One of the best ways to immerse yourself in another culture and experience a place is by eating locally prepared dishes and sampling local drinks. I am always on the lookout for those flavors and aromas that I will crave and try to search for and recreate when I return home. You know the ones. The ones that change you!
One of the indigenous Khasi people of Meghalaya in northeast India recommended that we try the local favorite of mutton curry and jeera rice. It was amazing! Our tastebuds will never be the same! The tender lamb melted in our mouth. And the perfectly cooked basmati rice with cumin seeds is now an emotional craving. We now keep cumin seeds in our pantry at home to add to our rice and other dishes. 😉
Visiting the Concha y Toro Winery in the Maipo Valley, south of Santiago de Chile, was a beautiful and informative introduction to Chilean wines. As we tasted the wines that slid smoothly down the back of our throat, with almost no bitter aftertaste often associated with tannins, we were hooked. And, since then, we have never had a Chilean wine we did not like!
Every woman should spend an hour or more at the end of a long day with a cup of local tea or chocolate at The Tea & Chocolate Place in Copán Ruinas, Honduras. It is a woman’s mecca! Relax with a book and a beverage in a hammock overlooking the surrounding mountains and jungle, local cacao plantations, and the occasional passing wild macaw! The fact that places like this exist, not to mention the mere existence of cocoa beans, tells me that God loves us very much and wants us to enjoy life!
@theteaandchocolateplace
After a pleasant day exploring Cordes-sur-Ciel in southern France, we enjoyed a picnic lunch with some local friends. One dear friend made us a Fig and Honey Tarte Tatin which we enjoyed immensely! The figs were perfectly sweet and ripe. One neighbor even shared a basket of ripe figs he harvested off one of his trees that morning. We have experienced regular cravings for figs and tarte tatin ever since!
When wandering, I am also always on the lookout for those unique culinary adventures that define or enhance a cultural experience. Trying an authentic Sichuan Hot Pot in the Sichuan Province of China was one such adventure! I tried everything, from lotus fruit to pig brain, water spinach to cow stomach, and quail eggs to dragon’s eyes. I found some new flavors I now enjoy and learned about some textures I don’t enjoy. You never know for sure if you like or don’t like something if you don’t at least try it!
https://thewoksoflife.com/hot-pot/
I hope these reminiscences inspire you to get out there and boldly try new flavors, savor unique experiences, and learn more about other cultures, and even about yourself.
New World Wanders 
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