Connect Locally

What's it really like at La Tomatina?

connectlocally — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 10:03:00 GMT

The 1st truck drove through the 20,000 anticipating attendees and dumped its load of over-ripened tomatoes onto the streets. In bursts of elation the crowd surged towards the missiles and began throwing them at whichever hapless soul happened to fall within range. The wait was over. La Tomatina had finally begun.

The true origins of what has now become the world’s largest food fight are unclear. The official story starts on the last Wednesday of August in 1945, when the ‘Giants and Heads’ festival was being held in the streets of Buñol, a small village in the Valencia province of Spain. During the celebration a group of teenage boys started charging through the parade, subsequently knocking over one of the costumed performers. In a fit of rage the irate entertainer began throwing whatever he could get his hands on into the gathered crowd. An unfortunate vegetable stall was targeted and tomatoes were hurled in every direction. Soon the entire audience became involved. The disturbance eventually subsided, but was not forgotten. The next year at the same festival some mischievous folk came armed with their own tomatoes and took great satisfaction in reenacting the previous years shenanigans.

I wonder what the instigators would think if they could see what happens in Buñol today.

All-you-can-drink sangria parties, organised tour groups full of highly intoxicated backpackers and of course the climbing of a greased-up pole to reach a ham tied two stories above the masses. La Tomatina has grown into one of the more popular festivals in all of Europe.

On the final Wednesday of August in 2014, Buñol was suffering from a record-breaking heat wave. Temperatures had peaked at 42 degrees celsius. The crowd was getting restless as person after person failed to reach the ham. Drunken ideas of glory had taken over the minds of some selfish climbers as they dragged down anyone who got close to the ham, instead wanting it for themselves. The concept of teamwork was diminishing.

Various nationalities became so patriotic that it got to the point of being uncomfortably racist. Country-specific slogans and chants sang out over the festival and there were even suggestions of not allowing anyone from different countries being permitted to ascend the pole. Intoxicated individuals took violent turns with pushing and shoving turned into brief but intense physical fights. Clearly the sangria and heat were not mixing well together.

La Tomatina has grown from its strange beginnings in 1945 to at its peak hosting 50,000 people. The festival had expanded to such an unmanageable level that in 2013 the city of Buñol decided to implement a ticketing system to try and bring some control to the mayhem. Now capacity is capped at 20,000. This has helped to bring down instances of violence, theft and minor sexual harassment.

Watching the chaos unfold before me I became jaded and turned to my Thai friend, motioning that we should move to the outskirts of the congregation. We stepped away from the madness and immediately felt relief as the ability to breathe normally returned and the overall atmosphere became more light-hearted.

The heat was still overwhelming but the Spaniards positioned on the balconies overlooking the street took pity on the exhausted partygoers and threw bucket loads of water to cool the people down. Away from the ham huge fire hoses were employed to do the same thing.

Traditionally the tomato fight begins once the ham has been obtained. Today, with the lack of help provided to those who sought to acquire it, it would remain on the pole. At 11am a loud blast rings out over Buñol which signals that the festival is to commence. Screams and cheers of exuberance echo off the buildings. Soon the bedlam will be upon us!

While the lorries crawl through crowd I realise that I have never been in a situation quite like this before. Questions start running through my mind. Where does the 100 tonnes of tomatoes actually come from? How do the local people feel about their town being overrun with tourists for one day a year? More pressing, what does a tomato hitting your face actually feel like?   I do not have to wait long for that last answer. I am struck just above the eye by an airborne missile. It shocks me, but the impact does not hurt. I realise that choosing to not buy goggles was a poor mistake as the juices start to stingily seep into my retinas. I don’t have much time to dwell on the pain though as the onslaught picks up the pace and it dawns on me that I am now in the centre of the world’s biggest food fight.

Truck after truck drives through, dropping their load of tomatoes directly onto the road. We hustle to get a hold of more projectiles. Eventually all that is left is the mush strewn all over our bodies. Chunks fill the streets. We begin scooping up handfuls of raw bolognese and rubbing them all over anyone who we cast our eyes on. There is no escape from the mess, and no one wants to escape. There is no choice but to embrace La Tomatina, laughing and attacking each other in jest.

The ill feelings from the earlier hours have vanished. Only excitement is left. Some ambitious souls begin to swim and dive through the waste once it reaches ankle height. Inhibitions are lowered. Happiness beams off of the red-stained faces of every reveller present.

One hour passes and a second blast is shot out over the town. La Tomatina has come to an end. Surprisingly everyone complies, and tomatoes are dropped. People who were moments ago targets and temporary enemies of each other now hug and introduce themselves. New friendships are quickly formed.

The crowd shuffles away from the location of the war to the locals that are waiting with garden hoses to wash us down. The clothes we are wearing are completely ruined; The smell of tomatoes will be embedded in them forever. City workers have already begun to clean up the mess. Soon there will be no evidence outside of photos and memories that today ever took place.

I look up and down the streets and think back to the Giants and Heads festival, the day that started it all. When one man’s fit of fury turned into a legacy that unites people from all around the globe. Thanks to his initiative, I will never look at a tomato the same way again.

About the Author

Jarryd Salem was the talented winner of our 2014 Travel Writing Scholarship. He attended La Tomatina festival as part of his European writing adventure. Check out his blog NOMADasaurus to keep up with his travels.

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Love festivals? Check out our colour covered Holi Festival footage, then head to Rio and into the Heart of Carnival...

Everything you need to know about REAL Mexican food

connectlocally — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 11:03:00 GMT

If you think Taco Bell is awesome Mexican food, chances are your nationality is other than Mexican and have never tried any authentic food while visiting Mexico.

Taco Bell is an American company that tired of waiting for line cooks to heat up each tortilla on the stove and created the fast food assembly-line hard-shell receptacle easily filled with... what the hell is in it anyway? I can barely identify the contents of that taco and I'm not alone. When they launched in Mexico they had to explain to the clueless Mexican customers what the menu items were supposed to be, closing shortly thereafter because we just didn't care for them.

The second time they tried to enter the Mexican market, even though they "Americanized" their menu with french fries and other goodies, they again had to close within two years due to low patronage.

Why won't Mexicans eat at this awesome fast food palace of taco goodness, you ask? Well... we much prefer the real thing.

You see, Mexican Food is like the Tardis: it's much bigger on the inside.

Let's start with our flagship, the taco, and then I'll blow your mind by inviting you inside everything else you haven't yet experienced.

Image: The Taco

Our beloved taco is typically a hand-made corn tortilla (the soft kind) acting as delivery vehicle for guisados (i.e. stews - of which we have a dizzying array of choices with more variants of ingredients, flavors, and spiciness than you can imagine), but we're not that strict about this definition.

Any Mexican will make a taco out of pretty much whatever's at hand: any kind of protein from fish to beef, any side dish like rice, beans, or avocado, to scoop leftover salsa, or even just roll up the tortilla with a slight sprinkle of salt and have what my grandmother called a "taco de aire."

"What about hard-shell tacos, don't you have those?" you ask. Yes, we call them flautas. They're very long and thin, fully rolled up into a cylinder (not a half-moon), and fried. Adorned with sour cream, and a sprinkle of either guacamole or salsa verde, they're usually filled with chicken, beef, cheese, or potato.

Image: Flautas

"Wait. Aren't those enchiladas?" No, enchiladas are never hard-shelled. They're basically rolled-up soft-shell tacos covered in the salsa of your choice, be it red or green, or more complex sauces such as pipian (made of pumpkin seeds) or mole (check out my article on this sweet baby).

Image: Enchiladas de mole

We even have enchiladas for the more timid palates averse to hotness: the completely smothered in cream and cheese we call "Swiss," and the ones covered in bean sauce are named "enfrijoladas."

"But I do know that cheese inside a tortilla means a quesadilla." Only when it's in a half-moon shape and free of a plateful of sauce, plus, they don't necessarily need to be cheese-filled. They can contain anything you like, though my favorites are papas con chorizo (potatoes and sausage), elote con rajas (corn and green pepper), and flor de calabaza (zucchini flowers). They can be chubby like empanadas, or they can be completely flat.

Another kind of quesadilla can be made of wheat tortilla and string cheese. But if you take a wheat tortilla, add cheese, a slice or two of ham, and another wheat tortilla on top, and heat it up a bit, keeping the circle shape, then it becomes a sincronizada.

The corn tortilla is so prevalent in Mexican life it basically makes an appearance on pretty much every food available, from just plain bits soaked in salsa (chilaquiles), to fried bits to scoop stuff up (totopos), all the way to soups, and even street food where it's so thick it looks more like a patty.

It takes specific names to indicate the shape or the way it's presented, for example, if a thick, deep-fried corn patty has a layer of refried beans, some protein topping, and a bit of cheese, lettuce, and sour cream, it can be one of two choices: a sope if it's circle-shaped and small, or a huarache if it's big and oblong-shaped; however, if it's a stuffed sope then it's a gordita.

Image: A Sope

Image: A Huarache

Confused yet?

I told you, once you step in, it gets much bigger on the inside.

Let's step away from the corn tortilla for a second. We do like bread, too. Our favorite is the bolillo, for it's the critical factor that converts any boring old sandwich into a Mexican torta. You can put anything into a torta, from refried beans to ham, cheese, chicken, scrambled eggs, you name it; but my favorite ingredient for a torta has to be milanesa (you might know this breaded goodness as schnitzel).

Image: Torta

Did you know that we, like the Peruvians, enjoy marinated, cured fish (ceviche)? Flanked by the two largest oceans in the world, with well over 9,000 kms of coastline, Mexico enjoys a healthy diet of seafood and tropical fruits, which it converts into all kinds of ceviche, cocktails, dips, and salsas imaginable, though none of our tropical delights is more famous and world-renowned than the guacamole.

Image: Cerviche

Deeper in the mainland the diet changes into something heartier and meatier, using all the chiles and all the proteins we could harvest and herd to create the most amazing collection of stews (guisados). Our guisados, like the Indian curries, come in all colors and degrees of hotness, and include any meat possible. On a typical Mexican gathering you'll find several cazuelas with many kinds of guisados, a stack of tortillas, rice and beans, and you pick and choose your favorites to make them into tacos.

The deeper you go into any one region in Mexico, the closer you'll be to their regional, more indigenous cuisine. If you visit the Yucatan peninsula you'd be in for a treat if you try cochinita pibil, panuchos, or axiote.

If your travels take you to the North, then you'd be remiss if you didn't try cabrito or machaca. And you can't avoid the soups, from pozole to caldo tlalpeño, and from caldo de camaron to, indeed, tortilla soup. For Christmas we like chiles en nogada (stuffed poblano chiles in walnut sauce and pomegranate), bacalao a la vizcaina (cod stewed) , tortitas de camarones con romeritos (shrimp patties and wild plant sprigs with mole), and capirotada (fruit bread pudding soaked in syrup). And for fun we like to go to cantinas and eat bugs.

No self-respecting Mexican has failed to try at least once one of these: gusanos de maguey (agave worms), chapulines (grasshoppers), or escamoles (ant larvae), among others. Though not all our lesser known dishes are gross: we also eat nopales (cacti) and their fruit called tuna (prickly pear) and they're quite delicious.

Image: Tunas

Image: Nopales

Speaking of delicious, are you aware of our typical desserts, such as flan (custard), arroz con leche (rice pudding), pastel de tres leches (three-milk cake), or crepas de cajeta (caramelized milk crepes)?

No?

Image: Flan

And were you aware of our large variety of beverages, from micheladas (beer cocktails) to aguas frescas like horchata (rice water), to champurrado and atole (corn-based, of course), or cafe de olla (spiced coffee)? Well, I could keep going but this article has a word limit, so, next time you want to try Mexican food do yourself a favor: give me a shout, and step. away. from. Taco. Bell.

About the Author

Beqs began her wanderlust by disassembling her crib to roam free. She'd like to go to space, but not before she's seen everything in this planet first. And while she's work-bound at home, in between travels, she escapes with books, movies, food, and yoga.

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A Pinch of What? How to Cook Real Indian Food at Home

connectlocally — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 11:55:00 GMT

India - the land of blinding colours, incredible smiles, honking cars, warm people, littered streets, mighty Himalayas, naked hermits, a million gods, gorgeous women and spicy food.

[Yeah, the snake charmers are passé!]

All of us have heard these comments about this indescribable and bewildering country, I call home. One has to experience it to understand what I mean - you either fall in love with it or simply loathe it. There is no mid-way.

I was born here and grew up in various different regions which gave me a chance to get to know my own countrymen speaking different languages, clothing themselves in different attire, following different customs and cooking some really awesome traditional meals. I honestly don't know what is essentially Indian food because there is a new cuisine in every Indian state. The north is all about fresh spicy curries, the south relies heavily on coconut based curries and rice preparations, the east has lot of sea food and meat preparations whereas the west offers lots of fried snacks.

However, there is one thing that binds all Indian food together - the Indian spices. Before sharing some recipes, let me introduce you to some basic spices found in every Indian home. These spices when used in different combinations can pretty much prepare 95% of Indian home food. These spices have been used through history not only for flavour but several health benefits like improving digestion, detoxifying, providing vitamins, strengthening immunity and some even as aphrodisiac.

Cumin Either used whole for tempering hot oil or as powder to bring out strong aroma & distinct sweet flavour.
Coriander seeds A whole spice and comes from the same plant as fresh green coriander/ cilantro herb, but two have different properties so must not be interchanged. Coriander seeds are normally used in powdered form and act as a coolant.
Black mustard seeds Used for tempering hot oil and has a distinct but very pleasant flavour.
Turmeric Used for its natural yellow colouring properties and ginger like mild aroma.
Red Chilli Powder Adds slightly pungent aroma, heat and extra kick to the dish.
Asafetida It has a strong odour and taste when raw. However, once added to oil or the dish it's flavour instantly changes to sweet-garlicky.
Green & Black Cardamom Used to give very nice flavour and aroma to various Indian dishes. The pod itself is bland, its the seeds inside which hold all the magic.
Cinnamon Added in Indian curries, rice dishes etc to offer warm and sweet flavour.
Cloves Add a strong pungent and sweet flavour to the food.
Pepper Adds pungency, slight heat and bite to the food.
Dried Bay Leaf Adds a warm aroma to the food.

Confused? Don't be. I am going to give away an easy way to Indian Spices, used in every single household: Garam Masala. Some people make it themselves at home but most buy it from the food store. Garam Masala is typically a powdered mixture of coriander seeds, black pepper, cumin seeds, dry ginger, cinnamon, aniseed, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and salt - the ingredients and their ratio can vary slightly from brand to brand.

So, the TOP 5 Spices you need in your kitchen for Indian cooking are: Garam Masala + Turmeric Powder + Coriander Powder + Cumin Seeds + Black Mustard Seeds. That's it ! It will sail you through many Indian dishes.

(I know, red chilli powder doesn't figure in my top 5 and its totally okay!)

Now coming onto the recipes, I am sharing one for a homestyle Chicken Curry, by far, the most easily recognised and popular Indian dish around the world. Also, one for a quick Indian snack - Onion Pakoras (onion fritters). They both are easy to cook, with simple ingredients and as Indian as they can get.

Chicken Curry

Preparation Time : 16-20 minutes

Cooking time : 21-25 minutes

Servings : 4

Ingredients

750 gm chicken

3 medium size onions (finely chopped)

1 tbsp fresh ginger & garlic Paste

2 medium tomatoes (Puréed or finely chopped)

1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves chopped

3 tbsp oil

1 inch stick of Cinnamon

4-5 cloves

4-5 green cardamom

½ tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Coriander powder

1 tbsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1 tsp Garam masala powder

Method

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan. Add cinnamon, cloves and green cardamoms and sauté for half a minute. Add onions and sauté till golden brown.
Add ginger paste and garlic paste and continue to sauté for two to three minutes, stirring continuously.
Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder. Mix well. Add tomato and stir. Cook covered till oil separates from the corners. Add the chicken pieces and salt.
Sauté on high heat for two minutes. Add two cups water, bring to a boil, cover and cook on low heat till the chicken is fully done. Sprinkle garam masala powder and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Indian bread or steamed rice.

Would you like a cheat's way to this wonderful dish? I do it all the time at home when I am running out on some spices or have to plate up in a jiffy.

Heat oil in the pan - Add sliced onion, sauté till golden- Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 2 mins- Add tomato along with turmeric, coriander powder, red chilli powder and 1 ½ tsp garam masala- mix all well and let it cook covered on low flame- when oil starts to separate from corners- add chicken pieces with little water and salt- cook on low flame till done.

I sometimes also like to marinate chicken in 2-3 tbsp of beaten yogurt for about 20 mins before cooking. This adds some fresh tangy taste and also mellows down the spices.

Chicken can be replaced with cauliflower and potatoes, potatoes and soya chunks or even Indian cottage cheese to prepare vegetarian curries.

Onion Pakoras (Onion Fritters - Indian Style)

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 to 3 medium sized onions (thinly sliced)

2 cups gram/ chickpea flour

½ tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder (optional)

Oil for deep frying

Water as required

Salt as required

Method

Add the chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and chick pea flour to the sliced onions.
Add water and mix it to a thick and smooth consistency (see pic)
Now heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Take a teaspoonful of the onion batter and add it in the oil. On a medium heat fry the onion pakoras till golden brown. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or green coriander chutney

Note

Onions can also be replaced by thin potato slices, Indian cottage cheese, spinach, bread slices or any other greens that you may fancy.

Keep a watch on oil temperature while frying. It should neither be too hot or too cool. If oil is too hot then the insides of pakoras will not cook properly while the outside will be dark brown and if its too cool then the pakoras will absorb a lot of unnecessary oil during cooking process and will be oil-laden when eaten.

Hot Tips!

Feel free to replace red chilli powder with fresh green chillies (if deseeded- they'll lose all the heat and retain the essential kick) or black pepper powder.
Yogurt is yet another item eaten widely across India in various forms. Yogurt compliments most of the Indian dishes and help douse the heat from spices and is sort of a superfood for your guts.
Always cook Indian food in layers, one step at a time. Never attempt mixing all spices and ingredients at one go and cooking them in a microwave !
Never go overboard with spices. Stick to the recipe. Spices are meant to lift up the dishes and not overpower them. There are Indian dishes with perhaps just one or two spices and trust me they are as Indian as those using over fifteen spices.
Indian cooking is best done on medium or low flame, over long time. Never hurry with them.

About the Author

Richa Gupta, a former fashion business manager is now a travel writer based in India. Her passion for experiential, offbeat and responsible traveling made her take the leap. On her travels, Richa likes to engage with locals, their lifestyles and tries to bring forth their issues through her blog Travels & Stories. In addition, she thinks shopping is stupid and wishful thinking a great pastime.

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Running Amok for Fish Amok

connectlocally — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 09:11:00 GMT

The bowl is steaming hot. I deeply inhale the lemongrass and galangal and immediately start salivating.

And as soon as I put a spoonful in my mouth, my tastebuds "rush into a frenzy" - the original Malay meaning of the word "amok".

I spent a month in Siem Reap earlier this year, and one of my goals was to sample as many fish amoks as I could find.

Want a frenzy in your mouth but not yet able to get yourself to Cambodia? I've combined the recipes of my two favourite amoks - from the cooking schools of The RiverGarden Hotel and Sojourn Boutique Villas - into a bowl of deliciousness even I can replicate at home. And when you feel the need to taste amok with local ingredients, I recommend both these hotels, their stand-out restaurants, and their cooking classes!

The national dish from the nation's lifeblood

Amok is the national dish of Cambodia. The most popular form is with fish, and the fish is all from the Tonle Sap lake.

The Tonle Sap is the lifeblood of Cambodia, and is Southeast Asia's largest lake. It grows to 10,000 square kilometers and 14 meters depth during the monsoon season, yet shrinks to just 3,000 square kilometers and two meters depth during the dry season.

The Tonle Sap supplies fresh water and food to the three million people who live around and on it (visit a floating village or the stilted houses!). There are over 300 species of fish swimming within it and half of the fish consumed in Cambodia come from it. Without this majestic lake (and the prowess of the ancient Khmer hydraulic engineers), Angkor could not have become the largest pre-industrial city in the world.

And without the Tonle Sap, we would not have fish amok.

Translating authentic amok

Amok actually refers to the action of steaming, but most home cooks (including Cambodian) don't have the kitchen facilities to steam this dish. Local Cambodians prefer the stir-fry then boil technique and taste. I agree, and this is easier to replicate outside Cambodia too. The traditional steamed method brings a drier somewhat mousse-y dish, and the recipe below a soupier texture.

Fish amok is the original, but snails (amok chouk), chicken and, lately, tofu, are all variations.

Amok's cousins are Thai green curry and otak otak in Malaysia and Indonesia. What makes amok different is the addition of a bitter green leaf called slok ngor and the particular blend of spices.

If you're in Cambodia, pick up some kroeung (Khmer spice paste) to take home to turn into amok. It contains krachai (a rhizome resembling ginger), galangal, garlic and shallots. But you can create a very delicious alternative with ingredients you should be able to find in most Asian grocery stores.

Chili or not to chili

Surprisingly, there is no consensus on whether amok should be spicy. As a worshiper of the chili, I say "go spicy!". But the choice is up to you, and you could always serve chili peppers on the side so people can adjust the heat to their preference.

Dried chili is more authentic than fresh, but use whatever you can find.

And really, won't your tastebuds rush into more of a frenzy if you chili up your amok?

Making fish amok at home (serves 2)

This is a combination of the recipes from the cooking classes at The RiverGarden Hotel and Sojourn Boutique Villas. It serves two, and you should feel free to adjust the proportions to your own personal preferences. I've also indicated several substitutions if you're having trouble finding ingredients.

Small handful of bitter greens (the leaf of the noni tree, slok ngor, i.e. Morinda citriflora, is traditional; but you can substitute Chinese broccoli/kale, spinach, or really any green you like from the Asian grocery)
3 or 4 lime leaves (see note * below)
3 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves and base removed
a baby-finger-sized piece of galangal, peeled (try not to substitute this one as galangal really makes the dish stand out; but if you can't find galangal, use fresh ginger)
a slightly smaller piece of turmeric, peeled (fresh is lovely, but you can substitute 1 1/2 tsp dried)
optional: 4 to 6 dried chili peppers, soaked in water, stems removed (substitute fresh chili)
1 shallot, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 to 2 tsp sugar (ideally palm sugar)
1/2 tsp fish (e.g. anchovy) or shrimp paste
1 egg, beaten
approx 2 tsp fish sauce, adjust to your desired level of saltiness
1 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 cup coconut cream (or thick coconut milk), preferably fresh
400 g fish, in large chunks (bar fish is traditional, but any firm, white, non-bony fish will do, like sole)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup water

1. Prep your greens

Cut or tear out the spines of the lime leaves and, if necessary, of the bitter greens you've chosen. Roll them up (separately) and then chop into strips about half a centimeter in width. Use the lime leaves in step 2 and the bitter greens just before serving.

2. Make a paste

If you're using a food processor: toss your aromatics (strips of lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, chili peppers, shallot, garlic) in the machine and process until they become a paste. Stir in the sugar and fish paste.

If you're using a mortar and pestle: finely chop the lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, chili peppers, and shallot; grate the garlic with a microplane. Pound them with the strips of lime leaves until a paste forms. Stir in the sugar and fish paste.

You can use this paste right away, but if you set it aside for an hour or so the flavours make even more magic.

3. Prep your emulsifier

Beat the egg, add the fish sauce and a couple teaspoons of your paste. This will help emulsify your amok and give it a silkier texture.

4. Start cooking

Heat a wok, pot or a large deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the cooking oil. Once hot, add the remaining paste and stir. After a minute or two, your kitchen will fill with a deliciously intense smell.

Once this happens, stir in half the coconut cream. When it boils, add the fish. After a minute or two, add the remaining coconut cream and the egg mixture and stir. Thin to desired texture with the chicken stock and water. Heat on low until the fish is cooked through.

5. Serve

Off the heat, add the strips of ngor or bitter greens. Serve piping hot in individual bowls, with rice on the side.

*A note on lime leaves: anyone who is a fan of Southeast Asian cuisine is a fan of lime leaves and their heady fragrance which is infused into many Thai, Lao, and Cambodian dishes. These limes are commonly referred to as "kaffir" limes.

But did you know that "kaffir" is a racist slur? In South Africa, it is a synonym for the N-word, and in some parts of the Middle East and South Asia it is negative word for non-Muslims.

There's a campaign on Twitter to use the name "Makrut limes" (which is what they're often called in Southeast Asia anyway). Most people will know exactly what you mean if you just say "lime leaves" too.

Make the change!

About the Author

Johanna Read is a travel and food writer and photographer. While she calls Canada home, she spends much of the year abroad researching wonderful things to share with her readers. She spent the Canadian winter of 2013-14 in Southeast Asia, is just back from China, and is soon off to Ecuador and Peru. You can find links to her writing, photography and social media at www.TravelEater.net.

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Eating Gooseneck Barnacles in Ecuador

connectlocally — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 14:43:00 GMT

Travelling along the La Ruta del Sol (The Route of the Sun), which is a scenic coastal route on the Pacific coast of Ecuador, our small group stopped at a village called Salango.

The population of this village is around 3,200 with ancestral roots, along with its history and culture, dates back to around 5,000 years. In the town’s main plaza the village houses The Presley Norton Archaeological Museum with over 245 pieces of pre-Columbian ceramics which date from the year 5,000 to 1,500.

On the other side of the plaza is another, different kind of interesting, place. The Delfin Mágico or Magic Dolphin restaurant a family operated business which opened its doors in 1988 as this entrepreneurial family saw a need for the hungry tourists who were visiting their home.

It is well known for its superb fresh seafood plates such as lobster, prawns, octopus, and scallops - even Ecuadorians travel from far to feast on the wonderful fresh sea food. But we had heard that the speciality in this restaurant is the appetizer Percebes (or Goose Neck Barnacles) which everyone we were told should try.

I was hungry and although I have eaten many strange things in my life I was not actually feeling the urge to eat barnacles. We were told by a local Ecuadorian that they are an absolute delicacy and if you were in Spain you would probably pay around $100 US per kilo. However, here at the Delfin Mágico this delicacy was $10 US per platter.

We ordered two platters as there were a few of us, and we were told that once we started we would not be able to stop. Finally the Percebes arrived on silver platters which were piled high with these strange looking sea monster creatures. It reminded me of something out of a space odyssey movie as a creature from another planet which appeared to have many tentacles reaching out to us. At the end of each of these sea monster looking tentacles is a triangular head in the shape of a sharks tooth. This head is covered with a beautiful green and pink mosaic shell. Apparently the shell ends hold the sex organs so we were told it was up to us if we wanted to eat them.

Right at that moment I just wanted to taste the fleshy part of the barnacle before deciding whether to eat the sex organ! Who would ever have thought that I would be eating barnacles? At first glance I had absolutely no idea of what or how I was going to eat this creature. So the waitress seeing our despair came over and explained that we needed to get to the fleshy morsel that lives inside the skin of the Percebes. To do this he said we had to grab the shell between the thumb and first finger with one hand and with the other hand hold the tentacle and then twist the shell in the opposite direction. Viola the fleshy dark morsel inside slips out of the skin while still attached to the head.

You then dip the fleshy morsel into the fresh lime and cilantro sauce. Some are a little messy and may cause a spray over your clothes and others nearby, but guarantees that the barnacles you are eating are fresh. At first I was not sure about what I thought but then I started to absolutely enjoy the fleshy texture which to me tasted like scallops. But did I eat the sex organ? With that shark tooth looking head?...no!

About the Author

Dixie Davey lived in Ecuador for 3 years and then Thailand for 1 year before returning to Australia. Her love travel and writing while in Ecuador (2008) inspired her to start the website www.retire-in-ecuador.com. Her life has been blessed with many travels around the world but she still has a lot to see with many stories to share. You can also find her on facebook.

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WorldNomads.com keeps you travelling safely. Whether you’re off for a long weekend, looking for the ultimate adventure or living the nomadic dream, you’ll stay safe with Travel Insurance you can buy online, anytime, and the latest travel safety advice. Learn how to flirt in over 25 languages with our free language guides and have an experience of a lifetime on a travel scholarship. We'll also help you share your journey with a free travel blog, get answers from other nomads to all of your travel questions (try the new 'Ask A Nomad' iPad app) and donate to a local community development project through our Footprints program.

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Staying in a Kenyan Home

connectlocally — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 10:58:00 GMT

As a traveller – or even worse, as a tourist – it can be very difficult to come face-to-face with the normal, day-to-day life of a place, especially if faced with barriers of language, culture and ethnicity. Having been lucky enough to spend a year living in a small Kenyan community, we made some particularly good friends, including a wonderful man of the Kelenjin people – they of long-distance running fame – by the name of Richard Yegon.

The first time we stayed with Yegon and his family, they vacated their bedroom for us and moved into the children’s room. The first wazungu ever to set foot there, our introductory stroll around the village and its surrounding tea plantations turned into a five-hour affair of handshakes, copious amounts of incredibly sweet tea, and a following of a good dozen children whose emotions ranged from curious to terrified. I spent at least five minutes gripping the hand of a particularly old man (Yegon’s great uncle, I believe) who, having worked for the British administration in the 1950s and 60s, was delighted to “welcome me back” to Kenya after all these years.

When we first arrived at Yegon’s house, the family’s rather old rooster strutted his stuff proudly across the garden. The next morning, his absence went some way to explain the chewiness of what we had thought to be a chicken stew – served, of course, with the ubiquitous side of ugali (maize meal), beans, and milk fresh from the family cow. Yegon’s wife, having never had wazungu guests before, even went through the trouble of finding and cooking us half a kilo of spaghetti.

Over the next year we came back to visit twice more, each time with different friends in tow, and always receiving the warmest of welcome. The visits invariably begin with a long afternoon walks, complete with tea visits and children giddy with excitement. Fortunately, the house had been added to by our second visit, so the family no longer had to move out to host us. By our last visit, our presence was even tolerated by Yegon’s son, who had run away screaming in terror the first time he laid eyes on us, apparently believing us to be ghosts.

Watching the days go by here was a revelation in many ways. The members of this little community kept it meticulously clean – we never once saw a single piece of litter – and we were told that there was no crime of any kind. The children, their parents convinced of their safety, came and went as they wished, usually with young siblings thrown across their backs. Life here was by no means without worry – several funerals reminded us of the prevalence of deadly disease here as well as in other parts – but unlike villages set up specifically for tourist visits, it was real. And the warmth of Yegon and his family never fades from memory, especially as we still receive monthly invites to come back.

Yegon’s father on our first visit to his home

Yegon and his wife serve up dinner; this time we had brought Kate’s parents along

A foot-bath and fresh corncobs: perfect finish to a day spent walking around the village

Groups of children constantly trailed our wanderings around the village, gradually becoming less afraid

About the Author

Marcus Westberg is an award-winning photographer and a regular contributor to Africa Geographic, NationalGeographic.com, Vagabond and Huffington Post. View more of his work on his website and on Facebook.

Travel. Learn. Create.

And if you're lucky enough to be mentored by one of our industry professionals, it could kick start your career!

Sweet Tea, Singing & Goat Meat: Celebrating a Maasai Wedding

connectlocally — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 10:43:00 GMT

As travellers, many of us are in constant search of genuine cultural experiences. This is especially true – and especially tricky – for that particular breed of travellers who want to capture such wonderful moments using various digital gadgets; after all, sticking a camera into somebody’s face and business isn’t necessarily the best way to remain inconspicuous. Even worse is that nagging suspicion that what we are witnessing might be a show put on especially for our benefit.

Having spent close to a year conducting a research project in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, we had yet to attend a proper ceremony or celebration of any kind. After three months in Europe, we returned to the Mara for a few days on our way to Uganda and the DR Congo. Out of the blue, one of our Maasai friends, Lekishon, called me. He was delighted to hear that we were back, because two days later he was getting married! Would we like to come? And would I mind taking some photos for him at the wedding?

Early in the morning of the big day, a group of Lekishon’s friends came to see us with shukas (blankets), jewelry and other decorations: our party - we had two Californian friends with us - was to look the part.

We set off for a bumpy and muddy two-hour drive across the Oloololo Escarpment to collect the bride from her village. After spending a couple of hours with her family - this provided ample time for her female relatives to give Lekishon a piece of their minds about how a young wife should be treated – we continued to the site of the main celebration.

What followed was a day full of singing, goat meat, very sweet tea and general merriment. We clearly provided plenty of amusement, too, judging by the constant giggles and pointing fingers: clearly this was not how the guests were used to seeing wazungu dress or behave. When the rain began to fall in the early afternoon, instantly turning the party grounds into a mud bath, the mood improved even further: to a people whose livestock remains their pride, joy and primary livelihood, rain – and the succulent grass it supports – on your wedding day is a true blessing.

We could not have imagined a better way to experience a slice of real Maasai culture. This was not a show put on for outsiders, and as I genuinely like Lekishon and appreciate his friendship, being able to attend his big day was a real privilege.

As a photographer, this was – with the exception of the harsh equatorial light followed by lots of rain and very dark huts – perfect. Not only did I feel that my presence was appreciated, but Lepore – another friend of mine, and Lekishon’s best man – kept me company for most of the day, jovially explaining to everyone why I was there and that I was to be allowed to take as many photos as I pleased. In hindsight, this stands out as one of the most memorable moments from our two years in Africa, and as a shining example of how much a personal connection can add to a travel experience – and to a photo shoot.

About the Author

Travel. Learn. Create.

And if you're lucky enough to be mentored by one of our industry professionals, it could kick start your career!

Photographing Nicky the Rhinoceros

connectlocally — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 10:26:00 GMT

If you spend two years in close proximity to wildlife, developing strong bonds to the oddest animals - from squabbling hyena pups to wallowing warthogs - is perhaps inevitable. Despite that, nothing had prepared us for our meeting with Nicky.

Nicky was, at the time, only six months old. Born blind, his mother unable to care for him, he behaved much like other young boys – sleeping under his favourite blanket, playing with various members of his (adoptive) family, and happy as long as there was no rain or thunder to disturb his peace. But unlike most other youngsters his age, Nicky – being a black rhinoceros – weighed over 120kg, and was a bit of a hazard (to himself as well as to others) during his playtime. Luckily the amazing people at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy had thought of this, and padded his entire play-pen to make it Nicky-safe.

For a wildlife photographer used to seeing animals through a 500mm lens, Nicky presented a few challenges. My first mistake was leaving my wide-angle 16-35mm lens behind – I didn’t realize that Nicky would still be napping, and trying to fit me and my cameras between him and the walls of his bedroom – lines with hay bales for insulation and protection – was a bit of a challenge, especially in the low light.

The second challenge was Nicky’s sometimes rough playing. In order to capture his personality, and the world as it was from his level (despite the fact that he was unable to use sight to explore), I had to get down on the ground. And quickly get out of the way whenever Nicky came barging past, looking for someone to push up against. The experience did remind me of how important it can be to seek out new and different perspectives, whether it is to capture the true nature of a scene or simply to obtain an original take on something that has been photographed countless times before.

Nicky will be familiar to anyone who watched BBC’s Africa series – a few months younger then than when we had the pleasure of meeting him, Nicky had a famous encounter with David Attenborough during the show’s last episode. Nicky’s blindness is non-reversible, and he will need to be cared for at Lewa for the rest of his life. Fortunately for him, Lewa is a sanctuary for rhinos in Kenya, with plenty of people fully committed to the future of these magnificent – but by poaching decimated – animals.

Staying in the hobbit-like dwellings at Lewa House – run by Calum and Sophie, the great granddaughter of Lewa’s original conservationist – we had the privilege of spending some days with Nicky, his full-time carers, and the wild rhinos of Lewa Wildlife Sanctuary. The plight of the rhino is increasing by the day, and choosing to support worthy projects when we travel is a great way of giving back and helping out. Never underestimate the effect that your contribution, no matter how small, can have.

Pushing into things - and people - was Nicky’s way of investigating

Saying hello to Nicky required removing any spare camera equipment to a safe distance - hence the tripod stuck to the fence

Nicky’s bedroom, and favourite blanket

About the Author

Travel. Learn. Create.

And if you're lucky enough to be mentored by one of our industry professionals, it could kick start your career!

Street Food Tales: Old Delhi

connectlocally — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:36:00 GMT

In the sprawling mass of Old Delhi – its hidden mosques, giant gates and crumbling mansions – are a handful of eateries that have locals and visitors coming back for more.

This is the biggest bazaar of them all, home to some of the largest wholesale trades in Asia. Thousands throng its streets every day. For many sightseers, the first glimpse of Old Delhi is when they emerge from the modern, air-conditioned metro station into the chaos, dirt and hardship of Chandni Chowk.

What was once the grand Mughal capital now remains studded with royal buildings and crumbling balconies tangled in a maze of electrical wires. At street level, hawkers bellow, dogs scavenge through the waste, and frail rickshaw pullers struggle with loads five times their own weight.

Yet, a stagger and a push away, among all the disorder, is the heart of Delhi’s street food. Here you’ll discover the city’s appetite and its penchant for sinful savouries and snacks.

From kebabs to kheer (a sweet rice pudding) and lassi (sweet yogurt-based drink), to puri (deep-fried Indian bread), the range of tasty street food is vast. But the surprising and memorable dishes are not in upmarket, plush restaurants. In India, the best is often to be found in the most unappetizing of locations – in the heat, dust and flies of its streets.

Wend down to one such alleyway and you’ll see the Paranthe Wali Gali or “the by lane of fried bread.” Here a series of makeshift stalls known as Dhabas churn out flavoursome wheat flour disks for just a few rupees.

Walk in to any of the four remaining eateries and the place is a grease factory! At its simplest, a paratha is crisp and a little salty but it comes with a variety of stuffings including potatoes, onions, cauliflowers, eggs or paneer, the Indian cottage cheese. Served with standard garnishes like chutney (mint sauce) and pickles, the thick parathas are deep-fried and glistened with oil.

As you wait your turn, you’ll have time to watch the spectacle. In an open-air kitchen, the cooks sit facing the street with ingredients arranged on a platter beside them. Throwing in a fistful of stuffing into the dough ball, they wrap it in and flatten it out as it expertly is tossed into the wok.

For generations, these food vendors have been in business of selling parathas exclusively. One of the shops even has a framed picture of the Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, enjoying his paratha back in the day.

But there is more for gastronomic thrill seekers in Old Delhi. A short walk leads you to the “Old Famous” shop, where it’s been around since 1884. On the menu are only samosas and jalebi – sugary rounds of fried batter, often with an orange tint.

India’s unique sweets are worth sampling. Milk confectioneries, gulab jamun, rasgullaa and ras malai are popular specialities but at the “Old Famous” shop, jalebis are the ultimate sugar hit.

As visitors flock to such renowned spots in the old city, its residents teem towards roadside carts, which are less expensive. Around ten million street vendors across India peddle tasty morsels every day to ensure that the public eat their way through the streets of the country.

This has long been a tradition of the India's boisterous and chaotic spirit. As an outsider, however, one must identify the right places to taste some of its street side delicacies. Else the infamous Delhi Belly would strike down the adventurous snacker!

On your next visit to Old Delhi, try out a sumptuous meal. Every Dilliwallah has his or her own list of favourites, so here are my top three:

At Karims, the culinary veterans of its kitchens practise their craft just as their forefathers had centuries before. Here you'll have time to watch the master at work, packing soft meat on to skewers before tipping them quickly on to plates and into waiting hands. Undoubtedly, they are some of the finest kebabs in Delhi. Vegetarians can opt for the cottage cheese skewers.

Old Delhi is a wonderful place for breakfast – try the bedmi aloo (deep-fried spiced bread with a spicy potato curry) at Shyam Sweets.

Lastly, if you are sincere to experience the real life of Old Delhi, then have chai (the local tea) in the locality. The Walled City has at least a dozen chaikhanas (tea houses) hidden in its narrow lanes. They serve tea and classic teatime snacks like fen and rusk that are made in the area’s local bakeries. With a cup of chai, chat up with the locals and dwell on the city’s layered history – its past and present.

Do you love sampling street food while travelling? Check out these tasty treats:

American Street Food: Following the Food Truck Trail

A Taste of South Korea: Street Food

About the Author

MOSKA NAJIB, has been taking photographs for several years and her photographs have appeared on various journals, including the BBC News website. A journalist by profession, she has worked for the BBC as a producer and correspondent. In the past five years, Moska has travelled extensively to many parts of South Asia reporting through film and photography. A full-time adventurer and globetrotter, Moska's interest lies in the areas of documentary photography. Recently, she was selected as the only Afghan finalist for Tourism Australia's Best Jobs in the World competition.

About WorldNomads.com

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Spin Rocinha: How a DJ School is Empowering a Rio Favela

connectlocally — Mon, 6 Jan 2014 15:52:00 GMT

Rocinha is the largest favela in Brazil with over 250,000 inhabitants and is located in Rio de Janeiro's South Zone between the districts of São Conrado and Gávea. Unlike its wealthy neighbouring districts, Rocinha has experienced decades of turmoil. The early infrastructure projects developed by Conrado Niemeyer saw the establishment of São Conrado. As this and surrounding neighbourhoods grew, there was a demand for cheap labour to build houses, schools and hospitals. The lack of affordable housing at the time saw the rapid rise in the growth of favelas. Rocinha was born of this.

Over the years there have been attempts to relocate or force remove inhabitants, whilst many protested the cost of such programs could have been spent to assist in urbanisation. Residents associations were developed to support community develop and continue the struggle for housing rights for Rocinha residents.

The 80's brought organised crime. Drug traffickers on one side, corrupt politicians on the other. Rocinha residents were literally caught in the cross-fire. It wasn't until the the development of the UPP (Pacifying Police Unit) and the 'pacification' of Rocinha in 2011, that this 'city within a city' has begun to flourish after decades of hardship.

Still, education or lackthereof for the majority of those growing up in Rocinha is still a major hurdle to overcome. Residents have an average of only 4.1 years of formal education, with less than 1% of Rocinha’s adult population having earned a degree above a high school diploma. So how do children and young adults find opportunities to develop skills within the favela? Enter one such program providing it - Spin Rocinha. I had the pleasure of spending time with its founder, DJ Zezinho.

What is SPIN ROCINHA?

SPIN ROCINHA, established in 2010, is a youth empowerment and music development program, implemented by Rocinha Media School, in which Rocinha’s young people develop industry-standard DJing skills to produce music that is based on their experiences within the community. Using a process that enables youths to explore issues of democratic, community participation through media empowerment, the program advances the distinctive cultural narratives that help shape Rocinha and the region.

How is the program structured?

This mobile DJ workshop series and after school program is a permanent, ongoing investment in the community of Rocinha. The goal is to provide a youth empowerment and mentoring program for at-risk youth through DJ workshops, intensives, classes, and performance, with focus on the youth issues of the constituencies within the favela. We look to create an accessible environment where youth can - make music inspired and achieved by electronic media; - create a responsive public and community context for the appreciation of new work; - present and disseminate finished works; - advance technical skills to make music and art; - and nurture young, innovative practitioners from all branches of the arts to collaborate in the use of electronic media.

What skills are you teaching those within the program?

SPIN ROCINHA emphasizes an inter-generational approach to community-focused, cross-disciplinary media education that integrates music, performance, media literacy, and technology. This DJ program prioritizes digital music production as its educational development focus. Topics include technical proficiency, sound production, cultural and music history and theory, media literacy, narrative structure, and critical youth issues. in collaboration with community and international peers, this structured, hands-on program provides real-world digital media production and performance skills that serve as a catalyst to advance professional development and opportunities for individual youth participants.

Beyond the technical skills developed, what other skills are these kids picking up?

First and foremost, SPIN ROCINHA promotes positive self esteem. The program provides a fun way for youth to develop leadership skills, as well as to learn about music, media, technology, and the Rocinha community. It also galvanizes young people with similar interests and helps develop real-world skills that expand and disseminate into the wider community through live performance and peer mentorship. Fundamentally, we're looking to provide a foundation for career opportunities in the field of sound and music production and post-production, and at the same time, strengthen our youth community whilst raising awareness of social justice issues.

How important is weaving cultural aspects of living in Rocinha into the program?

Through producing music that builds an awareness of different aspects of Rocinha’s cultural vitality, as well as critiquing the struggles that youth face — their socio-political landscape for example, these all help our students develop not just as musicians, but also as responsible members of the Rocinha community.

Why is it important to keep the program mobile?

By keeping our program mobile, we can work throughout the underserved neighborhoods in Rocinha, at no cost to participants. Total first-year participation in SPIN ROCINHA will mentor upwards of 25 youths. Rather than reaching out to as many students as we can, we want to mentor a small group of students throughout the course of a year. This builds close mentoring relationships that help the student recognize their potential, increase their motivation, build their confidence and communication skills, and acquire solid technical skills to support their desires in pursuing their career development goals and professional opportunities. We believe it takes substantial time and commitment to gain the kind of grounded life and technical skill it takes to access a better future, and to develop more meaningful ways to interact with, and influence the wider Rocinha community.

What type of support are you looking for from outside of the community?

We would love to see more DJ's from around the world volunteer their time with us in Rocinha, and of course new or used DJ equipment is always welcome too. Also, you can sign up for one of our Favela Adventures tours, 100% of the profits go towards funding the DJ school!

Keen to watch more of the Rio adventure? Check out the other videos!

The Heart of Carnaval

Rio Football Fever

Pedra do Sal

Looking for more info on Rio or Carnaval?

Get some local intel - If you have any questions about travelling to Rio, feel free to hit up our Ask A Nomad community here or check out Triptrotters.

Concerned about safety in Brazil? - Check out our travel safety articles on how to stay safe when travelling to Brazil and stay covered with our travel insurance.

Looking to book for local festivals and events? - Check out Be A Local , they were great in getting us tickets to Carnaval.

Thinking about where to stay in Rio? - We had fantastic assistance from the crew at AirBnB who helped set us up with an excellent pad.

Looking to give back when you travel? - Check out International Volunteer HQ , who have some great projects running on the ground in Brazil.

About the Brazil team

Chris Noble is the General Manager of WorldNomads.com and will forever be indebted to the World Nomads of Rio that shared their knowledge and passion over the Carnaval period. He has a renewed love of Samba music and still dances as if his feet were held apart by a broom handle.

This film was directed and shot as part of our Brazil series by the very talented nomad Brian Rapsey.

About WorldNomads.com

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The Taste of a World Nomads Christmas

connectlocally — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 09:57:00 GMT

Mangos, turkey with stuffing, fresh prawns and yorkshire puddings floating in rich homemade gravy. How can all of these flavours represent the same tradition world wide?

We've asked the staff here at World Nomads "What does Christmas Taste like to you?" and the results are representative to the wonderful world of travel we work in.

From parmesan croquettes with homemade preserved olives, traditional fujian Lovo and cinnamon spiced Pan de pascua to sherry laden Christmas cake - we've got all cultures covered!

Check out some of our Nomads delicious christmas traditions here, and share some of your own. We can smell the pumpkin pie cooking already…

Merry Christmas from everyone at World Nomads!

"From mum’s side, I have fond memories of having Christmas Lunch at my Nonna’s house, which included her home-grown and made preserved olives, pan fried mushrooms, veal schnitzel, rolled beef parcels, and her signature dish that we called “Rice Things” – basically a rice croquette made with parmesan cheese and parsley (and a secret ingredient!). She has since been moved to a high-care nursing facility due to her declining health, and I miss everything above. I’ve learned the secret of making the perfect "Rice Thing" recently, and this Christmas I will be making a large batch of them so the family can remember the experience and keep the tradition going!

From dad’s side, it was always Grandma’s Fruit Cake, which seemed to have more and more alcohol in it every year! Once, it was so moist you could almost squeeze the booze out like juice, but it always tasted awesome and left us feeling way too full!"

- Chris McLean

"My dad’s family moved out from Lebanon 126 years ago, lthough most roots have been lost the food thing still stands strong.

One dish in particular has passed on to each generation and will continue for many more to come. Kibbeh - Minced lamb or beef, combined with bulgur, pureed onion and a mix of spices that partly depends on the cook i.e. cinnamon, salt, pepper. Kibbeh goes super swell with a fresh homemade tabouli, hummus and Tahini. Christmas would not be Christmas without Kibbeh. One year my Mum forgot to put it in the fridge - it was like 40degrees and it went off - people actually cried...

Apart from that Christmas day is not Christmas day without having Ferrero Rochers for breakfast, a huge BBQ for lunch - Chicken, Sausages , a million salads along with prawns and an avocado dip and oysters. Not forgetting the leg of ham which we will all be eating on toast for the next month! Followed closely by a table full of desserts - My fave would have to be my Auntie’s Pavlova.

This crazy grazing takes place from about 11am through to 8pm and is washed down with many an alcoholic beverage. My preference along with my sisters is to make up jugs of Margaritas. By the way, this amount of food could be feeding between 20-60. Not joking…

So in short a ‘Traditional Christmas’ tastes chocolaty in the morning, meaty at lunch, sweet by afternoon and tipsy by bed time."

- Celia Hannah

"A traditional Christmas to me tastes like plant rather than animal and comes pre-cooked from under the ground. My wife’s family is part Fijian Indian and from generations of living in Fiji they have adopted some customs from the Indigenous Fijians. One of these is the tradition of a Lovo feast.

Lovo is a the Fijian word for an earth oven – essentially a big hole in the ground. First go in the hot rocks pre-heated on a fire, then layers of banana leaves and other such insulating items, then various perfectly sealed parcels of fish and meats and root crops, each marinated with a vast array of spices, and finally topped off with more insulating materials and rocks and other miscellanea.

Then we wait a few hours – the process is not exact but empirical with plenty of guessing and speculating and checking. Finally when some elderly expert decides it’s time, it’s all unearthed and the parcels are handed out. Some plate it up, some don’t bother and eat straight out of it. My wife and I being vegetarians have our designated vego parcels, which really are no less enjoyable than the meaty ones that the rest of the extended family are digging into.

- Dinesh Gurram

"A traditional Christmas tastes like...

Having a warm smoked ham with a hint of clove, mashed potatoes and lots of gravy, sides of stuffing, slivered green beans, some strawberry Jello, wild rice and a warm, toasty bread roll with melted butter washed down with a cold glass of milk.

Take a break and steer the young kids to another room, clear away the table, do all the dishes and then serve up a large piece of homemade pumpkin pie with heaps of fresh whipped cream.

Top it all off with a taste of port and a lounge to sleep on in front of the TV.

This is a traditional (family) Christmas for me!"

- Vicki Oppegaard

"It is the revenge of the Christmas Turkey, that overstuffs us with tender, gravylicious and endless desire to have more of the "Special time" once a year procession of cinnamon spiced Pan de pascua (Chilean Christmas cake) & Cola de mono, otherwise known as Monkey’s Tail (Chilean Egg nogg) lovingly made by friends and family!

Don’t forget the background banter of raucous laughter and Christmas songs!"

- Tammie Robolledo

"The smell of Sweet (cooking) sherry makes me think of standing at my nanna’s kitchen bench, having the first stir of the Christmas pudding. She passed away 10 years ago this year and as I'm not seeing the rest of my family for Christmas on Xmas eve I will be cooking my nan’s pudding recipe, making sure that I give the first stir to my partner so we can start a new tradition!

So what does Christmas taste like ? It taste likes roast lamb, baked potatoes and lots of Christmas pudding!"

- Christopher Thurgood

What does your traditional Christmas taste like?

Check out some of our recipes from around the world:

A Taste of Australia - Pavlova

A Taste of Vietnam - Nem Ran (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

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Beyond the Blue Lagoon - Hot Tubs & Coffee Scrubs in Iceland

connectlocally — Fri, 8 Nov 2013 01:05:00 GMT

Iceland is famous for its geothermal spas and open-air ‘hot pots’ that offer a luxurious retreat from the icy temperatures outside.

So when an opportunity to meet with a local Reykjavik swim club popped up I jumped at the chance. I thought of relaxing in milky blue waters in a serene seaside setting, emerging from the natural mineral bathwaters a new, refreshed woman… so understandably, when the club captain was clothed in a woolen knitted 1930’s style swim suit I was a little confused. I thought hot-pots were like natural Jacuzzis?

Slowly it dawned on me, I wasn’t in for a dip in the geothermal pool, but booked in for a swim in the open sea – which at under four degrees Celcius wasn’t too appealing.

After a few awkward smiles and protests from the corner of my mouth I was given boots & gloves, which I could only imagine were to stop the frostbite taking my extremities.

Looking beyond ridiculous in a bikini and booties I was ready to hit the water, but I was not going alone! No no, one little lady had got me into this, and she was damn well coming with me too.

The lovely Alicia from World Nomads reluctantly agreed to join me as we tiptoed our way into the open water, the icy pin pricks beginning to numb our legs.

The local swimmers were already in up to their necks, floating around as if it was the height of summer.

This was a mind over matter experience, I had to get in. These people depended on me (well that’s what I told myself). The shoulder dunk is always the worst bit, and in nearing zero degree water, it literally took my breath away.

Amongst cheers from the locals (I think this was all in my head) I did a doggy paddle swim round in circles and then headed back to the shore, whilst the pro’s headed off for a two-mile swim, probably.

Once out and wrapped in a towel, my body was in shock so I had to slowly bring it back to a normal temperature, which meant taking a dip in another part of the sea, a slightly (but not really) more appealing temperature of seventeen degrees, and then finally I could get what I came for and I was able to relax in the clubs's hot pot, shrivel up in the steam room which was followed by an authentic exfoliating coffee scrub down thanks to my new Icelandic lady friends.

This do-as-the-locals-do experience was a genuine chance to see a part of the Icelandic culture that you wouldn’t get from visiting a tourist destination like the Blue Lagoon. This ritual was like their version of café culture, friend’s catching up, putting the world to rights over an icy swim and coffee scrub down. Although entertaining to try once, I think I still prefer a cappuccino and eggs.

- Katie Yeates

Related articles:

A Taste of Iceland - From Licorice to Whale Meat

5 Ways to Experience Geothermal Power in Iceland

Iceland Food & Culture - A Tongue Twist of Delightful Options

About WorldNomads.com

WorldNomads.com - an essential part of every adventurous traveller's journey.

Deep Inside Rocinha: A Rio Favela Story

connectlocally — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 02:47:00 GMT

Going to Rio de Janerio for many people means a non-stop party, and while I had a great time of getting amongst the infectious atmosphere of Carnaval, I wanted to discover the other side of Rio that laid up the mountain, inside the Rocinha favela.

It is estimated that over 11 million people live in favelas, or shanty towns as they're also known. Ever since the favelas were established in the late 1800's there has been constant battle not just for recognition of these areas, but government support to establish access to basic santation, water and electricity services. These challenges occuring under the shadow of a rampant drug trade that saw murder rates skyrocket and gun battles a part of daily life.

In 2008, the UPP (Pacifying Police Unit), a law enforcement and social services program, was established to systematically wrestle back control of the favelas from the drug traffickers. This was a two step process; gang leaders are driven out by Rio's elite police battalion, BOPE, who search for guns and drug caches and as you can imagine are ruthless with those traffickers that oppose them. BOPE then exit from the area and the UPP move in, hundreds of newly trained policemen, who work within the favelas as a permanent police force.

One man I spoke in Rocinha gave me his fairly blunt assessment of the transition, "One day there were drug lords standing on my roof with machine gungs, today its men in uniforms, not much has changed". However, the overwhelming view of most Rochinha residents I spoke to was one of great hope. A sense of having turned a corner in their history and having their destiny finally back in their hands.

There are still major obstacles to overcome, housing, education, employment opportunities, but the formation of more community action groups, the rooting out of police corruption and greater dialogue with government is hoped to bring these communities a much brighter future.

My hosts for the day were Marianne Eduardo from Real Rio tours and her friend Pedro Neto, a Rocinha local. They took me into their backyard and showed me a community that is full of life, music and rich characters. Reminding me that its not just what you see, but the people you meet that leave a lasting impression when you travel.

Keen to watch more of the Rio adventure? Check out the other videos!

The Heart of Carnaval

Rio Football Fever

Pedra do Sal

Looking for more info on Rio or Carnaval?

Get some local intel - If you have any questions about travelling to Rio, feel free to hit up our Ask A Nomad community here or check out Triptrotters.

Concerned about safety in Brazil? - Check out our travel safety articles on how to stay safe when travelling to Brazil and stay covered with our travel insurance.

Looking to book for local festivals and events? - Check out Be A Local , they were great in getting us tickets to Carnaval.

Thinking about where to stay in Rio? - We had fantastic assistance from the crew at AirBnB who helped set us up with an excellent pad.

Looking to give back when you travel? - Check out International Volunteer HQ , who have some great projects running on the ground in Brazil.

About the Brazil team

This film was directed and shot as part of our Brazil series by the very talented nomad Brian Rapsey.

About WorldNomads.com

WorldNomads.com - an essential part of every adventurous traveller's journey.

Hangover Soup: The Power of the Pork Spine

connectlocally — Mon, 9 Sep 2013 09:42:00 GMT

It is Saturday morning at 1 a.m. and I am sitting at a folding table outside the GS Mart, a ubiquitous convenience store in my little neighborhood of Seoul. Next to me is my boyfriend, Hudson, and across from us are Ik and Jiny: a young Korean couple we have just met.

The first bottle of soju was shared between us when the serotinal sun still hung lazily on to the evening sky. As the empty bottles steadily gain their ground I hold on to hope that we don’t see the midnight black yawn to blue before I find my bed. Ik fills my cup once more. “Geonbae!” We toast. Down it goes.

Twenty-something travelers are surely sweating their way through grimy beats and five dollar cocktails in the foreigner’s district on this heady August night. But one of the best and most authentic ways to enjoy Korea’s national drink is this: outside of your local convenience store with a beer and a small paper cup waiting to be refilled. Here are the quick and dirty instructions. Always pour the eldest first and yourself last. If someone fills your glass, return the gesture. Continue indefinitely.

In some twisted catch-22 of drinking etiquette, businessmen exchange courtesies until they lie puking on sidewalks waiting for the morning sun to rouse them. But as the clock marches indefatigably towards three, we soldier on. Now it’s my turn to pour. “Geonbae!” The semi-sweet rice wine swims smoothly down to your stomach. And at half the alcohol of your average liquor the familiar grimace of a cheap vodka is all but forgotten.

Just one more bottle can’t hurt.

By nine o’clock the next morning the sun is long past slumber and decides that I should be as well. Hudson utters the first somnolent words.

“We’re supposed to go hiking today. In an hour.” At this revelation I roll back over and clutch a pillow to my steadily beating head. Glimpses of last night pass in blurs and clips amidst the throbbing: an arm wrestling competition between the boys...Jiny kissing me in the GS…something about an arranged marriage...wait, where is my phone? The unforgiving pulse in my brain says I must have had a good time.

Against all odds we make it to Buramsan to meet our friends from home, albeit two hours late. Jon and Marina are frustratingly perky and put together when we arrive. I can’t say as much for Hudson and me. The hike is arduous and the view from the summit is as hazy as my head, but we make it. By the time we finish our descent we are sore, soaked in sweat, and ravenous as wild dogs. Of course the only sustenance we remembered to pack was more soju. Pulling from the silent hunger of our collective conscience Jon suddenly says,

“I know this great haejangguk place nearby”

“What the hell is haejangguk?” I ask, ready to kill and eat the first animal that darts in my path.

“It’s Korean soup with pork spine. It literally translates to ‘hangover soup.’”

Enough said.

Thirty minutes of trains and cabs later, lost in a part of Seoul I never knew existed, we wander into an unassuming restaurant with steaming, meat-filled bowls dotting each table. Without hesitation Jon orders ppyeo haejangguk (뼈해장국) for the table. Hudson and I opt for a couple bottles of soju as well in the spirit of haejang sul (해장술, or ‘hair of the dog’ back West).

Koreans believe that soups have curative powers. The hotter it is outside, the hotter your soup should be, and haejangguk is no exception. The rich stew is traditionally made with coagulated oxblood in a beef or ox broth and packed with leeks, cabbage, garlic, spices, and other veggie goodness. When the bowl arrives, a section of the pig’s spine towers from the boiling pot, vertebrae and all.

Eating in Korea is a process, a ritual that is to be shared by everyone at the table. Following Jon’s lead with just chopsticks and a spoon the tender meat falls effortlessly from the bones directly into my soup (or my mouth). I then suck the remaining meat and marrow until even a stray dog would turn its head at my scraps. The pork is covered in a thick pepper which only adds to the already spicy broth. We alternate broth and meat, banchan (반찬, side dishes), and dipping sauces as we steadily work our way through the meal in relative silence. We stop only for the familiar pour and clink of soju shots in between bites. This is the Korean way.

As sweat beads on my brow and my nose and eyes begin to water I can see why they believe it cures you. Not a single toxin could stay in your body eating two hundred degree soup covered in pepper on a hundred degree day. I have no idea what the oxblood does, but I think it’s working. With each sip of soup and shot of soju I feel one step closer to myself. My muscles aching from hangover and hike slowly loosen and relax as the piquant broth spreads from my stomach out to my weary limbs.

As the meal winds down, Jon informs us that most haejangguk places are open 24 hours a day in the interest of those inebriated businessmen curing their hangovers before the puke dries on the sidewalk. I would have loved to see this place at 3 a.m. We are a little late to the party at 5 p.m. on a Saturday, but I am no less convinced of the power of the pork spine. With our bowls wiped clean and our table scattered in napkins and empty bottles remnant of the night before, it’s time to head home.

As we step up to pay the bill we find our entire homeopathically healing feast including soda and soju for four people comes to a grand total of only ₩22,000 (about $20). Naturally, my mind immediately begins calculating how much more soju I can buy with the money I’ve saved. After all, my hangover is gone and it is Saturday night...

...GS Mart anyone?

Related articles:

A Taste of South Korea - Street Food

Pão de queijo!

About the Author

Taylor Ahlstrom is a ceaseless wanderer, reckless peripatetic, and aspiring raconteur. She is currently wandering her way around Seoul, Korea. You can find her on twitter @nomadiam or follow her adventures at Wanderlust Logs.

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Pedra do Sal, Birthplace of Samba

connectlocally — Tue, 6 Aug 2013 09:46:00 GMT

In February 2013, I had the absolute pleasure of travelling to Rio for Carnivale with the winners of World Nomads Travel Film Scholarship. Not only was it a great opportunity to mentor two young aspiring filmmakers, it also gave me the chance to indulge in another of my too infrequently realised passions, live music.

What is Pedra do Sal?

Pedra do Sal, is known to most Cariocas (Rio residents) as the birthplace of Samba. Located in the Saúde neighborhood of Centro near Praça Mauá, this was where in the 17th century, the first African immigrants from Bahia settled. It was originally a large slave market (formerly known as Pedra da Prainha) before becoming a cultural hub for the Bahian population.

The Pedra do Sal square was where the first Carioca Samba originated. It was where the early and most famous sambistas would perform their pieces. Musicians such as Heitor dos Prazeres, Donga and João da Bahiana would bring the crowds to a single voice, drunk on the rythmic beats and community spirit so evident in my short time there.

Meeting a local World Nomad in Rio

I was also blessed that a Carioca member of our Ask A Nomad community, Clarisse Hammerli, had so generously given her time to take us along and spend the night explaining to us the different meanings and histories of the songs.

She's also provided us with a playlist for anyone that's interested in getting a taste of traditional Samba music - Check it out

This was a brilliant night, a wonderful communal expression of the shared love of Samba. if you're keen to experience what I did, I highly recommend that you make contact with a local Carioca and go along with them.

There is no better way to understand the passion for local music, than with a local!

Looking for more info on Rio or Carnaval?

Get some local intel - If you have any questions about travelling to Rio, feel free to hit up our Ask A Nomad community here or check out Triptrotters.

Concerned about safety in Brazil? - Check out our travel safety articles on how to stay safe when travelling to Brazil and stay covered with our travel insurance.

Looking to book for local festivals and events? - Check out Be A Local , they were great in getting us tickets to Carnaval.

Thinking about where to stay in Rio? - We had fantastic assistance from the crew at AirBnB who helped set us up with an excellent pad.

Looking to give back when you travel? - Check out International Volunteer HQ , who have some great projects running on the ground in Brazil.

About the Brazil team

This film was directed, shot and edited as part of our Brazil series by the very talented nomad Brian Rapsey.

About WorldNomads.com

WorldNomads.com - an essential part of every adventurous traveller's journey.

Bali Hot Springs - We should have cupped our ‘bits’!

connectlocally — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:37:00 GMT

A tale of inappropriate (un)touching on the road.

It was a cultural faux pas of epic proportions!

The old women of the village looked like they wanted to throw us into the nearby volcano. The young women giggled behind their hands. It was clear we’d got it completely, ridiculously wrong!

Where are we? For a start it’s 1979 when you could still get off the beaten path in Bali. Around here, high in the mountains, they consider themselves the ‘true’ Balinese, and follow old customs. No Hindu cremation for the dead, instead, just across the lake, earthly remains are left to ‘weather’ above ground.

Right now, with the eyes of the village on us, I know how that feels.

Mount Batur smokes silently. Threateningly. It’s the reason we’re here, standing naked in our embarrassment, the natural hot springs are therapeutic, we’re promised.

Okay, how does this work? My friend and I stop and watch for a while.

In one area women dip clothes into hot soapy water, then rinse them in the cold clear lake – an ancient twin tub washer.

Alongside, men and women wash themselves, graduating from the cold lake to ever-hotter pools of steaming, mineral-laden water… and back again.

The women enter the water draped in a sarong. The men are, as men are everywhere, arrogant in their nakedness beneath the water. So it’s ‘kit off’ for men? In we go!

Mount Batur rumbles.

The problem was that we didn’t do enough touching. We should have cupped our ‘bits’ in our hands and kept them out of view while we lowered ourselves into the water.

Instead we’re a couple of big swinging inappropriate white guys!

Can you share a story of inappropriate touching on the road? Don’t hold back now...

About WorldNomads.com

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Greenland - Returning to a place I have never been

connectlocally — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:02:00 GMT

3 years ago I started to have a recurring dream. I was standing on the edge of a boat, somewhere in the arctic, ice creaking, the sound of water running beneath me.

Every breath I took felt as if my lungs were reborn, the stains of car exhausts, cigarette smoke and daily grime peeled away. Next to me a person, dressed in tradional clothing, face partially hidden by the fur, saying nothing, but with the warmest smile I've ever seen.

I know I'm in Greenland, but I dont know why.

Every time it's the same, there's no dialogue, there's no explanation, there's nothing but a sense of calm, of safety, of feeling that I'm in a place that I've always known, but yet never been.

As I've gotten older and my life has become increasingly frantic, travel has become the means by which to find solace. The quiet moments, the passages of time where the daily routine, the monotony, gives way to new faces, new views of a world far away from what I know.

I'm not a solitary person, I love the company of others when I travel, but what I recall more these days when I travel is those moments where you stand in shared awe of something new. There is an unspoken feeling that what you're witnessing will stay with you much longer after you've departed.

The dreams stopped. I sat down one night at a conference dinner, turned to see a stunning Inuit face smiling back at me. This lovely person worked for Greenland Tourism and I gushed about my recurring dream and asked mountains of strange questions as if this person was some kind of travel psychologist.

She was Greenlandic. So attuned to her culture and heritage, so welcoming of not just my questions, but also explaining that sometimes, we all need a return to a simpler way of living. She reminded me that travel affords everyone the chance to find their place between the earth, sea and sky.

Although the dreams have stopped, the video on this page reminds me of what I yearn for when I travel. The opportunity to see new things, taste new flavours and an immediate sense that I've become part of a community much bigger than the one I live in.

About the producers

This video was shared with me by a dear friend Mads Pihl who works for Destination Arctic Circle. They've produced a stunning series of videos about Greenland that you can check out on Greenland.com

Feel free to contact them on their Facebook page - I Love Greenland , or connect with travellers who've been to Greenland through our World Nomads Ask A Nomad community.

About the Author

Chris Noble is the General Manager of WorldNomads.com and someone by his own admission, spends too much time dreaming and not enough time travelling. He would like to apologise to every person he's bailed up that's been to Greenland and asked endless questions about his dreams.

Itilleq - Greenland - Courtesy Mads Pihl - Destination Arctic Circle

About WorldNomads.com

WorldNomads.com - an essential part of every adventurous traveller's journey.

Travel Indonesia - Is Balinese White Magic real?

connectlocally — Wed, 5 Dec 2012 15:07:00 GMT

Hanna Butler, the winner of World Nomads 2012 Travel Writing Scholarship, travelled to Southeast Asia to immerse herself in the local culture and write about her experiences.

In Bali, Indonesia, Hanna seeks out and finds a traditional Balinese White Magic healer, and is shocked to see the visceral effects that the practice can have on the sick and vexed. Initially apprehensive to get down on the mat and have the eye-opening practice performed on her, Hanna succumbs, and experiences white magic healing for herself.

Ask a Nomad

Keen to know more about Indonesia and where to find a truly local experience? Then Ask A Nomad! - Let thousands of travellers and locals guide you to the most unique experiences in Indonesia.

About World Nomads Scholarships

Keen to turn your passion into a profession? The Travel Scholarship program gives talented and passionate individuals the opportunity to further their skills through professional mentorship, in the fields of travel writing, travel photography and filmmaking. As a scholarship recipient, you could be filming Carnival in Rio, writing about your experiences at a durian farm in Malaysia or shooting in Oman with a Nat Geo photographer.

Find out more about our Travel Scholarships program.

Travel Malaysia - Eating Durian In Penang

connectlocally — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:10:00 GMT

Hanna Butler, the winner of World Nomads 2012 Travel Writing Scholarship, travelled to Southeast Asia to immerse herself in the local culture and write about her experiences.

In Penang, Malaysia, Hanna decides to seek out the exotic and polarising fruit known as Durian - and finds herself at one of the best farms of the fruit in all of Penang. She is fascinated by the culture and obsession surrounding the pungent fruit, and finally takes the plunge to see what all the fuss is about.

Ask a Nomad

Keen to know more about Malaysia and where to find a truly local experience? Then Ask A Nomad! - Let thousands of travellers and locals guide you to the most unique experiences in Malaysia.

About World Nomads Scholarships

Find out more about our Travel Scholarships program.

Travel Indonesia - Bali Cremation Ceremony

connectlocally — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:07:00 GMT

Hanna Butler, the winner of World Nomads 2012 Travel Writing Scholarship, travelled to Southeast Asia to immerse herself in the local culture and write about her experiences.

In Bali, Indonesia, a simple afternoon drive took an interesting turn when Hanna came across a traditional Balinese cremation ceremony for a local priest in the middle of a sports oval. After assurance from her local guide, Hanna got up close and personal to see a raw, open ritual for the departed that was every part a celebration.

Ask a Nomad

Keen to know more about Indonesia and where to find a truly local experience? Then Ask A Nomad! - Let thousands of travellers and locals guide you to the most unique experiences in Indonesia.

About World Nomads Scholarships

Find out more about our Travel Scholarships program.