An Old Time Favorite: Hamburger

When you feel your stomach’s growling and your lazy bones kick in, the fastest and easiest way to satisfy your hunger is munching on a good ‘old hamburger with extra cheese and fresh tomatoes and lettuce. When you think of hamburgers, you can immediately relate these to Americans because that’s what you usually see on television. Many international fast food chains are selling burgers with their very own version. Take for example McDonalds. They have their regular beef burger while they offer a 1/3 pound beef burger. Other food chains like KFC who are solely selling chicken as their main ingredient have their very own take on the hamburger which is still made up of chicken.

As to the origins of the hamburger, there is a dispute against America and Germany as to who invented it first. Nevertheless, basing on the name alone, hamburger, it originated from the second largest city in Germany which was Hamburg. It was Otto Kause whom they regarded as the first one to fry a beef patty with butter and topped it with a fried egg. But for America, they considered Charlie Nagreen to have first introduced hamburger by putting a piece of meatball in between two sliced breads.

But who invented it is not really a big problem. Let’s just be thankful that someone so smart and brilliant was able to come up with such an old time favorite- the hamburger. The core ingredients are only the bread and meat patty while all the rest is up to your own rendition and take on the hamburger. Lettuce, cheese, and tomato are a classic match. You may add in pickles, bacon, onions, and of course, your condiments such as mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard. All it takes is a wide imagination and you will be surprised that you have already made your very own hamburger.

A Taste of Mexico: Flammin’ Fajitas

Mexican food is known for their distinguished taste as compare to other food from other countries. By just the smell alone, you can already conclude that this is Mexican by nature. When we say Mexican, the usual food that comes to your mind would be tacos and nachos. A similar dish to taco which is not as famous is the fajita.

Fajita, similar to the taco, is any grilled meat served in a taco on a flour or corn tortilla. This is traditionally both a Mexican and a Tex-Mex cuisine. It originally referred to a certain cut of beef known as skirt steak. Nowadays, variations to the beef or chicken, shrimp, pork and other cuts of beef other than the skirt steak. If you are wondering why it's primarily used skirt steak, it is because dating back to the 1930s when cattle was butchered, it was cut according to certain meat types. Those that were not used like the skirt, were given to Mexican cowboys thus coming up with the fajita. Enough with the meat, what are other condiments to go with the meat? To mention a few are lettuce being shredded, guacamole made of avocado, sour cream, tomatoes, and cheese.

Fajitas were known as a certain cut of meat until Mexican restaurants used such term to refer to that certain dish. Some restaurants nowadays put a twist on it by serving the meat on a hot platter and the condiments and flour tortillas on the sides. It gives the customers a hint that their food is coming once they hear the pan sizzle and the aroma of different spices in the air. So what are you waiting for? Indulge in a very traditional Mexican dish with fajitas. All you need to do is put some meat and condiments over the flour tortilla, roll, and eat!

How Chocolates Came To Be

What would the world be without chocolates? Imagine that. If it weren’t for the creation of chocolate, the world would be cold, boring, and meaningless because chocolate is one of the reasons that the world is a sweet place to live in. For many, it gave meaning to life. When you are down in Dumpster's, you can hide away with a box of chocolates. If you are up in the mood for a celebration, chocolates can make you high. When you are in love, an outward expression can be given chocolates. Clearly, the world is a better place to live in thanks to chocolate.

But have you ever wondered where chocolate really originated? Belgium is known across the world to have produced the most delicious chocolates. But did it start there? As far as history takes you, it actually came from Mexico dating back to 1100 BC. Cacao trees have been cultivated in Mexico, Central America and Northern South America for almost 3 millennia already. It was known to be Nahuatl to the Mesoamericans including the Aztecs which meant bitter water. Cacao seeds are so bitter that you need to ferment it before it is dry, peeled, and finally grounded. This is what you refer to as chocolate in its pure form. This is then usually put into a liquefied form and molded with or without the use of other ingredients. This has become a beverage or an ingredient to food for the Mesoamericans.

But the Europeans put another kick into it. They sweetened and fattened it by using sugar and milk. Mesoamericans were not aware of such. Rather than drinking it or using it as an ingredient, they tagged it as a dessert. And that is a short history of how the chocolate came to be. Cheers to both the Mesoamericans and Europeans for a job well done!

Spice Up Your Cup Of Milk

As breath taking is the island of Sri Lanka is so it the food that these people eat. A 30 mile chain of shoals is the only feature that separates this country with India which is on the other side of the Indian Ocean.

The geographical location of Sri Lanka and its proximity to India has a direct influence on the food that is eaten here. Colombo had been previously inhabited by the British, Dutch and Portuguese who brought along cooking styles and food combinations from their own countries. The Sri Lankan exotic food types are therefore blends that the local people adapted to suit their taste and ready availability of ingredients. As a general rule food eaten in Sri Lanka is hot and spicy and highlights a blend of flavors from major parts of the world. It is true to therefore say that Sri Lanka enjoys a cuisine that is a blend of many others of the world’s best.

The features of the Sri Lankan food are both evident in the vegetarian and meat dishes. Even short easy to prepare appetizers and salads have an exotic feel of the exotic food and the rich history behind it. Sri Lanka is rich in food spices which are readily used to enhance the flavors of dishes which are eaten they're common. By simply appreciating the effect of spices on the food we eat, you will realize that Sri Lankan cuisine is a work of art. This is a cuisine so richly ground that they have spices to put in milk to enhance its taste for those people who do not take plain milk.

Mouthwatering Exotic Curries Explored

If you are looking for a reason to visit Bangkok then you only need to think about the food which offers a blend of taste. If you are used to eating sweet food separately from bitter food exotic Thai cuisine offers a blend of tastes in a single dish.

The defining characteristic of Thai food is in the use of herbs and spices to give food a distinct flavor. The Thai people are keen on strong flavors and such items like fresh coriander, lemon grass and lime juice are used to enhance the taste of food. It goes without saying that rice in this country continues to remain a staple food. The rice is often accompanied by food pastas and curries all of which are prepared to give added flavor to the food.

The Thai people have a rich culture is dynamic and it comes out clearly in the food that they eat. Try and eat a portion of raw beef, deep fried insect larvae or fermented fish paste to realize how rich this cuisine is. This is a culture that has not been using very friendly ingredients and people often finds it interesting. It is good to understand that the styles of cooking the Thai dishes are similar to that of the many Asian continent country but the demarcation lies in the fact that the cuisine is simply interesting. Many hotels in the world offer Thai cuisine and so it is important to experience the cuisine at home before you branch out. You will find these foods irresistible and exciting in the mouth.

Experience Fufu The Nigerian Style

The roots of the Nigerian cuisine have a come a long way from the ancient times when food preparation was related to traditions, culture and artwork. In spite of the fact that the Nigerians have had foreign influence it has not significantly affected the exotic cuisines in any way.

If you come across a Nigerian living in a foreign country you will realize that most ancient foods they prepare have a twist of the exotic. A perfect example of how food carried to other parts of the world is the Nigerian fufu made by the ancient American slaves. The main reason for variations in preparation methods has been the availability of the required exotic ingredients. The ancient Nigerian people had grain based meals and most of their food was made from starch. A wide range of flours is available from millet, teff, sorghum, cassava and barley from which nutritious porridges are made.

You can see a hint of Europe in the food that is eaten in Nigeria in the recent past as compared to that which was eaten a few decades back. The use of pepper, peanuts and corn to prepare food is a borrowed aspect of the European cuisine into Nigeria. Although there is no community among the four which coexist together in Nigeria that can boast of producing the national cuisine chili sea foods as a general rule are appreciated in all Nigeria and are served in many hotels in Lagos. The use of marinate as a method of preparing food is very common in this country and gives food the much needed flavor.

Enjoying Matoke In Different Forms

We all know plantain bananas to be the staple food of the Ugandan people and this until today is characteristic of the major meals in this country. The Ugandan cuisine is predominantly traditional owing to the fact that most dishes are made from locally grown foods.

It is amazing how the Ugandan people have turned the banana into an emblem of food art and every now and then new recipes are shared that teach new ways of cooking bananas. Food is just a small part of the rich Ugandan culture which is showcased in the language unification, manner of dressing and preparation of cooking foodstuffs. Since there are various tribes in Uganda, it is expected that the cuisines of one tribe will be different from the other. While the preparation may be different the use of fruit, bananas and yams are a factor that unifies them all.

The cooking of Ugandan food requires great skill but with a bit of mastery everyone can become an expert cook. The next time you are in Kampala, ask for a dish of matoke made from bananas and cooks in peanut sauce, bean stew, meat or fresh fish. This is the staple food that the Ugandans are so popular for. Matoke is prepared as a main meal and usually is accompanied by any stew but to eat like a true Ugandan one should consider the use of fish in dishes. The fish here is either smoked or sun dried after it has been salted and is one of the scrumptious meals in the Ugandan cuisine.

Blended Taste Of Spiced Bitong

There are so many nationalities living in South Africa no wonder it is called the rainbow nation. This blending is also seen in the types of dishes prepared and eaten. Not only have the cooking styles been inter-adopted but the ingredients have been too.

It is safe from the lifestyle of people living in major towns like Johannesburg that South African cuisine mainly consists of starch and an accompanying stew. This is the same in many regions of the country and is characterized by meat and fish in many dishes. The fact that the country is surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, make it an automatic hub for fish and seafoods. The staple meat dish of the South Africans is the bitong spiced and an equivalent of dried jerky. For a developed nation like this it is not amusing that they have good eating only in social gatherings.

South African food is served with large portions of fruit vegetables and spiced soups. It is not uncommon to have cassava and local fruit included in your food as part of a meal because the locals believe that no dish can be complete without them. This is especially true when spicy seafood is served. Yellow rice is a staple too among the South Africans and in most cases it is used as a side dish that has been eaten since ancient times by the locals. Exotic food in South Africa has been never short of variety because it grows in plenty and there are many ways of preparing it.

A Palate Experience: Curry

Indian cuisine is regarded for their vast use of herbs and spices. It is because of this reason that their food is jam packed and bursting with flavors. For those who are up to the challenge of spicy foods, then India is definitely a must go to your travel itinerary. Once you have taken a bite into one of their foods, it will take your taste buds on a roller coaster ride leaving to want for more. One of India’s sought after food that has made a name across the world is the famous curry.

Curry is a dish made with herbs and spices some chillies comprising of chicken, meat or poultry with or without vegetables. The word curry often regards to as having origins from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and other Southeast Asian countries. In traditional cooking, there is an exact selection of spices to go along with your dish but this solely depends upon national or regional cultural tradition, religious practices and even according to family preference. There are two kinds of curries. You can either have it wet with a lot of sauce or gravy made up of yoghurt, coconut milk or legume puree, or you can have it dry with little sauce allowed to evaporate leaving the spices to dry up into the meat.

But nowadays, you can already have a taste of Indian cuisine even if you are in the tropical islands or in the deserts of Africa. It is all because the curry seasoning has been made commercially available in almost all parts of the world. It comes in powder form and all you need to do is mix it with your choice or meant and/ or vegetables. To make it thick and creamy, you can add in yoghurt, coconut milk or pureed legumes according to what’s available. And there you have it, a curry made outside of India.

Food Secrets Of The Injera

The exotic foods of Ethiopia are a world secret that is only known with the eating. The spicy food that is eaten in Ethiopia is characterized by a hot mix of spices, meat, vegetables and grains which are simmered together under low heat to blend in the various ingredients.

The fact that the Ethiopian population is divided almost equally into Christian and Muslim religious affiliations greatly affects the national cuisine. One characteristic that is universal in this country regardless of what religion you subscribe to is the breaking of Injera and eating together from one large plate an action that signifies solidarity, unity, loyalty and brotherhood. Don’t be surprised when someone holds food in their hands and brings it up to your mouth to eat because they mean to strengthen the bond of making new acquaintances. To demonstrate how religion has impacted the exotic food of the Ethiopians you need to observe how the cuisine changes during the period of lent to predominantly vegetarian.

Apart from large towns like Addis Ababa that are near cosmopolitan, most of the food in Ethiopia is home grown and consists mainly of vegetables. Farming in Ethiopia is done on a subsistence scale by most people. The exotic Ethiopian food is rich in nutrients and taste as evidenced by a look at a complete serving of the various foods prepared. Ethiopian fermented honey is a key component of every meal and so is the injera which is a key characteristic of every meal. The injera is the pancake of Ethiopia that is made from sour dough which gives it a light texture and exotic flavor.

A Taste Of Kenya In Ugali

Kenya is a country where there are very many tribes living together, and over the years each has adopted the eating habits of the other. It is therefore not uncommon to find a meal in Kenya with cooking styles from different corners of the country.

Ugali still remains the number one staple food for the Kenyan people and is popular with all the tribes. Though the consistency and floor combination is different for people living in the different parts the name and the style in which it is cooked is the same. This is an exotic Kenyan dish that is eaten with meaty stews or leafy vegetables as a main meal. In popular restaurants like the ones in Nairobi, ugali is served with game meat and soups from around the world. There is no denying that a meal of ugali is not only delicious but satisfying. Your visit to Kenya is incomplete if you have not had a serving of ugali and roast goat meat.

The flour composition is left to individual choice because different people wish to draw certain benefits from various foods. The nature of ugali cooked can be varied to suit the meal type being prepared. A breakfast meal for example can be made from plain maize meal flour because it will be accompanied by a hot beverage. If ugali is being prepared for lunch or dinner it is mixed with either cassava or millet to make it a heavy meal. Maize in Kenya from which ugali is made can be referred to as the country’s staple food because a lot of other dishes are made from it in various forms.