Location: Northern EuropePopulation: 6 millionCapital: CopenhagenGeography: A peninsula and archipelago of over 400 islands dividing the North Sea from the BalticLanguage: DanishSignature flavours: Pork, potato, apple, rye bread, dairy, cabbage The Menu We’ve never been to Denmark, but we’ve explored several countries nearby, and there were definitely some familiar elements in Danish cuisine that hearkened…
Tag: Europe
Assignment 134: Türkiye
Location: West Asia with a small area in Southern Europe Population: 85.4 million Capital: Ankara Geography: A nation of plateaus bounded on three sides by seas Language: Turkish Signature flavours: Lamb, rice, seafood, yoghurt, nuts, sesame, sumac, saffron, clove, cinnamon, hot peppers, goat milk, tomato, sahlep The Menu From the moment his assignment landed in…
Assignment 132: Isle of Man and the Channel Islands
Information below is ordered: Isle of Man / Channel Islands Location: Between Great Britain and Ireland / The English ChannelPopulation: 84,000 / 172,000Capital: Douglas / Saint Heller and Saint Peter PortGeography: Islands with rolling hills, lush farmland, and windswept rocky coastsLanguage: English, Manx / English, Jèrriais, FrenchSignature flavours: Seafood, dairy, pork, potato, apple, beans The…
Assignment 129: Estonia
Location: Northern EuropePopulation: 1.4 millionCapital: TallinnGeography: A low-lying country situated against the Baltic SeaLanguage: EstonianSignature flavours: Seafood (especially smoked fish), cabbage, pork, potato, rye, dairy The Menu Some years ago, Eric and I were sitting together in a tiny restaurant in the medieval area of Tallinn, Estonia. This was before Eric had ever conceived of…
Assignment 126: North Macedonia
Location: Southern Europe Population: 2 million Capital: Skopje Geography: A landlocked, very mountainous nation Language: Macedonian Signature flavours: Pork, beans, freshwater fish, dairy, quince, berries, potatoes, bread, peppers The Menu Eric didn’t know much about North Macedonia, except that the country was part of former Yugoslavia, and that its name changed recently (to include “North”)…
Assignment 123: England
Location: Western Europe, on the Island of Great Britain Population: 56.5 million Capital: London Geography: A country of rolling hillsides, rugged coastlines, and criss-crossing rivers Language: English Signature flavours: Dairy, bread and pastry, pork, beef, seafood, potato, peas, dried fruit, tea, beer The Menu We went to England in 2015, fulfilling a lifelong dream of…
Assignment 122: Ireland
Location: Western Europe Population: 7 million Capital: Dublin/Belfast Geography: A rocky island in the North Atlantic known for its green fields Language: Irish, English Signature flavours: Dairy, potato, bread, cabbage, beef, seafood, pork, stout, barley The Menu One in seven Ontarians has Irish roots (including me — arriving at Dublin airport on a 2015 vacation,…
Assignment 118: Latvia
Location: Eastern Europe on the Baltic Sea Population: 1.8 million Capital: Riga Geography: A heavily forested nation interspersed with farmland and wetland Language: Latvian Signature flavours: Dairy, eggs, potato, mushrooms, pork, fish, pickles, rye bread, dill, berries The Menu Eric has done quite a few Eastern European assignments, but it had been a while. He…
Assignment 112: Luxembourg
Location: Western Europe, between France and Germany Population: 634,000 Capital: Luxembourg City Geography: A hilly, forested nation and one of the smallest in Europe Language: Luxembourgish, French, German Signature flavours: Dairy, pork, beef, apple, potato, cabbage, Riesling, strawberry, stone fruit, savory The Menu On a warm June day (not so many days ago at the…
Assignment 111: Germany
Location: Western Europe Population: 83.2 million Capital: Berlin Geography: A forested, mountainous nation with sea borders in the north Language: German Signature flavours: Pork, dairy, egg, bread, potato, asparagus, dill The Menu In an unprecedented turn of events, Eric and I swapped assignments. I had drawn Luxembourg and he had gotten Germany, but he was…
Wooden Spoon Wanderer 