Stay for sauna and self-catering in Scotland at a Distillery

Above, top the flag of Scotland.

The Union Jack contains the flag of Scotland. 

Scotland's Attractions

Scotland' s well known attractions are Edinburgh castle, the Edinburgh festival with comedies and serious plays. Glasgow's museums and galleries, such as Rennie Mackintosh. The Lakes - the the loch Ness monsters.  And whisky distilleries!

Food In Scotland - Plain Porridge

You start your day with porridge. Made from oats. Add salt, or it may come with added salt, instead of the sugar you would get in London. 

Distilleries - Whisky

During the day you could visit a whisky distillery, and end your day with a night cap, a drop, or dram of the local drink.

Whisky distilleries are a feature of Scotland. Popular with the Japanese. In fact anyone, even if you don't drink the stuff.

Short Tours and Long Stays

If you are interested in gin, vodka or whisky, a distillery tour might interest you. You can also stay at Arbikie whose accommodation option is self-catering. Add a sauna. Or simply sit admiring the scenery, their website suggests.

Whisky is strong stuff. So are other spirits. A wee dram (a small sample of drink) is enough for me. 

A little goes a long way. So a barman will gladly dilute it make a longer drink. You can add water to whisky, or ice, in which case it is called 'on the rocks'.

Turn your other spirits into cocktails. Perennial favourites are gin and tonic. 

Or vodka and orange. That's for me.

 Useful Website

https://arbikie.com/pages/stay-with-us-1

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British Food in my poem, Tea For Three by Angela Lansbury

 We travel around the world at our supermarkets. Lild is German, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose are British. We eat porridge, British style, English style with sugar rather than the Scottish custom of adding salt. 

For lunch, we have smoked salmon from Scotland. Or sardines from Portugal. Or sushi, a Japanese dish.  

Breakfast

Traditional English breakfast

Porridge oats, sugar or honey

Then baked beans, egg and bacon grill

Hotels give this thrill, for money

For daily grub go to the pub

Avoiding big hotels' big bills

Choose sausages and black pudding

Fried potato, and tomato

Lunch

For lunch you could choose a Scotch egg

Sardines on toast, a healthy fish

Fish and chips is what we like most

Sundays Yorkshire pud with beef roast

If you're adding roast potatoes

Careful. You'd better keep quiet

Please don't spoil my good gourmet day

By reminding me to diet

For weekday lunch we have salad

And smoked salmon in a bagel

Supermarket sushi, garlic

We buy half price when we're able

Tea

Each afternoon we stop at four

Or four thirty, or even five

By which time we're yawning and tired

Need food and drink to stay alive

Tea time in London's any time

No longer always Earl Grey tea

We drink hot coffee, apple juice

Lemon, ginger or mint for me

 If you've never had hot crumpets

Your gourmet life has not begun

If you're offered two with butter

Please don't stick to half or just one

Scones feature in Cornish cream tea

Spread thick cream, then strawberry jam

Some say you should put jam on first

Avoid arguing, if you can

We sometimes choose a restaurant

But most of our food's home made

We make brown bread with seeds and nuts

Seville oranges marmalade

We clear the table, wash the dishes

And load the dishwashing machine

It does a very good job

Of keeping our plates sparkling clean

Dinner

Then it's time to lay the table

And get ready for dinner

For me, it's brussels sprouts

Chicken and chips is a winner.

Plates of steak, add English mustard

Chocolate pudding, with custard

Christmas pudding, then easter eggs

Build balloon tums and tree trunk legs

Tea Tomorrow

I hope you'll come to tea with me

But I must tell you with sorrow

I ate the last baklava and chocolate

My fruit diet starts tomorrow.

-Ends-

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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.

After the Traditional Teochew Temple House, Time to Chew Some Teochew Food

 Rice porridge (also called congee)

Having been impressed by the delights of the Teochew style house, I wondered what else I could find in Singapore, Malaysia, China and around the world which was related to Teochew culture. What could you eat afterwards? 

Find somewhere serving Teochew porridge, which is eaten for breakfast or supper. The plain rice porridge is served with side dishes, such as omelette, and fish cakes; or steamed fish in soy sauce, and egg (quail's eggs preserved in salt water), duck, and vegetables. Maybe pork. Maybe Chinese vegetables.

If you are into healthy food, or trying to lose weight, you might like this style of Chinese cooking with its emphasis on fresh ingredients rather than sauces. Cooking styles favoured are steaming, poaching and braising.

As for desserts, my favourite, yam paste, called orh nee.

Useful Websites

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

https://guide.michelin.com/sg/en/article/dining-out/6-restaurants-for-authentic-teochew-fare

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 . 

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 meetings 1st Wednesday evening is Wednesday June 2nd at 7pm; and third Saturday afternoon, June 19th 2pm Singapore time.  

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. 

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.