Ramadan Taste
Ramadan in muslim countries is really fun.
Iftar and Sohor and everything in between were times of celebration and eating lovely food.
I had never fasted for more than 3 days and that was while I was a teenager. But this time back from Saudi Arabia, I felt like fasting.
“ During this month, Muslims observe a strict fast from dawn until sunset. They are not allowed to eat or drink (even water) during daylight hours. Fasting is a private act of worship bringing about nearness to God, as well as a form of spiritual discipline and a means to empathize with those less fortunate.” I thought ok I will ease myself and gave up food and water and chewed gum. And then I started to lose the gum. And then I was fasting proper but well I was finding it impossible to wake up in the mornings so I ended up not eating. I know that was not the way to do it. I just want to see if I could. I didn’t get hungry to be honest but eating is habitual … I missed coffee so much.
But I was determined to not eat or drink during Ramadan … Sunday, March 10, 2024 and end on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
My daughter was actually very supportive. She said that some of the of boys in her year were fasting and she wanted to know how come the girls weren’t. The contrarian she is, she was adamant that she was not religious in anyway but wanted to try fasting with me.
I had been born in Bangladesh, been brought up in moderate muslim household though my parents had their times when they were more strict than other times and as child had arabic lessons periodically. However I couldn’t remember anything. In fact I was rather afraid of what I didn’t know and how I could possibly fit into a religion. Oh well but it felt right to have a go.
And I started to really enjoy it. The not eating all day and then really really enjoying whatever food I fancied at night. I gained a lot more energy. Though sometimes I a was a little space cadet or grumpy particularly by the time it got to Iftar .. and it made no difference if I had not woken up at for Sohor or not.
I wasn’t sure how it would be when I was travelling. At the connecting flight in Istanbul it was actually absolutely fine. There was a food hall and I picked up some local Turkish Borek from a stand. What was more of an issue was Persia’s eating. She was quite picky at the best of times. Most food places were closed during fasting times except on tours. But there was an abundance of excellent choices.
Persia enjoyed very very simple food and on schedule.I wanted us to eat as much local cuisine as possible.
I purposely found a hotel in Jeddah next to a mall so she could have a wander around. And one night we went to the hotel buffet and which my daughter enjoyed very much. Pistachio lamb cutlets where devine.
The country is the largest producer of the dates. It has a very crucial role in the country's hospitality, heritage and cuisine. It is considered a symbol of hospitality and generosity.4 Dec 2023
Meals : Iftar AlUla & Somewhere (lamb shank)
Photos
I hospitality of Saudi Arabia was given by a couple of contrasting experiences …
breaking fast at Madinah airport with the rental guy
Diriyah Biennale - Date experience
VR experience //
Las Bolas De Fuego Taste
Salvadoran cuisine is rooted in Mezo-American Pipil culture with staples of corn, beans, squash, tomatoes and chilies with more recent additions like cheese, onion and beef from the Spanish. The national dish is called Pupusa, a flat chunky corn tortilla with a choice of stuffings like cheese and beans or meat.
With 4 main lakes and a 307 km coastline, the fish and seafood was exceptional.
In fact, the sea and water was a big part of our experience in El Salvador. My surf lesson in the warm waters of El Salvador was pretty amazing. 28*C, out into the deep waters with my daughter and our individual instructors. They were so attentive and I was so bad. It was still amazing. No I did not stand up. But I did just bob up and down on the waves which were quite big sometimes and not freak out and instead soak up the glistening sun reflecting off the deep waters, so that felt like an achievement. We never felt not supported by the instructors of course but also there were about 30 very experienced surfers floating about in the vicinity particularly keeping an eye my daughter during the swells.
Later on we were walking up along the beach to catch a sunset, a sinewy local orange dog came over to lick my hand. Wouldn’t leave me alone. You know when they say an animal adopts you. Total connection. So cute and then I saw it the next morning with his dog friend, gleefully jumping in and out of the white water and body surfing. What a zen life.
Spread the love my little blissful surf dog.
Also, in the picturesque Lake Coatepequewe, we had the most amazing fish dishes including, Sopa de Pescado (Fish Soup) in a restaurant out on a wooden jetty surrounded by breath taking mountains and volcanoes. The sand off the shore, made up of volanic basalt, andesite, and glass was very dark and soft.
The soup was multilayered with a whole fish submerged in a thick creamy broth, prawns decoratively hanging off the side of the bowl. The glorious fish head and tail were sticking out so initially I thought yum, fish head soup (being Bangladeshi) so I was just happy with that - smacking my lips looking forward to chewing fish eyeballs. And what a pleasant surprise when I poked into the soup and the whole body was melting into it ! There were also these tiny crabs with very hard shells, which I wasn’t sure how to eat so I tried to chew them whole but ended sucking the intense soup juice out of them which was highly satisfying. Much mess was made.
My only complaint was there was very very loud music. And the adjacent restaurant had equally loud live music. I hate different music on at the same time. And I think it may have triggered turrets because when the guy started singing, I was thinking very very loudly in my head as I literally couldn’t hear myself … ‘For F*ck’s Sake’. Well I thought it was in head but then my daughter turned to me and said aloud, ‘Ýou owe me £5 for the swear jar'.
There were a few other tourists on nearby tables including a youngish group of backpackers. The guys were full of bravado stripping off, looking over to see if any females were looking and jumping into the water (it was quite a drop!). One guy who was nervous anyway (requested a life jacket) … then lost his underpants in the jump and they filmed it, probably going viral on Tik Tok right now.
We were not so brave, and instead climbed some rickety wooden steps down the side of the jetty, into the warm soft waters. It was quite deep on the other side of the restaurant but we didn’t venture too faraway from the dilapidated framework of rusty poles and nails underneath. I would recommend reef shoes.
Samisk Folkedag Taste
Samisk folkedag Taste
Here is the thing about Norway.
It has the largest sovereign wealth fund by a long shot compared to any other country in the world.
Now how much are we talking?
A few billion $s …. No …$1.4 trillion … that’s more than China. But China has 1.4 billion people. Norway has 5.2 million people. It’s just ridiculous and it is from oil, gas and fishing, and a very clever team who know how to invest money.
It is just a place to just live. Yes that happiness index correlates with a high tax rate and good social and health care and state education. When I asked Norwegian friends about the Covid response they didn’t feel like their politicians had taken the covid opportunity to loot their country (as we do in the UK), in fact everyone seemed happy about the way things were run.
Naturally, Norway is expensive, you can very easily spend £50 per head for a couple of drinks and a pizza. Alcohol in Norway is the most expensive in the world, heavily taxed to curb alcoholism.
This is about survival but gourmet survival.
Reindeer feature heavily on the menu. For clothing items too. And sea creatures. Sealion shoes anyone ?
A question asked by a fellow tourist : "How long do your reindeer live?", Raoul, the indigenous Sami reindeer herder, casually replied – 'The reindeer live as long as I decide for them to live'. He spoke about how the reindeer die when they need to die for instance to keep a balanced mix of ages so they could thrive as a group. Of course nothing is wasted, everything is valued.. this was an optimal symbiotic relationship with the nature.
I wondered about wearable technology such as heated pads in such conditions (check out the interview with Raoul below). But all that portable power – never convenient especially where everything is wet. Or synthesized textiles. Particularly for interplanetary exploration. I don’t know if it was the otherworldly Northern Lights which put me into a sci-fi mood. Surely we would just need to send some fertilised reindeer eggs over to Mars and give them a base level ecosystem and then slightly change the conditions, gravity, pressure .. leak in some radiation abundant with the lack of atmosphere and let them evolve… I mean they are half way there already. And so much tastier than roaches.
So very tasty. During our ice hotel dinner experience, garlicy reindeer, salmon and a dessert cooked in front of us over an open fire within the cabin. We also had reindeer soup with bread the next day for lunch. And a hot blackcurrant cordial. We couldn’t stop eating it and so rustic ..at one with nature.
Norway also has 8 Michelin star restaurants. Maaemo Restaurant was £430 a head ... £630 with drinks for the tasting menu. And with a waiting list. Even Tromso has 3 Michelin star restaurants but everything was booked out way ahead. We did manage to try a lovely restaurant called Mathallen. Very creative with seasonal and local produce. Yes Reindeer and berries on the menu and oh my god the Cod was the best !
When we return to Norway, I would love to try the south and in particular a place called Lindesnes and it’s underwater restaurant (5.5 metres under the sea) called ‘Under’. I know the photo on their website is pure theatre … yes it’s the head chef catching some sea creature or foliage while the world with his restaurant is slipping into the Atlantic Ocean.. in slow motion. Armageddon arthouse chic. Gourmet survival.
INTERVIEW
Noche de Rábanos taste
Noche de Rábanos Taste
Mexico City is the oldest city in the Americas and with a population of 21.9 million, the 5th most populous city in the world. And a hell of a contrast to serene Miami, where we came in from.
We arrived in the evening and the uber dropped is off up at a checkpoint a few blocks from our hotel as the area was closed to traffic. It was 11pm and we were a bit nervous wheeling our small suitcases - ‘tourists here’ neon arrow pointing to our heads around the mean streets of Mexico. I had read that Celaya, in the Mexican state of Guanajuato was the murder city of the world. So it was very reassuring when we saw crowds of police everywhere as Mexico City has one of the highest ratios of uniformed police officers to residents in the world.
However, later on in the holiday we were stopped by police for speeding, they took Julian’s drivers license and said they would keep it unless we paid an extortionate amount directly to them. We stood our ground and demanded a formal ticket and their identity number via a heated argument comically over google translate. Nuance was definitely lost with furious thumb typing followed by turning the phone back at the other person to read the retort. Escalating due to translation creep. All the while me dually thinking are they colluding with drug cartels and also AI – are you ok, why so dramatic and angry ?
Thankfully they backed down and let us go with no payment – but in hindsight probably should have paid it. They all had guns.
Anyway yes Mexico City. Urban, stylish, vibrant, noisy and delicious.
Mexico City has a London on steroid vibe. But unlike London, everyone wore masks as it doesn’t quite have the health service to pick up the pieces of indulgent conspiracy theorists.
Our hotel Gran Hotel Ciudad De Mexico was a little fusty and oldie worldly but with a spectacular Tiffany glass atrium – featured in a number of films including the recent James Bond. And it was right by Parque de bolsillo Zocalo and the Catedral Metropolitana, the largest and oldest cathedral in the Americas (building started in 1573). Built using the remains of Aztec temples (the floor of the square as well) with a series of underground catacombs which lead to the Templo Mayor. This rich fusion of Aztec and Spanish Colonialism permeated everything in Mexico.
On the square, there were a lot of oversized mega Christmas decorations, a stage overlooking fairground rides and many many stalls selling nik naks. We looked down from our hotel terrace and by 6pm there were probably 100000 people milling around queuing for rides and shopping. It was the festive season and there was certainly a party atmosphere. We had become unaccustomed to crowds, it was a little bit terrifying.
There is an overwhelming amount to do in Mexico City - it is a world centre of culture, with the largest number of museums (151) in the Americas and the second largest number in the world, only to London. The Anthropological Museum already mentioned in the Identity section is the best in the world. And the history is everywhere where you look. Just on the outskirts, there are the nearby Teotihuacan Temples (not pyramids which are only Egyptian). Incidentally, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas, with a population estimated at 125,000 or more making it at least the sixth-largest city in the world in it’s heyday (1 AD to 500 AD). These astounding temples had many rituals associated to them and literal associations with the Sun, Moon and number of days in the year. Incidentally there were a few tour groups of European/American women in white floaty garments doing the eat pray love re-birthing shamanically. Not judging but curious about spirtual enlightenment tourism … there’s a business idea there.
Teotihuacan Temples, Mexico, December 2021
INTERVIEW
This area only started to form into Mexico City, when in 1325, the Mexica people (Aztecs) founded twin cities Tenōchtitlān and Tlāltelōlco (1337) on an islet in Lake Texcoco, within the Anahuac (Valley of Mexico). They expanded it into an artificial island with an irrigation system with dams and canals to provide drinking water, support agriculture and to control the level of the lake. In 1521, the Spanish destroyed all of this and in an effort to control the flooding, drained most of the land which led to centuries of ground water extractions and consequent ecological disaster, subsidence (it’s definitely sinking) and reduced native species including the Axolotl (cute limb regrowing minecraft amphibian featured creature). There are campaigns to restore the last remaining wetlands – called Xochimilco a pre-hispanic Aztec site still in use, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area rich with nutrients, was cultivated with canals and Chinampas (floating gardens) to grow food, planting symbiotically including Cannabis. To find out more, we joined an amazing biologist Paco from the conservation and research not for profit group - https://regenerationinternational.org/2020/06/03/a-vision-for-the-social-and-ecological-regenerationof-mexico-citys-xochimilco-wetlands/
We also got to try the salad from the organic farm we had been walking through. All very relaxing and chilled out. Oh except for the blow your head off chilli sauce.
If you hadn’t noticed chilli condiments came with everything. One of our group mentioned that they even add chilli to sweets not just chocolate. They can’t eat food without chilli.
And elsewhere on our trip I would say Mexican food was super high octane with such depth of flavour and interesting too. Really I had never tasted such interesting combinations of ingredients. Someone please open a decent Mexican restaurant in London.
We decided to check out a recommended restaurant Balcón del Zocalo, around the corner from our hotel. Outrageously good.
Oaxaca
Oaxaca (pronounced Wahaca) is 6 hours drive through stunning mountain ranges South West of Mexico City. It’s the heartland of indigenous peoples such as the Zapotecs and the Mixtecs. And consequently a culinary adventure. We were there for Christmas day. It’s a beautiful city set up for tourism and the food was exceptional.
Oaxaca is known as the land of the seven moles. Mole is a “…a style of sauce made from roasted ingredients that are then ground together and slow simmered to allow the varied flavors to blend and play off one another in a way that no single ingredient might be detected. The result: rich, complex, diverse, complementary flavors,” and more crickets, and salads with cactus. So much chilli and chocolate which by the way was first referred to in Mexican text as part of a special drink drink in 1580, and the word Chocolate comes from Nahuatl language of the Aztecs … tchocoatl is derived from two words that mean "bitter water":
Other sites of interest nearby were the Monte Alban Temple complex; swimming in natural springs overlooking mountains Hierve el Agua; and the widest tree in the world - the 2000 year old tree of life in Santa Maria del Tule.
And of course the Radish Festival.
Fantasia Taste
Fantasia Taste
Flying through Berber area of Tafraoute in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, Lidar scans of traditional houses with dining room. Go towards the reflective orbs to check out the rooms.
Controls
'MouseMove' to rotate; | 'W', 'A' ,'S','D', Up Arrow, Down Arrow to move | 'Left Shift' to accelerate the movement speed | 'Mouse Scroll Wheel' to zoom in/out | 'Escape' to unlock control and show the pointer | 'Left Mouse Button' click on in-game screen (in play mode) to lock control and hide the pointer| 'R' to return camera into initial position.
Interviews
Interviews in Morocco and Paris about Berber Food and Culture.
0:12:00 - Bouchra, Maison Tigmi Ozro, Tafraoute
5:55 - Younice, Chez Younice Restaurant, 13 Rue d'Avron, 75020 Paris, France
Brick Lane Taste
Brick Lane Taste
“A few miles down the Arakan coast, south from Chittagong, lies the resort of Cox’s Bazaar.
Once nothing more than a humble fishermen’s village, since the emergence of Bangladesh Cox’s Bazar has become a major tourist attraction. The reason: its miles of open sandy beach sloping down to the Bay of Bengal. This is said to be the longest beach in the world, and certainly it is as spacious, wild and free as any seaside resort can be. If you stand on the shore you will see in front of you the wide expanse of the sea, grey and turbulent on a stormy day, or calm and blue as the sky when in a sunny mood.
In your mind’s eye you may see the wooden merchant ships which sailed past here in ancient days on their way from Chittagong to China. Turn round, and behold the wooded hills that look down on the beach. A thick belt of kewra pines grows along the coastline, strange palm-like warves with spiny rapier leaves, their roots partly exposed to the air. This maritime jungle has its own unique charm.
At Guliakhali a carpet of bright green sea-grass covers the salty marsh next to the beach. The sight is entrancing and seems like a vision of the lush green meadows of paradise. Wonderful indeed are the treasures of Cox’s Bazaar. Come, brother, come with me to our village home, Embraced by green woodland, deep in solemn shade.
There amid vines and orchard boughs
My childhood hidden lies.
Today I will hunt for it and seek it out. Come, brother, come with me to our village home.”
— Priti Karim.
Interview
Interview with Salam Jones, about growing up as an East End Boy from Bangladesh, travel, coming back to rediscover his heritage and his visits to Cox’s Bazaar and experiencing progress and journalling Rohingya Camp. [30minutes].
at Graam Bangla, 68 Brick Ln, London E1 6RL https://graambangla.co.uk/