains the top crop of the island. Tea was once a major crop, but has declined over the years, but still is grown. Salt flats also once prolific have dwindled. Most grains are imported and many vegetables come from South Africa.

Tea tasting and Tea plantation tours are popular activity for visitors

African Influence

Today exploring the cultural foods of Mauritius is a colorful collection of the history of slavery, indenture and colonialism. Creole cuisine traces its history directly to those brought from the African nations to work the sugar cane.

While visiting Mauritius we enjoyed a wide variety of Creole foods, both traditional and Nuevo. Creole is a common cuisine enjoyed on the island and we ate it in several locations as well as took an intensive Creole Cooking Class from a local chef (Diary of a Foodie Lover) who helped us explore the flavors of Mauritius. In our class we learned to make a fish curry, octopus salad, and my favorite, the flat bread known as farata.

Making farata from scratch with Chef Didier

Other Creole items we have enjoyed include rougaille – a spicy tomato based stew with chicken or fish – as well as Gaiteau another spicy fried ball made from lentils or chickpeas that you eat almost like popcorn, and hearts of palm salad – one of the most popular dishes on the island. The key to Creole cooking is the spices, very reminiscent of Africa. Many families and chefs create their own secret mixture, with the most popular additions being turmeric, coriander, curry, garlic, ginger, mustard seed, star anise, cloves, cardamom and thyme.

A spicy condiment called piment crazer is served along side bread in most restaurants. Watch out! Holy cow it is spicy. Made with chilies garlic and lemon it will make your eyes water!

Prawns and fish are popular, of course, since this is an island. Marlin, not normally something you see on a menu, is favored smoked. You can find smoked marlin salads and sandwiches. Chicken is prolific. Although roti is traditionally an Indian bread, the use of roti as a wrapper for curry in the Creole style is common. Roti stands are abundant along the street and often have a very long line. It’s eaten for all three daily meals.

If you come to Mauritius we recommend a cooking class with Chef Didier and Mauritian Creole dinner at Creole Shack (casual) and Le Chamarel (fancy). Want to try fish curry at home? Here is a recipe.

Asian Influence

The term “coolie” was used in reference to those indentured servants who came from Asian countries, and although smaller in number their impact on the cuisine is still evident. The Asian immigrants are responsible for making rice a major part of every meal in Mauritius even though rice is not grown on the island.

While visiting we had Chinois food several times. Similar to Chinese and Malaysian dishes we have eaten around the world, except the rice is Basmati. Every rice dish we were served while on the island was Basmati. No Chinese sticky rice like what we are used to. Basmati is a key ingredient in the flavors of Mauritius.

As in all Asian cuisines, vegetables, rice and noodles play a big role, with protein more of a garnish. On our street food walking tour with Taste Buddies in the capital city of Port Louis we loved the boulettes, a French word for a Chinese dumpling served throughout the island by street vendors.

BBQ pork is also a popular dish – glazed with a cherry-honey mixture, the pork is served with fruit and not the spicy mustard we are used to from the USA.

And finally a very popular Chinese dish on the island is called Magic Noodles. It is a layered dish made in a bowl with a fried egg on the bottom, noodles and veg and then turned out onto the plate so the egg is on top. Very popular and very local.

If you come to Mauritius be sure to explore China Town in the capital city of Port Louis. Want to try Boulettes at home? Here is a recipe.

Indian Influence

Indo-Mauritians (both Muslim and Hindu) have had a major impact on the island economically, politically, culturally, and certainly in the cuisine. Today’s Indo-Mauritians trace their ancestry to the indentured servants who arrived during the colonial era. Hinduism is the largest religion on the island, and much of the population originates from the Tamil region in South India.

We found Indian inspired foods everywhere, with some of our favorite flavors of Mauritius coming from street food vendors who prepare delicious roti (flat bread) stuffed with everything from vegetables to octopus, and samosa stuffed with potato and veg. We ate roti several times for breakfast, served hot off the grill at a vendor just down the street.

Roti three ways; vegetable, chicken and lamb curry

We learned a lot about this cuisine on our walking tour with Taste Buddies and enjoyed some local favorites like Dholl Puri, a light and delicate tortilla-like bread made from lentils. Sometimes stuffed with curry but often just stuffed with a spicy sambol sauce (sort of like salsa). Dholl Puri in Mauritius is always flat and soft, where in India it can be puffy.

We had a wonderful surprise when our Airbnb host brought us a full homemade meal of Dholl Puri. She made the delicious Dholl Puri herself and served it for us with Chicken Curry with potato and peas and along side some pickled vegetables and sambol. It was by far the best rendition we had on the island.

Dholl Puri with pickled vegetables and chicken curry

Our favorite Indian meal was at a restaurant close to our apartment called Zub. The service was excellent and the menu huge. We loved it.

Our feast at Zub Express Indian Restaurant

Want to try Dholl Puri at home? Here is a recipe.

French Influence

French influence on the cuisine is most evident in the abundant use of delicious baguette and other breads, puddings and desserts as well as bouillon, coq au vin and daube.

Although Mauritius was a French colony for a much shorter period than when the British held it, the French influence is greater in the culture. The food and the language are French but the British left behind left-hand side driving.

We made a point to try French cuisine while on the island. Although many restaurants have menu items that salute the cuisine, we visited one of the highest rated French Restaurants in the town of Black River called Bistrot de la Poste about thirty minutes from where we were staying. The owner, a French man who was raised in Basque Country, chatted with us and welcomed us to his restaurant while we enjoyed a remarkable selection of French food and wine. The menu included canard, foie gras, frites, entrecote, and a lovely selection of French desserts.

The island also grows its own coffee, and it is often served in the French style – strong and black. We tried three different locally grown coffees, all pretty good. Locals are very proud of their local brew, and you won’t find a Starbucks anywhere on the island. Most cafes we visited also served as a boulangerie and patisserie and included a wide selection of French style desserts and breads.

Our favorite of the coffees we tried – Dodo Cafe

The majority of visitors on the island are French, but there are also many guests from other countries around the world from honeymooners to families. This means in addition to the incredible selection of foods mentioned above, you will find pizza, pasta, burgers, sushi and a wide variety of other internationally loved dishes.

A treat at the Boulangerie down the street from us

Although we try not to eat out often in our travels (in an effort to stay on budget), we did try all the cultural influenced cuisines at least once during our six week visit. Food is the best way to learn about a place, to meet the locals and experience the culture and Mauritius is a tasty tapestry of delicious history, people and food.

Just for you – I continue my quest to eat the world. I hope you enjoy!

Check out our blog about the wildlife preservation efforts on Mauritius.

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The Surprising Foods of Myanmar

Eating and Cooking My Way Through Myanmar

November 29, 2019

Laureen

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Location: Inle Lake Myanmar

On arrival the foods of Myanmar seemed less interesting to me than most places we have been. But four weeks in to our visit I have really learned to appreciate the cuisine, and in fact a few dishes have become favorites – the surprising foods of Myanmar.

Local and Fresh

Besides eating as often as possible at authentic restaurants where the locals eat, we made an effort to find a cooking school in the village Nyaungshwe, the town closest to where we are staying on Inle Lake. A little research online and I discovered the highly rated Bamboo Delights Cooking School. I’m very glad I did.

Our feast at Bamboo Delight Cooking School

We met with our host from Bamboo Delights at the Nyaungshwe morning market. We were joined by two women traveling together from Germany, and a couple from the Netherlands who are on an extended journey like ourselves.

At the Market

We spent a good hour and a half exploring the wonderful morning market, gathering ingredients for our class as well as other ingredients for the Bamboo Delight Restaurant. Going to market with a local is always so interesting…with a guide you can ask questions and be informed not only about the products for sale but also the vendors selling them. Vendors are usually more likely to engage when you have an interpreter present.

Our guide was known by nearly everyone at the market, so we were well received. We learned about many of the local lake and river fish, as well as the produce grown and gathered around the area and brought daily to the market. We learned about the regional chickpea tofu, and the handmade tofu snacks and rice crackers. We learned that onion prices have recently skyrocketed and tomatoes often sell out early. So colorful and very interesting.

Learning to Cook

At the cooking school we each got to choose two dishes to make. It was hard to choose because all the choices sounded so good – but in the end we all tasted all 12 dishes we made and there was MORE than enough to go around.

Tofu making at Bamboo Delight Cooking School

Making the Pennywort Salad at Bamboo Delight

I made Pennywort Salad, although we were unable to find Pennywort in the market so we used Snap Pea tendrils instead. Pennywort is a plant that grows wild and I’ve seen on many menus but didn’t know what it was. I also made steamed butterfish, a local river fish.

My husband Arne made Avocado Salad with rice crackers and a chicken and green pepper curry.

Other participants made Curry Butterfish, Pumpkin Curry, Chicken Curry with Lemongrass, Eggplant Salad, Tea Leaf Salad, Chickpea Tofu Curry, Stir Fry Vegetables with mushrooms, bokchoy and garlic and Green Onion Dumplings.

Shan version of Tea Leaf Salad front and Pennywort Salad back

Other than the Tea Leaf Salad I had not eaten any of these dishes in Myanmar. I really enjoyed in particular the Chickpea Tofu Curry, the Pumpkin Curry and all of the salads. It was a real feast. I will definitely order these dishes again – the surprising foods of Myanmar.

Regional Specialties

Here in Inle Lake region we have also had three other really delicious local dishes. I’m pretty sure I could find the ingredients to make all of these at home. Served in multiple restaurants we have visited we enjoyed;

Braised Pork with Shan Tea Leaves – tender pork in a melt in your mouth sauce served with rice. Shan foods are always cooked over a wood fire and aren’t usually as spicy as other regional food.

Inle Spring Chicken with Cocunut – this dish in a rich and yummy coconut cream sauce with big chunks of boneless tender chicken. Inle Foods are usually cooked over charcoal instead of wood.

Grandmother Style Inle Beef – tender chunks of beef have been marinated in rice wine then braised and served in a tomato gravy.

Soup for Breakfast

Soup is a popular dish for breakfast in Myanmar and I have become a big fan. And why not? It’s warm and filling and a delicious way to start your day. Mohinga is a fish soup and is considered the national dish of Myanmar (as is the Tea Leaf Salad) and though usually served for breakfast it is now eaten any time of day. At the market we watched a women with a giant vat of Mohinga serving up bowls to the locals for their breakfast.

The beautiful resort we splurged on in Inle Lake (Myanmar Treasure Resort – I hight recommend) served a wonderful breakfast each morning with a wide variety of local and western options. Every morning a different soup was featured. My favorite soup was the local Shan Noodle Soup (see photo in title image) and the chicken Coconut Soup.

The Surprising Foods of Myanmar

Although the cuisine of Myanmar includes meat proteins, like in most Asian cuisines the meat does not feature as the main part of most dishes. Instead a wide variety of the freshest local vegetables, herbs, spices and fruits (both locally grown and locally gathered) as well as rich and flavorful broths, curries and stews.

The cuisine features peanuts in nearly every dish, and although I like peanuts I wish they were not so abundantly used. Also many dishes are heavily based in peanut oil, sometimes making a dish too rich for me.

Although chilies are often used, sometimes abundantly, the Myanmar cuisine is not nearly as spicy as the cuisine of Thailand…but watch out for that garlic. It’s used in great quantities. However certain dishes can be very spicy, like the Shan pork and vegetable salad we had a teeny restaurant in Nyaungshwe. It seemed to be bathed in spicy chili oil.

Coffee is pleasant not great, fruit juices are popular and beer is pretty much the standard Asian lager. It gets the job done. In Mandalay the local beer, called Mandalay, had a higher alcohol content. A popular drink is lime soda – fresh squeezed lime juice with club soda served with simple syrup on the side so you can sweeten to taste. Very refreshing.

Myanmar is proud of its locally made whiskey, rum and the country has several wineries.

Farewell and Thank you

So after a month in Myanmar I certainly am not starving. In fact the surprising foods of Myanmar are keeping me sated and curious. It’s a wonderful country all around, including the surprising foods of Myanmar.

Kye zu tin ba Myanmar. Thank you for a wonderful visit. Read last week’s blog about the Remarkable People of Inle Lake

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Asia & Oceania Travel -- Food & Drink

Two Countries, Two Cuisines, Too Delicious

The Food of Taiwan and Malaysia

October 18, 2019

Laureen

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Location: Taiwan and Malaysia

Taking a cooking class and going on a food tour in every country I visit is a goal I have. And I accomplish it often, but not always. But when I can I always enjoy it and over the past couple of weeks I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing two countries, two cuisines, too delicious – the food of Taiwan and Malaysia.

Taiwan

We spent six days in Taipei Taiwan. We weren’t really tuned in to the Taiwanese cuisine, half expecting it to be just like China. But unlike China, Taiwan has been strongly influenced from Japan (with historical influence also from Portugal and Holland) and it’s noticeable in the cuisine. The Chinese influence comes primarily from Eastern China (Fujian). And certainly the fact that Taiwan is an island, the cuisine has a much stronger focus on seafood than much of China.

GoTuCook

A search online led me to Chef Calvin at GoTuCook. Thorough out our world travels I’ve taken cooking classes large and small, in cooking schools and home kitchens, from world famous chefs and humble housewives. And usually my favorite experiences are the ones where I have one-on-one time with the instructor in their home. This was my experience with GoTuCook.

Mushroom and chincken soup in Cooking class in Taipei — The beginnings of a delicious shiitake mushroom and chicken soup

We met early in the morning at the Beitou metro station from where we walked to experience the bustling thriving market and the local vendors selling to the local people. I always love this experience with a local who can explain unusual ingredients, answer my questions and enlighten me to this way of life long gone in America.

At The morning market Beitou Taipei — Me at the busy Beitou morning market

Next we headed to Calvin’s apartment, set up perfectfully for cooking classes. I had chosen three dishes I wanted to make ahead of time from a variety of options listed on the GoTuCook website. I chose as a starter Jellyfish Salad and for a soup course a chicken and mushroom soup and for our main course two kinds of pork dumplings.

Displaying all the dumplings made by hand in Taipei cooking class — My pretty dumplings ready for the steamer

I liked both the jellyfish salad (requires an overnight soak of the chewy jellyfish in the fridge before prep) and the fragrant soup with a broth we cooked with chicken feet as well as meaty parts from the blue chicken, but my favorite was the dumplings.

Making Chinese style steamed dumplings takes some practice. I’ve done similar work in classes before (making empanada in Argentina, pirogi in Poland and dumplings in Vietnam) but it’s still a chore to get your fingers to make the beautiful designs if it’s not a task you do everyday. We made pork with cabbage and spices and pork with corn and different spices. And then we ate!

Of course we had leftovers and I brought dumplings and jellyfish to my husband who was back at the hotel.

I really enjoyed this class and plan to tackle dumplings on my own soon. I recommend GoToCook if you visit Taipei.

Taipei Eats

We also took an amazing walking food tour with Taipei Eats where we expanded our Taiwanese cuisine knowledge with Taiwan Pork “burger”, stinky tofu, betel nut, scallion pancake and much more. Taipei Eats was one of the best food tours we have ever done. Our guide was amazing, there was so much food and we learned some interesting facts while meeting local people as well as other travelers from around the world. Such a wonderful experience!

Malaysia

What a country Malaysia is for a foodie. This remarkable country is a melting pot of many cultures, and it shows in everything, especially the food. Malay food is often spicy, and nasi (rice) features often. Eating with your hands is common. Pork is rarely featured in this cuisine because most Malay are Muslim.

Prepping the chicken at Indian Cooking Class Kuala Lumpur — Learning Indian cooking in Kuala Lumpur

On the other hand, many Chinese immigrated here in the 1800’s when this land was a British colony and the Chinese food is abundant, and often includes pork. Noodles, chicken and dumplings are also widely enjoyed.

And then there is the Indian food, representing the vast number of Indians living in Malaysia. The use of pungent spices and curries, more noodles as well as lots of vegetables make up this delicious cuisine.

Indigenous Malaysian sweet treat — Ancient Malay cultures enjoyed this rice flour treat

No matter what ethnic background, the people in this country love fried foods and fried chicken, seafood, samosa and much more are popular both as street food and in restaurants.

Off the Eaten Track

The food tour we took in Kuala Lumpur was very unique and one of the best ever. At the end of the evening we had sampled twenty-four (yes you read that correctly) foods of this diverse and delicious country.

Chinese Soup at Kuala Lumpur Food Tour — A very local Chinese Soup with veg, chicken and tofu

We signed up with Food Tour Malaysia for their Off the Eaten Track tour and were met by our guide Timothy at a subway stop in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur called Petaling Jaya where we began our gluttonous odyssey at an outdoor Malay neighborhood food court that operates 24 hours a day seven days a week. Here we found just locals enjoying the foods they loved. We had Nasi Lemak wrapped in banana leaf; ota ota, a smoked mackerel wrapped in palm leaf; a rich goat and potato soup; fried chicken and fried tempeh. I was full before we left this first stop.

Amazing Night Market at Kuala Lumpur Food Tour — My husband Arne recruited to work on the “carrot cake” stir fry – one of our favorite things we had on our Kuala Lumpur food tour

Next we headed to probably the best night market I have ever been too, also in the suburb of Petaling Jaya. Here we learned about the popular “carrot cake” (not a cake in the sense we are used to, more of a pressed tofu), we had spring roll, noodles, dumplings and sweet Chinese daun pandan filled with peanuts.

Trying new foods like mackeral in palm leaf at Kuala Lumpur Food Tour — Mackerel cooked inside a palm leaf

Next we headed to a very local-only Chinese open air restaurant to sample more noodles cooked over an open fire and a delicious soup with chicken, okra, long beans and potato.

Chinese sweet treat at Kuala Lumpur Food Tour — Daun Pandan a sweet Chinese treat

Our final stop was an outdoor Indian restaurant, and we were the only non-Indians there. And darn it I was so full I couldn’t really enjoy the amazing feast of roti, lentil dal, curry, a giant fried pancake with a coconut curry dip, fried chicken and mango smoothie. Roll me home. What a night it was. If you are ever in Kuala Lumpur, do this tour – but pace yourself!

Indian Bananan Roti at Kuala Lumpur Food Tour — Banana Roti a sweet Indian treat

The Versatile Housewives

To round off our food frenzy in Kuala Lumpur we spent one morning with Ruth, a cooking instructor who brings the flavors of her native India to visitors in Kuala Lumpur through her business The Versatile Housewives. We learned to make one of India’s most famous dishes, biryani, with a group of local university students in Ruth’s kitchen. Biryani is a rich and flavorful traditional dish, often served at weddings and ceremonies. It can be beef or lamb or chicken. We made a chicken biryani. The flavors of this dish come together by slowly preparing the fresh ingredients of caramelized onions, vegetables and spices like cardamon, cloves and pepper as well as herbs like cilantro and mint. After slowly blending all these flavors with rice and chicken, the biryani is served in a giant bowl and enjoyed communally. Check out Ruth’s website for a great selection of delicious Indian recipes.

Indian Cooking class Kuala Lumpur — The beautiful Biryani we made with our instructor Ruth

No matter where you travel, diving into the culture through food is the most interesting and tastiest way to engage with locals, learn history and culture and broaden your culinary chops. Be brave! Eat the world!

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Food & Drink

Oodles of Noodles

Chapter Five

September 13, 2019

Laureen

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(Note – this is a repost of a blog from my last visit to Asia in 2016. I am currently traveling in China again, but unable to blog until next week. So please enjoy this post again, and watch for a new Surprising China post coming soon.)

Oodles of noodles inside of me

Oodles of noodles on the menu I see

Breakfast is noodles like warm yummy pho

Cheap and delicious it’s so good for ya

Bun is for lunch served hot in a bowl

All of these noodles are good for the soul

Oodles of noodles sold by vendors on the street

Oodles of noodles eaten on a tiny red seat

Dinner is Bahn Cahn or Bahn Bo Hue

Not sure what I’m eating, it’s all noodles to me

Warm yummy broth served with grilled pork too

Or maybe it’s Chicken or fish in the stew

Oodles of noodles each meal of the day

Point at what looks good then take it away

Oodles of noodles served in the Vietnamese style

Trying each kind will take a while

Oodles of noodles I’m so glad I’m here

Eat me some noodles with an ice cold beer

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Food & Drink

My Favorite Cooking Classes Around the World

Fabulous Travel Adventures

June 28, 2019

Laureen

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I don’t take a cooking class in EVERY country, but I’d like to. I love to learn about local cultures through food and I look for that experience when I can find it. In some countries finding a class is difficult or impossible. Other times it just doesn’t fit my schedule. But I always make an effort and when I do attend a class I am never disappointed. Just today I signed up for a cooking class for my upcoming visit to Hong Kong.

I can recommend all of the cooking classes below…many of these I have written blogs about and you can click directly to read those blog entries. I encourage you to consider cooking classes, even if

Cooking in Tuscany

cooking isn’t a big part of your life. Taking a class in a foreign country with local people, often in their homes and with their families, is one of the most rewarding ways to open up the cultural lines of communication all while enjoying a delicious and fun experience. Fabulous!

Tuscany/Italy – My first cooking class took place in Tuscany with a group of friends we were traveling with seven years ago. We learned to make an amazing meal from the owner of the Villa where we were staying. She was a former chef and chocolatier! Our amazing meal included handmade pasta, vegetable terrine, beef loin and lots and lots of wine.

Argentina – We took a very fun cooking class in Buenes Aires during our two day visit prior to getting on a cruise ship. Unfortunately we were so jet-legged the experience is a little bit fuzzy in my memory. The class was

Cooking in South Korea

held in the home of the chef, and there were about 8 people in attendance. We made several different kinds of empanadas, made delicious chimichurri sauce and butter cookies and learned about Matte – the unique and ubiquitous drink of Argentina.

South Korea – in Seoul I spent two full days with a world famous South Korean Chef the Korean Food and Culture Academy and it remains one of my all time favorite experiences. One of the days I was with just one other student. The second day I was with four other students. I learned to cook about a dozen dishes including Kimchee and I have used these recipes over and over

Cooking in Croatia

ever since. Who knew Korean food was so amazing? I didn’t and that is one of the best parts of the experience.

Croatia – I’m a sucker for slow roasted meats and it’s one of the staple foods in many of the East European countries. My experience in Croatia was a mouth watering one, learning the ancient and incredibly delicious process of cooking Peka over an open fire. The lamb dish is spectacularly delicious and a celebratory Croatian speciality.

Guatemala – I loved my full-day private cooking class in Antiqua Guatemala. I had the chef all to myself and an English translator. We made several dishes, enough to feed an army, and I ended up taking all the food home to enjoy another full meal with my husband. Learning

Cooking in Spain

to make the tortillas was a favorite activity, that proved much more difficult that you might expect!

Morocco – In Asilah Morocco we were blessed to have the most wonderful Airbnb that included a daily housekee and full-time cook. What a special treat that was during our ten days in this tiny

Cooking in Thailand

ocean front village. Each day she cooked for us and we watched and learned from her. We also went with her to the market and learned about the local specialities from tagine to couscous.

Thailand – It’s a tough call for me to say which class was my favorite but I would definitely put my two days at the Thai Kitchen Cookery School in Chiang Mai very near the top. It was a comedy of errors how I ended up there, but in hindsight I was so glad I did. I loved the class, the staff and the wonderful foods I enjoyed over my two-days with them.

South Africa – Several of the classes I have taken over the years have been in the personal homes of the chef, bringing me closer to the local

Cooking in Belize

culture in a familiar and family way. In Capetown South Africa my husband and enjoyed a wonderful evening in the home of our Chef who taught us about local cuisine from the African culture with the European influence. We ate Emu for the first time and many other delicious dishes as well as exceptional South African wines with our Chef and her husband.

Vietnam – One of my all time favorite cooking experiences was in Hoi An Vietnam, which coincidentally is also one of my all time favorite cities. I took an all day class at the famous Mrs. Vys Cooking School.

Cooking in South Africa

The class began with a bike ride around the city that included stops at several markets, a beautiful organic community garden and at the home of a bean sprout farmer . I learned so much and enjoyed the bike ride as well. Returning to the school we toured the multiple cooking stations within the school watching the professionals making food beautiful before heading upstairs to the kitchen to tackle our own recipes. I ate so much that day, and learned so much, and highly recommend this place if you are ever in Hoi An. I hope to return some day.

Spain – I loved Barcelona, and especially loved the famous Mercado de la Boqueria for its color and festive atmosphere as well as delicious and fresh food. It was here where my class began, touring, tasting and

Cookin in Poland

purchasing the ingredients before heading upstairs to cook. Our three-hours class included such Catalan specialities as paella, gazpacho and Spanish Tortilla. I have cooked these items many times since.

Poland – Krakow is one of my favorite European cities, under-appreciated by many visitors to Europe.

Cooking in Vietnam

We loved the food of Krakow and did a food walking and drinking tour as well as a pierogi cooking class. My teacher was a young college student who was born and raised in Krakow. We met at the market where she helped us speak Polish to the vendors to acquire the ingredients we needed for our dish. We then proceeded to her tiny, communist era apartment where we maneuvered around her little kitchen learning to make the dough and the stuffing for several different pierogi. It was one of my favorite classes ever.

Belize – Learning about the food and culture of the Garifuna people of Belize, with our two adult sons was a highlight of our family time together in Belize. Cooking outdoors on an open fire with Chef Gloria doing everything from breaking and shredding the coconut to pounding the yams with a wooden mallet made the final delicious dinner all the more satisfying and fun.

So those are some of my favorite cooking class experiences over the past several years. To be sure I will be writing about more wonderful cooking experiences in the future. Because life is fabulous and delicious!

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Food & Drink

Guatemalan Cooking Class in Beautiful Antigua

Food and Culture Around the World

April 19, 2019

Laureen

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Location: Antigua Guatemala

I just sat down and counted up how many cooking classes I have taken in my travels and I come up with a total of 17. It’s one of my most favorite things to do when I am in a new country. And the Guatemalan cooking class I took last week in beautiful Antigua was one of my all-time favorites.

(Note – if you are interested in the recipes read all the way to the end.)

Okay, so I usually say that after every cooking class. But I just loved it. There is nothing that brings a culture to life as well as food and cooking with local people.

Tortilla maker at the market

Antigua

First of all let me tell you what a lovely surprise Guatemala has been, and particularly the gorgeous, historic city of Antigua. Colorful and alive with cultural events and history, Antigua is a perfect place to experience the best of Guatemala from art, history, religion and museums, to food

Fresh and local at the market

and scenery. It’s perfect little package and I really enjoyed our time there.

Searching online before we arrived I found the highly rated La Tortilla Cooking School offering several options for classes. I signed up to do a morning market tour, followed by the full cooking class with six courses. On arriving I learned I was the only student on this day! Wow. It was the holiday weekend marking the beginning of Semana Santa (Holy Week) and most people are busy with other events. So luckily for me, I was the center of attention! So much fun.

To Market to Market

Julio met me on arrival and was my guide to the market and my translator throughout the day. Julio is from Costa Rica and is the manager at the cooking school.

Julio took me around the beautiful city and showed me two historic locations for the local market before taking me to the bustling market center. Since it was a Saturday morning, it was exceptionally busy.

La Tortilla Cooking School

Local people packed the market and I only saw a handful of tourists.

The very authentic market runs seven days a week but Saturday is the busiest day. Vendors wearing traditional Mayan clothing were selling everything from beans to squash, flowers to pots and pans, dog food to chicken. Anything you might need can be had at this sprawling market. I surely would have gotten lost except Julio knew the way. We purchased a squash for our class and a candied yam to try.

Time to Cook

Back at La Tortilla we welcomed a couple from Belgium who have just arrived to serve as volunteers for

With Chef Sonia

the next two weeks. I then met Chef Sonia who would be my teacher today. Sonia speaks no English and I speak no Spanish and so Julio served as our interpreter throughout the class. This actually helped me learn a bit more Spanish too!

Over the next two hours we made six traditional dishes, combining traditional Mayan dishes, Spanish dishes and Guatemalan dishes. Most of the recipes were simple and all used local, fresh ingredients. Here is what I learned to make;

Atol Blanco a warm drink made from corn flour is one of the most Guatemalan of all Guatemalan dishes. Guatemalans drink this more than coffee. It can be served sweet with sugar and cinnamon or savory with salt, lime juice, chile and roasted ground pumpkin seeds. I loved

Atol Blanco

the savory one!

Beet Salad was made by boiling the beets with the skin on, then removing the skin and dicing with onion and lime juice, thyme and salt.

Guatemalan Rice has its roots in Mayan culture but also was influenced by the Spanish who brought many staples to the region like spices and peppers. Our version included onion and carrot.

Pepian was the most complicated of the dishes we created. Considered the national dish of Guatemala, this delicious spicy meat stew (chicken or pork usually) uses roasted vegetables and spices to create a rich and flavorful base for the stew. It was my favorite thing of the day.

Rellinitos Julio had promised me a surprise ingredient in our dessert and sure enough I would never of thought to include BLACK BEANS

Spices for Pepian

with chocolate, and wrap mashed plantains around it. But that is exactly what we did for our delicious Rellinitos, a favorite Guatemalan dessert.

Tortillas of course a cooking class in Guatemala would include tortillas and I learned that this favorite

Making tortillas

items of only two ingredients (corn flour and water) is a lot harder to make than I thought. Rolling a ball with your hands and flattening the tortilla to the perfect size and consistency took a bit of practice. So delicious fresh off the fire.

Such a feast

Time to Eat

Being the only one in the class I was left to enjoy ALL THIS FOOD by myself as the volunteers and Chef Sonia cleaned up and got ready for the afternoon class. I hardly made a dent on the quantity of food they set before me so they kindly packaged it up and sent it home for me to share with Arne.

I would highly recommend La Tortilla Cooking School if you visit Antigua (and you should). I know I can take what I learned and prepare these dishes again.

Would you like the full recipes? All you need to do is leave me a comment IN THIS BLOG BELOW (not on Facebook) with your email address and I will send you the PDF file I received from La Tortilla.

I am happy to share so you too can savor the wonderful flavors of this magical, colorful country of Guatemala.

Muy Bien!

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Food & Drink

In the Garifuna Kitchen with Chef Gloria

Our Belize Adventure Cooking Local

March 8, 2019

Laureen

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Location: Hopkins Village, Belize

Faithful followers of this blog are familiar with my desire to explore and embrace local cultures in my travels. One of the absolute best ways to do that, is to spend time in the home of a local person learning how to cook the local cuisine. There is nothing better. Authentic, informative and delicious. So that is how we found ourselves in the Garifuna kitchen with Chef Gloria.

We found Chef Gloria (conveniently just down the street from where we are staying in Hopkins) through

Chef Gloria

Taste Belize, a website connecting visiting foodies with local food adventures. Taste Belize has several options, but the option to learn about the Garifuna culture and foods was the one for us.

Garifuna

If you are not familiar with the word Garifuna, here is a brief description from Wikipedia;

“The Garifuna (/ˌɡɑːriːˈfuːnə/ GAR-ee-FOO-nə;^[3]^[4] pl. Garinagu^[5] in Garifuna) are an indigenous people native to the island of St. Vincent who speak an eponymous Arawakan language.

While they are ancestrally and genealogically descended from groups that migrated from the Lesser Antilles, mainly Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, many Garifuna today are of mixed ancestry, primarily with West African, Central African, Island Carib, European, and Arawak admixture.

Cutting the plantains

Most Garifuna people live along the Caribbean coast of Honduras, with smaller populations in Belize, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. They arrived there after being exiled from the islands of the Lesser Antilles by British colonial administration as “Black Caribs” after a series of slave rebellions. Those Caribs deemed to have had less African admixture were not exiled and are still present in the Caribbean. There is now also a large number that have moved to the United States.”

Chef Gloria

Chef Gloria met us in her brightly colored yellow Garifuna dress (yellow, black and white the official Garifuna colors) with a big smile and generous welcome to her small outdoor cooking facility. She began our visit with a simple language lesson;

Good Morning – Buiti Binafin

Welcome – Buiti achüluruni

How Are You – Ida biña?

Thank you – Seremein

The Garifuna language is primarily based on the Arawak language of the indigenous people of Central America, but also incorporates elements of French, Spanish, English, Carib and West African languages.

The Garifuna cuisine, just like its language, is a colorful melding together from the history and environment

Husking the coconuts

of which the Garifuna people have emerged.

Fresh and Local

Our ingredients for the dish we were preparing on this day all came either from Gloria’s yard, or the sea in front of the kitchen. Making the favorite Garifuna dish of Hudut (mashed plantains) with Sere (coconut fish stew) we used fresh coconut, plantain, basil, oregano, habanero and red snapper all gathered just for our feast.

So we began our work in the Garifuna kitchen with Chef Gloria. The wood burning stove was hot when we arrived and we began by carefully using a very sharp knife to peel the plantains. If you have never peeled a plantain

Family Coconut Success

you might be surprised. The texture of both the skin and the fruit is firmer than a banana. We used about a dozen unripe plantains and about a half a dozen softer ripe ones. These boiled for 15 minutes (unripe) and we added the ripe at the end for five minutes.

While the plantains were over the fire we headed out to shuck the coconuts. Still in their green outer shells, Gloria helped us peel away the husk with the use of a wooden stake in the ground. I broke the stake when it was my turn (I don’t know my own strength), so we then went to the sharper metal stake not usually used by the amateurs. Once we each had a husked coconut, Gloria masterfully used a machete to open each and

The Mennonite Coconut Drill

we drank the delicious water inside.

Traditional and New

Next in the Garifuna kitchen with Chef Gloria we learned two different methods used for shredding the coconut;

The Mennonite method created by the local Mennonite population is now the preferred method, which is an ingenious “drill” that is simple, effective and quick (see photo).

The traditional Garifuna way, is a grater method, using a board with small pebbles embedded in it. Effective but much more labor intensive (see photo).

The traditional Garifuna Coconut grater

We took all the grated coconut and hand squeezed all the milk out of it. We added some water to the coconut and squeezed it some more. Once the coconut was completely dry it no longer had the flavor we all know and love. So I learned in the Garifuna kitchen with Chef Gloria that it’s all about the milk when it comes to coconut flavor.

The milk became the base of the dish we were making and the coconut meat all went to the compost.

To the milk over the fire we added basil, oregano and three whole habaneros. Gloria assured me that as long as the habanero is whole, with no breaks or blemishes in the skin, it will give a wonderful flavor to the soup without adding any heat – something else I learned in the Garifuna

Squeezing the milk from the coconut

kitchen with Chef Gloria.

While the coconut milk simmered we began work on turning the plantains into Hudut. Using the mata and mata stick (a giant mortar and pestle) we smashed the plantains until they formed a ball firm like dough. This dish was very similar in texture and flavor to the Fu Fu we ate in Burkina Faso, made from Casava.

Casava also features prominently in Garifuna cuisine, particularly the flat Casava bread, a staple food of the Garifuna.

It took awhile to get the texture of the Hudut just right and during that time

Pounding the Hudut

we added the already seared whole red snapper and then the okra to the simmering coconut milk. And the tiny and rustic outdoor kitchen started to smell heavenly.

The Garifuna Feast

Gloria shooed us out of the kitchen and we sat down in the dining area and waited to enjoy the finished product. The Hudut arrived, still warm and firm enough to eat with your fingers, then the beautiful Sere soup served in a calabash bowl, the whole fish smothered in the coconut goodness lightly fragranced with basil and oregano. And as promised the habaneros added only flavor and no heat.

Before serving

Simple ingredients. Locally sourced. Lovingly prepared. Gratefully consumed. Our day in the Garifuna kitchen with Chef Gloria was memorable, educational and delicious. We will definitely make Sere and Hudut back

Our feast

home, and hopefully do it justice in honor of our new friend Gloria.

We thank you.

Seremein.

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