My husband and I arranged to take a cooking class in the Cambodia countryside at a place called the Khmer Root Café.  The cooking class sent a tuk-tuk driver to pick us up at our hotel in the town of Kampot.  This is a very common form of transportation in Cambodia.  It is a motor cycle/scooter with a small goose neck and a covered carriage attached that seats four people; two facing forward and two facing backward.  Although everyone seems to call them a tuk-tuk, the real Cambodian name is “remork.”

On the way, we picked up another family who was from France and also part of the class. There were five of them, so Mary and her husband, joined us in our tuk-tuk.  Mary is a chef and on a three-month trip around Asia with her husband, after spending a year in New Zealand.  His parents and a friend are visiting them while they are here in Cambodia, got their own separate tuk-tuk.

We traveled along red, dirt roads, filled with rice fields, passing small villages along the way.  This was the country side that I had dreamt of seeing in Cambodia. The rice fields were golden and ready for harvest. Children were playing along the fields and greeted us with huge smiles and a hello as we passed by.  This is the simple life.  People doing what they need to do to get by, to put food on the table and to care for their family.

We arrived at the rural, open air, stick built, restaurant called the Khmer Root Café.  It had a thatched roof made of coconut tree fronds.  The view from the restaurant was, a large, idyllic man-made lake, built by the people for the Khmer rouge, so they would have fresh water for growing rice. It is called the Secret Lake.

The setting for this Khmer class met every expectation of total authenticity.  Locals walked by casually, with one lady leading a few water buffaloes that evidently did not like getting their picture taken.  I thought this one was going to charge at Dan while he was getting the photo. Do you see that look in its eye?

At the café, it was a family affair. The chef, Soklim, was a soft-spoken man who was fluent in English.  His mother, wife and daughters all helped with the preparation of the ingredients and gathering the necessary implements.  All the ingredients are home grown from their own garden, the meat is from their animals and the fish comes from the lake.  It brings a whole new meaning to farm to table.  There were large wooden rounds that were used as the cutting boards, and each had a knife and grater placed upon them.  It was an idyllic setting for a cooking class.

We were each able to choose two dishes to make from the menu, everything was an option, except for the Banana Blossom Salad, which wasn’t currently available.  Since there were seven of us cooking, we were able to see everything on the menu being made.  The result was an amazing display of wonderful Khmer cuisine.  The chef would take all the necessary time with each participant, to show us how to prepare and cook our dishes.

Each curry dish began with the same base, made of: lemongrass, Kafir lime leaves, garlic, galangal, turmeric and shallot.  Besides the fish amok, I also made the beef loklak, which is made with Cambodia’s famous Kampot pepper.  I now fully understand why it is considered the most delicious pepper in the world.  I think we all loved the loklak and beef salad the best but truly, every single dish was delicious and it was honestly hard to choose a favorite.  We were also surprised that although the dishes had a similar base, with just a few different ingredients, every dish had its own unique and wonderful flavor.  Here is a list of all the dishes that were made:

The chef’s young daughters were happy every time we ordered a beer because Angkor (the most popular beer in Cambodia) is running a promotion, that if the pull-top has a certain symbol on it, you win a free beer. The girls were very keen to this and had a blast checking to see if they had found the special symbol.  This game brought them great joy.

When it became clear that we had made way more food than necessary for the seven of us to eat, we shared with the entire family, for which they were most grateful.  We had a lovely meal conversing with the family and our new found, cooking friends. Mary’s husband’s parents were so adorable and have a vacation home in Senegal, which they invited us to visit.   We certainly hope to one day.  We had a blast with all of them and truly hope our paths will cross again.

We said our heartfelt goodbyes to the chef and his family and left knowing we now have a memory and recipes that will last a lifetime.  A cooking class is one of my absolute favorite ways to get to know a country, its cuisine and especially the people.  This was no exception.

After the cooking class, we stopped for a tour of La Plantation; a place where they grow the famous Kampot pepper.  We learned all about the different processes used on the organic farm and also had a pepper tasting.  Honestly, this pepper deserves all the rave reviews about it being the best pepper in the world.  In fact, I fell in love with it so much, the owner of La Plantation invited us to become a distributor for the pepper on the west coast of the USA.  So perhaps we can look forward to the opportunity to distribute this amazing pepper in the coming months.

I leave you with the delicious Beef Salad recipe that was a favorite at the cooking class.  It is really quick and easy to make and absolutely delightful. Simply click on the link or picture for the recipe.

Beef Salat (Raw Beef Salad with Peanuts)

I hope you are following our journey on Instagram @Internationalcuisine where I am posting daily stories and pictures.

Until next time,

Jol Muoy (Cheers in Khmer)

Darlene

Cambodia gets her name from the French word “Cambodge”, which is derived from the Khmer word, “Kâmpuchea”, meaning “born of Kambu.” Khmer is what the people of Cambodia are called, the language they speak and even the name of their cuisine. They gained independence from France in 1953. Both English and French are also spoken.

Located in Southeast Asia between Thailand and Vietnam, she has a northern border with Laos. Cambodia also has a coastline on the Gulf of Thailand, although the coastline is separated from the central flood plains by mountains. It wasn’t until the 1950’s that rail and roads provided access to the coastal towns. The beautiful landscape is a sea of rice paddies and sugar palms, with numerous rivers and until recently, areas outside the flood plains were heavily forested.

The population is roughly 90 percent Khmer, five percent Vietnamese and one percent Chinese. The official religion is Theravada Buddhist. Cambodia has the only flag in the world with a building on it. It depicts the ancient Khmer temple, “Angkor Wat.” Discovered by French explorers deep in the jungle in the 19th century, the iconic temple was built by King Suryavarman II, who reigned from 1131 to 1150. The word “Angkor” is derived from the Sanskrit word “Nagara”, for city and “Wat”, derived from Vatthu, means temple grounds. The temple is aptly named, as it has recently been concluded by researchers, that Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city in the world; sprawling 1150 square miles and populated by up to a million people. Huge reservoirs and canals were built by the Angkor kings to provide water for irrigation. Today it is one of the most important archaeological sites of Southeast Asia. The complex, houses the entire range of Khmer art, from the ninth to the 14th centuries and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

UNESCO has also listed Cambodia as the third most land-mined country in the world. It is estimated that four million landmines are still strewn across the country causing a high number of casualties. These mines were left by the communist party of Kampuchea, known as the Khmer Rouge regime, led by Pol Pot. Under his reign, was one of the top ten, worst genocides in the history of the world. Between 1975 and 1979 somewhere between 1,000,000 and 3,000,000 people were brutally tortured and killed.

The Khmer Rouge regime, took control of the capital city, Phnom Penh, on April 17, 1975. They already had control of 85 percent of the country for the previous two years. They then began to implement their radical ideology; a Maoist and Marxist-Leninist transformation program. They wanted to turn Cambodia into a rural class society in which there were no rich people and no poor people. In order to accomplish this, they abolished money, free markets, schools, private property, foreign clothing and medicine. There was no public or private transportation.

Everyone had to wear black uniforms, considered to be revolutionary clothing. People were forced to produce three tons of rice per hectare throughout the country. This required the people to work every day of the year for more than 12 hours per day. They eradicated religious practice and any Khmer traditions. After all the books were burned, the public schools, churches, mosques, shops and government buildings were turned into prisons and places to torture the people. People were not allowed to gather. If as many as three people were found together, they could be accused of being enemies of the state and arrested or executed. The Khmer Rouge actually documented their torture and killings as the regime massacred thousands of military personnel, civil servants, minorities and especially, intellectuals. One prison that was previously a high school, known as “S-21”, held 14,000 prisoners and only seven of them survived. It is the site of a museum today.

The torment ended in December of 1978 when Vietnamese troops fought their way into Cambodia and retook the capital city. One can only imagine, the scars left behind from this tragic and horrific time. So many were left orphaned and widowed. Many suffered from mental illness caused by the loss of their loved ones, torture and broken spirits.

Khmer Cuisine struggles to make a comeback after so much tradition was lost during the reign of the Khmer Rouge. I heard one story about a place in Cambodia where a survivor claimed the best Chinese noodles in the world were made. All the Chinese in that area were slaughtered and no one has been able to recreate the special noodles, simply gone without a trace, along with the lives of the Chinese who thrived there.

Today Cambodia is slowly but surely recovering. Even after all the tragedy, the Cambodians are a friendly and warm people. The Khmer cuisine, considered one of the oldest in the world, has rice as a staple, which is eaten with every meal in a variety of forms. Her rivers and lakes provide an abundance of freshwater fish, which is also a staple in their diet. The French left their mark on the cuisine and French baguettes are commonly eaten there. In fact, Cambodians eat more bread than any other Southeast Asian country. The influence on their cuisine also comes from Vietnam and Thailand. Although Khmer cuisine does not use chilies in their recipes too often, they always put them on the side so the consumer can add the appropriate amount of heat. They are known for eating their meals with at least three dishes, each having a unique taste of being sweet, sour, salty or bitter. Soup is very commonly served. They also use a few ingredients in their cuisine that are a bit different to a Westerner’s palate. One is “Prahok”, a pungent fermented fish paste used in many of their signature dishes. They also use a milder fish sauce in many dishes, with black pepper generously used. Today, as the pepper industry is being revitalized, they introduced the Kampot pepper, revered for its floral and eucalyptus flavor. Cardamom and tamarind are also widely used spices in the Khmer cuisine.

Their cooking style has been influenced by India, where Cambodians learned the art of blending spices into a paste. This spice blend is called “Kroeung” and is made with ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, cilantro and kaffir lime leaves along with spices like cardamom, nutmeg, ginger and turmeric. The result is an amazing, aromatic mixture that is the essence of Cambodian cuisine.

So let’s eat:

The Menu
Appetizer
Kuy Teav (Pork and seafood noodle soup)

Main Course
Swai nhoam di hu (Squid and mango salad)

Trey Amok (Cambodia’s National Dish)

Dessert
Num Chet Chien
(Fried banana nuggets)

We set the low table with the colors of the Cambodian flag; blue, red and white. Cambodians typically eat on a mat on the floor or at a low bamboo table. We decorated with a Buddha statue, banana leaves and lemon grass. We began the meal by placing our hands together near the heart, in a prayer position and gave a bow. This is how you would greet someone in Cambodia. The higher the hands and the deeper one bows, the more respect that is conveyed. Elders are always served first. In my case, that meant my husband (ha). It is customary to eat with chopsticks, which we did.

We began the meal with Kuy Teav, a pork and seafood noodle soup. This can be enjoyed with or without added broth. We ate it with the broth and savored every delicious bite. We were both blown away by how absolutely incredible this soup was. We added the condiments; bean sprouts, cilantro and the spicy chili sauce. This is the type of meal we could eat every day, for any meal. Awesome!

Next we had the squid and mango salad with the sweet fish sauce dressing. The fish sauce is a bit of an unusual flavor but quickly becomes somewhat addicting. It is another fantastic recipe and one we will make often.

After salad, we served Cambodia’s national dish called Trey Amok, which is typically steamed in banana leaves. I made a modified version in a pan instead of the banana leaf. However, we did make cute little banana bowls out of the leaves for serving the Amok. I used a very mild, white fish filet and added curry and coconut milk. It was light but full of flavor. I would love to visit Cambodia to get an authentic version of their national dish steamed in the banana leaf and served with the local freshwater fish found there. This course (as well as the others), was enjoyed with steamed, white rice and a typical Khmer drink of soda water with a squeeze of lemon.

For dessert, we had a delicious, deep fried banana nugget that was wrapped in a crispy spring roll, sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with vanilla ice cream; a fabulous way to end our Cambodian feast. We both put this country, called Cambodia, and especially the noodle soup on our list of favorites.

As we say goodbye, I leave you with a few Cambodian proverbs and a hope that they are on the fast track to recovery and will experience all the good that life has to offer. If you care to learn more about their history, there is a documentary called “S-21” about the tragedy that occurred there. As you can imagine, it is not for the faint of heart.

Cambodian proverbs:
Cultivate a heart of love that knows no anger.
The immature rice stalk stands erect, while the mature stalk, heavy with grain, bends over.
Sow good and you’ll reap good, sow bad and you’ll reap bad.
You don’t have to cut down a tree to get its fruit.

Until next week,
Warmest regards
Darlene

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to send you a personal note of gratitude for being part of International Cuisine. I am so thankful that you have “Joined the Journey.” It is especially gratifying that our Journey is growing, with followers both here in the United States and Internationally.

As we are about to celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States, I can’t help but think of the world as a whole. When I research recipes for each country along the Journey, I am always struck by how important food is to every culture. Obviously food is a necessity of life, but it is so much more. People all around the world take absolute pride in their cuisine and especially their cherished family recipes, handed down from generation to generation.

Thanksgiving started as a celebration of the harvest and a way to thank the native, American Indians who saved those first settlers from starvation back in 1621. The Indians shared their food, their knowledge of how to grow crops and how to live off the land. Many cultures have a similar celebration, festival or holiday, just for the harvest. Thanksgiving is ours in the United States. Food is truly the ultimate way to show hospitality and kindness. This is exactly what the pilgrims wanted to do for the Indians, show appreciation for their culture and say thank you for sharing it with them. In many ways, this is the essence of what I hope we will gain from our culinary journey around the world. Together, by exploring each new culture, the traditions and cuisine they enjoy, we grow a little closer to our fellow man.

I’d like to share a few things that make Thanksgiving special in our family. Sometimes, it is the simplest of things that brings about that flood of fond memories and sense of connection. For me strangely, it is black olives, simply out of a can and pitted. As a child, I remember placing one on each finger and waving to my siblings while we waited at the table for the big meal to be served. Then I would savor each olive, from my pinky to my thumb, first one hand and then the other. Black olives have been a condiment on our table every year and for me, well, it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them.

Here is a cranberry salsa recipe that my family has grown to love and has become a tradition in our home over the years.

Cranberry Salsa Recipe

Although my husband loves it too, for him, he must have the wiggly, jellied, canned cranberry sauce to get that special feeling of Thanksgiving. As it turns out, cranberry sauce was in fact served as part of the first Thanksgiving meal. The cranberry was called ibimi by the Indians which means, “bitter berry.” The colonists noticed that the flowers of the berry bent the stalk over and it reminded them of the long-necked bird, called the crane. This is how the berry got its name. The Indians used this berry to treat infections and found the juice of the berry was a perfect dye for their rugs and blankets. They taught the pilgrims how to cook these special berries to make a sauce.

I am curious to know about your family traditions or foods that give you that special feeling on Thanksgiving or your harvest festival. Is it a precious family recipe for some type of stuffing, perhaps a special pie or other dessert, or an incredible side dish? Is it a tradition of giving thanks by serving others or going around the table to take a moment to share your blessings? Maybe it’s participating in a turkey-trot race? Whatever it is, I would love for you to share it with us in our comments section.

This goofy little appetizer is also a hit at our family’s gathering. The kids love to get in on the action of making this creation. If you are interested in how to make this cute little appetizer, you can find the directions here.

Goofy Thanksgiving Appetizer

I also want to share how thankful I am to have a bountiful organic garden! I am able to harvest and make use of the many fruits and vegetables grown there for each week’s culinary journey. For those of you who garden, I am sure you can relate to the joy of taking your grocery list out to the garden and then realizing you have little left to pick up at the store. It is also so enjoyable to share the bounty with friends and family and this year we even made arrangements to give to a local food bank. (My husband, Dan, gets the credit for building and maintaining our beautiful garden, for which I am most grateful).

Gardening in the high desert at 4000 feet, requires some extraordinary measures. The first time we planted seeds in our raised-bed garden, we discovered by the next morning each place we had planted a seed, it had been surgically extracted by some unknown critter. It was clear at that moment, we needed to build an enclosed structure and as you can see, we did just that. If you would like any garden tips or would like to know how this was built, don’t hesitate to contact us either by email or better yet, in the comments section.

A Morning’s Bounty!

And before we go, I need to give a shout out to “the Girls.” We call them Lightfoot, Darkfoot and Blackie and they too, are part of the Journey, providing fresh eggs for any recipe in need.

Look for the fresh content while we are on our journey to South East Asia beginning December 1st.  I will be posting stories on Instagram as I find that the easiest way to share our journey while on the road.  You can find me on Instagram at @internationalcuisine  I wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving or harvest celebration, filled with love, fantastic food and that special something that makes it “Thanksgiving” for you!
Until next time,
Warmest regards,
Darlene

The week I want to share a few favorite dishes, perfect for the fall weather.  I also have some exciting news.  My husband and I will be embarking on a four month journey beginning December 1st.  This is a life-long dream of ours to travel the world.  I truly hope you will follow along on our journey.

We will be heading to Southeast Asia and the first country we will be exploring is Cambodia.  This Cambodian soup, made with pork and shrimp and those amazing, glass noodles, is a big reason why this country is a must see and taste for us.  Once you make it you will understand why.  It is amazing!

Kuy Teav (Pork and seafood noodle soup)

India will also be on our journey.  We can’t wait to explore this country and plan on eating lots of Chicken Butter Masala, as well as many other delectable Indian dishes. As it happens, we will be there during the Holi Festival of Colors, something I have always wanted to see and experience firsthand.

Chicken Butter Masala (Murgh Mahani)

Laos is another stop on our trip.  We hope to see the monks receiving their alms at the cultural center of Luang Prabang.  You can look forward to new, authentic recipes from this spectacular country.

Khao Poon (Coconut Noodle soup)

Nepal is our next country. This lentil soup would be perfect to sustain you while trekking in the Himalayas, or adding comfort and warmth to any cool, fall evening.  We will not be scaling Mt. Everest but we will certainly be warmed by this staple soup, called Dal Bhat.

Dal Bhat (Red Lentils and Rice)

There has been plenty of negative press about Myanmar of late.  We added Myanmar to our itinerary and although we have mixed feelings about going there, we ultimately decided to include it.  As you know International Cuisine shares the traditions and cultures of world counrties but also includes their struggles as well.  Hopefully on our visit, we will experience more of the positive aspects. In any case, we know the food will not disappoint. This dish, called Mohinga, is a favorite!

Mohinga (Fish Base Soup with Rice Noodles)

Malaysia, our next destination, will be so exciting. We will be heading to Penang for their authentic Nyonya cuisine and to learn firsthand about Peranakan culture.  Of course enjoying Laksa, this scrumptious Malaysian soup, will be a real treat while there.

Laksa (Coconut Curry  Soup)

Oh and we cannot forget Indonesia. We will make a stop in Bali and Java on our journey.  Bakmi Goreng is a dish I make regularly.  I simply love this recipe as it is a quick and easy meal to prepare.  It has a little bit of everything: sweet, sour, savory and spicy. It is also a very flexible recipe; you can make it with beef or chicken or seafood, it is all soooooo wonderful!

Bakmi Goreng (Seafood Stir Fried Noodles)

We will also be exploring Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and then making a stop in Portugal, on our way home.  Of course, exploring street food and cooking with locals will be the highlight of every country.  Be on the lookout for great new posts, with recipes as well.  In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy some of our favorite dishes listed above.  Simply click on the name or the picture to get the recipes.

Until next time,

Stay warm with these amazing recipes.

Darlene Longacre

We flew in a small plane from Dar es Salam, Tanzania, over the spectacular, aqua and turquoise, Indian Ocean.  In a short 20 minutes, we arrived on the island of Zanzibar, aka, “The Spice Island.”  Today, Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, however it wasn’t always that way.

Simply Paradise, seriously the water really is that beautiful.

The Portuguese arrived in the 16^th century and brought in some spices and plants from South America and India, however they never used the island for much more that a military base.  It was the Sultan Seyyid Said, the first Omani sultan to govern Zanzibar back in 1698, who quickly realized the potential of this acquisition.  With its superb, tropical climate it was a perfect location for spice farming and was now part of the overseas holdings of Oman.

Although spices were clearly traded along these seafaring routes since ancient times, Zanzibar was not growing them on any large scale until the Omani Sultan issued a decree that all landowners had to plant two clove trees, for every coconut tree, on their land.

It did not take long before Zanzibar became a major producer of spices.  This ended up being a very important income generator, especially after the slave trade ended in the late nineteenth century.  It is only recently that tourism has surpassed clove sales as the number one economic contributor.

                                      This photo taken at the slave trade memorial museum in Stonetown, Zanzibar.  A powerful memorial worth seeing.

We arrived at our amazing hotel in Stonetown, called, the Dhow Palace Hotel.  We were blessed to stay in the Presidential Suite of this mansion, which was built back in 1559 AD for Sheikh Mushin bin Mujbia.  The hotel is filled with priceless antiques and was simply charming on every level.  It was the hotel that made arrangements for our tour of a spice plantation.

The Presidential Suite at the Dhow Palace Hotel Stonetown, Zanzibar

We arrived at the spice plantation, after a 30 minute drive from town, where we met our guide, Mohammad.  He was incredibly knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor.  He spoke flawless English and always made sure he told us what the Swahili words were, as well.   We would walk through the working plantation and Mohammad would find a plant, get a spice or leaf and have us smell it, or taste it and try to figure out what it was.  Mohammad was impressed with my knowledge of the spices (a talent I developed by cooking more than half the countries of the world.) I pretty much could decipher each and every one, although he kept trying to stump me.

Although I could tell what the spices were, I learned many things I did not know about them. He told us how certain spices grow and that many spices are used not just for cooking, but for medicinal and other purposes as well.  Here are a few of those things I learned:

Annato seed comes from the Achiote tree is used as a spice as well as used in cosmetics. Mohammad showed us how it looks as lipstick!

These are  Annato seeds, they are tucked away in a fuzzy pod that looks similar to lychee.

Mohammad showing us how annato seeds are used for cosmetics like lipstick!

Cinnamon is just the bark of the tree rolled up.  The leaves are used to make green tea.  The roots are used to make Vick’s Vapor Rub.  You can boil the cinnamon root, mix it with coconut oil and inhale it, to clean out your sinuses.

A giant, 80 year old Acacia tree provided the shade necessary to grow cardamom pods and vanilla.  Cardamom is used as an air freshener and a breath freshener, as it helps to remove the smell of any alcohol.  Green cardamom is also used to make soap.

The Cardamon plant

Vanilla pods still green waiting to ripen on the vine.

Vanilla grows in Zanzibar and also needs shade. However, in Zanzibar it must be hand pollinated, so it is quite labor intensive to grow.

The flowers of the Ylang ylang tree are used for making perfume, including the famous Chanel #5.

They grow two types of lemongrass; one from Thailand and one from Zanzibar.  The lemongrass from Zanzibar had great flavor and was much smaller than the lemongrass from Thailand.  Lemongrass is used to make soap and is great as an insect repellent as well as used in many dishes.

Harvesting lemongrass this was the variety brought from Thailand

Pepper, comes from only one pepper plant, however from it you can get green pepper, white pepper, red pepper, yellow pepper, and black pepper.  It just depends on when you pick it and how it is processed as to what color you get.  Pepper of course is used as a common ingredient in cooking but is also used as a tea, to eliminate stomach gas and they make a drink to restore essential vitamins, after a woman gives birth.

Mohammad showing us a peppercorn in the red state.

Nutmeg and mace come from the same tree, and have similar uses in cooking.  Nutmeg is purported to increase the sex drive in women. The red part is dried in the sun and then ground to produce the spice.

Nutmeg looks so cool

We walked through areas that had ginger, which is used to tenderize meat, used to cure sea sickness, and beloved in their ginger beer.  Turmeric which is used as a spice for curry and has numerous medicinal properties is also grown there.

I love the color of turmeric especially when freshly picked.

Cassava and pumpkin are also grown on the plantation and every part of these plants are used in the African cuisine.

Freshly picked cassava is much different from what we get in our stores.

Although we were on a spice tour, we noticed that fruit trees abounded.  Soursop, a delicious sweet fruit, is believed to cure cancer and heart problems.

An unusual looking fruit called soursop has delicious sweet white flesh that is believed to cure cancer.

They grow green oranges there, not orange ones.  It was funny because at breakfast they had a pitcher labeled orange juice, but it was green. I didn’t try it just then.  The oranges are fully ripe when green and had I not gone on that tour, I probably would have missed out on orange juice for the rest of our stay.  It turns out the green, orange juice is excellent.

Yes this is a ripe green orange, go figure!

Some of the other fruit trees we saw were bananas of all varieties, mangoes, and passion fruit, both red and yellow and something called a Zanzibar apple.

It is the clove however, that is known as the King of spice or Korafu in Swahili.  It is the most famous spice of Zanzibar.  It contains an oil, called eugenol, which acts as a food preservative. It’s an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, and known to cure toothaches and stomach aches.  The tree is used, when dried for firewood; however in Zanzibar if one clove tree is cut down, five more must be planted.  This is regulated by the government.

The king of spice, the clove

As we were walking along the tour, we came across a big Muslim celebration that was happening in the local village.  There were scores of boys and girls of all ages, waiting to be served a feast.  We were thrilled that they allowed us to photograph them while they were waiting.  We learned that the vividly, colored veils that the girls were wearing, represented the village in which they live and the different designs on the hats that the boys were wearing, did the same.  It always gives me hope to see beautiful, children, happy and going to school, especially in remote parts of the world.  We felt like it was our lucky day.

Beautiful school girls striking a pose.

The boys thought they were so funny hiding their faces with a shoe and a hat.

Our tour ended with a tasting of fruits and an opportunity to buy various spices and soaps which we did, to support the community.

A fruit stand on the plantation.

It was a fantastic tour that shed so much light on the importance of these crops to this island and how these flavors are ingrained in their daily lives and in the delicious foods they cook.

I leave you with a scrumptious  calamari curry recipe that I discovered while cooking with Mr. Okala in Jambiani, Zanzibar. Just click on the link or picture below for the recipe.

Calamari Curry

Until next time,

Asante sana (that means thank you very much in Swahili)

Darlene

How Oman was named remains a bit of a mystery.  The area was called Mazoon, which stems from the word muzn, which means, “heavy clouds which carry abundant water.”  The name Oman is thought to originate from the Arab tribes who migrated there from the Uman region of Yemen.

Oman is the oldest, independent state in the Arab world.  The official name is, The Sultanate of Oman and it is one of the few countries in the world that is run as an absolute monarchy.  The Sultan, Qaboos bin Said al Said, has been the leader of Oman since 1970.  He is the longest serving leader in the Middle East and the fourth, longest reigning monarch in the world.

Oman is strategically located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.  Its neighbors are: United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west and Yemen to the southwest.  It also has two exclaves, territories called the Madha and the Musandam, which are surrounded by the United Arab Emirates, on their land borders and with the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, forming their coastal boundaries.  Oman shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan.  The coastal border is the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman, on the northeast.  It is made up of towering mountain ranges, vast deserts and about 2000 miles of coastline.

Oman has a fascinating history, as the area was a key place for trade for thousands of years.  Recent discoveries in Oman have shown pre-historic, human habitation dating back over 125,000 years.  Some stone tools found, resemble those made by humans in Africa, during the same time period.  Oman is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  A couple of these sites date back some 5000 years.  They are called tombs but possibly could have been silos, as no human remains have been found.  They are made of stone and shaped like a bee hive.  There is a sense that there is much more yet to be discovered in the mountains of Oman.

Ancient civilizations traversed through the deserts of the Middle East to Mesopotamia (Iran and Iraq).  The camel caravans would carry incense, an extremely important product of antiquity.  Oman is one of the few places in the world where frankincense trees grow.  The Land of Frankincense is one of the world heritage sites.  Additionally, ships carried copper and other various minerals by sea.  Omanis often get credit for being some of the best shipbuilders in the world.

Due to its strategic location, the region was impacted by several invaders.  These included, other Arab tribes, Portugal and Britain.  Oman at one time even had its own colony, which included the island of Zanzibar, off the east coast of Africa and was the place where Oman became wealthy from the slave trade.  Oman also has oil wealth and reserves which it began exporting in 1967.  It has tried to have a diverse economy that is not solely based on oil and gas.  The economy has focused on tourism, fishing, mining and agriculture.  The main crops grown in Oman are dates, limes, tomatoes, eggplant, bananas and carrots.  Its most fertile land is found along the coast in the northeast.

Oman is a Muslim country and governed by Shari’a law.  Most of the Muslims adhere to the Ibadi sect of Islam, while the remaining are either Sunni or Shia.  The Sultan is a member of the Ibadi community, however, the government does not give official preference to any particular religious group.  Despite being a Muslim country, they allow freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination of individuals on the basis of religion.  About five percent of the population is Christian, Hindu or Buddhists; mostly non citizen immigrant workers.  Arabic is the official language in Oman, although English is also spoken.  In the capital city of Muscat, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque was completed in 2001, built from 300,000 tons of Indian sandstone.  It has a capacity of 20,000 worshipers.  It is a popular tourist destination because of its beautiful architecture.

In the mid 20th century and up until the 1970s, Oman was basically shut off from the outside world, until the current Sultan overthrew his father in a bloodless coup.  Since that time, the country has opened up in all sorts of new ways.  Prior to 1970 Oman basically had no national infrastructure.  There were no hotels in Oman, yet today there are hundreds.  Back then, Oman had only six miles of paved roads whereas today there are over 3800 miles of paved roads.  In 1970, only three primary schools existed for just 1000 boys. Today, there are well over 500,000 kids (boys and girls) in over 1000 schools.  Education is free up until the higher education level.  Today the country has been totally transformed.

The Sultan is often called a Renaissance man, for his transformation of a nation in so little time.  Despite being run as an absolute monarchy, he is not considered a dictator.  He has developed a constitution, as well as two houses of Parliament.  A recent change in the constitution gives the lower house even more power.  The Parliament consists of both males and females from all over the country.  The Sultan is loved in his country and highly respected.  The biggest concern in Oman is who will succeed the Sultan, as he has no children of his own.  He recently spent eight months in Germany for an undisclosed medical condition.  When he returned, the country erupted in celebration.

As we look into the cuisine of this most interesting country, it is clear that they have many wonderful influences.  Located along the spice trade route, their cuisine is loaded with the best and most expensive spices like: saffron, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, to name a few.  Oman was responsible for bringing clove to the island of Zanzibar.  The main influences come from Persia, India, Asia, and East Africa along with her neighbors.

In Oman, the cuisine is regional, however, most dishes have some element of curry, cooked meat, and vegetables.  Seafood, is of course, very popular along its long, fertile coastline.  Rice is a staple. Omani cuisine is full of different biryanis and machboos, (Middle Eastern rice with meat and spices) but it also has its own unique element of beaten or mashed rice.  This is rice that is cooked a very long time along with other ingredients, like chicken, to the point where it becomes like a porridge.  Soups are also common and typically made with chicken, or lamb and vegetables.  One element in the cuisine that is quintessential Omani, is the dried lime or black lime.  The lime, which originally came from Malaysia, is dried in the sun until the shell becomes rock hard and the interior is a gummy black.  This dried lime adds an intensive, citrusy, earthy, almost fermented flavor, to many of their dishes.  It is a beloved ingredient in Persian cuisine and other Middle Eastern cuisines.  In Oman it is called loomi.

Shuwa is considered to be the national dish and requires a distinctive, underground pit.  It is a time intensive dish that usually takes a few days and is reserved for special occasions.  It is typically made with beef, lamb, goat or camel, with a mixture of spices and oil and then wrapped in banana leaves and placed in the pit.  It is served over a massive platter of rice.  It is a big production, in both the preparation and in the enjoyment of the feast.  Alcohol is available in Oman but requires a special license, proving that you are spending less than ten percent of your income on it.  Pork is strictly forbidden.

So let’s eat an Omani meal:

The Menu

Starter

Balah, Juz and Kahwa (Dates, Nuts and Coffee)

Salad

Omani  Salata (Omani Salad)

Main course

Paplou Hasa’ (Fish Soup)

Madrouba (Beaten Rice & Chicken)

served with

Khubz (Omani Thin Bread)

Dessert

Halwa (Sweet)

We set the scene with a special coffee pot called a dallah.  For this meal, we were honored to have my sister and her husband as our guests.  We began by saying, “As-salem alaykum”, which means “Peace be with you,” in Arabic.  Coffee and dates are the ultimate form of hospitality in Oman.  The hot Omani coffee is served in little cups without handles called fenjans.  The coffee is lightly roasted and ground with cardamom and often times rose water is added to the mix.  Dates are served as a sweetner for the coffee.  Your coffee will be constantly refilled until you shake your cup vigorously, signalling that you have had enough.  You will be offered coffee and dates just about everywhere you go in Oman.  We began our meal with coffee and dates, both fresh and dried, along with some nuts.  It was the first time we had ever had a fresh date and we loved the crunchy texture and sweetness.

For the dinner setting we included a rug, as sitting on the floor and eating with your right hand is how food is enjoyed by the locals in Oman.  An Arabian horse figurine was placed, since they are believed to have originated in Oman and Omanis are known to be some of the best, Arabian horse breeders in the world.  Dried limes and spices were also positioned, along with a incense burner filled with frankincense.  I don’t think I ever had the privilege of smelling frankincense before and it turned out to be a lovely, earthy scent that we all enjoyed.  Pictures of elaborate carved doors were also added, as they were one of the things I loved so much about our trip to Stonetown in Zanzibar.  (I really wanted to bring back a set of carved doors,)  I loved them, and it turns out Oman is full of them.  Even the smallest, most unassuming abode, will be graced with a spectacular entry door.

Our next course was a spicy cirtusy seafood soup called paplou.  It was made with those dried limes and fresh lime juice, which was a perfect balance to the spiciness of the broth.  There are many variations to this dish but generally speaking it will contain, black lime, onions, tomatoes, turmeric, chili and fresh tuna.  It is served over a scoop of basmati rice.  We loved it!

Next were three dishes served communally, all at the same time.  It was a simple Omani salad that  had cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, parsley and mint but what made it unique was the addition of preserved lemons.  These are like a pickled lemon and added a unique element to the salad.  This was another keeper, everybody loved the salad; simple and delicious.

The main course was called madrouba, which literally translated means, “beaten rice.”  Despite the long cooking time, this dish is pretty easy to make and will infuse your kitchen with wonderful scents.  It has many spices but is not a hot spicy dish at all, it is simply a flavorful one.  It was enjoyed alongside Omani bread called khubz which is simply made with flour, water and salt.  It is cooked on a stainless flat surface above a hot flame where the dough is just lightly touched to the surface resulting in a very thin almost lace-like piece of bread.  The bread is not flipped but removed from the pan with what resembles a paint scraper.  It was very delicious hot off the grill.

For dessert, we served a small bowl of Halwa.  This is a gelatinous, sweet dessert made mostly of sugar and water and then flavored with saffron, cardamom and nuts.  It was a lovely end to our delicious Omani meal that left us wanting more.

As we say goodbye to this peaceful Middle Eastern nation, that has essentially no terrorism or crime, I leave you with a quote from His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al-Said:

““The path we have followed in our foreign policy over the past decades has shown itself to be both sound and effective, with God’s guidance.  We are committed to this approach, which supports justice, peace and security, and tolerance and love; which calls for international cooperation in order to reinforce stability, promote growth and prosperity and tackle the causes of tension in international relations by producing just and permanent solutions to critical problems; which fosters peaceful co-existence between nations; and which generates well-being and prosperity for the whole of mankind.”

Until next time,

Shukran (thank you)

Darlene

The name Norway comes from the old Norse words, “nordr” and “vegr.” The words mean, “way to the north” or “northern way;” because of its very northern location.  In fact, it is the most northern country in all of Europe. Today, the Norwegians have two official names, “Noreg” in Nynorsk and “Norge” in Bokmål.  Norge is used most often.

Norway is a Scandinavian country and shares a long, land border which includes the Scandinavian mountains with Sweden.  It also has a border with Finland and Russia, to the north.  The Skagarrak Strait, lies between them and Denmark is to the south.  Norway has an extensive coastline on the west, along the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea.

Norway is run as a constitutional monarchy.  The current King is Harald V.  Norway was ruled by Denmark for some 400 years and was also part of Sweden.  They have, in essence, two independence days; one, when they gained independence from Denmark, in 1814 (however it was for a very brief period of time) then, they were given to Sweden by the victors of the Napoleonic war and finally regained their independence on June 7^th, 1905.

During World War II, Norway was invaded and occupied by Germany.  Norway was one of the signers of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949 and was a founding member of the United Nations. The first UN General Secretary, Trygve Lie, was a Norwegian.  Norway is not part of the European Union, although it has been voted on a few times.  Their currency is called the Norwegian kroner.

Most of Norway’s population are Norwegians; a Germanic ethnic group, plus Sami, which makes up 94 percent of the population.  The rest are immigrants from other countries. especially European.  Oslo is the capital city, known for its beautiful green areas.  It is the most populous city in Norway.  It was founded back in 1040 as a trading place.  It is usually rated as one of the best places to live, in terms of quality of life, despite the high cost of living.  The official languages are Bokmal and Nynorsk Norwegian, but Sami, and Kven are also spoken.  English is taught as a second language.  The religion of Norway is mostly the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway with nearly 80 percent of the population making it their affiliation.  However, only about ten percent attend services on a regular basis.  The rest are a mix of religions, with Catholicism being second.

Norway is one of the few countries in the world with fjords – long narrow inlets in the coastline, with deep sides or cliffs, formed by glaciers, millions of years ago.  In fact, two of them are UNESCO natural world heritage sites; the spectacular West Norwegian Fjords, Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord.  Norway’s coastline is estimated to be 18,000 miles when you count the 1,190 fjords or 1600 miles if you don’t.  The Vikings (who ruled the country during the Viking Age between 800 and 1066 AD) built boats to navigate these unique inlets. Almost all of Norway is high ground. They have a wonderful road system and have the longest tunnel in the world, the Lærdal Tunnel, which is 15.2 miles long.  There are many beautiful bridges over deep fjords, as well as a major ferry service and numerous tunnels under the mountains.

Two-thirds of the country is tundra, rock or snowfields, and one-quarter is forested, as a result, good agricultural land is hard to come by.  Less than three percent of Norway is cultivated, and those areas are in the southeast and in the river valleys. The mountains of Norway are rich in minerals and they have large offshore reserves of petroleum and natural gas. Norway ranks 15^th in the world in oil production and is the greatest reason for the countries enormous wealth.  They have the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world, worth just shy of one trillion dollars.  The lower price of fuel of late, has been a burden on their economy, and they made their first ever withdrawal from the wealth fund in 2016.

Although Norway is far north, the climate is not as cold as one might expect.  The North Atlantic Drift brings warm, damp, air to the whole country.  It is generally cooler inland and to the north, where winters are long and accompanied with much snow.  From late May to late July, the sun never completely dips beneath the horizon in areas north of the Arctic Circle. This is how Norway got its nickname, “The Land of the Midnight Sun.”   The rest of the country experiences up to 20 hours of daylight per day.  It is just the opposite in winter, when from late November to late January, the sun never rises above the horizon in the north, and daylight hours are scarce in the rest of the country.

Norway is known as a spectacular place to see the “Aurora Borealis” or, “The Northern Lights.”  They say they are most active around the equinox in both fall and spring.  Of course, there are never guarantees to witness Mother Nature’s grand creation but your odds are pretty good between the hours of 9:00pm and 1:00am in the far north, when the sky is clear and dark.

The north is also home to the indigenous people called the Sami or Lapps.  They have lived in the Artic region for thousands of years.  About 50,000 to 65,000 call Norway home.  There, they keep their unique culture, language and traditions alive, including reindeer husbandry.

As we look into the cuisine of Norway, it is largely influenced by its coastal location.  Fish is the heart and soul of Norwegian cuisine.  They poach it, smoke it, grill it, fry it, salt it, dry cure it and boil it with a huge variety of seafood.  Smoked salmon is for what Norway is the most famous. They are the second largest exporter of seafood in the world, after China.  They even introduced the Japanese, to salmon that could be eaten raw for sushi and sashimi.  Fish soups, pickled herring and gravlax are all very popular dishes. The Norwegian population is among the healthiest in the world, as diet plays an important role.  Game meats like reindeer, goose and duck are also loved foods in the country.

Norway, despite its riches today, before 1905 had a rather substandard standard of living.  They only had a small number of ingredients to work with and porridge was often the only meal available and was eaten two to three times a day.  Since there was not much agricultural land, they had a hard time feeding the population.

Bread is usually dark and made of rye, as it grows easily in Norway.  These breads are often used to make open face sandwiches, called smorebrod.  They also have an interesting bread called lefse that is made of potato and is thin like a crepe.  This is often sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and a favorite at Christmas time.

Dairy is also very important in Norway and they are huge milk drinkers.  The average Norwegian consumes 40 gallons of milk per year.  Jalsberg cheese is a big export item for them as well. State controlled, independent dairies, make a myriad of cheeses that are loved around the world.  Potatoes are the most popular vegetable and apples, rhubarb and berries are used in all sorts of delicious creations.  Dill and caraway, thyme and oregano are the favorite seasonings, as they grow wild.  Shredded horseradish is also a staple, as is mustard, especially on salmon.

So let us enjoy a Norwegian meal:

The Menu

Starter

Gravlax (Cured Salmon)

Salad

 Hvitkalsalat (Coleslaw)

Main Course

Krabbelag (Seafood Feast)

Dessert

Kvæfjordkake Verdens beste (World’s Best Cake)

We set the table in blue, red and white; the colors of their flag.  We placed elk antlers as the centerpiece, since the elk is a national symbol, (although they call it a moose.)  Purple heather was added, as it is the national flower, as well as a whale, home to their seas.  A reindeer cup represented the Sami population and reindeer herding, and an anchor, symbolizing their seafaring heritage.  A King’s crown and a penguin were also included, as there is a penguin, named Nils Olav III, who is a member of the King’s Guard and the only penguin in the world to be promoted to Brigadier.

We began our first course of gravlax; delicious salmon that had been salt and sugar cured in lemon zest and dill for several days.  The result was amazing, almost candy like, and was served with a mustard aioli alongside.  We enjoyed it with a toast “Skal” pronounced “Skawl” which means “cheers.”  We clinked our glasses with shot of Aquavit, a famous exported liquor made from potatoes and flavored with caraway seed or star anise.

For the main course, it was a seafood feast called Krabbalag.  All the seafood (lobster, crab, shrimp, mussels and clams) were boiled with potatoes and corn and flavored with thyme and dill.  Mayonnaise and drawn butter were accompaniments.  This meal is typically enjoyed in a rustic environment; outside with all the seafood dumped on the table covered with butcher paper, for everyone to grab a piece, crack it and savor.  I made this feast for my father’s 90^th birthday party, some 40 people and it was loved by all!  It was served with a coleslaw, made a few days ahead, marinated with sugar and vinegar, imparting it a lovely sweet and sour flavor.

For dessert, I just had to make the cake called, “The World’s Best.”  In Norwegian, it is called, Kvæfjordkake Verdens beste.  It was awesome!!!  Basically, it is a pound cake covered in meringue, similar to New Zealand’s pavlova.  It is then layered with cream and fruit.  I used bananas and strawberries, but you can use whatever fruit you like.  It was topped with toasted almonds; which, was, literally, the icing on the cake!  Best in the world, for sure!

As we say goodbye to Norway, I have to wonder what makes it the world’s happiest place?  Perhaps it is the free education, offered from elementary school through college, or 25 days of vacation paid leave per year, or a year’s paid maternity leave, or three months paternity paid leave, or free healthcare, or a generous pension and low unemployment?  I am sure these things factor in, however they do pay for these privileges, with high taxes.  It may also be all the outdoor activities Norway has to offer.  They are renowned for their winter sports, having hosted the Winter Olympics twice.  They also have fishing, kayaking, camping, hiking the list goes on and on.  They have a saying in Norway “There is no bad weather, just bad clothes.”

If you ask a Norwegian, they will likely tell you they find happiness in the way they help each other.  They have each other’s backs, and a true sense of community, which brings comfort and joy to all.

Perhaps I should spend some quality time in Norway, to help me truly figure it out!

Until next time,

“Hah  ehn gooh  dahg” (Have a good day”)

Darlene
 

Both Niger and Nigeria get their names from the magnificent, River Niger.  How the river got its name, remains a mystery.  It is a very unusual and most important river to both countries.  The Niger River is the third largest in Africa, after the Nile and the Congo.  It is nearly 2600 miles long.  What makes the river so unusual, is its route.  The river’s source is only 150 miles from the Atlantic Ocean in the ancient rock of the Guinea Highlands, but instead of heading toward the ocean it flows away from the sea, into the Sahara Desert.  It is a crescent shape and makes its turn near the ancient city of Timbuktu, in Mali.  It then flows south, though Niger, Benin and Nigeria, where it finally ends, at the Niger Delta, in the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean.  It also floods each year along its route, making a marsh area that is valuable for farming, fishing and wildlife.  The river is known to be clear, with very little silt.

Both countries are located in West Africa.  Niger has seven neighbors: Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west and Algeria to the northwest.  The country is landlocked, with eighty percent of the land, covered by the Sahara Desert.  The land area of Niger is the largest in West Africa, however, most of the population lives in the far west and south of the country.  The country’s nickname is “The Frying Pan of the World.”  Yes, with its subtropical climate, it is one of the hottest countries in all the world.

Niger gained Independence from France in 1960 and has since had five constitutions and three periods of military rule.  Since a coup in 2010, Niger has become a democratic, multi-party, state.  The population, of nearly 19 million, lives in rural areas.  The capital city, is now Niamey, located in the southwest corner of the country.  Prior to 1926, Zinder was the capital city.  The economy is based on subsistence crops, livestock and uranium mining.  Niger’s population is made up of several ethnic groups. The three largest are: the Hausa, Zarma-Sonrai and the Tuareg.  The Tuaregs are often referred to as the” Blue people”, for the indigo, dye-colored clothes they wear, which stains their skin.  They have been one of the ethnic groups that have been historically influential in spreading Islam to the region.  Islam is the prevalent religion of Niger with eighty percent Islam and the balance mostly Christians.  French is the official language, along with ten others commonly spoken.  Most of the population speaks their indigenous language as their first language.

Unfortunately, Niger faces extreme challenges.  Aside from being one of the poorest nations on earth, it has one of the highest birthrates in the world.  Each Niger woman has on average, seven children.  The median age of the population is a very young, 15 years.  The literacy rate is only 28 percent; one of the lowest in the entire world.  Poor education, lack of healthcare, environmental degradation, overpopulation and drought all add to these challenges.  Most recently the government has had to also deal with the Islamic terrorist, jihadist group called, Boko Haram that is wreaking havoc on its border with Nigeria.  The country, in its landlocked position, faces additional challenges from turmoil all around it.  While the country does get some assistance from other nations, much work needs to be done to pull its citizens out of poverty.

Despite all the hardships that the people of Niger face, they go about their daily life and have celebrations and festivals that are deeply rooted in their histories.  Nearly every ethnic group in the region comes from an empire that ruled the area at one time or another.  They have many traditions.  The Salt Cure Festival and Guerewol Festival are two important ones in the country.

Niger also has some very important national parks; one in the north called, Air and Tenere National Nature Reserve and one in the south, where the W National Park has the most important population of the rare, West African lion, and the one of the last populations of the Northwest African cheetah.  Other wildlife includes elephants, buffaloes, antelopes and warthogs.  The Niger River is also home to the endangered, West African Manatee, as well as 250 fish species; twenty of which are found nowhere else on the planet.

The main staple crops are millet and sorghum.  These are made into stiff porridges and enjoyed alongside sauces, soups and stews.  Rice is also available and grown in the marshes.  The soups and stews are typically made of vegetables and peanuts, as meat is somewhat scarce.  The river provides fish as a needed protein and beans are also popular.  Like many African countries they like a bit of spice in their cuisine.

Nigeria also gets its name from the River Niger.  Aside from Niger to the north, its neighbors are: Chad to the north, Cameroon to the east, Benin to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.  Unlike its neighbor Niger, it is one of the wealthiest countries, due to oil and other mineral resources.   It is part of OPEC and the twelfth largest producer of oil in the world.  It accounts for 85 percent of the government’s revenue. Despite its richness, 62 percent of the population lives in poverty.  This is due to mismanagement and corruption.

Nigeria is the most populated country in all of Africa and eighth most populated in the world.   It is home to nearly 190 million people.  It is believed that one of five Africans, is of Nigerian descent.  Its nickname is “The Giant of Africa.”  The population of Nigeria is made up of more than 250 ethnic groups.  The largest and most politically influential are:  the Hausa, the Fulani and the Yoruba.

English is the official language, as they gained Independence from Britain in 1960.  However, more than 500 languages are also spoken.  The religious makeup is: 50 percent Muslim, who live mostly in the north, and 40 percent Christians, who call the south home, and the balance is a mix of indigenous beliefs.

The divide between the north and south continues to be a problem for the government.  The current president, Buhari, a northerner, elected in 2015, has spent two long stents out of the country on medical leave.  He has recently returned and is hoping to calm political disputes that have escalated in his absence, along with making good on his promise to face the war with Boko Haram.  The country has made strides to take territory back from the Jihadist group but are now facing terror threats on soft targets.  Boko Haram is using children as suicide bombers in crowded market places.  You may remember hearing about the young school girls who were kidnapped by the Boko Haram in 2014.  Some have been found but many are still missing.  With the country in recession, the government must work quickly to make opportunities for its young population, to keep them away from religious divides and civil war.  The population average in Nigeria is also a very young, 18 years of age.

There is much work to do in Nigeria especially in regards to infrastructure, power supply, sanitation and clean water.  If the president makes good on his promises to curb and squash corruption, there should be plenty of money to be used on these most important projects.   There are other opportunities in the large cities.  For example, “Nollywood” as it is called, is the second largest producers of movies behind India’s Bollywood.  Telecommunications, along with finance and information, are growing industries in Nigeria.  Many of these growing industries are located in Lagos, the largest city in all of Africa.  It is the financial hub and commercial capital of the country.  Lagos used to be the capital city, which was moved to Abuja in 1991. Lagos sits on the Atlantic coast, has many beaches, including the Ancient Slave Port of Badagry, which was also known as, “The Point of No Return.”  Today the area serves as an important place for reflection.

As we look into the cuisine of these two West African countries, they are very similar to the region as a whole.  They both use millet, sorghum, cassava, corn and rice as staple ingredients. Protein sources, like meat and chicken, are available to the wealthier people in the countries.  Fish from the River Niger, like carp, Nile perch and catfish, are all loved by all.  Melon seeds, which come from a gourd, somewhat shaped like a watermelon, called egusi, are a source of protein as well.  They are not only delicious, when toasted, but are used as a thickener in soups and stews.  Fruits, like mangoes, pineapple, oranges, melons and bananas, are available in the tropical areas.  Yams are an important crop in the eastern areas.  Peanuts are also a common ingredient in the cuisine, as is spice; they like it hot.  Alcohol is not consumed in the Muslim areas of the countries but local beers are enjoyed in the South of Nigeria.  Palm oil is the most used cooking oil in the region.

So let’s enjoy a Nigerien/Nigerian Meal

(just click the name or picture for the recipe)

The Menu

Starter

Suya (Grilled Spicy Meat)

Nicaragua’s nickname, “The Land of Lakes and Volcanoes,” is a good description of this beautiful Central American nation.  The actual name of Nicaragua is believed to stem from Nicarao, the name of the people who inhabited the area on the shores of Lake Cocibolca, (now called Lake Nicaragua) when the Spanish conquest first arrived.  This name, Nicarao, combined with the Spanish name for water, agua, is how the country got its name.

The country has two land neighbors; Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south.  Its eastern border lies along the Caribbean Sea and its western border along the Pacific Ocean.  Lago de’ Nicaragua or Lake Nicaragua is located in the southwestern area of the country.  Aside from this massive lake there is another large lake called Lake Managua.  Additionally, the area has over 400 volcanoes.  Nicaraguans use steam from their many volcanoes as geothermal energy.  They also are home to the “Dual Volcano.” It is the only volcano in the world that is fed by two different magma flows. The area also has many lagoons and rivers in the region.  Additionally, there are small islands, called cays, located in the Caribbean Sea.

The country is made up of three geographical regions: the pacific lowlands, in the west, the Caribbean lowlands, in the east (also known as the Mosquito Coast) and the central highlands, located between the two.  When the Spanish arrived in the early 1500s, there were three main tribes residing in these areas, each, its own monarchy, headed by a chief.  Many of these indigenous people later died from diseases the Spanish brought over, as well as from tribal wars.  Today the population of Nicaragua is mostly mestizo, about 17 % white, 5% Amerindian and 9% black. The black population lives mostly on the east coast where the community primarily speaks English and Creole.  For a time, from 1633 until 1860, the British controlled this area on the east coast.

Managua, the most populous city and also the capital, is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Managua.  The total population of Nicaragua is just over six million. The population is young and has one of the healthiest growth rates in the region.  Most Nica’s, as they are called, live in urban areas.  This is a good thing since they do not have addresses in Nicaragua.  People get their mail based on their proximity to a known landmark.  Spanish is the official language, although English, Creole and indigenous languages are also spoken. The literacy rate is 82 percent and education is compulsory for only six years.

Nicaragua gained independence from Spain in September of 1821, however they then became part of the Mexican Empire.  Eventually Nicaragua gained complete independence on April 30, 1838.   Independence, however, brought years of conflict between the conservatives and liberals.  There was even a brief time an American, named William Walker, decided to take control of the country and declared himself president/dictator, with the idea of annexing the region to the United States as a slave state.  This occurred from 1856 to 1857.  He was forced out a few years later.

The Somoza regime was Nicaragua’s longest lasting hereditary, military, dictatorship and ruled there for 43 years.  After a few other leaders, it was the Sandinistas who took charge, which eventually led to the counter, revolutionary forces (who were financed and trained by the U.S. CIA.)  They were called the Contras, which led to the “Iran-Contra” scandal during President Reagan’s administration in the USA.  The U.S. had concerns with the country’s ties to Cuba, Venezuela and Russia.  Over the years, millions of dollars in aid were given to the government, especially after Hurricane Mitch in 1988, which was one of the worst hurricanes in their history.  There has been massive corruption over the years, leaving nearly half of Nicaragua’s people living in poverty, on only $2 a day.  Despite strong opposition from the U.S. and stifling embargos, Daniel Ortega (a known Sandinista), won reelection.  Today, the country maintains relations with the U.S. and its rivals, such as Iran, and Venezuela.  Despite apprehension concerning Ortega’s leadership, he has taken Nicaragua to new heights.  Nicaragua was recently listed on the happiness index, as the top country on the rise for happiness in the last decade.  The people in the county believe things are getting better.

Tourism is an important piece of Nicaragua’s growing economy.  Each year, for the past decade, it has grown some ten percent.  Nicaragua’s west coast is known worldwide for its spectacular surfing beaches.  Lake Nicaragua is also a huge tourist attraction.  Kayaking through spectacular islets and hiking volcanoes are also tourist attractions.  Coffee tours are trendy, as Nicaragua is a big exporter of coffee.  Other exports include: beef, shrimp, lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold and peanuts and textiles and apparel are on the rise.  Nicaragua is part of the CAFTA-DR, a free trade agreement that has been a major contributor to their growth.

Nicaragua is filled with natural beauty and extremely, warm and hospitable people.  The city of Granada was the first city to be settled by the Spanish and has some of the most well-preserved Spanish, colonial style architecture.  Leon is another popular, city destination.  It used to be the capital city, up until 1857, and is home to the National University.  It is also home to the Ruins of Leon Viejo, dating back to the 16^th century.  This site is Nicaragua’s only UNESCO World Heritage site.  Nicaragua is a laid back country and one that is among the safest to visit in the Central America. While it is replete with volcanoes, rainforests, mangrove forests, beautiful islands and spectacular beaches, it is, nonetheless, the friendly locals that will leave you with the fondest memories.

As we look into the cuisine of Nicaragua, or “La Comida Nica” (as they call it), is a Latin creole mix of indigenous and Spanish dishes.  Corn, rice, beans, plantains, yucca and pork are all common ingredients, as is seafood, along the coast.  They have an extensive variety of tropical fruits, which they incorporate into their diet.  Nacatamales are their national treasure.  They fill their tamales with meat, vegetables, olives and prunes and wrap them in banana leaves.

So let’s enjoy a Nicaraguan meal:

The Menu

Starter

Quesillo (Corn Tortilla with Melted Cheese)

Salad

Vigoron (Yuca, Pork Rind and Cabbage Salad)

Main Course

Nacatamales (Nicaraguan Tamale)

Served with

Gallo Pinto ( Red Beans and Rice)

Dessert

Buneulos de Yuca (Cassava Donuts)

We set the scene with the colors of the Nicaraguan flag; blue and white.  The blue represents the two coasts and the white symbolizes peace.  We placed a Saint candle on the table, as nearly every village in Nicaragua has a named, village Saint and all the festivities to go along with it.  We also included a cross, as most of the population is Roman Catholic.  Also a baseball bat was added, since it is the national sport (even beating out soccer, another very popular sport there.)  Also we included an ear of corn, as it is such an important staple ingredient.  Many drinks are made from corn as well as their tamales and tortillas.  Lastly we placed a banana leaf along with some coffee beans.

We began our meal with a toast, “Salud”, which means, “Cheers” in Spanish followed by, “Buen Provencho”, which means,”Bon Appetit.”  The appetizer was called quesillo, which means “little cheese. “ The tortilla surrounded a soft, white cheese that goes by the same name.  It is somewhat similar to mozzarella cheese and it is then topped with picked onions, and sour cream and vinegar.  They are usually served at a roadside stands in a thin, plastic sleeve; warm cheese in a tortilla, simply magnifico!

We then savored another very popular dish called Vigoron.  It is believed that this dish was developed in Granada, Nicaragua by a woman who went by “La Loca” or “Crazy Woman.”  She named the dish Vigoron, after seeing a poster advertising an early medicinal tonic, back  in 1914.  This dish consistis of a salad, known as curtido, that has cabbage, tomatoes, onion, chili pepper and lime, then boiled yuca root and fried pork belly or pork rinds are added. We loved it!

For the main course we had the famous nacatamales.  The masa is somewhat similar to a regular, mexican style, tamale masa however, they use a bitter orange in it.  The filling is typically pork with rice, onion, pepper, potato, green olives and prunes.  The meat  is seasoned with anchiote.  The biggest difference in this dish and a traditional tamale is that this tamale is wrapped in a banana leaf instead of a corn husk.  This imparts a wonderful flavor to the tamale.  The banana leaf is secured with twine and then the tamale is steamed to perfection.  (You do not eat the banana leaf).  This nacatamale was very filling but we managed to enjoy it with the gallo pinto; another staple dish of rice and beans mixed together.  It is typically made with day old rice and small, red kidney beans.  It is flavored with garlic, onion and  chicken stock and fried together for a delicious side dish.  Often in Nicaragua, gallo pinto would be a main dish, as opposed to a side, offering the balance of protein with carbohydrates, for an inexpensive, yet robust, meal.

For dessert we took the hot and syrupy, cassava donuts, called Buneulos de yuca along with a nice, strong cup of coffee outside, into the night air.  We wanted to see what constellations we could find.  In Nicaragua, you can see 86 of the 88 constellations.  It was a beautiful, clear summer night and a perfect ending to our Nicaraguan meal.

Until next time,

Muchas Gracias! (Thank you, very much)

Darlene Longacre

Aotearoa is what the Maori call their land, which means, Land of the Long White Cloud.  Abel Tasman, the famous Dutch explorer, was the first European to discover the land and called it Staten Landt, back in 1642.  At that time, he mistakenly assumed it was part of the southern tip of South America.  It was shortly thereafter, in 1645, when Dutch cartographers renamed the land Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland.  It was ultimately the British Explorer, Captain James Cook, who anglicized the name to New Zealand, when he mapped the islands in 1769.

New Zealand is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean.  It is in the southernmost part of Polynesia.  It lies more than a thousand miles southeast of Australia, its nearest neighbor.  The country comprises two main islands; the North and South Islands, as well as a number of smaller islands, some of which are hundreds of miles away from the main group.  The capital city is Wellington and the largest city is Auckland. Both of these cities are located on the North Island.  More people live in Auckland than on the whole South Island alone.  New Zealand was annexed by Great Britain in 1840 and became a self-governing dominion in 1907.  She gained full independence in 1947.

New Zealand was one of the last places on earth to be inhabited by humans.  The Maori, a Polynesian people, reached New Zealand around 800 A.D.  Maori legend says that the North Island of New Zealand was fished by the daring demigod, Maui.  Today the North Island is known as Maui’s fish.  The Maori are considered to be the indigenous people of New Zealand.  They arrived from a place they called Hawaiki.  This place is not on a map but is believed to have been an island or group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean.  The Maori language and culture has similarities to others of Polynesia, such as the Cook Islands, Hawaii and Tahiti.  They have enjoyed many years of isolation, which allowed their customs and culture to flourish.

The area of New Zealand is a little bit bigger than the United Kingdom and is home to only about 4.5 million people, making it one of the least populated nations. The population is 15 percent Maori, 70 percent European and the balance, a mix of other ethnicity’s.  English, Maori and New Zealand sign language, are the official languages.  The main religion is Christian, however an equal number of people state they belong to no religion.  New Zealand is often listed as one of the most peaceful and least corrupt nations on earth.  The people are known to be extremely friendly with liberal views.  New Zealand was the first country to give women the right to vote back in 1893. The drinking age is 18, prostitution is legal, the driving age is 15 and the consensual age for sex is 16.  Same sex marriage became legal in 2003.  It was also the first country to have the top three positions of power held simultaneously by women; the Prime Minister, the Governor and the Chief Justice.

The landscape of New Zealand is varied and both islands are spectacularly beautiful.  It has a huge amount of coastline due to the numerous harbors and fjords.  It is only 280 miles across at its widest point, so throughout most all of New Zealand, the coastline is not far away.  It is no surprise that Auckland is called the “City of Sails”, having the highest, boat ownership per capita, in the world.  New Zealand, with its pristine rivers and lakes, as well as the coastal waters, makes it one of the premier fishing destinations in the world.  The largest, fresh water spring, known as Pupu Springs, discharges almost 4000 gallons of water per second and contains the clearest water ever measured, outside of Antarctica.

New Zealand is a volcanic region and part of the Ring of Fire.  This is a horseshoe shaped area in the Pacific Ocean, where about 90% of the world’s earthquakes and 81% of the world’s largest earthquakes occur.  Numerous earthquakes are felt annually in New Zealand and there have been a few with devastating consequences.  The most recent, with a devastating human toll, was in Christchurch in 2011, where 185 people were killed.

The indigenous vegetation of New Zealand consists of mixed, evergreen forest, which covers two-thirds of the land.  One-third of New Zealand is protected as national parks.  Nearly nine-tenths of the indigenous plants are unique to the country.  When the Maori arrived, there were few animals, making the islands a haven for birds, due to lack of predators.  The flightless kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand and why the nation’s people are called Kiwis; a nickname likely given to troops during World War I.  There were only three kinds of reptiles, bats and a few species of frogs.  Today, sheep and cattle are abundant as well as many other animals, brought over by Europeans.

New Zealanders are adventurers. They host many activities that can scare the normal tourist half to death.  One such activity is cigarette boat racing, along the water’s edge, racing at 70 mph, missing the cliff edge by inches.  Another is called black water rafting, which is much like white water rafting (which is also popular) but this is done in caves with nothing more than a mining helmet for light so being suddenly thrust into rapids comes as a bit of a surprise.  They are avid sky divers, paragliders, and bungee jumpers and have the world’s largest swing that reaches speeds of 75 mph as it freefalls and then swings high above the Nevis River. They also have a unique cave filled with glow worms that are only found there.  Thousands of these tiny creatures radiate their light as guides provide commentary on the cave’s historical and geological significance. The Waitomo Glowworm caves is one of New Zealands most visited attractions.

As we look into the cuisine of New Zealand, the biggest influence comes from their local ingredients.  New Zealand has a large agriculture economy, which yields many products from both land and sea.  A few of their biggest exports are sheep, dairy and wool.  It is estimated that there are nine sheep for every human in New Zealand.  Seafood is also plentiful.  Green lipped mussels, scallops, oysters and whitebait are just some of their treasures.  The cuisine is similar to Australian cuisine, which has a British influence.  Dishes such as savory pies and fish and chips are much loved throughout the islands.  Mediterranean and the Pacific Rim have shaped the cuisine as well.  Asian culinary traditions become popular in the 1970s.  Today their cuisine is considered to be cosmopolitan.  Fruits and vegetables grow really well in their rich, volcanic soil.  Kiwi is a fruit that is often associated with New Zealand.  Kiwi grows there, however, they are not native to the land.  Originally the fruit was called Chinese gooseberries and was introduced to New Zealand in 1904.  New Zealand is also famous for its Manuka honey, renowned for its medicinal benefits, which is produced from the pollen of the beautiful Manuka flowers, with a little help from the honey bees.

The Maori brought with them from Polynesia, kumara (sweet potato) taro (another root vegetable’ and ti’ leaves (used like banana leaves to impart steam when wrapped around meats or fish.)  The lush, native New Zealand plants such as fern root and watercress, along with seafood and a rare, flightless bird, called moa (which were hunted to extinction) all played a significant role in the Maori diet.  Like other Polynesians, the Maori cook foods in earth ovens.  Stones are heated by fire and food is packed in leaves and place on the hot coals.  The packs are further covered with foliage, cloth or wet sacks and then the earth.  Today in New Zealand it is popular for tourists to visit a Maori village and participate in a hangi (feast).  When you approach the Maori village a tribal warrior or two in traditional garb, heavily tattooed and wielding swords, will test you to see if you are friend or foe. They do this by throwing down a taki, or token gift such as a leaf, while shouting chants and then they stick their tongues out as far as humanly possible. Then a woman elder will sing a song to create a sacred space for the host and visitors to meet.  Finally one of the visitors will pick up the taki, as a gesture of courage.  Once in the meeting place the women will demonstrate their skill with poi balls (soft balls connected to a tether) which are twirled to make tribal rhythms as they chant and sing.  It is a mesmerizing artistic dance.

So let’s enjoy a Kiwi Meal:

The Menu

Starter

Baked New Zealand Green Mussels

Main Course

Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto

Served with

Kumara Salad  (Sweet Potato Salad)

Dessert

Pavlova (Meringue with Cream and Fruit)

Our decor started out with fern leaves, as the silver fern is considered to be symbol of the country.  A picture of the flightless, kiwi bird, as well as the kiwi fruit, a sweet potato or kumara, a sheep, green mussel shells and a bungee cord (as that is where commercial bungee jumping originated), completed the setting.

We began the meal with a typical Maori greeting which is a called hongi.  This is done by pressing your nose and forehead to your greeter’s nose and forehead and sharing the breath of life or ha.  Often the greeter will accompany the hongi by saying “kia ora”or “greetings.”  It is quite a spiritual experience.  I came across this fun picture of our beloved author, Zane Grey doing this exact ritual while in New Zealand. The photo was taken in 1926.  He was wearing a ceremonial feather cloak, called a kahu kiwi.  These were woven by women for the chiefs and special guests.  The cloak was made by inserting kiwi feathers into a backing of flax.

Our first course was the famous, green lipped, New Zealand mussels.  I absolutely love these mussels and make them all the time.  This recipe had a bit of an Asian flair.  A sauce, made of mayonnaise, sirachi, sugar and lime juice covers the mussels, that come on the half shell.  (These mussels can be found in the freezer section of most grocery stores.)  They are topped with a bit of cheese and baked for about 12 minutes.  They were garnished with a touch of flying fish roe, for a decadent and mouthwatering start to our Kiwi feast.

The main course and salad were served together and were a perfect balance.  A kumara (sweet potato) salad that had watercress, fresh greens, radishes, goat cheese and pinenuts, was dressed with a light, balsamic vinaigrette.  It was a lovely salad served alongside New Zealand grilled lamb chops that were marinated overnight in a mayonnaise, honey, sirachi and mint marinade.  They just take a few minutes on the grill and were also served with a mint pesto.  These lamb chops, mint pesto and salad were all scrumptious.  For those people who think they don’t like lamb, I am pretty certain this recipe would change their minds.  Lamb is made all different ways in New Zealand but this way is a keeper!

For dessert we enjoyed the controversial Pavlova.  The origin of this beloved dessert has been the subject of debate between Australia and New Zealand for ages.  Based on my research, I chose it to make it for New Zealand.  This is my new all-time, favorite dessert, regardless of which country claims it.  The dessert is named after the famous Russian prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova, that toured both New Zealand and Australia in the 1920s.  The dessert is a meringue that is crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.  Fresh fruit and cream are added.  (This one was made with strawberries and raspberries.)  Finally it is topped with sliced almonds and shaved chocolate.  Pretty much any kind of fruit is acceptable and often times the kiwi fruit is included.  This dessert will remain a lifetime treasure.

As we say goodbye to this peaceful and beautiful island nation of New Zealand,  I leave you with a excerpt from Zane Grey’s book the Tales of Anglers Eldorado New Zealand. This was his first meeting of the Maoris.   “He first introduced the chief Mita, who in his native costume made a striking picturesque appearance.  The chief in most forceful voice and dignified manner, began his address, the content of which was translated by Mr Buck.  What was my amaze and embarrassment presently to hear “Greetings and salutations to Zane Grey, who had come from far to conquer the leviathans of the deep.  We wish to bestow upon him the name Maui, after our Maui legend of the great fisherman of the Maoris.””

Zane Grey aside from being a world renowned author, was a fisherman extraordinaire that held 11 world fishing titles and was instrumental in bringing forward fishing techniques used today.

We are now off to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy as every bit of it was filmed in New Zealand.  Then off for a nice walk/hike they call “tramping” in New Zealand, a national pastime!  The clear water, outdoor lifestyle and great food just may be why New Zealanders have one of the highest life expectancies in the world.

Until next time,

Haere ra (farewell) in Maori

Darlene Longacre