November 2015 archive

Happy Holidays! Where’s the food?

With the holidays rapidly approaching, it is interesting to consider all of the different kinds of ways people celebrate this time of year internationally. It is no secret that food plays a big role in Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever you choose to celebrate, as food tends to play a big role in nearly every holiday, even if we do not realize it. After doing some research about the big holiday dinner that occurs in many countries worldwide, this is what I was able to discover.

One of the French’s favorite meals to celebrate Christmas with is Coquilles Saint-Jacques, a famous baked scallop dish. This delicious meal that translates to “Saint James’s scallops,” consists of a mixture of butter, cream, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese, mixed and baked in scallop shells. The dish seems simple, but there is plenty of history behind it.

The scallop shell has come to represent Saint James the Greater. His association with the shell is based on a legend in which the valiant man rescued a knight covered in scallops. It has even been said that Medieval Christians making the pilgrimage to his shrine wore some kind of scallop on their clothing to represent their admiration and devotion to him. Why this dish is eaten on Christmas is unclear, but it is likely that it has something to do with its rich taste.

Chiles en nogada, a dish from Mexican cuisine, is also celebrated on Christmas. This is a poblano pepper stuffed with picadillo. This is a stuffing that can be made with ground beef, rice, tomatoes, and other fruits. After the pepper is roasted, it is covered in a creamy walnut sauce and a pomegranate seed garnish. The history behind this dish is rich as well.

A Mexican military commander, Agustin de Iturbide, led his army to the independence of the country in 1821. On his journey to Mexico City from the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba, he stopped in Puebla to celebrate the country’s great accomplishment. The country held a feast which consisted mainly of the Chiles en nogada, created originally by nuns from Puebla. To this day, the dish is associated with the independence of Mexico.

Most Jewish traditions initiate in Israel. So, it is seemingly obvious that a lot of the food consumed on Hanukkah, no matter where one is in the world, has flavors from the Middle East. This includes flavors such as curry, black pepper, and nutmeg, and these will most likely make a huge appearance in any Hanukkah meal. Though they are eaten less commonly on the average day, foods such as falafel, a deep fried patty made from chick peas, and loukoumades, Mediterranean honey puffs, find themselves at home during a Hanukkah meal.

Clearly, there are plenty of ways to have a holiday dinner, and many foods are rich in admirable history. If you find that your classic meal just is not cutting it this year, I recommend trying one of these, or researching your own to sample. I doubt you will be displeased with the results.

Giving Thanks All Around the World

Thanksgiving is a obviously a time for, well, giving thanks, but this is certainly not the only reason to look forward to it. Who does not love catching up with family, watching football all day, and possibly the most enjoyable apart, the insane amount of food? In the United States, Thanksgiving is something that is enjoyed on the last Thursday of November every year. This is pretty well-known. What some fail to realize is that though this tradition lives on, other places around the world have their own version of a Thanksgiving feast. Areas such as Canada, Liberia, and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island celebrate Thanksgiving, but feast in quite different ways, and for different reasons.

Canada, arguably the one country in the world who’s culture is most similar to the United States, has a Thanksgiving tradition akin to that of the States. The Canadian Thanksgiving celebrates the 1578 voyage of explorer Arthur Frobisher, who prepared a meal for his crew despite the fact that they barely survived the journey. The Canadian Thanksgiving feast itself is pretty alike what Americans consume on Thanksgiving. The meal consists of consists of turkey, potatoes, and pie. It would seem the sole difference between the two holidays is their origins and their timing – Canadian Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday in October.

Liberia is the only other country in the world to celebrate American Thanksgiving. This is due to the United States spending decades in this part of the world, attempting to turn this area into a home for former American slaves. But even after the country became independent in 1847, the Thanksgiving tradition lived on. Today Liberians harvest fresh fruit and vegetables and feast in their own homes, among family, after spending the day at their places of worship. Though their meal tends to be much more scarce, the Liberians work hard to pull a big meal together for the ones that they love.

The Australian territory of Norfolk Island, interestingly enough, celebrates Thanksgiving annually. Locals picked up this tradition from American whalers, who taught them how make foods such as cornbread and pumpkin pie. Norfolk Island celebrated Thanksgiving on the last Wednesday of every month, but instead of the typical feast, the Islanders cook foods that may seem a little unconventional. Their meal consists of an outrageous array of dished made solely from bananas. For example, they make mashed bananas, banana pilaf, bananas baked into bread, green bananas in cream, and dried bananas. I was unable to find much reason behind this atypical, but seemingly delicious, tradition.

As you can see, though the Thanksgivings around the world are pretty similar to the American Thanksgiving, there are some differences that make the traditions clearly stand out. The food presented at each of these holidays means something different to each group, and the time to feast is blatantly an important one. One thing they do share, however, is the fact that food manages to bring these groups of people together to celebrate a fun and meaningful holiday.

Wait, what am I eating again!?

As Americans, I feel we tend to be slightly narrow-minded when it comes to the food we consume. I feel that if many were informed about the things other countries are chowing down on- things that we may not actually consider food- these people would go ballistic. After doing research, I was certainly surprised to learn about certain foreign foods, but it is important to remember that we should accept these things. Someone may do something differently than what we are used to, but this does not necessarily mean that this something or someone is wrong. So, brace yourself, because I’m going to list the foreign foods that had the most surprising ingredients.

Escamole is a Mexican dish. It looks similar to what one may think is brown rice sautéed with mixed vegetables. In reality, escamole is not made with rice, and what people are actually consuming is ant larvae harvested from the roots of agave plants. In Mexico, this dish is considered a delicacy. It is considered insect caviar and is eaten mostly by the elite in Mexico City and surrounding areas. Escamole is said to taste buttery and nutty, and the taste is often compared to that of cottage cheese.

Another foreign food that consists of rather surprising ingredients is hákarl. It is eaten in Iceland and comprised of Greenland shark that is normally poisionous, but cured when parts of the shark go through a fermentation process and are hung to dry for four to five months. The taste of hákarl is thought to be an acquired one because of its significant ammonia-like smell and strong, fishy taste. Hákarl is served in cubes on sticks, and sold year-round in Icelandic stores. Those who eat hákarl are often associated with hardiness and strength, as this is a task that many can not accomplish.

In China, Bird’s Nest Soup is served. I think it is safe to say that this one speaks for itself. This soup is made from a specific birds nest called a “saliva nests” that are often found in caves. These nests are dissolved in water and their texture becomes gelatinous. Birds’ nests are considered a delicate ingredient in China and the taste of them should not be corrupted by adding any other ingredient that has an overpowering taste to the soup. Bird’s Nest Soup is said to have a savory and sweet taste, and it can often cost as much as 10,000 United States dollars.

These are the meals that shocked me the most. As someone that leaves meat off of her plate, I do not think that I would be willing to try any of these, but if the circumstances were different I think it is possible that I would give it a shot. I think people should generally be open to trying new dishes, even if they are a little unconventional. My point is that one will never know if they like or dislike something if they never try it. So, who knows? Hárkal may be your new favorite food.