Favourite Food and Drink I've learned about in my travels

 A facebook friend asked, tell us where you live by naming a food. I thought of all sorts of foods I had learned from living in the USA, Spain, and Singapore, and visiting other countries. Here's my list of favourite food and drink.

Canada 

1 Maple syrup (on waffles at breakfast time in Canada). Now, in the uk

 Now 

France

brie

Camembert cheese

crepes (Mont St Michel speciality, served from restaurants and kiosks hot with Grand Marnier)

Marron glace (sweet chestnut paste) in tins (which I first discoverd in the British Channel islands which are near France)

Indonesia 

1 Beef rendang (coconut and spices).

Malaysia 

1 Turkey ham. (Muslims don't eat pork.)

Netherlands (especially Holland)

Edam cheese.

Gouda cheese.

Singapore -

1 Chicken rice. (In England we would have chicken with chips.) 

2 Mango (with) sticky rice.

3 Durian ice cream.

Spain

Turron (confectionary -a kind of nougat which I found chocolate covered). 

UK - 

Scotland 

Smoked salmon

(what I missed and am pleased to come back to) tea time 

England

 Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

Bread and butter pudding.

Summer pudding.

Scones with clotted (double thick) cream and strawberry jam, 

Crumpets (warmed so the holes absorb melting butter and jam. 

Frank Coopers Original Oxford Coarse Cut Marmalade. On Amazon I was shocked to see it was ten pounds then realised it was a pack of two jars meaning about five pounds each jar.

Mateus rose sweet blush wine from Portugal in UK supermarkets. Black tower , rieslings and gewurtraminer German and Alsace (French) sweet white wines. 

Cadbury's fruit and nut chocolate. 

Cream filled easter egg eggs. 

Wales

Welsh cakes (finger height, half way between a flat pancake and a high scone, eaten hot with melting butter) 

USA

T bone steaks. 

Buffalo wings (checken wings.)

Bagels (Donut shaped brad with a hole in the middle and crisp outside) and lox (smoked salmon).

Potatoes in their jackets. 

 Ice wine. Zinfandel (which is a grape) blush wine in Paul Masson carafes.

Oreos.

You might like to make your own list. You can send it to me here in the comments, or find me on Facebook.

Food and drink to try by country, A-D Australia Belgium Canada, from maple syrup to Tim Tams

 Andorra

Food savoury

The national dish in wintertime is a Catalan stew called escudella. It contains either rice or pasta, pulses, vegetables  and meats such as chicken, spicy meatballs containing garlic, or sausages.

A Christmas day escudella has four kinds of meat, and large snail-shape pasta.

In summer goat cheese salad is popular.

Desserts include Crema Catalana, literally Catalan cream, Spanish-style baked custard. (It looks to me like what the French call creme brulee.)

The local variation on what I call French toast is bread or buns soaked in honey or syrup, fried and served with a dollop of jam on top or ice cream

Argentina

Austria

Mozart chocolates.

Australia

Tim tams chocolate biscuits

pavlova meringue (the national dish, also claimed by New Zealand)

Belgium

Food savoury

potato fries

Food sweet

waffles

chocolate

Drink

beer

Belize

Marie Sharpe's sauce

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada

Food - sweet

Maple syrup.

Ice wine.

Chile

China

Czech Republic

Drink

Pilsner beer from the city of the same name.

Denmark

Danish bacon found in the UK, sliced thicker than in the USA

Danish pastry, found in the UK in pastry shops in London

Useful Websites

https://visitandorra.com/en/eating/andorran-gastronomy/

How the Hayes Conference Centre Coped With Covid-19

 

Sign on the bedroom desk

We were amazed and delighted to be back at the Hayes conference centre which coped so well and made us feel welcome. Sanitizers for hands were either side of the door, foot-operated. With numbers down from the high of about 400 in one or two previous years to 200 the rooms were spacious and it was easier to sit one seat away from anybody else when you chose to do so. 

Masks

The Hayes had a supply of disposable blue masks. However, most people had masks of fabric. One of two people had special matching masks. I admired the orange satin mask matching the orange outfit. The sequined mask matching the sequined tote bag. The red tartan mask matching the red tartan shirt (from Amazon).

Gloves

Some of the catering and cleaning staff were wearing masks. Others were not.

The bedroom doors were sealed with a sign saying they had been sanitized.

I like the sign on the bedroom desk: Hello and Welcome. It's great to see you.

Downstairs in the crossroad corridor by the bar was a wonderful huge sign saying Hello we've missed you. What great marketing.

At morning and afternoon tea instead of the home made cakes we had wrapped cakes and biscuits. I was partial to the local bakewell tart. Mrs Crimble's Bakewell slice.  Other choices were muffins with blueberry or chocolate chip. 

At lunch and dinner time we had a buffet on some days for both lunch and dinner. At other times we had a choice of sandwiches, wraps, baguettes, and plain salads. I saw a friend who was on a gluten free diet had a baked potato so I asked for the same and got it. I rejected the offered ham as being processed meat and was very happy to have grated cheese.

I can't speak to highly of the staff at the Hayes. They were so friendly and helpful. If you are arranging a conference, lovely place. Rooms of all sizes. Bedrooms. Meeting rooms. For quiet, choose the main house. For conviviality, or overlooking your car, Maybe Lakeside. But I understood from our AGM held on the last afternoon that we have the writers conference booked up to five years in advance, with a deposit paid and have to take and pay for the number of rooms the organizers book. This year, because of the uncertainty, anxiety and restrictions on travel from overseas, the numbers attending our conference were down from about 400 to about 200. A delicate guessing game and calculation. 

In previous years, I am going back twenty years now to the earliest days, the place was like a school. The motto seemed to be, find out what people are doing and stop them. If you took a piece of fruit and hadn't ordered a vegetarian meal, there were announcements about how annoyed other guests were at non vegetarians who had unfairly taken fruit.

However, nowadays there were copious supplies of fruit. If you were early you might get a banana. If you got to the fruit bowl late you might get an apple or orange instead. If you were late you might get a chocolatine instead of a croissant. But if you asked for something  they would immediately go and look. Once I saw that a vegan had asked for a baked potato instead of the lunchtime ham and cheese sandwiches. So I asked for a baked potato. I got baked potatoes twice. The third time they were very apologetic that there were no potatoes because of the village wide power cut. But they apologized to me, instead of making me feel I had been unreasonable. So I felt good all week.

Sweet Surprises

My last discovery in the dining room was on the last day. No croissants. Staff immediately run to find me a croissant. 

They had cleared away breakfast. I looked at two plastic bottles which I had previously ignored. One was honey. Just the thing to go on toast.And they made brown bread toast for me. No shrug that they'd cleared away, too late, all gone.   Later, another of my friends said she had put honey in her tea. 

The second bottle was maple syrup, which we used to have at home on our porridge. So if I get back to the Hayes and they still have the maple syrup, next time I shall take the porridge and add maple syrup.

There is always something unhealthy, or over healthy, which you don't want. But there's always so much that you are bound to get something you like if you are willing to ask and look on the bright side. 

Cash or Card?

At the end of the week at the Writers' Holiday, a collection is made of or the staff. Remember to take some cash. In case the bar or the shop are taking cash for small sums. This year the bar was taking cards and the shop was supposedly taking cash. In the writers holiday area, the main book area was taking cards. They wanted your bank transfer number if you wanted to be paid for sold books by bank transfer. But the second hand book table had a box for cash donations. I bought notebooks in both the Hayes shop and the Writers' Conference shop. If you make sure you have cash left over for the staff tips, or a charity collection, depending on your type of conference, then you can be as generous as you like, then you won't risk feeling, I wish I had given a little more. 

Subtle socially distanced seating.

Useful Websites

https://www.cct.org.uk/the-hayes/the-hayes-conference-centre

https://www.visitpeakdistrict.com/

mrscrimbles.com

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Biscuits-Mrs-Crimbles-Crackers

Maple Syrup from Canada, the USA and Waitrose - which is best?

Canadian flag showing the maple leaf. Maple syrup is the sap of the maple tree.
 

When we lived in the USA I and my husband took a side trip to Niagara and Canada and at breakfast time we discovered the joy of adding maple syrup to toast, French toast, pancakes, waffles and,most importantly, porridge. Years later, we still buy maple syrup to go in our oatmeal porridge at breakfast time.

We used to buy Buckwud maple syrup in the UK. We would take a bottle back to Singapore on every trip to our second home in Asia.

Waitrose supermarket and Tesco supermarket from the UK supply to Cold Storage and Fairprice in Singapore. You can buy wines and dry goods. But also maple syrup.

We have tried two brands of Waitrose maple syrup.

Today I did a taste comparison, as well as a label comparison. 

To our surprise the Organic version, pale amber, was not the one we liked. We preferred the stronger tasting, darker coloured maple syrup. You might find your family's tastes are the reverse. 

The paler sap either comes from earlier in the year or has less liquid boiled off, or both. Whether you prefer a subtler flavour, as do many Japanese people and children, or the stronger flavour, like those who like spicy food, makes a difference. So does what you are using it for and what you are mixing it with. 

The pure maple syrup costs more. Anything made from other sugars, such as cane sugar, or palm with added maple, will taste differently and may be cheaper.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foods_made_from_maple

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_leaf_cream_cookies

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_sugar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_butter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_liqueur

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Food_made_from_maple

https://www.thespruceeats.com/maple-almond-matzo-granola-4136758

Short version

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_syrup

https://www.thespruceeats.com/maple-butter-recipe-1807107

Two ingredients, Maple syrup and butter to make:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/maple-leaves-521376

https://sg.shein.com/1pc-Maple-Leaf-Chocolate-Mold-p-2756627-cat-1953.

https://www.aliexpress.com/popular/maple-leaf-silicon-mold.html

About the Author

Angela Lansbury, is a semi-retired travel writer still researching bucket list countries and seeking out the special, unusual, people, places,  landmarks, hotels, museums and trails, fabulous foods, recipes, clothes and online souvenir shopping.

Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.

About the Author Angela Lansbury

The Author - Quick Quotations

Angela Lansbury B A Hons  is the author of ten books by regular publishers plus another ten self-published books. 

About Angela The Speaker & Trainer

Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President  Public Relations, Immediate Past President. VPPR

Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.

Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK

Past meetings have included Garen Tee on using story telling in business, on bha.learncool.sg/meet/bha  

Recent meetings of BHA included an educational session on using Powerpoint for posters.

Next BHA meetings, always first Wednesday evening, 7 pm Singapore time. Next meeting is  the third Saturday afternoon, June 19th 2pm Singapore time.  Inauguration of the new committee by the incoming Director of S, plus a lively speech on teamwork.

 

Angela The Blogger 

Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

See other posts such as a post on sculptor Tom Harvey.

Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Post being written. Come back shortly for more text and photos.

Black salt? Novelty National Dishes, Souvenirs, Ingredients & Recipes To Try and Buy From Around the world

Black salt known as Himalayan black salt or kama malak, from north India and Pakistan.

By country and region

ASIA

Hotpot

Porridge served savoury for breakfast with leftover shellfish and meat

AUSTRIA

Black forest cake

Mozart chocolates

Salzburger Knockerl (dessert like floating islands)

Sachertorte

BELGIUM

Beer

Chocolates

CANADA

Maple Syrup

CHINA (also Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore and Chinatowns)

Chinese carpets with raised cut patterns (four classic patterns: flowers, dragons, human crowds and pagodas), hard to find but I bought from a factory in Shanghai which advertised factory tours. Used to be available from department stores in the UK. 

Moon cakes (Autumn harvest moon festival). Sugary, solid tubs cut up amongst family or friends, sometimes with egg inside, sold singly and in boxes as gifts

Tea eggs (eggs soaked in tea, sold in streets as snacks from breakfast until midnight)

Snake steak (looks like sliced salmon with central bone. I tried it in Shanghai.)

FINLAND

Venison is cheaper than steak in restaurants.

FRANCE

baguette

Champagne

Crepes (thin pancakes in the north of France)

croissant

Wine in supermarkets at cheap prices

Mushrooms - numerous varieties. Chemists (Americans say pharmacies) have charts and books identifying edible and poisonous mushrooms for French citizens who go foraging

Net curtains with city, people, and countryside and wildlife scenes

Pair for a doorway or arch

Pair of nets for a doorway or arch.

Shutters which open into the house, not out (no good for UK windows which open outwards)

GREECE

Ouzo

Retsina

Greek pastries: baklava (flat flaky pastry with honey and pistachio), ketaifa like spring rolls from shredded wheat in honey

INDIA/Singapore restaurants/Amazon

Himalayan Black salt

From Pakistan and other places. An ingredient of an Indian drink, which is sold in India from street stalls in Delhi and Mumbai (formerly called Bombay).

 https://www.amazon.sg/s?k=black+salt

INDONESIA

Batik clothes for men, women, children and household fabrics such as bedspreads and tablecloths

ISRAEL/KOSHER/JEWISH (and Israeli shops in London, England; the USA, and Prague, Warsaw, and places with Jewish quarters or Jewish museum shops)

Bagels (24 hour shop in the East End of London)

Flamingo pomelo (red citrus fruit)

Halva (wrapped confectionery sold in Tesco and delicatessens)

Israeli salad

Kosher food (no pork - restaurants milk only (no meat) and meat only (no milk) restaurants

Jewellery and metal household items decorated with six point stars, protective hands, and two figures holding bunches of grapes on a pole across their shoulders

Mezuzas (gatepost protective prayer holders)  

ITALY

Asti wine

Coffee - espresso coffee and cappucino

Gelato (ice cream)

Opera and music souvenirs

Parma ham

Pasta in many varieties and colours, flat or round, fine strings or fat strings, and envelopes

Pizza

Prosecco

Ravioli

Spagetti

Spagetti Bolognese from Bologna is the best known. My favourite is spagetti Carbonara, fattening made with cream. And bacon or ham for flavouring as well as protein. If Jewish or Moslem use a smoked chicken, non pork 'ham' or other flavourful meat.

Truffles

Silver jewellery

JAPAN

Dolls with nodding heads

Giant fruit - Fuji apples

Green tea

Kimonos and Yukatas

Kobe beef

Plum wine

Sake (rice wine)

Sushi and Sashimi

Shiitake mushrooms

Tea sets with a jug and five bowls and sometimes a try for tea ceremonies and serving tea to visitors.

KOREA

Kimchee (pickles)

MALAYSIA

Caftan style cover up outfits for ladies in bright colours.

Meat or non pork imitation ham at breakfast buffets in hotels.

MEXICO

Silver jewellery

MOROCCO

Carpets

Pouffes (leather cubed seats or circular like large muffins, buy them stuffed or outside only packed flat)

NETHERLANDS

Cheese - Edam and Gouda

Dutch clogs

Dutch Hats

Dutch tiles and blue Delft wares

NEW ZEALAND

Paua shell on key rings, jewellery and ornaments

PAKISTAN

Black salt

PORTUGAL

Corks and cork products

Madeira wine (from the island of Madeira in the Atlantic)

Mateus Rose

RUSSIA

Nesting dolls

SPAIN

Sangri (red wine carafe with non alcohol added)

Chocolate chestnuts

Jamon Iberico (black pig meat, carved off the bone on a vertical spit after cooking)

Yemas (eggs) de Catalenya (egg based creamy dessert)

Chestnut chocolate (from north west Spain)

SINGAPORE

Banana leaf plates for rice and curry and vegetables

Chicken rice

Fish head curry

Lo Hei for Chinese New Year, multi-coloured with pink salmon and green and orange and red vegables, food tossed high with chopsticks in the centre of a round table for good luck

Snake in wine. (I used to see this in giant carafes in Chinatown. At one point I think it was banned, either for health reasons or because it upset tourists.

SWITZERLAND

Fondue (usually cheese) but also meat or fruit

Raclette

Emmental, medium hard yellow Swiss cheese. 

Swiss cheese with holes. 

TUNISIA

Cut out clay puzzle jugs

UK

Apple cider is sold in supermarkets. 

Baked beans on toast

British breakfast (bacon and eggs, sausage, baked beans)

Charity shops such as Oxfam also produce goods such as diaries.

Cheese: Cheddar Cheese. Stilton cheese.

Chestnuts cooked over a BBQ sold in street from November to December

Chocolates - Cadbury's, Green & Black, York, Kendal Mint Cake, Easter Eggs

Chinese restaurants serve chop suey, lemon chicken, chicken and cashew nuts and dim sum.

Christmas crackers (cannot be taken home on planes because the snap is an explosive but you can buy cracker kits and carry just the parts and add your own small gifts)

Christmas cake (note the use by date)

Crumpets

Cucumber (with seeds)

Fish and chips (the fish being plaice, cod, or sometimes haddock).

Ginger root in syrup

Indian restaurants include dishes such as tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, Jalfrezi and balti. Vegetarian restaurants are found in London.

Latkes from B & K 

MARMALADE

Thick cut marmalade. (From Supermarkets).

Marks and Spencers worldwide.

Punch, served hot in the cold winter in pubs, with sachets in supermarkets

Porridge oats served sweet, in many varieties in supermarkets

Salt beef from B & K

Scones with jam and clotted cream (Devonshire cream tea)

Stilton cheese

Victoria Sponge cake

Yorkshire pudding

Xmas - biscuit tins, European foods such as stollen bites from german supermarket Lidl.

TOOTHPICKS

Triangular soft wooden toothpicks (brand Wisdom) from chemist shops (pharmacies and drug stores).

Scotland - see S eg Scottish Whisky

Wales - see W eg Welsh cakes

UKRAINE

Decorated Easter Eggs.

USA

Biscuits numerous varieties.

Bourbon (Kentucky)

Gingerbread house kits in supermarkets at Christmas

Grits (for breakfast) in the south.

Hersheys chocolate

Iced Tea (in the south especially in hot summer)

Native American silver jewellery with turquoise stones

Pie a la mode (apple pie with ice cream)

Pumpkins and pumpkin pie and pumpkin soup (Halloween and all year)

T-bone steaks

WALES

Bara brith

Seaweed

Welsh cakes (small, thick pancakes, delicious seved hot with butter)

Welsh gold

Useful Websites

Black Salt

 https://www.amazon.sg/s?k=black+salt

French Net Curtains

Girl with cat curtains and other curtains from Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/878054657/french-vintage-lace-net-curtains-with

https://www.etsy.com/ca/market/french_net_curtains

Russian Dolls

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matryoshka_doll

Worldwide Food

https://www.mapsofworld.com/around-the-world/relished-foods.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sushi_and_sashimi_ingredients

Fuji Apple from Giant supermarket in Singapore

https://giant.sg/fuji-apple-china-5053771

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_syrup

We did a taste test comparing Buckwud with an enomy brand and Buckwud was our favourite. I suggest you do your own comparison.

Buckwud canadian maple syrup

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=buckwud+canadian+maple+syrup&

About the Author

About Angela The Author

The Author - Quick Quotations

Angela Lansbury B A Hons  is the author of ten books by regular publishers plus another ten self-published books. 

About Angela The Speaker & Trainer

Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President  Public Relations, Immediate Past President.

Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.

Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK

Garen Tee on using story telling in business, on bha.learncool.sg . Also educational on using Powerpoint for posters.

Next BHA meeting, Wednesday evening, May 5th, 7 pm Singapore 

Angela The Blogger 

Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

See next post on sculptor Tom Harvey.

Please share links to your favourite posts.