cuisine

From street-food to fine dining, traditional Italian to Asian-Fusion, being well-versed in global cuisine is the first step to culinary mastery.

Maamoul: A sweet celebration for Christians and Muslims
This spring, along the ancient streets of the holy cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, a sweet smell wafts through the air. Inside, people's homes are hives of activity as extended family members and neighbours come together to make a biscuit-like treat that's very special to both Muslims and Christians.
By Gay3 years ago in Feast
Ajvar: The vegan 'caviar' of the Balkans
Just a decade ago, Melisa Hasanspahić from the eastern Bosnian town of Goražde could not have imagined that today she would be running a food production business based on a recipe she inherited from her mother. However, her life changed when she started selling jars of her homemade ajvar, a widely popular vegetable delicacy, which she had previously only gifted to her loved ones.
By Gay3 years ago in Feast
The return of Bali's lost 'superfood'
"Look at how fine those leaves are," said Dika Nanta, pointing up to the waving branches of a spindly tree. "They're so wispy that at first glance it's hard to imagine why Balinese people sometimes call this tree 'the broomstick of the gods'."
By Gay3 years ago in Feast
The surprising landscape of Indian Jewish food
East of the Hooghly River in the Indian city of Kolkata sits Barabazar, a wholesale market whose history goes back to the 18th Century. Everything – from spices, clothes and electronics to salvaged doors and second-hand furniture – is traded here. Amidst this bustling grid of roads, at the corner of Brabourne Road and Canning Street, sits the imposing Magen David Synagogue. Adjacent to it is the city's oldest existing synagogue, Neveh Shalom Synagogue.
By Seamons Mahall3 years ago in Feast
Isso vade: The spicy snack that unites Sri Lanka
As the train pulled into Peradeniya Junction station in central Sri Lanka, the man sitting opposite me leapt out of his seat and leaned out of the window, placing his thumb and forefinger in his mouth and whistling loudly. A vade seller soon appeared outside, removed a basket from the top of his head and handed it to the passenger. The man quickly pulled out a fragrant fritter along with a small bag of fiery sambol, leaving money behind, and then passed the basket to other hungry passengers, who did the same before returning the basket back to the seller through the window.
By Seamons Mahall3 years ago in Feast
The revival of a forgotten American fruit
"Where, oh where, is pretty little Suzie? Where, oh where, is pretty little Suzie? Where, oh where, is pretty little Suzie?" asks the traditional folk song. "Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch."
By Gay3 years ago in Feast
Buenos Aires' unusual pizza topping
At a bustling counter inside Güerrín, a central Buenos Aires pizzeria, a young server in a red-and-white uniform dished out slices. Laid out before him was an abundance of thick, golden pizzas, their toppings a bright blend of green olives, red peppers and crispy melted cheese. The queue reached almost to the door, as he cut the portions with movements as lean and efficient as a juggler, the wedges disappearing in minutes.
By Seamons Mahall3 years ago in Feast
Lucía Freitas: The star chef of Santiago de Compostela
After its cathedral, Santiago de Compostela's most visited destination is the Mercado de Abastos, the city's main food market, but chef Lucía Freitas doesn't have to embark on a pilgrimage to get there – it's directly across the street from her flagship restaurant, A Tafona. Her workday begins in the Mercado, scrutinising the fruit, making small talk with her favourite chicken farmer or eying a basket of red peppers so shiny they look like they've been polished. Built in 1941, the market is currently home to about 70 producers and artisans who sell seafood, meat, cheese, produce and other quality comestibles from the region of Galicia in north-westernmost Spain, a mountainous web of coastal villages and lush green valleys.
By Gay3 years ago in Feast
The endurance of Japan's simple street snack
"Yaki-imo…" The forlorn cry of the roasted sweet potato vendor echoed through the canyons of concrete and tiled buildings in a Tokyo suburb. The pre-recorded song, bookended with spoken claims of "oishii, oishii" (delicious, delicious), flowed from speakers on a stubby flatbed kei truck. This small vehicle, a ubiquitous part of working-class Japan, had been converted into a vessel for idōhanbai (literally, mobile sales).
By Gay3 years ago in Feast
The world's true cradle of chocolate
The earthen road is a great sweep of brown that slices through the rural landscape of southern Belize. The surface is pitted and pock-marked, lumpy enough that it looks like a nutty chocolate bar. So, it's only fitting that this path leads to Abelina Cho, known to many as the "Chocolate Queen".
By Seamons Mahall3 years ago in Feast
Meza Malonga: The Afro-fusion food making waves
As I walked up the stairs and stepped inside Meza Malonga, I was instantly drawn into the chic, minimalistic dining room. White brick walls were accented with leafy plants, bold paintings and wooden shelves framing decorative gourds, beaded necklaces, woven baskets and earthen ceramics from around the African continent. Windows opened to a mesmerising view over the lush hills of Kigali, a vivid green by day and aglow with the twinkling lights of houses by night. A few wooden tables were spread out across the intimate space as soulful lyrics and low strums of the ngoni (a traditional stringed Malian instrument) reverberated in the background.
By Seamons Mahall3 years ago in Feast
Belize's sweet, sustainable "seaweed shakes"
In Belize's idyllic beach town of Placencia, the buzz of blenders has become something of a soundtrack. The once-quiet fishing village, which sits on the point of a 26km-long southern peninsula flanked by the Caribbean Ocean and a wildlife-rich lagoon, is often described by locals as "the caye you can drive to" because of its laid-back atmosphere. When temperatures soar, locals and travellers head to gaily painted beach bars that not only serve cold daiquiris and piña coladas but also a Placencia speciality: the seaweed shake.
By Gay3 years ago in Feast