Category Food

Every country has its own set of unique dishes. Some dishes are so woven into the fabric of the land that they have become synonymous with the place. However in the case of India, which has a highly diverse culinary culture, it is impossible to pinpoint a few classic dishes. Hop on as we take you on a gastronomical journey. We also look at some of the authentic dishes that have crossed over to other lands, becoming ‘global’ dishes.

HAMBURGERS – THE U.S.

 Who doesn’t love a good hamburger? Even as the origin of the hamburger is debated, the dish is well loved in the U.S. and is more of an emotion. This classic dish comes with different toppings and accompaniments and has turned into a global delicacy.

ACKEE AND SALTFISH – JAMAICA

“Ackee, rice, saltfish are nice…” sang Harry Belafonte in his iconic song Jamaica Farewell’. One of the most famed delicacies in Jamaica, it is a combination of saltfish (traditionally cod) and Ackee, a West African fruit. While Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica, Ackee and codfish is the national dish.

POT-AU-FEU – FRANCE

Pot-au-Feu translates to “pot on fire. A soup fashioned out of meat and root vegetables and spruced up with herbs, Pot-au-Feu is the signature dish of France. This traditional dish often uses beef as the meat. The dish is served in two courses. The broth is sieved and served separately from the meat. This is a well-loved meal in France.

KUNAFA – PALESTINE

Here is an overload of sweetness and cheesy goodness. With a golden crust and a gooey, cheesy core, the kunafa, a dish from Palestine, makes for the ideal dessert. It traces its origin to the Palestinian city of Nablus. The base of the dish is Phyllo dough and cheese. It is topped crushed pistachio and is paired with sugar syrup.

IRISH STEW- IRELAND

On any given day, a good broth is always comfort food. The Irish Stew is one of the most popular dishes in Ireland. The thick broth is a medley of mutton and root vegetables.

PIZZA – ITALY

Italy is synonymous with pizza. The dish has traversed the world and is loved globally. The flatbread is often topped with a myriad range of toppings. The origin of pizza dates back to 1700s in Naples. The city’s tradition of making pizza has even been accorded intangible heritage status by UNESCO.

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Fondue is a delicious, warm dish made of cheese. Get to know how it is eaten

Fondue is a delicious (warm) cheese dish of Switzerland, France and Italy. It is considered a national dish in Switzerland.

Fondue is basically a communal dish, which means it is generally eaten by a group of people, rather than individually. The fondue is served in a communal pot (called a fondue pot), at the centre of the table. It is kept warm by heating it on a low flame, usually with a candle or a spirit lamp. People seated at the table, dip pieces of bread into the fondue with long-stemmed forks and eat them.

According to tradition, if anyone’s bread piece falls into the cheese then he or she has to pay a penalty as punishment! This style of eating is not only fun, but also gives the diners a certain sense of equality and sharing.

There are different types of cheese and so there are different types of fondue. The word fondue comes from the French word fondre, which means ‘to melt. The term fondue’ is now used to describe other dishes where pieces of solid food are dipped into a liquid that is kept warm in a fondue pot. For example, in the case of chocolate fondue, pieces of fruit or pastry are dipped into melted chocolate, kept warm in a pot. Other kinds of dessert fondue include honey, caramel, coconut and marshmallow.

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Baklava is a rich sweet pastry that originated in West Asia. The word ‘baklava’ is Turkish in origin.

Baklava is made up of layers of filo, filled with chopped nuts and soaked in sugar syrup or honey. Filo (or phyllo) is a kind of dough that can be stretched into thin sheets.

There are regional variations- almonds are traditionally used in Iran, while walnuts are preferred in Turkey. In Iraq and Iran the sugar syrup is flavoured with rose water, but the Greeks use a mixture of honey, lemon juice and cinnamon instead.

Modern-day chefs have introduced innovations by adding dates or chocolate chips to the baklava. Baklava is made in different ways and the recipes are closely-guarded secrets handed down the generations.

Once the baklava is glazed with butter and naked, it is cut into diamonds, squares or triangles. It is served with Turkish coffee on special occasions.

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If two solutions of different concentrations are separated by a semi-permeable membrane (that is, a membrane that allows some substances but not others to pass through), the water from the weaker solution will start moving into the stronger solution. This is the process of osmosis.

The flow will continue till the solutions on both sides have the same concentration. When grapes are put in the thick sugar syrup, the skin of the grapes act as a semi-permeable membrane and water from the grapes moves into the sugar syrup. The grapes shrivel up as a result.

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Loganberries are a cross between raspberries and blackberries. The loganberry (Rubus loganobaccus) was created in 1881 in California by American judge and horticulturist James Harvey Logan, when he planted two blackberry plants next to a raspberry plant, all of which flowered and fruited together. The 50 seedlings produced from this mix gave rise to larger plants, one of which was the loganberry. The deep red, conical shaped loganberries are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are processed into juice, syrup, frozen for jams or used for wine-making.

Loganberry plants are sturdy and more disease- and frost-resistant than many other berries. However, they are not very popular with commercial growers due to several problems which increase labor costs, since the plants tend to be thorny and the berries are often hidden by the leaves. Additionally, berries of varying maturity may grow on a single plant, making it difficult to completely harvest each plant. Loganberries are therefore more commonly grown in household gardens.

Loganberries are consumed fresh, or used for juice or in jams, pies, crumbles, fruit syrups, and country wines.

In the UK, fresh or canned (tinned) loganberries are often paired with English Sherry trifle, or their juice (or syrup) paired with the sherry.

Loganberry is a popular beverage flavoring in Western New York and parts of Southern Ontario, beginning there as a drink sold at Crystal Beach Park in Crystal Beach, Ontario. Even though the park has long been closed down, several companies still sell varieties of loganberry drinks through stores throughout the area, which are sold at several local fast-food franchises such as Mighty Taco in Buffalo, Sport of Kings Restaurant in Batavia, New York as well as at supermarkets. There are also milkshakes flavored with loganberry syrup.

Credit : Wikipedia 

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