By: Marcia King-Gamble
www.lovemarcia.com
So I thought I would put a different spin on this month’s
topic Crazy 8’s, and talk about some of the craziest things I’ve eaten while traveling. Hence, Crazy Ates! Most of you who have been following me on this blog, know that I’m crazy about world
traveling; the more exotic the country the better. Nothing gets my adrenaline pumping more than a trip to some foreign part of the world. If you are going to venture afar, you
should be eating like the natives do.
Ready?
The below picture is from my most recent adventure, arriving into the airport at St. Vincent (the mainland.) Note the 'prop plane.' We're off the beaten path, folks.
Ready?
The below picture is from my most recent adventure, arriving into the airport at St. Vincent (the mainland.) Note the 'prop plane.' We're off the beaten path, folks.
This trip took place
less than two weeks ago. Unfortunately, it was a sad occasion. My dear uncle had passed away, and because of his prominence, a state funeral was his send off. I had not been back in fourteen years, and for another sad occasion; to
bring my mother’s body home. It had been her desire to be buried in the family
plot, in her native land and my birth place, St. Vincent, in the Southern Caribbean.
Foodie that I am, despite the sad occasion, I looked forward to eating well. I grew up on foods like crab and callaloo, bakes (known as Johnny Cakes to some,) codfish and dumplings. Then there were
delicacies like fried breadfruit with jack fish, and loads of fresh fruit with no preservatives. Fruits like golden apple, plumrose,
Bequia plums and soursop. Because of this, most people are healthier than the proverbial ox, and not at all weight challenged. Walking is not considered an exercise here, it’s something that people living on small
Caribbean islands do, whether they have a car or not. Roads are often narrow and winding, so why take out your car when you can get a breath of fresh air and your neighbor is a stone's throw away?
While on the mainland of St. Vincent I consumed my share of callaloo soup (tastes
like spinach,) see picture below. This time there was chicken added to it and not the customary crab or pig’s tail. Bakes were served with freshly caught fish, and on the
island of Bequia (the Grenadines,) the owner of one restaurant, an enterprising
young woman, decided I couldn’t leave without gifting me papaya (locals call it paw-paw) and a bag of freshly picked Bequia plums.
The markets on St. Vincent offer up
sapodillas, and newly hatched chickens for sale. As a special treat, when
visiting an old friend’s home, I enjoyed a healthy serving of Pelau and buljol
(codfish stew.) See below.
In terms of more crazy ates, last October I had the pleasure of visiting
Malawi, a city in Southeast Africa. I sampled Nsima, a staple made of ground corn,
served with side dishes of meat, beans and vegetables. The country is also known for its fish or
usipa which reminds you of sardines. Yum!
In my travels, I have eaten delicacies such as roasted iguana (which tastes just like chicken,) frogs legs that really are delicious, and turtle
eggs, more flavorful than that provided by any chicken. Some might consider my choices crazy, but I believe when
visiting a country, visitors should do as the natives do, and turtles are not considered an endangered species in these countries.
Another funny discovery I made, was KFC and McDonalds; food chains that I normally would not patronize there or here, considering them such an American thing. But on the urging of a friend, I tried KFC on the island of St. Vincent. Wow! What an experience. The unique Caribbean spices made KFC tastier than the norm. In fact, I went back in search of more, even putting up with lines that wound around the block. I'd had a similar experience at McDonalds in Frankfurt, Germany with burgers that tasted like they came from an gourmet chef.
Another funny discovery I made, was KFC and McDonalds; food chains that I normally would not patronize there or here, considering them such an American thing. But on the urging of a friend, I tried KFC on the island of St. Vincent. Wow! What an experience. The unique Caribbean spices made KFC tastier than the norm. In fact, I went back in search of more, even putting up with lines that wound around the block. I'd had a similar experience at McDonalds in Frankfurt, Germany with burgers that tasted like they came from an gourmet chef.
All this to say, when visiting foreign countries, don't miss out on an unbeatable culinary experience. Step out of your cultural, comfort zone, and experience the region's food. A crazy ate, is a dining experience you're guaranteed to remember for the rest of your
life. And just might be food for the soul.
About Marcia King-Gamble
Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family.
Be sure to join her mailing list.
7 comments:
Great post Marcia, I bit the Crazy Ates bullet in the Balkans because I didn't want to insult my hosts. I found the food fresh and flavorful once I got past my mental block to eating the mixture of tastes and textures unfamiliar to me. I did the same when I traveled to Ireland and Scotland including eating haggis. My forays into local foods did enhance my enjoyment of my trip.
Judith you are a risk taker and an adventurous soul. Like me, you have eaten your way through most of the world. Tourists have no idea what they're missing.
Everything you described sounded delicious. My craziest thing I tried was Haggis in Scotland. Just knowing what goes in it made me squirm, but it is so salty you don't taste anything else. That said, I won't have it again. Not because it taste bad but because I don't like what's in it.
I have had a variety of rice and curries in Sri Lanka and while in the UAE had a variety of traditional dishes with rice, fish and meat (particularly goat and lamb). I remember a dish called Al Machboos with rice, meat, onion and dried lemon. Again, none of this is crazy as we eat Shawarma and Hummus at home and my husband cooks a variety of curries.
What is equally interesting to me is the way food is consumed in other places. I think Americans have a very non-communal approach to eating--particularly when eating outside the home. Even bars and pubs tend to let people sit by themselves. Whereas many other places in the world are much more community ordered. Both in Europe and in Southeast Asia I was encouraged to eat as part of a group--meals are as much a social function with a community as they are to fill the stomach.
In Sri Lanka I was taught how to scoop rice and the fixings with my hand. They only provide eating utensils to tourists or if you request them.
Marcia, every food you described made me hungry! LOL I love food, full stop, and always eat what the natives eat. To me, it's as important to the travel experience as visiting the castle or touring the vineyard. Quite often, if I'm in a restaurant, I'll check out what the other diners are enjoying and just point and say to the waiter "I'll have what he's eating".
Maggie and Luanna I love your adventurous spirit. As you probably can tell I'm a huge risktaker. I'll try most anything once.
@ Maggie in New Zealand I was surprised at how many people came over to our table at restaurants just to say hi and tell jokes. "What do you think of the food?" Is a huge ice breaker.
I'm with you about food and travel, Marcia! When I lived on Guam as a child, it is such a melting pot of cultures that we ate all everything from Chicken Keleguen (Chamorro) to raw whole fish (Palauan) to lumpia (Phillipino eggrolls - one of my favorites) to pig roasted in an underground pit (not sure where that originated, but it was ubiquitous) to coconut candy (Chamorro) to mangos (I'm allergic).
In Hawaii, I learned I love papaya and passion fruit, but don't care for poi.
When we lived in New Orleans, I loved the beignets and pralines, but crawdads (aka mucbugs) tasted like mud to me. In Iowa, I loved the kettle corn and funnel cakes, but not the deep fried butter.
Loved your post!
Sarah, I always say "We are the foods we eat." I love your open mindedness and willingness to try new foods. That pig roasted in an underground pit is something my Latin friends do every Christmas Eve, and boy is it delicious. Mange!
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