Taste memories

One of the greatest things about traveling is getting the opportunity to try all the special, local and distinctive flavors that are a critical part of the culture. In order to really feel like you're a traveler and not just a tourist. Not only do we usually rent an apartment in a destination city and visit local markets so that I can take them home and whip something up but we venture out and sample food items that can only be found in that city or for which the city is famous.

Some of my favorites have been:

Bibimbap

Thai Barbecue_edited

spanish beef_edited_edited

Tapas

Paris Mussels

Bibimbap in Soeul - although the name itself translates to "mixed rice" - it is SO much more than that. The bed of steamed rice is a base for sautéed carrots, spinach, cucumber, onion, shitake, kimchi, and for the grand finale, a fried egg, often tossed tableside with spicy red-pepper gochujang paste. We had been walking around the sweaty hot and humid city for hours and this small restaurant was a welcome respite...certainly the smells inside were inviting, I could have stayed here the whole afternoon. Digging into this dish, you can sense “home” – the earthy ingredients create a perfect blended combination – salty, sweet, hearty, light…it was amazing.

Barbecue Chicken in Na Mueang Park on Koh Sumuai - We set out on our round-the-island scooter tour early in morning. By the time we made it to the waterfalls at Na Mueang, the temperature was about 100 degrees and it felt like 175% humidity. I just wanted to get my feet wet – I don’t really swim where I can’t see the bottom. Afterwards as we were walking back to parking lot, the smell of barbecue was overwhelming – the sweet, pungent aroma instantly making our mouths water. Although every region in Thailand has their own recipe and each vary just a bit, most include garlic, pepper, cilantro root or stem, salt, sugar and, optionally, turmeric, lemongrass, shallots, soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce, honey, galangal and paprika or chili. We definitely had seconds sitting under the metal roof of the make-shift restaurant.

Barbecue meat in Madrid – After a day of sightseeing, we wanted to experience something quite unique and were so lucky to stumble into a neighbor eatery that offered “carne a la piedra” or meat cooked on a stone. An English speaking bar patron suggested that we try it although I’d seen something about it on TV. You order it much like you would fondue – for the total number of people, not per plate. The hot stone plate was set in the middle of the white linen table cloth on top of a portable burner where it continued to heat. Then they brought out the plate of raw, beautifully marbled rib eye cut to perfection and splattered with just a bit of sea salt. They also brought out bowls of vegetables and then we were left to it. You are able to cook your meat to exactly your desire. Paired with a basic Chianti, it was honestly one of the best meals we had in Spain.

Tapas in Barcelona – We arrived from Grenada on an evening flight and were really looking forward to setting our luggage inside the apartment and finding a small tapas bar to enjoy a light dinner. Although the Spanish don’t consider it quite a snack or quite a meal – it really all depends on how many plates you partake of. I understand that Catalans have never really embraced the tradition of Tapas like the rest of the county, but if you look and do research, you can certainly find places to enjoy. The biggest thing about tapas to remember – “try it, you’ll like it”. Almost every dish is delicious and if you don’t like something, they come in small enough portions that you don’t feel like you’ve blown your budget. I honestly have never had a tapas that was bad – I’m not a big fan of sardines, but still, the way they are prepared and the fact that you’re standing at a tapas bar in Barcelona on a windy, balmy night – it’s all good.

French Onion soup and steamed mussels in Paris – It’s usually a first meals in a city that can make the biggest impression and my dinner at La Mère Catherine on the Montmartre was no exception to this rule. We sat down at a table outside under the tent in the center of the Place du Tetre – mind you, not exactly quaint, but everything that I wanted it to be. We were traveling late September so there wasn’t the expected hordes of visitors heading up to Sacre Couer and it was raining so things were rather quiet. We ordered what every American is supposed to order – French Onion Soup and Mussels with a table wine to accompany. I remember the soup was toasty warm and the melted Gruyere was running down the sides of the tall bowls. You could dip the spoon through the cheesy topping and lift it to your lips and it was pure heaven. The bowl of steam, wine soaked and appropriately herbed mussels arrived next. Honestly we could devoured them so quickly we should have ordered a 2nd bowl….but this was the first meal and we had 6 more days in Paris to go….

Every trip is another opportunity to indulge and I look forward to continuing on this journey.

#Inspiration #Food #Taste