Location: Southern Asia, in the Indian Ocean Population: 515,000 Capital: Malé Geography: A tropical archipelago made up of over 1100 coral islands Language: Dhivehi Signature flavours: Seafood (especially tuna), coconut, pandan, hot peppers, rice, root vegetables, tropical fruits The Menu Our family and friends all know about the Wooden Spoon Wanderer project, and by this…
Tag: recipe
Assignment 119: French Caribbean
Location: The Caribbean Population: 385,000 Capital: Various Geography: Islands comprising Guadeloupe, Martinique, north St Martin, and St Barthélemy Language: French Signature flavours: Seafood, chicken, pork, rice, root vegetables, tropical fruits, chili pepper, lime, coconut, rum The Menu I set off on my assignment by heading to our cookbook shelf. There, I was dismayed to find…
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 116: Kuwait
Location: The Middle East Population: 4.5 million Capital: Kuwait City Geography: A tiny nation on the Persian Gulf Language: Arabic Signature flavours: Rice, fish, saffron, sesame, citrus, cardamom, lamb, chicken The Menu Sometimes it’s weeks or even months between assignments, as we juggle life and work, source hard-to-find ingredients, or just put the blog on…
Assignment 115: Benin
Location: West Africa Population: 13.8 million Capital: Porto-Novo Geography: A nation of savannah yielding to a southern coastal plain on the Atlantic Language: French, Fon Signature flavours: Cassava, yam, corn, rice, tomato, crab, beans, hot peppers The Menu At first, finding Beninese recipes was challenging, until I remembered to consult the wonderful Africa Cookbook, which…
Assignment 114: Australia
Location: Oceania, between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Population: 26 million Capital: Canberra Geography: Diverse ecosystems across the oldest, flattest, and least fertile continent on earth Language: English Signature flavours: Beef, seafood, dairy, bread, beetroot, apple, Vegemite The Menu Eric saw barramundi — an Australian white fleshed fish — for sale at a local…
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 110: Cyprus
Location: Mediterranean Sea Population: 1.2 million Capital: Nicosia Geography: An island nation in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Language: Greek, Turkish Signature flavours: Lamb, seafood, olives and olive oil, citrus, sesame, beans, cheese The Menu Eric’s foray into Cypriot cuisine was exhaustive. The more he learned about it, the more his menu grew. He…
Assignment 108: Libya
Location: North AfricaPopulation: 7 millionCapital: TripoliGeography: A mostly flat desert nation on the MediterraneanLanguage: ArabicSignature flavours: Mutton, fenugreek, tomato, date, fig, citrus, nuts, olive oil The Menu Compared with its North African neighbours Tunisia, Egypt, and nearby Morocco, Libyan cuisine was more of a mystery for Eric when he headed into this assignment. One of…
Assignment 104: Cuba
Location: CaribbeanPopulation: 11.2 millionCapital: HavanaGeography: A tropical island of flat fertile terrainLanguage: SpanishSignature flavours: Beef, pork, rice, beans, plantain, tropical fruit, spearmint, tomato The Menu Eric’s father was Cuban, and Eric lived in Havana until he was eight years old, so he is familiar with traditional Cuban fare, like ropa vieja (shredded beef), bistec de…
Wooden Spoon Wanderer 