How did Saudi Arabia get its name?

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world named after a family.  The Al-Sauds have traced their origins back to the 1700s, when Saud bin Mohammad ruled as a local sheikh on the central Arabian peninsula.  The official name is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Where is Saudi Arabia Located?

Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle East.  It is a desert country that encompasses most of Arabian peninsula. It is large, about 830,000 square miles, and is the 13^th largest country in the world.  It has two coastlines, with a total length of 1640 miles; the Red Sea and the Persian or (Arabian) gulf coastlines.

It has many neighbors: Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast and Yemen to the south.  It is separated from Israel and Egypt by the Gulf of Aqaba.

Despite most of the land being an uninhabited desert, which includes the world’s largest contiguous sand desert, called the Empty Quarter, it also has hills and mountains in the west and southwest along the Red Sea.  The highest peak is Jabal Sawda which rises 9,843 feet above sea level. The country has no natural lakes or rivers.

Riyadh is the capital and home to more than 8 million people, making it the most populous city in the country.  It is located in the center of the Arabian peninsula on a large plateau.

A Brief History of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia can trace its roots back to the earliest civilizations of the Arabian peninsula.  Over the centuries, it played an important role in trade but it is best known as the birthplace of Islam; the world’s second largest religion after Christianity.  Prior to the 7^th century, most of Saudi Arabia was inhabited by nomadic tribes.  It was Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, who was born in Mecca that united many of these tribes.  After his death in 632, his Arab followers began to expand the area of Muslim rule well beyond Arabia.

In the 16^th century, the Ottoman Empire took over, taking control of both coasts along the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.  It was in the 18^th century when the House of Saud began to emerge as a power.  Muhammad bin Saud started the dynasty along with Muhammad ibn Adb-dl-Wahhad, a religious leader and the founder of the Wahhabi movement.  They stayed in power until the Ottomans regained control in 1818.  This alliance, formed in the 18^th century, provided the ideological impetus to Saudi expansion and remains the basis of the dynastic rule today.  At this time, another family, the Al Rashid, also came into power.  In 1902, Abul-Aziz bin Saud returned from exile in Kuwait and seized Riyadh, ousting the Al Rashid and uniting the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia became an independent nation after the Ottoman Empire was defeated in World War I.  Abdul-Aziz bin Saud regained power.  In 1932 the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was established with Abdul-Aziz as king.  He set up Saudi Arabia as an absolute monarchy and has remained in power with six of his sons in succession, poised to reign over the kingdom. The king of Saudi Arabia is also known as the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.  Saudi Arabia is home to Islam’s holiest shrines in Mecca; one where the prophet Muhammad was born and Medina, where he was buried.

Saudi Arabia struck oil in 1938 and by 1949 was in full production.  This began under the US-controlled Aramco (Arabian American Oil Company.)  The discovery of oil reserves made Saudi Arabia one of the richest nations in the world.  They are the world’s largest oil producer and exporter of oil, controlling the world’s second largest oil reserves, and the sixth largest gas reserves.

In February 1945, King Abdul Aziz met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt aboard the USS Quincy in the Suez Canal.  A historic handshake, agreeing to supply the US with oil in exchange for guaranteed protection to the Saudi regime, is still in force to this day.  This agreement has survived seven Saudi Kings and twelve US presidents.

In 1960 Saudi Arabia became a founding member of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.)  In 1973, Saudi Arabia led an oil boycott against western countries that supported Israel during the October, Yom Kipur War with Egypt and Syria.  Oil prices quadrupled.  In 1980, Saudi Arabia took full control of Aramco from the US.

In 1994 the Islamic dissident, Osama Bin Laden, was stripped of his Saudi nationality and started the terror group known as Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.  On September 11, 2001 they staged the worst terror attack ever committed on US soil.  Planes were purposely flown into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.  Fifteen of the nineteen hijackers involved in the attack were Saudi nationals.

In 2011, the whole area in the Middle East was dealing with unrest, known as the Arab Spring.  In an effort to keep the unrest at bay, King Abdullah announced increased welfare spending and more rights for women, including the right to vote and to run in municipal elections.  This made Saudi Arabia the last country in the world to give women the right to vote.

The current leader is King Salman, however, his son, Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who is next in line to the throne, is believed to be the driving force behind Saudi reforms.  He has recently allowed women the right to get a driver’s license, and has allowed the return of public cinema.  However, the world was recently horrified over the killing and dismemberment of a reporter named Jamal Khashoggi, that occurred in the Saudi consulate in Turkey.  There has been an international outcry as a result and we are waiting to see what happens next.

The Saudis have also been funding a war in nearby Yemen.  Saudi Arabia is supporting the coalition (which is also supported by other nations, including the United States of America,) in fighting the Houthi rebels, which, since 2015, has resulted in a horrific civil war.  Yemen remains in the middle of a humanitarian catastrophe, yet it has been dubbed the forgotten war.

Saudi Arabian Culture

Saudi Arabia has a population of about 33 million people.  Its primary ethnic group is Arab and the main religion is Sunni Islam.  The country’s currency is the Riyal, which is tied to the US dollar.  The official language is Arabic.

The rich culture of Saudi Arabia takes its cues from its Islamic heritage.  Its historical role is as an ancient trade center and it upholds its Bedouin traditions.  The country is run by Sharia law and all of its holidays are based on the Islamic religion.

The highlights of the year are the holy month of Ramadan, a time in which they fast from dusk till dawn and which ends with the Eid-Al-Fitr, a holiday where families and friends exchange gifts.  Additionally, the hajj (pilgrimage) season, culminates with Eid-Al-Adha, when families slaughter a sheep in memory of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, and then they share the meat with the poor.  The hajj is a mandatory, religious duty for all Muslims to visit the holiest city of Mecca.  This must be carried out once in their lifetime.  The pilgrimage is considered to be one of the five pillars of Islam.

The country is 100% Muslim, except for the foreigners who are brought there for work, which accounts for some 9 million people.  There is no freedom of religion.  The Islamic teachings and Arab customs are taught in schools at an early age.

As the birthplace of Islam, the Kingdom places a special emphasis on preserving its Islamic archeological heritage.  The two most important sites are the Holy Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.   Minarets are the most visible, man-made, structures in Saudi Arabia.  They jut from the skyline of every urban center.  The minarets are meant to be a Muslim society’s bond with God.  The reason they rise above all other structures is to allow the call to prayer to be heard, which occurs five times per day.

Poetry, folk music and dancing are a living piece of the country’s history, which has been shaped by the nomadic Bedouins for centuries.  The national dance is the men’s sword dance, known as the Ardha.  Men carrying swords stand in two lines or in a circle, with a poet singing in their midst, while they perform the traditional dance.

Saudis prefer traditional clothes to western styles.  The loose flowing, traditional garments are practical for the Kingdom’s hot and windy climate, as well as in keeping with the Islamic ideal of modesty.  Men wear a typical white, ankle length shirt called a thawb.  On their heads they wear a large square of cotton that is folded over a skull cap and held in place with a cord.  Women customarily wear a black outer cloak, called an abaya, over their dress, which very likely is modern.  On their heads they wear a black, gauzy scarf that is wrapped around the head and called a shayla.  Some women wear veils made of sheer material, which has been a tradition even before the advent of Islam.  The thin veil provides protection from constant exposure to the sun.  Today, a veil is also a sign of modesty and virtue.  Jewelry has also been part of the Arabian dress for thousands of years.

Saudi Arabian Cuisine

Nearly all types of cuisines, including fast foods, are available in this wealthy nation, but the Saudis prefer traditional foods.  Also, despite the area only receiving about 4 inches of rain per year, they have managed to become food independent, and have developed a strong agriculture sector, producing all their own dairy and vegetables. They have built very deep wells and desalinization plants to provide for an ample water supply.

As Saudi Arabia is an Islamic state, pork and alcohol are forbidden.  Animals must be butchered according to Islamic law and blessed before they are eaten.  Saudi Arabia is the largest importer of live sheep and ranks as the highest consumer of broiler chickens.  Lamb is traditionally served to honored guests and for special occasions.  Camel is also consumed, as is its milk, which has long been a staple of the Bedouin diet.  The largest camel market in the world, selling a 100 head of camel a day, can be found in the capital city of Riyadh.  Yogurt is used in sauces, eaten alone and made into a drink called lassi.

The main ingredients in their diet are fava beans, wheat, rice, yogurt and of course dates.  Saudi Arabia has over 18 million date palms that produce 600 million pounds of dates each year.  Flat breads, called fatir or kimaje, which are similar to a pita, are used as utensils to scoop up their meal.  Thick soups are popular, as are stuffed vegetables, bean salads and tabbouleh, a salad made with bulgur wheat.

Often times, dates, dried fruits and nuts, along with sweet tea, are served as appetizers or snacks and sweet desserts are enjoyed at the end of meal.  Coffee, called gawha, is a centuries old tradition and served in tiny coffee cups.  It is considered very rude to refuse a cup of coffee and it should always be enjoyed in odd numbers.  Coffee houses are gathering spots for many Saudi men.

Spices such as cardamom, saffron, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cloves are all prevalent in Saudi cuisine.   They also enjoy eating foods with a serving of a super spicy sauce, called shattah.

So let’s enjoy a Saudi Arabian meal:

The Menu

Appetizer

Akkawi Manakeesh (Arabic Cheese Bread with Nigella Seeds)

Main Course

Al Kabsa (Spiced Rice and Chicken)

Served with

Shattah (Spicy Hot Sauce)

Dessert

Ma’amul (Short Biscuits, Stuffed with Dates and Nuts)

We set the scene by placing a rug on the floor, as it is tradition to eat on the floor in a cross-legged position.  To decorate, we added palm fronds, dates and a sword, to represent the fight of Abd-al-Aziz.  A traditional coffee pot, along with a calligraphy pen was added, as calligraphy is a beloved art form there that dates back some 1400 years, to the first century of Islam.  Because its primary subject matter has been the Holy Qur’an, calligraphy is considered to be the quintessential Islamic art form.  An Arabian horse figurine was also placed, as they have a long history of breeding horses there.

We began the meal with a hand washing ritual, which is customary.  We then said, “Sahtain” which basically means, “Bon appetite” and “Bismillah,” which means, “In the name of God.”  Our first course was a scrumptious little cheese bread.  It was made with a flat bread and a salty cheese called akkawi.  The cheese comes in a brine and is rinsed to remove the salt before serving.  It was topped with nigella seeds and baked in a hot oven, similar to a pizza.  I also made another version that was topped with a spice mixture  called za-atar.  We loved them both!  We ate the bread with just our right hand, which is the socially acceptable tradition there.

For the main course, we savored the national dish called Al Kabsa.  It was reminiscent of other rice dishes I have made previously from the region; such as machboos, from Bahrain or murabyan, from Kuwait.  This was a spiced rice, with chicken dish but what made this one special, was the very, spicy sauce called shittah.  The sauce was served on the side.  To me, it truly elevated the dish and I will make that spicy sauce accompaniment often.

For dessert we had a very popular Arabic cookie, called Ma’amul.  It is a bit dry, like a short biscuit, but with a lovely nut and date interior.  They were baked in a ma’amul mold, which makes a lovely decoration for the cookie.  They were then covered with powdered sugar and rose petals.  The cookies went great with a robust, little cup of Arabic coffee.

When we finished our meal, we said “Diamah,” which means “May there always be plenty at your table.”  The Saudis are known for their generous hospitality to guests and strangers.  If you ever get the opportunity to experience this hospitality, you should definitely take part.

Until next time,

Darlene

How did Sao Tome and Principe get their names?

The two, uninhabited, volcanic islands, that formed this nation, were founded by Portuguese navigators who arrived on Sao Tome on the feast day of Saint Thomas, in 1471.  Principe was originally discovered on St. Anthony’s Day, in 1472 and initially was named Santo Antao.  In 1502, the name was changed to Ilha do Principe or Prince’s Island, after the Portuguese prince who received the islands’ sugar crop duties.  The rich volcanic soil was ideal for setting up plantations to grow sugar.

Where is Sao Tome and Principe located?

The two islands are about 31 miles (or 50 km) apart and are located in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Gulf of Guinea, just north of the equator.  The closest neighbor is the West African nation of Gabon, about 186 miles or (300 km) away to the northeast.  The islands are part of the Cameroon volcanic, mountain line.  Sao Tome is about 30 miles long and 20 miles wide and is the more mountainous of the two islands.  Its tallest peak reaches 6,640 feet but its most famous peak is Pico Cao Grande; a landmark, skyscraper like, volcanic plug, which is also known as the Great Dog Peak.  It rises over 1000 feet above the surrounding terrain, with the summit being 2175 feet above sea level.  The islands feature striking rock and coral formations, lush tropical rainforests and beautiful beaches.  The climate is hot and humid, with an average temperature of 80 degrees.  The rainy season is between October and May, and annual rainfall can vary from 40 inches to 196 inches.

A Brief History of Sao Tome and Principe

The islands were discovered without any inhabitants.  The Portuguese discoverers felt the islands would be good locations for bases to trade with the mainland.  The first successful settlement of Sao Tome was established in 1493 by Alvaro Caminha, who received a land grant from the crown.  Principe was established seven years later, in 1500.  One problem they faced was attracting settlers.  So the first inhabitants, who were deemed “undesirables,” sent from Portugal, were mostly Jews.  Slave labor was brought in later, in large numbers, from the African mainland to work the sugar plantations.  By the mid-16^th century the Portuguese settlers had turned the islands into Africa’s largest exporter of sugar.  The islands were taken over and administered by the Portuguese crown, in 1522 for Sao Tome and then in 1573 for Principe.

Competition from other sugar producing colonies began to hurt the islands.  Sugar cultivation started to decline over the next 100 years.  In the 17^th century, the islands economy changed and was instead a transit point for ships engaged in the slave trade between the West and the African mainland.

In the 19^th century, two new crops, coffee and cocoa, were introduced.  It didn’t take long for numerous new plantations, called rocas, to occupy almost all of the good, rich volcanic farmland.  The rocas were mostly owned by Portuguese companies or absentee landlords. By 1908, Sao Tome became the world’s largest producer of the highly sought after cocoa, which remains an important crop today.

Unfortunately, the system of rocas, led to abuses against the African farm workers.  Although slavery was officially abolished in 1876 by the Portuguese, the practice of forced paid labor continued.  Years of uprisings eventually culminated into what is known as the “Batepa massacre,” which was a clash between African workers and their Portuguese rulers.   Several hundred African laborers were killed in the massacre.  This was a major turning point in 1953, which later became a memorial, observed each year on February 3^rd, by the government.

Sao Tome and Principe achieved peaceful independence on July 12, 1975.  In 1990, Sao Tome became one of the first countries to undergo democratic reform.  They held non-violent, free and transparent elections.  Although the country has had a few uprisings since that time, it has a reputation for being a safe and democratic society, that functions under a multi-party system.

Sao Tome and Principe Culture

The population of both islands is currently about 213,000.  All are descended from various ethnic groups that have migrated to the islands since 1485.  There are six different groups:  Mestizo, or mixed heritage is the first group, and are descendants of Portuguese colonists and African slaves.  They are considered the “Children of the Land.”  Angolares, are descendants of Angolan slaves, who survived a shipwreck in 1540.  Today most Angolares earn their livelihood as fisherman.  Forros, are descendants of freed slaves.  Servicas are contract laborers, who lived only temporarily on the islands.  Tongas, are the children of Servicas, who were born on the islands.  Europeans, mostly Portuguese, and some Asians, make up the balance of the population.

Due to its diverse population Sao Tome and Principe have four official languages: Portuguese, Portuguese creole (called Forro), Angolar and Principense.  French, however, is learned in school and the country is a member of Francophonie.  Almost the entire population belongs to either Roman Catholic or Evangelical Protestant religions.  However, there are others religions practiced there because of the Freedom of Religion Act.

It is no surprise that music plays an important role.  Santomaen’s are known for ussua and socope rhythms, while Principe is home to the dexa beat.  It is believed that Portuguese ballroom music played an integral role in the development of these rhythms and dances, as well as musical traditions from various regions of Africa.   They are also known for tchiloli; a dramatic story told through music, dance and theatre.

Sao Tome and Principe Cuisine

The two biggest influences on the cuisine are their location and from the origin of the inhabitants.  African and Portuguese cuisines blend together into a wonderful fusion of flavors.  Of course, being islands, seafood plays an important role.  Fish is their main source of protein, which is often eaten with indigenous root crops.  Breadfruit and jackfruit are both very popular.  Other staple foods are beans, maize and cooked bananas (some seven varieties.)  Tropical fruits like pineapple, avocado, mango, bananas, soursop and things you have never seen, even in the most exotic produce section of your local market, also play significant roles.

Being a small, two-island nation, most of their food is imported from Portugal.  Calulu, is considered the national dish, which comprises smoked fish, palm oil and vegetables, along with peppers, to add spice.  Generally, they like their food with a little kick.  Many of their dishes are also flavored with local coffee; used like a spice, in sauces.  The national drink is palm wine, but they make a few beers and local rum as well.  Sao Tome, the capital with the same name, is home to the main market where imported items from Portugal such as sausages and salami stuffed in bread rolls can be found.  It is common to see grilled corn on sticks served as a popular street food.

So let’s eat a Sao Tome and Principe meal:

The Menu

Appetizer

Sanduiche de Salsicha (Sausage Sandwich)

Main Course

Matata (Clams in Port Wine)

Dessert

Banana Bolo (Banana Cake)

We set the scene with several of their staple ingredients: bananas, avocados, coffee and cocoa.  A palm leaf was placed to represent the tropical rainforests, along with a few exotic flowers and seashells.  A soccer ball was added, since soccer is the national sport, and a religious cross completed the scene.

The first course was one of my favorite things; a sausage sandwich.  Grilled linguica, is my “go to” Portuguese sausage and paired with a little mustard and bread, makes for a wonderful appetizer.  We enjoyed it with the famous Portuguese, Super Bock beer.

Our main course was called matata; a lovely clam dish cooked in port wine and served over steamed, white rice.  The dish was really quick and easy to make and was so delicious.  It was flavored with onion, tomato and spinach, with a touch of heat from red pepper flakes.  It also had a nice crunch from peanuts in the sauce.  It was a super easy, delightful dish that I will make often.

For dessert, we enjoyed banana bolo, or banana cake.  It is the topping that makes this dessert so amazing.  It is basically caramel, topped with banana pieces.  This was served slightly warm and was an absolute delight.  (Fair warning, you will want more than one piece.)  We savored this dessert with a robust cup of hot coffee.

As we say goodbye to this tiny, two-island nation, called Sao Tome and Principe, I leave you with  a saying that is heard all over the islands;  “Leve’ leve’,” which means, “Easy easy.”  It’s a simple saying that is good reminder to us to slow down, take our time, and enjoy all that life has to offer.

Until next time,

Leve’ leve’

Darlene Longacre

How did San Marino get its Name?

It is believed that Marinus, a Christian stonemason seeking refuge from religious persecution on Mount Titano, founded the state.  The story goes that shortly after Marinus was ordained a Deacon, in nearby Rimini, he was accused by an insane woman of being her estranged husband. So he fled to Mount Titano, to build a chapel and a monastery and live as a hermit.  From this community, the State of San Marino later grew.  Marinus was venerated to Saint Marinus by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.  The State’s national holiday is celebrated on his feast day/memorial day, September 3^rd, commemorating the day in 301 AD when he founded what became known as San Marino.

Where is San Marino Located?

San Marino is an enclave located on the slopes of Mount Titano, on the Adriatic side of central Italy between the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions.  It is landlocked and wholly surrounded by Italy.  It is one of the few remaining city-states that proliferated across Europe.  It has the distinction of being the world’s oldest sovereign state and constitutional republic ever recorded.  San Marino is Europe’s third smallest state and the world’s fifth smallest, after the Vatican, Monaco, Nauru and Tuvalu.  The whole Republic of San Marino is only 23.63 square miles.  The highest point of Mount Titano is 2457 feet above sea level and there are no bodies of water of any significant size.

A Brief History of San Marino

In the earliest days of its existence, its de facto independence was maintained because it was an inaccessible city state with no wealth to speak of and therefore absorbing it would be more trouble than it was worth.  So it was largely left untouched by the Romans and later the neighboring states.  In 1631, the Papal States which surrounded San Marino, formally recognized her independence.  This has lasted until the present day, despite being at times surrounded by a war zone.  Napoleon even left it alone because it was the oldest constitutional republic.  Garibaldi who was responsible for Italy’s unification granted San Marino’s wish to remain independent largely due to it being a safe haven for pro-unification refugees in the days leading up to unification.

During World War II, in 1944, San Marino was briefly occupied by German soldiers before they were run out by allied soldiers.

As of 2002, San Marino has used the Euro as its currency and does not have border patrol.  You can, however, pay to get a passport stamp at the tourism office, along with much sought after stamps.

The government of San Marino is unlike any other nation.  It does not have a prime minister or a king or a president.  For the head of state, they actually are headed by two Captain Regents, which are usually from two different parties. They are voted in by the Grand and General Council, which is where the true power lies.  The people elect the 60 council members who serve a five year term.  The practice of having dual rulers had been an old practice of Roman overlords, which they decided to retain, as it worked so well for them.

San Marino Culture

The people of San Marino are called Sammarinese.  They speak Italian.  The Republic is densely populated, with about 530 people per square mile.  The total population is around 33,000.  They take great pride in their heritage and roots, which can be traced back to ancient Rome.

Everything in San Marino has Italian features, from food, to fashion sense.  Like Italy, San Marino is a staunch Roman Catholic territory.  Over 95% of Sammarinese go to catholic churches and celebrate the customs and traditions set by the Vatican.

The Sammarinese also love their sports, especially soccer, basketball and volleyball.  Each of these sports has their own league but of the three, soccer is by far the most popular.  They also are fanatical about Formula One racing.  There used to be a San Marino Grand Prix that was held in Imola, Italy.  In 2007 the government decided to stop holding the race due to the bitter memories of the legendary Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger who both died at the San Marino Grand Prix races.

Despite living on a mountain slope the Sammarinese take pride in their healthy foods and long life span.  On average the Sammarinese, who have lived their lives in San Marino, have an average life span of 80 years.

Tourism is most important to San Marino’s GDP.  They welcome about 2 million visitors each year in their tiny Republic.

San Marino Cuisine

It is no surprise that Sammarinese cuisine takes its cues from Italy.  It has a Mediterranean flair emphasizing fresh and locally grown produce, Italian pasta and meats.  It is most similar to the Romagna region, where many dishes are shared. Yet the Sammarinese do have their own dishes as well.  Faglioni con le cotiche, is a soup that is made with Christmas beans and bacon.  Pasta e cece has chickpea noodles flavored with rosemary and garlic.  The Sammarinese are well known for their cheese making and olive oil pressing skills.  In fact, they had three exhibitions at the Paris world fair back in 1899.

Meals and the enjoyment of food is a large part of Sammarinese culture.  They also are very proud of their three towers, located on the three peaks of Monte Titano.  So it is not surprising that they named their desserts after them.  Torta Titano and Torta tre Monte, are just a couple of cakes inspired by them.

Of course wine is also prevalent in the region.  San Marino produces cask-aged, red and white wines.   They serve a Brugneto or Tessano, which are red wines, when red meat is on the menu.  If the main course is white meat or fish, Biancale or Roncale, which are white, are served.

So let’s enjoy a Sammarinese meal:

The Menu

Appetizer

Burrata Crustini (Cheese Toast)

Soup Course

Stracciatella Alla Romana (Egg Drop Soup)

Main Course

Nidi di Rondine (Swallows Nest Pasta)

Served with:

Conigilio al Forno con Finoccio (Roasted Rabbit and Fennel)

Dessert

Torta Tre Monti (Waffled Wafers with Hazelnut Cream)

We decorated with the colors of the San Marino flag; blue and white.  I placed three candles to represent the three towers of Monte Titano, along with oak and laurel branches that are on their Coat of Arms.  A cross and a stone completed the scene.

We began our meal by saying,  “Saluti” which means, “Cheers” as we toasted our glasses filled with Prosecco (an Italian sparkling wine.)  We savored our first course which was little pieces of toast with soft, creamy, burrata cheese.  (Burrata cheese is a fresh mozzarella stuffed with cream.)  It was topped with avocado and red onion and drizzled with a balsamic glaze.

Our next course was an Italian egg drop soup that is very popular in the region.  It is called Stracciatella Alla Romana.  Stracciatella, translated means, “little shred” which is how the egg looks in the soup when you stir them in.  The soup is light and refreshing and very customary to serve when someone is feeling a bit under the weather.  We enjoyed it with Italian bread sticks.

For the main course, we had two dishes.  One was called Swallows Nest Pasta or Nidi di Rondine, in Italian.  They call it that because of the way the pasta is rolled up and somewhat resembles a nest.  The best part is how it tastes!  A large pasta noodle smothered with a béchamel sauce then topped with two types of cheese, a piece of prosciutto, rolled up and topped with a marinara sauce and more cheese.  The dish was baked and we loved it.  It also is just as good (or even a little better) the next day, like many pasta dishes are.

For our second entre´, I decided to serve a more adventurous dish, which was roast rabbit and fennel.  I was thrilled to have guests joining me for this meal and knew they would enjoy something out of the ordinary.  The rabbit did not disappoint.  I was able to find the rabbit in my local Asian market’s frozen section and then had to look up how to cut it up.  It was similar to cutting up a chicken by cutting in between the joints.  At any rate, one rabbit is pretty small for four people, so I was glad we were already pretty full from the other dishes.  The rabbit was enjoyed and the flavoring with the onions and fennel was lovely and made my kitchen smell incredible.

For dessert, we devoured the Torta Tre Monti.  It is considered to be the national dish of San Marino.  It is layers of waffled wafers that has Nutella or traditionally a hazelnut cream between each one and chocolate icing on the sides.  It was topped with a dark chocolate cherry gelato.  It was a lovely combination, enjoyed with a little espresso.  “Magnifico!”

As we say goodbye to this tiny Republic of San Marino, I leave you with a legend which says that the creation of Mount Titano, on which stands the city of San Marino, was due to terrible giants called Titans.  They were the nephews of the god, Saturn, uncle of Zeus, who was on Olympus.  The Titans decided to attack him while he was sleeping and to scale the sky they began to accumulate boulders placing them on top of each other, but Zeus was warned and made them fall to the earth.  Consequently, there remained only the mountain made of rocks.  For this reason, it was called “Titan”.

Until next time,

“Arrivederci,”  (Farewell in Italian)

Warmest regards,

Darlene

How did Samoa get its name?

There are many legends about how Samoa got its name.  One that comes up often is, that Moa was the family name of the Tui Manus, some of the earliest inhabitants of the islands.  SaMoa, simply refers to the family name.  At one time they controlled a Pacific empire, extending over Tonga, Fiji, the Cook Islands, and more.  The independent state of Samoa was formerly known as Western Samoa.

Where is Samoa located?

Samoa is located south of the equator, in the Polynesian region of the Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.  The Polynesian group of nine islands, consists of two main islands, Upolu and Savaii, which makes up 99% of the land, and seven smaller islets.

Samoa is a land of many natural wonders including:  rain forests, waterfalls, beautiful white sand beaches and intricate caves.  The Samoan people are very proud of their incredible nature and have taken important steps to protect it.  The majority of endemic species there are birds.  The tooth billed pigeon is the national bird and has no close living relatives, but is genetically similar to the extinct dodo bird.

The warm seawater is filled with marine life including dolphins and whales, as they migrate through the region.  Turtles are often spotted there as well.  Diving and snorkeling are excellent in the crystal clear, Samoan water.

A Brief History of Samoa

The Polynesian ancestors were guided by the stars as they rowed in their sea-faring canoes across the Pacific Ocean thousands of years ago.  Samoa’s oldest known site of human inhabitation is Mulifanua, on the island of Upulo, some 3000 years ago, around 1000 BC.

Over the early years, the Samoan people engaged in battles, trade and intermarriage of nobility with the neighboring islands of Fiji and Tonga.  The interweaving of the cultures and bloodlines have strengthened the ties between these South Pacific islands.

Dutchman, Jacob Roggeveen, was the first European to site the islands in 1722.  European whalers and traders started to arrive in the late 1700s.  By far, the most important change in Samoa was due to the western missionaries.  They, along with the arrival of Reverend John Williams in 1830, converted the people from their belief in multiple gods for the sun, earth, heavens and sea, to one God.  Samoans are now a devoutly religious people with much time given to church activities.  In nearly all of the villages they have a daily prayer curfew between 6-7 pm.  It is called “Sa” and lasts for about 20-30 minutes, often marked at the beginning and end by a bell ring or the blowing of a conch shell.  For many Samoans, Christianity and fa’a Samoa (Samoan way of life) are inextricably woven.

In 1899, after years of civil war, the islands of the Samoan archipelago were divided.  The Germans took the islands to the west and the Americans took the islands to the east, now known as American Samoa.

After the beginning of World War I, New Zealand captured Western Samoa from the small German company that was stationed there.  After the war, New Zealand took administrative control on behalf of the United Nations from 1918 until they gained their independence, in 1962.  Western Samoa became the first Pacific island to gain independence.  It was in 1997 when Western Samoa dropped the Western from its name and was called simply, Samoa.  They celebrate Independence, June 1^st-3^rd, each year.

Samoan Culture

The vast majority of Samoans possess Polynesian heritage, with about 93% identifying themselves as ethnically Samoan.  Euronesians account for about 7%.  This is a mix between European and Polynesian ancestry.  Most of the population speaks Samoan, a language closely related to Maori and Tongan languages.  It is believed to be among the oldest of the Polynesian dialects.  There are two official languages in Samoa, Samoan and English.  English is used mostly for business communications.

The term fa’a Samoa means the Samoan way and refers to a complex cultural code that guides and teaches individuals how to lead their life.  It is governed by protocols and etiquette, all in accordance with core values within fa’a Samoa.  These values include family, language, the environment, genealogy, the arts (including tattooing,) as well as political and social structures.  The Christian values brought to the islands were fully integrated into fa’a Samoan life.

Fa’a Samoa has three key elements to it.  The matai (chiefs), aiga (extended family), and the church.  Matai are the heads of the extended family unit and their role is very complex; covering family, civic and political duties in the village.  There are 362 nu’u (villages) found throughout the islands, with a total of 18,000 matai.

The aiga, or extended family, is made up of parents, brother, sisters, children and grandparents, cousins, nieces and nephews living within the village.  When family members marry partners in other villages, the in-laws become part of the extended family unit.  It is the duty of a Samoan to be of service to their aiga for life.

Tatua (tattoo) is a traditional art form that represents the spiritual and cultural heritage of Samoa.  It is seen as a rite of passage for men where the intricate pattern of the pe’a covers the body from the waist to the knees.   Master tattooists use traditional handmade tools made from bone, tusk, shark teeth, shell and wood.  Women also get tattoos, called malu, but they cover only the thighs.

Siapo (tapa) is used traditionally as clothing and is an important part of traditional ceremonies.  This printed cloth is made from the inner bark of the mulberry tree and makes a wonderful souvenir.  Weaving toga (a fine mat) is another art form and one mat can take years to make as it is woven from very fine fibers of the pandanus plant.  Everyday items such as baskets and mats are woven with palm fronds.

Dance and music are also very important parts of Samoan culture.  Often these two elements are showcased in a fiafia night which includes a feast followed by a show of music and dance.  Storytelling, or siva is performed by young women, while the fast actions of the fa’ataupati or slap dance is performed by men.  This dance ends with siva afi or the fire knife dance, which is performed by young men twirling a large knife with burning flames at both ends, set to the rhythmic beat of a wooden drum.

Samoan Cuisine

Each day you will find young men paddling their canoes out in the lagoon to catch fish, while others go to the plantations to cultivate and harvest what is needed for their daily meals.  The ocean provides crayfish, snapper, mahi-mahi, octopus and tuna.  There is always a fresh catch of the day.  The plantations provide bananas, taro, tropical fruits and vegetables and of course, coconut.

Samoans traditional food is cooked in an uma (an earth oven of hot stones) which is placed on what is called fale, a stand that holds the uma.   Oil is not typically used.  Fish is wrapped in a banana leaf with freshly made coconut cream poured on top.   Pork and chicken are also popular proteins and are often cooked whole.  Taro and green bananas are tucked into the gaps.  When the food is placed on the hot coals, banana leaves are placed over the food to seal in the heat.  The food takes a while to cook; usually about 2 hours and it is not uncommon to cook meals in this way, three times per day.  A couple of delicacies include palusami (young taro leaves cooked in coconut cream)  and oka I’a (raw fish in coconut cream).

So let’s enjoy a Samoan meal:

The Menu

Appetizer

Oka I’a (Raw Fish Salad)

Pani Popo (Coconut Rolls)

Main Course

Moa Fa’Asaina (Chicken Samoan Style)

Served with:

Alaisa Fa’Apopo (Coconut Rice)

Dessert

Poi  (Banana Pudding)

We set the scene with siapo, the printed tapa cloth, the traditional cloth made in Samoa.  We placed the a copy of the book called Treasure Island, written by the beloved Robert Louis Stevenson, who spent the last five years of his life with his family  there before his early death.  He was known to the Samoans as Tusitala or the “Teller of Tales.”   His homestead is now a museum and the most popular attraction in Samoa.  He is buried at the top of Mt. Vaea, which has the best views overlooking the city and bay.  We completed the scene with a photo of the rare national bird, the tooth billed pigeon, and the national flower, the red ginger, along with a coconut and some bananas.

Our first course was oka I’a, a raw fish salad that is popular on many of the Polynesian islands.  Similar to a Latin ceviche, the fish is first marinated in lemon or lime juice until the fish turns opaque.  The fish is then mixed with vegetables, like cucumber and tomato, and  doused with coconut milk.  I really love ceviche and oka I’a was no exception!

The oka I’a was served alongside the famous pani popo or coconut rolls that really were to die for.  The rolls are sweet and to be honest, I could have eaten the whole pan. They are that good.  (Consider it fair warning, if you decide to make them.)

For the main course, we prepared a Samoan style chicken that was cooked in a Dutch oven, which came as close as possible to an uma.  The chicken was cooked with a dark soy sauce, onions and vinegar, which resulted in deliciously tender bites, full of flavor.  It was served over steamed, coconut rice.  It was a perfect combination.

For dessert, we had a mashed, banana dessert called poi.  Samoan poi is not the same poi that is popular in Hawaii; theirs is made from taro stem.  This poi is more like a banana pudding and was the perfect sweet and creamy end to our Samoan meal.

Now if we were in Samoa for the meal, we likely would partake in kava or ava as they call it there.  A drink that is popular for celebrations and ceremonies and comes from the roots of a small shrub.  It’s considered non-alcoholic but psychoactive.

As we say goodbye to this little Island paradise in the South Pacific, I leave with a few words written by an English poet, Rupert Brooke, on a trip to Samoa in the 1800s.

“You lie on a mat in a cool Samoan hut and look out on the white sand under the high palms and gentle sea, and the black line of the reef a mile out and moonlight over everything.   And then among it all are the loveliest people in the world, moving and dancing like gods and goddesses.  It is sheer beauty, so pure it is difficult to breathe in it.”

“Tofa”  pronounced toh-far in Samoan means “Goodbye.”

Until next time,

Darlene

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The Saints

St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines

How did the Saints get their names?

It was Christopher Columbus who discovered the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis.  He named one after his patron Saint, St. Christopher.  Later it was shortened to his nickname, St. Kitts.  It was considered to be the mother colony of the West Indies.  People who live on St. Kitts are known as Kittitians and people that live on Nevis are called Nevisians.  The name Nevis is derived from the Spanish “Nuestra Senora de las Nieves” which means “Our Lady of the Snows.” This was in reference to its cloud cover, which resembled snow.  Originally, Nevis was called “Oualie” or “Land of Beautiful Waters” by the early inhabitants, the Caribs.  It was also for a time called “Dulcina” or “Sweet One” by early British settlers.

St. Lucia is one of the only countries in the world that was named after a woman.  It was the French who named it, after St. Lucy of Syracuse, because they were shipwrecked on the island December 13^th, 1502.  It was previously called “Iounaloa” by the native Amerindians and “Hewanorra” by the Caribs.  The names are purported to mean the “Land where Iguana is Found.”  St. Lucia is sometimes referred to as “Helen of the West Indies” because it was traded between colonies 14 times.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines were also named by Christopher Columbus.  St. Vincent was sighted by him on January 22, the feast day of the patron Saint of Lisbon and Valencia, Vincent of Saragossa.  Prior to that, then island was called “Hairouna” by the Caribs.  The Grenadines were named due to the proximity of the larger island to the country of Grenada.

Where are the Saints located?

All three countries are Caribbean islands located in the Lesser Antilles.  Saint Kitts and Nevis are made up of two main islands. They are separated by a shallow channel called “the Narrows.”  The capital of Basseterre is located on the larger island of St. Kitts.

St. Lucia is one large island about 238 square miles.  The capital is Castries.  St. Lucia is famous for its two giant volcanic spires called “the Pitons,” a world heritage site.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines are made up of 32 islands, however, only nine are inhabited.  The largest is St. Vincent, which is considered the mainland and the other eight are all part of the Grenadines.  Kingston is the capital which has a nickname of “City of Arches.”  It is known as the City of Arches due to its preservation of colonial era architecture.  It is filled with cobbled stone streets, arches and historic stone buildings and churches.

A Brief History of the Saints

St. Kitts and Nevis were first inhabited by the Ciboney who were followed by the Arawak and the Tainos, who were then overrun by the warlike Caribs.  The English were the first to settle the islands in 1623 and St. Kitts was the first English colony in the Caribbean.  Over the next several years the French and English fought over the islands.  England eventually took over full control.  These two islands are the Caribbean’s oldest colonized territories.  They were once known as the “Gibraltar of the West Indies” due to its volcanic advantage point offering sight to nearby islands.  Despite the two islands being only two miles apart they were historically thought of as two separate entities.  They were forcibly united in the late 19^th century.

Alexander Hamiliton, the first United State Secretary of the Treasury was born on Nevis.  Both islands have suffered from natural disasters; mainly devastating hurricanes and earthquakes.  The islands’ earliest cash crops were tobacco, ginger and indigo dye.  These crops were later replaced with sugarcane.  Nevis became the richest British colony in the western hemisphere by 1652.  By 1776 St. Kitts was the richest per capita.  Initially indentured servants were used to work the plantations but fewer than half survived, which is when African slaves were brought to the islands.  In 1778, the Bath Hotel was built over the site of a hot springs on the island of Nevis making it the first place in the Americas to officially practice tourism.  This became a trendy destination for the elite in Britain.

The African slave trade was terminated within the British Empire in 1807, and outlawed in 1834.  Between the two islands, 28,500 slaves were freed.  St. Kitts and Nevis became fully independent from England on September 19, 1983 and is the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere in both area and population.  The sugarcane industry was closed in 2005 after 365 years in the business.  Today tourism has been the main focus of the economy.

St. Lucia has a similar history. Arawaks were the first inhabitants followed by the Caribs.  The first attempt at colonization occurred in 1605 when an unfortunate group of English colonists, headed to Guyana and were blown off course.  Sixty-seven colonists waded ashore where they purchased huts from the resident Caribs.  After a month the party had been reduced to just nineteen who soon fled in a canoe.  A few decades later a second English party failed in a settlement attempt.

By the mid 17^th century, it was the French who arrived and purchased the island to be part of the French West India Company.  The English were not happy with this idea, which began a bitter rivalry lasting for a century and a half.  The islands first settlements were all French and a large number of sugarcane plantations had been established.  By 1814  after a prolonged series of destructive battles, the island was finally in the hands of the English.  The country remained under the British Crown until it became independent on February 22, 1979.  Its sugarcane production was replaced with bananas, which today remains an important export for St. Lucia, alongside their tourism and small manufacturing.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines share a similar history with the other Saints.  It was the same Amerindian groups that inhabited the islands originally; the Ciboney, Arawaks and the Caribs.  The Caribs aggressively prevented European settlement on St. Vincent until the 18^th Century.  It was a safe haven for African slaves, whether escapees or shipwrecked from St. Lucia and Grenada.  Many intermarried with the Caribs and became known as “Black Caribs”.  Today they are known as Garifuna.

They also shared the same struggle between the French and British colonists with the British ultimately winning the battle.  The French were the original colonists to settle the Islands and cultivated coffee, tobacco, indigo, corn and sugarcane on plantations worked by African slaves.  After emancipation by Britain, the economy went into decline.  Many land owners left their plantations, which resulted in a labor shortage.  This attracted Portuguese and East Indian immigrants to the islands.  St. Vincent and the Grenadines gained full Independence on October 27. 1979.

Today the economy remains highly dependent on agriculture.  Bananas account for sixty percent of the workforce and fifty percent of their exports.  They are the largest producers in the world of arrowroot.  Tourism is also very important to their GDP and employs most of the rest of workforce that is not involved in agriculture.

The Saints’ Culture

English is the official language of all three countries.  They also speak a creole language and French Patois as well.   All three countries have a majority of Christians as the primary religion, whether it be Anglican or Roman Catholic.  The ethnic makeup is largely African and the rest are a mixed descent.

All three Saints have important festivals that they celebrate around Carnival and music festivals are also extremely popular, year round.  The music ranges from traditional storytelling  to reggae, calypso, soca, big drum as well as other specialties like quadrille, steelpan and bele’ music.  Dance is also prominent in all three countries; each with their own style and traditional dress.

Another interesting fact all three countries share is marriage, later in life.  Typically done long after living together and having children.  Children are adored and often raised by everyone in the family.  It is not uncommon to see multi-generational households.  All three Saints have a relaxed vibe where people simply enjoy the slow pace of island time.

All of the Saints have established ports that are common cruise ship stops, especially during the winter months.  This has been a big boost for tourism and a great opportunity for locals to sell their handicrafts to the tourists that come to shore.  Painted masks, handcrafted pottery, wood carvings,  honey, cocoa sticks, conch shells, hot sauce, batik and of course rum, are a few of the favorite souvenirs.

The Saints’ Cuisine

It is no surprise that all three of these countries have similarities in their cuisine; they are islands in the Caribbean after all.  Clearly they all have influences from their history with England and France.  However, it is the sea and what is grown locally that has the most influence along with their large African populations.

Spiny lobsters, crabs, conch, shrimp and snapper are common delicacies especially when paired with West Indian curry.  Other popular dishes are roast suckling pig and salt fish.   In St. Kitts and Nevis, goat water is considered to be the national dish.   This is a goat stew with breadfruit and root vegetables and dumplings they call “droppings.”   St. Lucia’s national dish is salt fish with green figs, aka green bananas and St. Vincent’s national dish is roasted breadfruit with fried jackfish.

All three have good volcanic soil for growing things. however due to limited land, all the countries import food as well.  Being tourist locations, you can find everything from local street food to fine dining.

Rum is by the far the most popular alcohol, with each of the islands making their own brew. Beer is also common.  Fruit juices are abundant, as all three countries grow an array of fruit.

So let’s enjoy a Caribbean meal:

The Menu

Appetizer

Octopus Carpaccio with Mango Salsa

Salad Course

Green Fig & Salt Fish Salad

Main Course

Grilled Lobster with Melted Butter

Served with

Tania Fritters (Malanga Fritters)

Dessert

Caribbean Black Cake

We set the scene with palm fronds and shells, bananas and sugarcane, along with a rose (the national flower of St. Lucia) and a parrot (the national bird of St. Lucia & St. Vincent.) We added a brown pelican (the national bird of St. Kitts.)  We put on calypso music to get us in the Caribbean spirit and began with a rum punch to kick off the meal.  Rum punch is made with grenadine syrup, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice and of course a combination of rums.

Our first course was an octopus carpaccio.  Octopus is found in the warm ocean waters of the Caribbean Sea and this is a lovely way to enjoy it.  Cooked and sliced pieces of octopus were arranged in circles and topped with a light and refreshing mango salsa with a little kick from a scotch bonnet pepper. The combination of flavors was perfect.

Our next course was a green fig salad.  Green bananas are called green figs on all these Caribbean islands and this salad also had salted cod, a staple in these parts, simply known as salt fish.  The salad had lots of root vegetables and reminded me of a potato salad but with a twist by adding the salt fish.  It is hearty and could easily be made as a lovely light lunch on its own.

For the main course we served sweet, succulent, grilled, spiny lobster tails.  They were accompanied with melted butter and old bay seasoning.  Honestly, if you ever have the opportunity to try the spiny lobster, I highly recommend it.  It is so much sweeter than an ordinary lobster.

They spiny lobsters were served with  chip like tania fritters.  Tania in the Caribbean is malanga and goes by many different names.  It is somewhat like arrowroot, dasheen or eddoes.  The Latin name is xanthosoma.  It has a natural stickiness to it when grated, so you really can just grate them and cook them in oil for a wonderful treat, without adding a binder.  We used chives and salt and pepper for added flavor.  Trust me, you will eat more than one or two.  They are scrumptious, with a bit of a nutty flavor.

For dessert, we indulged in the very moist, dense, boozy Caribbean, black cake.  This cake is loaded with dried fruits that have been soaked in rum for quite some time.  It is often served at Christmas time or on special occasions.  We enjoyed it with a cup of coffee to end our three Saints’ meal.

As we say goodbye to these three Caribbean countries, I leave dreaming of these nations; each with their pristine black and white sand beaches, old colonial architecture and lush green mountains, filled with exotic birds and waterfalls.  But ultimately, it is the people and their warm hearts and hospitality, and the slow island vibe that are most irresistible.

Until next time,

Darlene

How Rwanda got its name?

The name Rwanda, translated means, “Domain” in the native Kinyarwanda language.  How it got its name is somewhat of a mystery.  Rwanda previously was called “German East Africa” as well as “Ruanda.”  Today it is officially known as the Republic of Rwanda.  Its nickname is the “Land of a Thousand Hills.”

Where is Rwanda located?

Rwanda is a small, mountainous, landlocked country, located in Central Africa.  Its neighbors are Uganda to the north, Tanzania, to the east, Burundi to the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west as well as Lake Kivu (the highest lake in Africa).  The country is divided by large peaks, some nearly 10,000 feet, which run across the country from north to south.

Some compare the verdant landscape to a tropical Switzerland.  It is home to volcanoes, in the northwest, to swampy river valleys, in the east.  Rolling hills and valleys make up the low lying depression west of the Congo-Nile divide.  Rwanda’s elevation accounts for its mild temperatures, which average about 70 degrees F in the capital city of Kigali.

A Brief History of Rwanda

It is believed that civilization began around the beginning of the last ice age in Rwanda. The original inhabitants of Rwanda were the Twa, a pygmy people that averaged about 5 feet in height and who today make up less than 1% of the population.  The Twa are a people of mixed ancestry, probably descendants of the inhabitants of the equatorial rainforest.

By the 17^th century, Tutsis had established a kingdom in present day Rwanda where Hutus, Tutsis and the Twa were living.  In 1899, Rwanda became part of German East Africa.  After World War I, Rwanda came under Belgian rule under a League of Nations mandate and from 1920 was known as Ruanda-Urundi.  In 1933 all citizens in Ruanda-Urundi were issued identification cards identifying their ethnicity.

After World War II, an independence movement began.  The ruling Tutsi elite formed a political party.  The Belgian authorities encouraged the Hutu majority to also aspire to political power; they ended up forming a rival party called Parmehutu.  As the 1960 local elections approached, the Parmehutu formed an uprising which resulted in the death of many Tutsis and forced the king into exile along with tens of thousands of Tutsis.  Most fled into Uganda and Burundi.   In 1961, the monarchy was abolished and Rwanda gained independence from Belgium on July 1, 1962.

Kayibanda became the first elected president of Rwanda in October of 1962.   Shortly thereafter there was a Tutsi guerilla attack from exiled Tutsis in Burundi, an anti-Tutsi backlash resulted in thousands killed.  In 1973 Kayibanda was overthrown by a military coup d’etat, when Habyarimana became the third president.  American naturalist, Diane Fossey, who studied mountain gorillas, was murdered in her Rwandan cabin in 1985.

In 1990, the Tutsi led, Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) made an attack from Rwanda starting a civil war.  The Arusha, accords were signed between President Habyarimana and the leaders of RPF in 1993, ending the war. But then tragedy struck; the President of Burundi was traveling, along with Habyarimana, when the plane was shot down in 1994.  The assassination sparked the Rwandan Genocide.  To this day, no one knows who fired the missile taking down the plane.  Ultimately the RPF took over all of Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was established.  It is estimated that in just 100 days, between April and July of 1994, at least 800,000 people were slaughtered, mostly Tutsis.  The speed and scale of this horrific event left its people and world reeling in anguish.

Despite this massive tragedy, today the country is healing.  The people are no longer identified by their ethnicity, but simply considered Rwandans.  They still have some issues, especially with their neighbor the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where many Hutus fled.  Today the government is led by the ruling RPF and Kagame has been president of the nation, since 2000.  He has done some good work to get the country moving again and has high hopes of making Rwanda a middle income nation.  However, his record is not a perfect one.   He has been described as the “most impressive” and among the “most repressive” of African leaders.  One interesting note is that women make up 64% of Rwanda’s parliament, the highest percentage of women in government in the world.

Rwandan Culture

The current population of Rwanda is 12.7 million; it has a high population density of nearly 519 people per km or 1,343 per mile.  Most of the population lives rurally.  It is a young population, with a median age of just 19.6 years.  The economy is heavily based on small agriculture production as their main resource.  Men and women share the work, where men clear the land and women, plant, weed and harvest.  The climate and elevation make it perfect for growing tea and coffee, which are the country’s main exports.  Tourism, thanks to those amazing mountain gorillas, along with the national parks for safaris (featuring the big 5), has made a massive, positive impact on the service sector.  Rwanda is just one of three countries in the world where the mountain gorillas live; the other two are Uganda and the DRC.

Rwanda has gone green, in a big way.  They banned plastic bags back in 2008 and they will confiscate any brought into the country.  Rwandans use only bags made out of paper, cloth, papyrus and banana leaves, all are biodegradable.  Additionally, on the last Saturday of each month, Rwandans come together for Umuganda, which means, working together to achieve a common purpose.  Rwandans get together to work on volunteer projects, like building and restoration, as well as environmental conservation programs and simply cleaning up.  These two green initiatives have resulted in the capital city of Kigali, to be considered “the cleanest city in all of Africa.”  Rwanda is also known to be one of the safest destinations in Africa, with very low crime rates.

The unified state of Rwanda is diverse and not only includes the population of Rwanda but also Kinyarwanda speaking people, in neighboring countries.  Kinyarwanda is the mother tongue (a Bantu language) spoken by every Rwandan.  However, many also speak French, English, Swahili, or all four.  Christianity is the main religion, but a large number of people hold traditional beliefs.

Music and dance are integral parts of Rwandan ceremonies, social gatherings, festivals and storytelling.  The most famous dance is called “Intore.”  It consists of three components: the dance of heroes, which is performed by men, ballet, done by women and the drums, which are of immense importance and performed in a group of seven or nine.  The Intore dance troupe performs all over the world, spreading Rwandan culture.

Woodcarvings, ceramics and basketry are traditional Rwandan handicrafts.  The village of Nyakarimibi is famous for its cow dung paintings, made into unique geometric abstractions, dominated by black, brown and white whorls.  All of these distinctive works can be bought as souvenirs in the capital city of Kigali.

Rwandan Cuisine

The cuisine of Rwanda is based on traditional subsistence agriculture.  Rwandan staples include: plantains, beans, sweet potatoes, corn and cassava.  Historically the Twa and Hutus diets were high in vegetables and lacking in animal protein. The Tutsis were pastoralists and consumed a higher amount of milk and dairy products.  Even today many Rwandans do not eat meat more than a few times a month.

The potato is extremely popular and was introduced by the colonists of Germany and Belgium.  It is now cultivated there.  Ugali is served with just about everything and is a thick paste similar to fufu in other African nations.  It is made with cornmeal and is bland but used as a utensil to sop up sauces.  It takes on the flavor of whatever it is paired with.

Fish, especially giant tilapia, known as “big fish” there, is popular in the regions near the lake.   One fish can feed three or four people.  It is a family favorite and typically prepared with stuffed onions and various spices and served alongside grilled potatoes.  Another popular fish is tiny and called sambaza. These little fish are caught by fisherman in the lake at sunset using tightly woven nets.  They are fried in a thick batter and typically served with mayonnaise.

Other popular dishes are Brochettes, skewers or spits often grilled with goat meat.  When it is made with goat intestines it is called zingalo.  Brochettes can also be made with other grilled meats or fish.  Ubunyobwa is a thick and spicy peanut sauce usually served with chapati, a delicious flat bread.  Akabenz is a barbecued pork dish and is usually served with beer. Matoke is another dish made from spiced plantains steamed in banana leaves.

To drink, Urwagwa is popular in all the rural areas and made from fermented banana juice and sorghum flour. It is usually home brewed.  Ikiviguto is a fermented whole milk, that is also loved.

For snacks, Rwandans enjoy fruits, like pineapple, mangoes, bananas, papayas and avocadoes, along with roasted peanuts, popcorn, samosas and hard-boiled eggs.

So let’s enjoy a Rwandan meal:

The Menu

Appetizer

Hard-boiled Eggs with Akabanga (Chili Oil)

Main Course

Brochettes (Grilled Goat Meat Skewers)

Served with Chips (Sweet Potato Fries)

Dessert

Mandazi  (African Donuts)

We set the scene with a leopard style print, as the leopard is the national animal.  A picture of the silverback gorilla was added since it is one of the few places in the world they call home, and where Diane Fossey became famous for her work and study of the mountain gorillas.  Today, Ellen DeGeneres has started a non-profit in her honor and is continuing her great work.  A square knot and a basket were also placed because they are symbols on the coat of arms.  Tea leaves and coffee beans were included as they are the main exports of the country.

We began our meal by saying, “Muryoherwe” which means “Bon Appetite” in Kinyerwanda.  I also made sure to taste the food in front of my guests so that they know it is safe to eat.  This is a traditional thing to do in Rwanda.

Our first course was simply hard-boiled eggs.  We each enjoyed one with a couple drops of their famous akinbanga, chili oil.  It is served in a dropper bottle because one or two drops is all you need to get a nice kick.  It was perfect on the egg with a touch of salt.  It is common in Rwanda to see street vendors selling hard boiled eggs for about $.25 per egg.  They are always served with akibanga, it is the scotch bonnet chili that makes up the fiery oil.

For the main course, we savored goat meat brochettes that were marinated in a tomato based sauce and grilled on skewers between pieces of onion.  Some of the marinade was reserved to dip the brochettes.  They were served alongside sweet potato fries or chips, as they are called there that were also excellent in the dip.  Both of these dishes are common street foods that you will find in nearly all the markets there.

For dessert, we devoured, hot-out-of-the fryer, mandazi. These are amazing little African donuts made with coconut milk and a hint of cardamom and cinnamon. They went perfectly with a nice strong cup of Rwandan coffee; a lovely end to our Rwandan meal.

We said, “Murakoze” (which means “thank you!)

After dinner we just had to watch the poignant movie called “Hotel Rwanda.” it is difficult to watch but puts the trials the Rwandans endured in perspective.  Afterwards, we watched “Gorillas in the Mist”, a film adaptation of Diane Fossey’s autobiography.

Now it’s time to book a trip to Rwanda. Seeing the gorillas in the wild is definitely on the bucket list, plus when you go there, you are supporting the cause and the people of Rwanda.

As we say goodbye to this little country of Rwanda, I leave you with a few proverbs:

“Nobody hates himself more than he who hates others.”

“You can outdistance that which is running after you, but not what is running inside you.”

“Real fraternity is not about blood, it is about sharing.”

Until next time,

Warmest regards,

Darlene

 Spring is my favorite season of the year. There is something magical that happens when it turns to Spring; the birds chirp their loving tunes, the wildflowers appear almost out of nowhere and new growth is emerging everywhere. Not too far from where I live, there is a mountain area called Running Springs. For the past 50+ years there has been a woman there named Gene Bauer, who decided back in 1958 to plant daffodils, one bulb at a time and continued to do so year after year. The result is the most magnificent display of daffodils likely in the world. She has a sign that reads:

This private garden was the inspiration of a story now known as the “Daffodil Principle”, which basically says you can make a big difference, one little thing at a time. As I reflect, I realized that International Cuisine is my way of planting bulbs. It is my hope that our journey, one country at a time, will somehow make a difference in your life and ultimately the world we live in. I thank you for being part of this journey.

At this time of year, some may find they have an abundance of hard-boiled eggs, so I wanted to share my most requested appetizer recipe; smoked salmon deviled eggs. In the spirit of trying something new, I made them to look like little chicks (or peeps, as they are sometimes called.) However, they didn’t come out exactly as planned. It seems that my recipe, which has more sour cream than mayonnaise, was lacking in structural integrity, creating a challenge in keeping the faces of the peeps intact. Nonetheless, I used salmon pieces for the beaks and capers for the eyes and even though they look a little funny, they are mighty tasty. No matter how you make them (peeps or traditional style), I do recommend making them, they are simply delicious!

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

This year we are having a super bloom of wildflowers out here in California.  We had one two years ago as well which is highly unusual.  Here are a few pictures of the super bloom.

If you are interested in seeing some stunning wild flowers, one of the best places to go in California is Anza Borrego.  Here is a post I did on that Super Bloom.  “Chasing Wildflowers”
Until next week,
Happy Spring!
Darlene

How did Russia get its name?

“Rus” was a medieval state that was inhabited by mostly Eastern Slavs.  However, the name Russia did not become prominent until later in history.  The country was usually called by its inhabitants, Russkaja zemlja, which is translated to Russian Land or Land of Rus.  Today the official name is the Russian Federation.

Where is Russia located?

Russia is massive.  It’s the largest country in the world in total area, with 6.6 million square miles, and covers much of northern Eurasia.  Due to its size, it is no surprise it has many neighbors; 14 in fact.  They are: Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and North Korea.  It also borders the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

Russia is so large it covers 11 time zones.  It has nearly every type of topography, from deserts to semiarid steeps, to deep forests and arctic tundra.  It is home to Europe’s longest river, the Volga, and its largest lake, Ladoga.  Baikal is also the deepest lake in the world and contains about 20 percent of the world’s fresh, unfrozen water.  Russia gets the prize for the coldest temperature ever recorded outside the north and south poles.  In Oymyakon, on February 6, 1933, the weather station recorded a temperature of -67.8 degrees Celsius (-90 degrees F.)  The climate is as diverse as its topography.  It has extreme winters which have helped save the country from foreign invaders.  The climate adds a layer of difficulty to daily life, yet enriches its crops and natural resources.

A Not So Brief History of Russia

Russian history begins in 800 CE, when the Slavic people migrated into the area of Ukraine.  The first United Eastern Slavic state was the Kievan Rus, established in 882.  This kingdom expanded and grew until it reached its peak in 1015 and a written code of law was established.  In 1237 the land was invaded by Mongols who destroyed most of the region’s cities.  In 1462 Ivan III became the Grand Prince of Moscow and in 1480 freed Russia from the Mongols.  In 1547, Ivan IV (a.k.a. Ivan the Terrible) was crowned the first Tsar of Russia.  1609 marked the beginning of the Polish-Russian war when Poland invaded.  The year 1613 was the beginning of the Romanov Dynasty, that began when Michael Romanov was elected Tsar. This dynasty ruled until 1917.

In between there were many significant events.  In 1648, riots broke out in Moscow over the introduction of a salt tax.  In 1647 Russia invaded Poland, a peace treaty was signed in 1667.  In 1689, Peter the Great became Tsar.  He put Russia on the world’s stage when he introduced reforms and created a standing army.  In 1703, Peter the Great founded the city of Saint Petersburg and in 1713 it became the capital of the Russian Empire.  In 1721, Russia won the Great Northern War, gaining Estonia and Livonia.  When Peter the Great died in 1725, his wife Catherine I took the reigns as Empress of Russia.  In 1736 a war began against the Ottoman Empire.  In 1762 Catherine II took the crown after the assassination of Peter III.  She ruled for 34 years and is credited for what is considered to be the Golden Age of the Russian Empire.  In 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia and his army was nearly destroyed by the harsh Russian winter.  He was ultimately defeated in 1814.  In 1867 Russia sold Alaska (almost 587,000 sq. miles) to the United States for 7.2 million dollars.  In 1897 the Social Democratic party was established which later split into two, the Bolshevik and Menshevik, parties.  In 1905 a Revolution occurred where 200 people were killed on “Bloody Sunday.”  World War I began in 1914 and Russia would fight on the side of the Allies and invade Germany.

In 1917 the Russian Revolution occurred. The Tsarist government was overthrown and the communist Bolsheviks, under Vladimir Lenin, took control in the October Revolution.  In 1918 the Russians exited World War I, giving up Finland, Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine.  Also in 1918 Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks.  The “Red Terror” began as Lenin instituted communism.  Civil war then erupted.  In 1921 Lenin announced his New Economic Policy and the following year the civil war ended and the Soviet Union was established.

In 1924 Lenin died and Joseph Stalin became the new leader.  In 1934 Stalin’s Great Purge began.  During this horrific period he eliminated any opposition to his regime and up to 20 million people were killed.  In 1939 World War II began and Russia invaded Poland in an agreement with Germany.  However, in 1941 Germany invaded Russia and Russia joined the Allies.  In 1942 the Russian army defeated the German Army at the Battle of Stalingrad, which became a major turning point in World War II.   The war ends in 1945 with the Soviet Union controlling much of Eastern Europe, including Poland and East Germany.  Estimates are that 26 million lives were lost in Russia due to World War II, including 2 .1 million Jews who were victims of genocide.  In 1949, the USSR developed nuclear weapons and an arms race began between the USSR and the United States which was known as the cold war.

In 1962 the Soviets placed missiles in Cuba which created the Cuban Missile Crisis.  In 1979 the Soviets began the Soviet-Afghanistan war which they ultimately left in defeat some 20 years later.  In 1980 the summer Olympics were held in Moscow, however many countries boycotted the games, including the US.  In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev was elected and instituted freedom of speech, openness of the government and a restructuring of the economy.  In 1991 the USSR collapsed and many previously controlled Russian countries gained their independence. The country of Russia was then established.  In 2000 Vladimir Putin was elected president and remains in that position today.

Russian Culture

Although all the people who live in Russia are referred to as “Russians” there are about 160 different ethnic groups.  Russian is the official language, however over 100 languages are spoken.  The Russian language uses the Cyrillic alphabet, containing 33 letters.  This old Slavic alphabet was developed in the 9^th century with the spread of Christianity.  The majority of Russians identify with the Eastern Orthodox Christian religion, but Islam, Judaism and Buddhism are also practiced in Russia.

Each city in Russia is unique and has its own culture.  Siberia reflects the challenges of the Far East in Russia with its bitterly cold winters and diverse, ethnic communities.  Moscow, Russia’s capital city is home to many important symbols of Russian culture like the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Tretyakov Gallery and their famous subway or metro system, to name a few.  St. Petersburg is Russia’s second capital and is considered the most “European like.”

Russia celebrates most western holidays including Christmas, New Years and especially Easter. Additionally, they  also have their own celebrations for Victory Day, International Women’s day including Tatiana Day (a special day to recognize women named Tatiana), Mens Day, and Cosmonaut Day, which celebrates Russia’s achievements in space exploration.  Aside from holidays, Russia also has a host of unique traditions, like how to drink a bottle of Vodka or how many flowers should be properly given to a woman.

Many families have a dacha, which is a summer cottage in the countryside where they spend time with family and friends and tend to their vegetable gardens and fruit trees.  Many dachas also have a Banya or a Russian sauna as well.  The road conditions can be challenging inside and outside the city, so tremendous care is given to dodging potholes.

Russian culture has a rich history which includes influential arts like literature, philosophy, classical music, ballet, architecture, master painting, cinema and animation.  A few of their unique handicrafts include Russian nesting dolls, called Matryoshka dolls or Babushka dolls, painted Easter eggs including the famed Fabergé eggs. Additionally, exotically painted lacquer boxes, as well as intricately designed samovars which are vessels to boil water for tea.

Russians are known to be extremely hospitable and will likely invite you to join them for a drink or a meal.

Russian Cuisine

Russian cuisine is as diverse as its vast land and cultures.  It is influenced by northern and eastern European countries, Central Asian, Siberian and East Asian influences.  Its foundation however lies with the rural population, in an often harsh climate and is considered peasant food.  Crops of rye, wheat, barley and millet, lay the basis for all sorts of breads, pancakes, cereals, beer and their famous vodka.  Additionally, a combination of fish, pork, poultry, caviar, berries, honey and mushrooms make up popular ingredients in many of their delicious dishes, along with potatoes, beets, and carrots.  Sour cream is ubiquitous and seasonings like dill, caraway, coriander and paprika are common.  Pickled products are also loved, such as cabbage, cucumbers and apples etc.

Pelmeni is considered to be the national dish, which is typically a minced meat filling wrapped in a thin dough, somewhat similar to a dumpling, and which can be filled with an array of other items as well.  It is typically served in a broth or slathered in butter or sour cream.  Other common main dishes include beef stroganoff, shashlik, which is a form of shish kabob, as well as kotlety, which are fried meatballs.  Smoked meats and fish are also extremely popular.  All sorts of desserts and pastries are beloved like pirozhki which are small stuffed buns  filled with all sorts of ingredients, honey cakes, blinis and kulich (which is a kind of Easter bread), all very popular.

So let’s enjoy a Russian meal:  

The Menu

Starter

Blini (Buckwheat Pancakes topped with Salmon and Caviar)

Soup course

Borscht (Russian Beet Soup)

Served with

Russian Black Bread

Main Course

Pelmeni (Russian Dumplings)

Served with

Russian Salad (Potato salad)

Dessert

Medovik (Layered Honey Cake)

We set the scene in the colors of the Russian flag; blue, red and white. We placed other items to represent the country, such as a pelmeni dumpling maker, a bottle of vodka with crystalline shot glasses, a bear, considered to be the sacred animal and symbol of Russia since the 16^th century.  A ballerina was placed to represent their impressive world renowned ballet, mushrooms as a beloved ingredient in their cuisine, a jar of caviar and blinis. We added a hockey stick and puck which is one of their national sports and lastly a few white, chamomile flowers; which is the national flower and the component in their world-famous tea.  To set the mood, we played classical music written by their most famous Russian composer, Tchaikovsky.

We began with a toast, a shot of vodka and said “Nostrovia” which actually is a way of saying “thank you for the meal and drinks.” Strangely in a country that toasts a lot of vodka with family and friends, they really don’t have an official toasting saying, so “Nostrovia” will have to do.  Our first course was one of my favorite dishes; blinis (little buckwheat pancakes) with sour cream, smoked salmon and topped with caviar.  It is simply a heavenly bite.

Our soup course was next with their famous borscht soup.  It is made with beets which gives its rich, red color.  Borscht is hearty and could be served as a meal by itself but perhaps with a piece of their most delicious black bread that is ubiquitous there. The soup is topped with sour cream and dill.  It is said that borscht likely originated in Ukraine but it is served and beloved throughout all of Russia.

Our main course was the delectable little dumplings called pelmeni.  These treats were made with mushrooms, since I had vegetarian guests while serving this meal.  They were served in a lovely broth, along with an Olivier salad also known as Russian Salad.  It is somewhat akin to a potato salad and was hearty and delicious. Another popular version of the Russian Salad is made with chopped cucumber and tomatoes in dressing.

For dessert, an eight layered honey cake called medovik covered in cream and berries was served.  It was scrumptious along with a cup of tea, as the tea culture in Russia is as popular as its vodka.

We ended our evening by watching Swan Lake, a ballet composed by Tchaikosky in 1875.

Until next time,

До встре́чи!
Until next time!
[da vstryé-chee]

Darlene

Craving even more?  Be sure to join the culinary and cultural journey around the world so you don’t miss a thing,  it’s free,  You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook ,  Pinterest and youtube to follow along as well.

How did Romania Get Its Name?

The name Romania comes from the Latin word, “Romanus” meaning, “Citizen of the Roman Empire.”  The people who inhabited the area of modern Romania were called Getae (Geti) by the Greeks and Dacians (Daci) by the Romans.  The name Romania was first used when the three regions (Walachia, Moldavia and Transylvania) of the country were united in 1859.  Transylvania, which is part of Romania, means “the land beyond the forest” and the capital city, Bucharest, is often called, “Little Paris” due to its elegant arch that was built in the time between the two World Wars.  Legend says the name Bucharest stems from the shepherd who founded the town on the Dambovita River.  His name was “Bucor” which means, “Happiness” in Romanian.

Where is Romania Located?

Romania is located in the southeastern part of central Europe.  It is the 12^th largest country in all of Europe.  Her neighbors are:  Hungary to the northwest, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, the Black Sea to the southeast, Ukraine to the east and the north, and Moldova to the east.  She also shares a maritime border with Turkey.

Romania is made beautiful by its rolling hills, verdant plains and foreboding mountain peaks.  The Carpathian Mountains, although not quite as high as the Alps, extend over 600 miles in the shape of an arch.  They are divided into three major ranges known as the eastern or Oriental range, the southern range, known as the Transylvanian Alps and the Western Carpathians.

The Danube River which begins its journey in the Black Forest of Germany, ends its journey of 1864 miles through Europe, in southeastern Romania.  It is the second longest river in Europe.  The Danube is an important waterway for domestic shipping, international trade and tourist cruises.  Here, the river divides into three frayed branches and forms the Danube Delta.  It creates new Romanian beaches that extend almost 65 feet into the sea each year.  The swampy delta, made of marshes, floating reed islands and sand banks, is a UNESCO Biosphere reservation and is a protected area for rare species of plants and animals.  Romania is home to 3700 species of plants and almost 34,000 species of animals, including the 6000 brown bears that live in the forest; the largest population in Europe.

The Black Sea’s wide and sandy beaches are a major tourist attraction from May to September, with a pleasant water temperature of 77 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.

A Brief History of Romania

Romania’s history is complicated and dates back to ancient history, with evidence from the carved, stone tools unearthed there, that the land was inhabited since the Paleolithic Age.  Cave paintings dating back to 10,000 B.C. were recently discovered in northwest Transylvania.  Over the centuries, various migrating groups invaded Romania.  There are five distinct periods in Romania’s history:  the Roman Period, from 3600 BC to 500 AD, the Byzantine Period, from 500 AD to 1500, the Ottoman Period, from 1500 to 1750, the Mid-modern Period, from 1750 to 1914, and the Contemporary Period, from 1914 to present day.

Romania’s post WWII history as a communist-bloc nation is more widely known.  This is likely due to the excesses of the former dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife.  For 25 years, they ruled a struggling Romania, all the while building a palace/residence of grotesque opulence.  The palace, which now houses the Parliament (but is still 70% empty,) is about four million square feet in size and has 1,100 rooms, including a bathroom plated in gold.  There was an uprising of the Romanian people in 1989 which resulted in the ousting of Nicolae and his cabinet and ultimately the execution of Nicolae and his wife on Christmas Day.  As of 1991, Romania is a republic with a multi-party system, market economy and individual rights of free speech, religion and private ownership.  In 2007 Romania became part of the European Union.

Romanian Culture

Romania is home to nearly 20 million people.  Almost 90 percent are Romanian, 7.5 percent are Hungarian and the balance are Germans, Ukrainians, Armenians, Croatians, Serbians and Turks, including a group of gypsies, known as Romas.  The main religion, for nearly 80 percent of the population, is Eastern Orthodox.  Catholics and Protestants make up most of the balance, with a few Jewish and atheists as well.  Many of the holidays celebrated in Romania are based on the Orthodox religion.  Nearly every day of the year is dedicated to the memory of a saint or martyr.  If someone is named after the saint, that day is celebrated as his or her “name day.”

The official language there is Romanian, which is a Latin based language.  Hungarian and German are also spoken and many elders understand Russian.  Most Romanians speak at least one other foreign language and many speak two or three, with English, French and German being the most prevalent.  The literacy rate in Romania is 98 percent.

The economy used to be mainly based on agriculture and still today, nearly 25 percent of the land filled with pastures, orchards, vineyards, forestries and fisheries.  Today they also produce coal, natural gas, iron ore, and petroleum.  Tourism is a growing industry as well.

The distinctive culture of Romania is a result of its historical evolution.  One way in which the people of Romania showcase their tradition is by wearing brightly, colored costumes and ornaments and performing their traditional dances at their many street festivals.  There you will also find beautiful, woven carpets, wood hand carvings and pottery.  They are also known for their intricately, decorated Easter eggs, painted glass, and painted wood icons.

Why Visit Romania?

There are numerous UNESCO sites in Romania, which include rugged stone and wood churches.  One of these churches is the tallest, wooden church in the world, standing at 257 feet tall and topped with a 23 foot cross, weighing 1000 pounds.  You will also find dazzling monasteries with hand painted frescoes.  Transylvania has no shortage of awe inspiring castles.  However, there is none quite like their most famous attraction, the spooky, Bran Castle, with its connection to Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula.

In the capital city of Bucharest you’ll find a burgeoning, metropolitan city with a vibe that is simply explained as “energetic.”  The palace built by Nicolae, the communist dictator, is now a huge tourist attraction there.

Thanks to the bucolic landscape, there is just about every outdoor activity you can imagine along its numerous rivers, lakes and Black Sea shore.

Another interesting attraction lies in Sapanta Village and is called, the Merry Cemetery.  It is famous for the elaborate, bright blue, hand painted wooden crosses that adorn the tombstones.  They are hand made and depict the person’s life in pictures and verse, with no secrets left untold.  Visitors marvel at the gentle and sometimes dark humor of the epitaphs.  It is said to be the happiest cemetery in the world.

As true in many places, it is the people who provide the best reason to visit Romania.  They are known to be incredibly hospitable and friendly.  They love to show their hospitality by offering food;  a place after my own heart.

Romanian Cuisine

Romanian cuisine  is influenced by its own food resources as well as its neighboring and occasional occupying cultures. Turkish, Greek, Hungarian, Austrian, Russian, Germanic and Slavic influences are all reflected in Romanian cuisine.  Their food is hearty and comforting, with homemade flavors built around staples like pork, chicken, beef and lamb but also combining many local fruits and vegetables into their dishes.

Soups, called ciorba, of all styles, are ubiquitous, as is the famous side dish called, Mămăliga; a polenta made from corn meal.  It is served with stews and gravies and sometimes made into bread with a dab of sour cream on top.  The soups can be a meal by themselves, as they are very filling and typically made with meat or fish.  The meat soups are often served with a hot red or green pepper that can be nibbled along with a spoonful of broth, as opposed to adding into the soup itself.  The fish soups, especially those made near the Danube Delta, use freshwater fish and are served with a side of garlic sauce.

Cabbage rolls stuffed with spiced pork, called sarmalutes, are considered to be the de-facto national dish.  Other dishes such as pork stews are made with tomatoes and wine and add to the richness of the cuisine.  Fresh salads made with tomatoes and cucumbers are always found on Romanian menus.

We cannot complete the Romanian cuisine without the mention of sweets.  They are famous for strudels, cakes and crepes filled with chocolate or fruit.  However, the national treasure is a classic fried dough, with sweetened curd cheese, jam and cream, called Papanaşi.  I am convinced it is worth a trip to Romania, just for this dessert alone.  (If you can’t wait to go to Romania, than be sure to check out the recipe below.)

Alongside a Romanian meal, wine is served.  Romania is the one of Europe’s top producers of both red and white varieties.  Beer is also widely loved there.  However, if you are looking for something a bit stronger, look no further than their plum brandy called, tuica.  In Romania you will find tuica sold in plastic bottles at roadside fruit stands, right next to the apples and watermelons.  Many Romanians take pride in making their own, homemade version of tuica.

So let’s enjoy a Romanian meal:

The Menu

Appetizer

Ovă Umplute (Deviled Eggs)

Main Course

Ciorbă de Perişoare (Sour Meatball Soup)

Served with

Mămăliga (Polenta)

Dessert

Papanaşi (A Fried, Cheese Doughnut, served with Sour Cherry Preserves)

We set the table with the colors of the Romanian flag; red, yellow and blue, which signify the three areas that now make up the Republic of Romania.  Small pink flowers called “dog roses” were placed, as it is the national flower.  We used a back drop of the painting by Leroy Neiman, called “The Olympic Mural” which featured Romania’s Nadia Comaneci, the first gymnast in history to score a perfect 10 in the Montreal Olympics in 1976.  We also placed fangs to represent “Count Dracula” and a wooden wine glass to represent their viticulture.  Finally, we added a cross to designate the widespread Orthodox religion there.

We began with a toast of plum brandy and said “Noroc” which means “Cheers” in Romanian.  Our first course was a deviled egg called, Ovă Umplute.  Although Romania does not take credit for creating the original deviled egg, they love them.  These treasures are made a little differently than we are used to, by adding a hint of horseradish which gives it a lovely kick.  They also add bits of ham in them, as well.

For the main course, we served a traditional Romanian soup called, Ciorbă de Perişoare.  It is a sour, meatball soup that calls for an interesting herb called “lovage.”  I had never tried this herb before and ended up growing it in my garden because all I could find was a dried lovage, or the seeds.  Lovage tastes bitter when raw but when its cooked in broth, something magical happens.  It adds a unique flavor, like none I have known.  The closest thing I can recommend to substitute for lovage, would be a combination of parsley and celery leaves.  Here is a link to the dried lovage.  Although, I think fresh is best.  This soup is hearty and perfect for a cold winter day, especially when served with Mămăliga.  I made this in the bread form, as opposed to the typical polenta.  It is made with corn meal and went perfectly with our sour, meatball soup.  We also totally recommend the bite of hot pepper along with the soup, as is their traditional.

For our final treat, we dove into the dessert called Papanaşi, which is a fried cheese, donut, topped with sour cherry preserves and cream.  I am not kidding when I say this dessert alone is worth a trip to Romania.  It is easy to see why it is considered a national treasure.

After dinner we sat down to read what was once the longest, love poem ever written, penned by the famous Romanian Poet, Mihai Eminescu.  It is called, “The Evening Star” or “Luceafarul”.   You can read it here.

Until next time,

Warmest regards,

Darlene Longacre

UPDATE: we are heading to Cuba on January 10th for a month of exploration in support of the Cuban people.   Be sure to join the culinary and cultural journey around the world so you don’t miss a thing,  it’s free,  You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook ,  Pinterest and youtube to follow along our journey.  I thought a repost of  Cuba was in order, enjoy and watch for new exciting recipes to follow!

Cuba gets her name from the Taino people, an abbreviation of the word Cubanacán, which means “where fertile land is.” She is a long and narrow island nation, affectionately called El Caiman or El Cocodrilo, as the aerial view resembles an alligator or crocodile. The republic of Cuba is made up of the Island of Cuba, the Isle of Youth and more than 400 small islands and cays. Cuba is located about 90 miles south of the Florida Keys and 125 miles east of Cancun and Jamaica. The Cayman Islands lie to the south and Haiti to the east. Cuba is the largest and most populated Caribbean island.

“Juana” is the name given the Island by Christopher Columbus in 1492, in honor of Queen Isabella’s son, but that name never stuck. The Taino people came to the island from Venezuela about one thousand years ago. The original inhabitants were Native America tribes, the Ciboney and Guanahatebey. In 1511 Spanish forces took over the islands and declared them a Spanish Territory. The Taino people were forced into slave labor and most died from overwork and diseases brought by the Europeans.

The Spanish then brought hundreds of thousands of slaves from West Africa to plant and harvest sugarcane and tobacco. (Cuban cigars are still world renown.) The population today is mostly mulatto (a mix of European and African descent) the balance is 37 percent white, 11 percent Black and one percent Chinese. The official language is Spanish and the dialect is similar to other Hispanic Caribbean Islands but the highly expressive use of hand gestures are distinctly Cuban.

Cuba was under the control of Spain until 1898 when the treaty of Paris was signed. The United States claimed ownership of the remaining Spanish Colonies: Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. By 1902, the Cubans were not happy with another colonial power taking control and after many protests, the United States agreed to withdraw militarily from Cuba. One of the conditions included a 99 year lease to a naval base at Guantanamo Bay. The lease was extended into perpetuity in 1934. After several dictators and coup attempts, Fidel Castro’s Revolution toppled the previous dictator on January 8, 1959, who fled the country. Castro spoke to the masses and claimed true independence for Cuba, the first time since 1511.

Cuba became a communist state, which caused some of the elite to flee. Having a communist country so close to United States (U.S.) shores became a major issue. This led to the failed Bay of Pigs and then the Cuban missile crisis, which then turned into a 50 year long embargo. (Rumor has it, U.S. President Kennedy purchased 1200 Cuban cigars before the trade embargo was enforced).

Cuba was trading with the Soviet Union and Venezuela as its major trading partners. In 1989 when the cold war ended and the Soviet Union broke up, Cuba entered a very difficult period known as the “Special Period.” The country lost 80 percent of its imports and exports. They lost their oil connection, which caused severe hardship in the ability to operate transportation, industrial and agricultural systems. This period was especially hard on the Cuban people. They were hungry and had to drastically change their way of life.

One good thing that came out of the “Special Period”, was organic agriculture. Cuban producers turned the declining availability of pesticides and fertilizers into an opportunity to shift toward organic production, which ended up having numerous environmental, social and economic gains. The government allowed 80 percent of their farmland to be turned over to workers. Once they met the government quotas for their crop, they were allowed to sell the excess to the local farmers’ market. Havanans transformed their vacant lots, backyards and even roof tops into small farms and grazing areas for animals. This change had huge positive impacts on the peoples’ livelihood as well as on their health, as chemicals and pesticides used in farming are often linked to increased cancer risks.

Like many communist countries, Cuba is officially atheist. However, many Cubans are Catholics and in 1997 the government allowed Christmas to become an official holiday, in preparation for Pope John Paul II’s visit. Cuba holds one of the highest literacy rates in all of Latin America and they have the highest doctor to patient ratio in the world. Cuba is known for sending doctors abroad when the need arises. A couple of perks to a communist society is free healthcare and education.

Baseball is the national sport of Cuba and loved there! They have special squares set up just so credentialed citizens can discuss baseball and discuss they do. They are so proud of their national team. One problem that Cuba faces is defection by their best players. They are typically paid around $2000 annually there compared to six figures and more in the U.S. Even Castro admits, that makes it hard for Cuba to compete. By the way, Fidel Castro led the country since the revolution in the late 1950s until 2008, when he passed the baton to his younger brother Raul, due to illness.

The country of Cuba has two currencies, the Cuban peso and the Cuban convertible peso (CUC). The Cuban peso (CUP) is known as the national currency. This is what the population uses for necessities. Luxury Items and most tourist destinations use the CUC. One CUC buys about 25 CUPs which often confuses tourists, by seeing government controlled item prices that they perceive as too cheap.

There is a system set up in Cuba where tourists can stay in what are called casas particulares (private houses licensed to offer lodging to foreigners.) All the restaurants had been government owned and run by employees until the economic crisis of the Special Period. Now, in Cuba the best food will be found in your casa paladares (locally owned restaurants in private homes and made legal in the 1990s.) Seating is limited and there are many restrictions for the homeowner regarding staff and such, however this is where you will savor the delicious, homemade Cuban cuisine. Eating or staying in state owned hotels and restaurants is significantly more expensive. Visitors can choose casas particulares and paldares as alternatives and a great way to benefit the people and get a true cultural experience. Just make sure they have the proper licensing, as Cubans are forbidden to host a foreigner without a license and the punishment is severe for both parties, if caught.

The Cuisine of Cuba is a fusion of the Taino; the Spanish, West African and Caribbean. The tropical climate and fertile land produces fruits and root vegetables used in many Cuban dishes. Pork is the most commonly eaten meat. There are restrictions on seafood and beef, which are reserved mainly for the tourist industry.

So let’s eat Cuban style:

The Menu
Appetizer
Tostones (Fried Plantains)

Salad
Ensalada Cubano (Typical Green Salad)

Main
Lechon Asado (Roast Pork)

Served with
Moros y Cristianos (Rice and Beans)

Sofrito (Base for Moros Y Cristianos)

Dessert
Churros con Chocolate Caliente (Fried Dough with Hot Chocolate)

We began our meal with a Mojito, a popular lime and rum drink served with mint and a Cuban toast, “Salud.” The Mojito was known to be the author Ernest Hemingway’s favorite and he enjoyed them while writing two of his most famous books there: “The Old Man and the Sea” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” The rum maker, Bacardi, had its headquarters in Cuba until the Revolution when they moved it to Puerto Rico. Needless to say, rum is very popular in Cuba.

For ambiance, we put on “the Buena Vista Social Club”, a wonderful showcase of Cuban music performed by elderly men who have played music all their lives. Son Cubano is a type of Cuban music, as important to Cuba as the Tango is to Argentina and the Samba is to Brazil. Cuban music is often considered one of the richest and most influential regional music genres of the world. (Here is a link, you can check it out for yourself: http://youtu.be/HaerapRPS64 )

We decorated the table with colors of the Cuban flag; red, white and blue and with pictures of old American cars. Cubans are only allowed to own pre-1959 cars. It is an amazing site to see how they have maintained and restored these vintage treasures. If the day ever comes when the Cubans can sell them, I hope they won’t, as they add such charm and uniqueness to their country.

For our first course we enjoyed hot fried plantains, always a delicious treat and best eaten right out of the fryer, a popular snack in Cuba.
Next we had the main course served family style. Lechon Asado was served with white rice and black beans in a sofrito base. Together it’s called Moros y Cristianos. Honestly, I think it is the best combination of rice and beans I have ever had and I will include this recipe in my favorites. We added a simple but delicious organic Cuban salad. The salad, light and refreshing, with a citrus and garlic dressing, complemented the flavor of the pork.

The main dish, Lechon Asado, is usually reserved for special occasions where the whole pig would be roasted in the ground, covered in banana leaves. They also sell hog roasting boxes that many Cubans own and have become a popular alternative to roasting the pig in the ground. What makes the pork so wonderful however, is the marinade called Mojo. This is a blend of citrus and garlic that is unforgettable. I roasted a whole pork shoulder that I found with the skin on. It was superb!

For dessert we had hot chocolate and churros. The churros are basically fried dough rolled in sugar and served with a nice big cup of hot chocolate to dunk them in. I know we shouldn’t but, YUM!

You will notice on my cover shot is a pamphlet called “Nassau Cuba & Mexico.” This pamphlet was written by the author Zane Grey for the New York Cuba Mail Steamship Company. It is very rare and one of the prized possessions of our Zane Grey collection. We also have his diary of that trip he took. I would like to quote from the pamphlet, what he said about Havana back in 1909. “Havana is a magnificent city of white-walled avenues, of green-foliaged plazas, of gray-towered cathedrals and monasteries; and its wonderful coloring runs sheer into the blue waters of the harbor. It is bright, attractive, full of life. Tourists of all nations are there giving the city a cosmopolitan atmosphere. A walk or drive down the Prado from Central Plaza to the Malecon is one of the most enjoyable that can be imagined. Streams of carriages and automobiles, going and coming, giving an air of New York or Paris.”

As we leave this country Cuba, we do so with hope, as the U.S. Embargo has just been lifted. Recognizing that the decision to lift the embargo is controversial, as things in Cuba have not changed in decades, I see both sides of the argument. With that said, we can only hope that things get better for the Cuban people. Selfishly, I am hoping to get a chance to visit and stay with a Cuban family in a casa particular and dine with them on the incredible cuisine!

Until next week,
Warmest Regards,
Darlene
P.s. What do with all those pork leftovers? A Cuban sandwich of course. Here’s a delicious bonus recipe!

Cuban Sandwich