Food!

Star Fruit and Pineapple Juices

Soursop, Pumpkin, Rose Apples

Food - perhaps one of the most difficult things to adapt to when moving to a foreign country. When I enter a new place to eat or shop for food, which is every day here, I always try to imagine what the people here would be feeling if they were entering an American restaurant or grocery story. Full of unrecognizable (and inedible to many of them) creamy sauces, cheeses, breads, and family sized, single portions of meat. Almost no whole fresh fish to be found, and rice is often an afterthought or unavailable. I experience the opposite of that here. Whole fish (which are delicious by-the-way) complete with eyeballs, and fins are available almost everywhere here. You may order it up fried, in a curry or broth, broiled with local spices, or in any other way you like. Rice and noodles in every form or fashion are available in most restaurants. Most veggies here (other than okra and green beans), are completely unknown to me. Gourds and pumpkins of all shape and sizes – only a few have I ever eaten before.  There must be 20 variety of leafy greens, usually served cooked. I can’t even begin to contemplate all the spices. The Malaysians use coconut milk to flavor many things, along with the curry leaf, both of which contribute to food, some of the yummy, familiar Indian range of flavors. The Chinese use lots of fermented soy and seafood based pastes to flavor food. All of it leaves me feeling like a wee babe in the culinary world.

Hibiscus Calyces

Hibiscus Tea

The other day in the fresh produce market Nozar and I purchased some gorgeous red “blooms”. I couldn’t quite place them. The seller said they were from Vietnam but couldn’t explain further because of our language barrier. We brought them home, tasted them and found them pleasant but a bit bitter. The Shell contract administrator, who is Chinese, came buy our apartment that same day and said they are used to make a tea. Ding, ding, ding, the bells went off in my head. I remembered that my friend Tizoc, from Mexico, used to steep something similar to make a drink. Nice. A connection, to something familiar. After more research, I remembered they are actually from the hibiscus family, high in vitamin C, and make one of the most beautifully, naturally colored drinks a person could consume. I steeped them and sweetened the tart drink with some local honey. Voila! It turns out to be a nice alternative to iced tea. I know, from experience, that these calyces are available in your local Mexican market. I encourage you to venture out and try something different for a pleasant change.

A pancake of sorts, cooked with peanuts.

Nozar really loves his juices!

Beverages here in general could have a book written about them. Since I don’t know what most beverages are I just point and say, “May I have one of those please?” I’ve drunk quite a few concoctions, most of which I couldn’t quite recognize. However, the common beverage I find most difficult to adapt to is instant coffee. There are some “real” coffee shops here but Nescafe - by far - rules.  After a while the taste grew on me and I actually purchased some for home; but still, every time I drink it, it brings to mind coffee out of desperate circumstances. The only times in my life I ever drank instant coffee was when I had absolutely no possible access to regular coffee grounds. It’ll be a while before I fully embrace instant coffee. On the other hand, something instantly palatable is fresh squeezed fruit juices. They are one of the best perks of living here. You can hear a juicer grinding out pulp in most restaurants. Apple (green or red), carrot, cucumber, star fruit, dragon fruit, orange, pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon. A glass of any of those pure juices here is approx. $1.50. Inexpensive, fresh, healthy, yummy, refreshing! I’m in!

Night market BBQ. Chicken tail, gizards, wings, chicken hotdogs.

Getting to know the food here will take great attention and time. Also, I don’t feel super confident yet about cooking some of the really foreign items. But not to worry, they sell spaghetti noodles and pasta sauce in the grocery store so when I am desperate for something familiar at least those items are available. Also, yesterday we found a grocery store that sells ice cream products. We went in for the purchase. I haven’t tasted it yet, but the picture on the container looks like it is chocolate-cherry flavored. Could be exciting. I’ll keep you posted.

Hibiscus in Bloom

Attempting Life :)

Tamara