Tag Archives: eating

February 28, 2015 · 9:02 am

Myanmar’s Best Bites

At first, I wasn’t sure I liked the food in Myanmar, but with time I learned how wonderful it actually is.  Here are some of my favorite dishes from my time in the country.

1. Myanmar Tea

Myanmar Tea

Not a “bite” but still a ubiquitous taste in Myanmar.  I’m addicted and distraught at the thought that I won’t be able to find such a wonderful cup outside of Burma.  Myanmar tea can be found anywhere and everywhere in this country.  The beverage is a milky, sweet blend of what I believe is black tea and condensed milk.  It is best enjoyed stooped over a knee-high table in a corner tea shop surrounded by chattering locals and soccer-showing TVs.

2. Pickled Mango

Photo courtesy of Elliot Pelling

Photo courtesy of Elliot Pelling

I had never tried pickled mango before, but I am sure I will be having more during my travels through Myanmar and India.  This dish was enjoyed at a sidewalk Indian restaurant at the corner of 26th and 33rd streets in Mandalay.  It wasn’t the main dish, but a side that accompanied every meal.  The pickled mango was so good we visited this restaurant multiple times just to eat the side!

3. Guacamole and Poppadum

Guacamole isn’t something I think of when I think Burma, but the guacamole at a vegetarian restaurant in Old Bagan was some of the best I’ve tasted.  The lady who makes the stuff told me that she adds honey and chili powder to the avocados and tomatoes.  Whatever she does, it is wonderful!  And the poppadum instead of chips just seems to make perfect sense.  To find this dish, look for the Old Bagan vegetarian restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet (I think it is called the Moon).  The restaurant with the guacamole is actually across the way from the one that is recommended.  It is well worth eating there, but we did find that the other dishes on the menu are not as good as the guacamole and the drinks are expensive!

4. Fermented Tea Leaf Salad

Photo courtesy of Elliot Pelling

Photo courtesy of Elliot Pelling

One of the more interesting vegetarian dishes I tasted during my time in Myanmar, fermented tea leaf salad is available most places but preparation seems to vary.  My favorite version was enjoyed in Hsipaw where the tea leaves were added to shredded raw cabbage and peanuts before being topped with vinaigrette.  If you see this dish on a menu, definitely give it a try.

5. Indian Curries

Indian Restaurant near Inle Lake

From Mandalay to Yangon, some of the best food we ate was at Indian restaurants and food stalls.  In particular, vegetarian curries stole the show.  Inle Lake was home to a fantastic (and dirt cheap!) night market stand that served wonderful potato curry with chapatti for only 700 kyat ($0.70).  We managed to eat 5 servings in one night!  Yangon offered all-you-can-eat curry for only 1200 kyat (about $1.20).  The tomato curry at this indulgent, 39th street hole-in-the-wall left me desperate for a larger stomach so I could fit more in.  It seemed we couldn’t go wrong with curry anywhere in the Myanmar.

Have you been to Myanmar?  What was your favorite meal?  I’d love to hear about your favorite Burmese dishes or other international dishes in the comments below. 

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October 11, 2014 · 9:00 am

OMG! A Liebster Award!

Liebster Award

 

“Oh my gosh, Mom.  I’ve just won a Liebster Award.”

“What’s a Lieb…what did you call it?”

“Uhhh. I don’t know really.”

Fifteen minutes and two Google searches later, this is what I came up with:

The Liebster Award is an award given by bloggers, who already have the award, to other bloggers.  It is meant to help new bloggers build a larger community.  

Of course, there are some rules to this game.  Namely:

  1. Thank the blogger who nominated you with a link back to his/her blog
  2. Answer the 11 questions asked by the nominator
  3. Nominate 5 – 11 bloggers with under 500 followers
  4. Create 11 questions for the nominees
  5. Display the Liebster Award logo on your page
  6. List these 6 rules on your post

liebster_award_badges

Thank the blogger who nominated you

A big thank you to And Miles 2 Go B4 I Sleep… for nominating Every Mile a Memory.  My blog is very new so I appreciate the publicity you have given me.  And Miles 2 Go B4 I Sleep… is a fantastic travel resource.  It has definitely given me lots to think about for my upcoming trip to India.  The couple who writes the blog are obviously passionate travelers and fantastic travel planners.  Check it out to see some of their inspiring photos!

Answer the 11 questions asked by the nominator

What inspired you to travel and come up with the idea of travel blogging?

Everything from my wanderlust bitten family to a really great German potato salad have inspired me to travel over the years.  I suppose most importantly, three and a half years ago a series of unfortunate events led me to buy a tickets to Asia for a long term solo trip.  These unfortunate events included the end of a long term relationship and the loss of a dream job over an immature mistake.  While those things were heartbreaking at the time, I have never been happier that such awful things happened.

My inspiration for travel blogging came straight from my friends and family.  They wanted to hear all of the stories, but I quickly grew tired of repeating them over a patchy Skype connection.  So, I decided to write them down for everyone to see.  Now my blog is finally in the transition from travelogue to travel blog as I can provide information about more and more destinations.

What is the most favorite place that you have visited?

This is a tough one.  I’ve been to a lot of wonderful places, but my favorite has to be Luang Prabang, Laos.  I love the beauty of the two rivers coming together, the Buddhist culture, and the slower pace of this city.  It also helps that I went with and met wonderful people in this romantic city.

Luang Prabang

Tell us more about your best trip.

Although the trip in which I visited Laos was my first long term and solo trip, I am not sure if it was my favorite.  I have learned a lot since those halcyon days of “going with the flow.”

A few years ago, E (my boyfriend) and I took a road trip to Kentucky.  We saw Mammoth cave and discovered the Bourbon Trail.  It was carefree and adventurous.  It was also hilarious to see my English boyfriend interact with the backwardness that somewhat defines Midwestern and Southern America.  I’m not sure that this trip would be my best but it sticks out in my mind as one of the happiest.

Kentucky Road Trip

Which country tops your bucket list to visit? Why?

Also another tough but excellent question.  My answer is not so much a country, but a state:  Alaska.  Ever since my cousin competed in the Iditarod a decade ago, I have yearned to visit the Last Frontier.

When do you like to visit places – when it is less crowded or fully crowded?

Is there such a thing as a happy medium?  If I have to pick one or the other, I would say fully crowded.  I love the buzz of a lively place.  That doesn’t mean that I love fighting the crowds to get a good bite or a beautiful view.  But, I don’t want to be alone in a hostel either.

What would be your tip/recommendation for anyone visiting your hometown?

I’m from a small Indiana town just outside of Chicago that very few people have ever heard of, but I think it is one of the most beautiful places in the world.  Chesterton, IN is an ideal place to stay if you want to experience the best the region has to offer.  You have access to Chicago via the South Shore train.  You are also only half an hour from Michigan which offers world class beaches and wineries.  That’s not to say Chesterton doesn’t have enough to fill your time.  My number one tip would be to explore all the great things Indiana Dunes State Park has to offer.  (Hint:  There’s a lot more to do than hike and go to the beach.)

Photo courtesy of Elliot Pelling

Photo courtesy of Elliot Pelling

What is your best or favorite travel tip to fellow travelers?

My favorite thing to tell people to do while traveling is to cook.  Not only does cooking save money over eating out, but it forces you to visit the local grocery store or market.  A lot can be learned about a place through the foods it produces and the products it imports.  The first thing I do whenever I visit a new place is head straight to where the locals shop.

Do you blog while traveling or when you get back home after your trip?

Because I have been travelling for the better part of the last three years, I often am forced to blog while traveling.  With that said, I fail to blog regularly while traveling quickly between cities and tend to blog more often when I am stationed in one spot for a while.

What is your favorite mode of travel ?

Trains!  I love soaring along the countryside on rails.  It’s much more solitary and peaceful than traveling on a busy highway and more relaxing than air travel with all its security headaches.  There is nothing better than a window seat while weaving through snow-capped Alps on a Eurail train.

Train in Thailand

Name 3 favorite songs you like to listen while traveling.

I freely admit I have terrible taste in music. Here are my 3 favorites anyways:

  1. Dixie Chicks – Wide Open Spaces
  2. John Denver – Rocky Mountain High or Looking for Space (tie)
  3. The Eagles – Hotel California

What is the weirdest food you have eaten so far during your travel?

As a vegetarian, I don’t get to try many adventurous foods.  I’ve watched as E has eaten tarantulas, pig lips, and duck beak.  All of them looked completely disgusting to me, but he claims not all of them are so bad.

I guess the weirdest food I have had the pleasure of eating is stinky tofu, a popular East Asian dish of fermented tofu.  I have to say that the taste certainly is not as bad as the smell, but it wasn’t something I would order regularly.

stinky tofu

Nominate 5 bloggers

  1. We Chase Summer (@WeChaseSummer)
  2. Secret Traveller (@SecTraveller)
  3. Colie Wanders (@CannoliColie)
  4. AdventureJ (@AdventureJca)
  5. Travel Kick 19 (@travelkick19)

Congrats on the nominations!  Your blogs are awesome.

Ask 11 questions for the nominees to answer

  1. Where were you when you started blogging and what inspired the name of your blog?
  2. Are you an itinerary planner or “fly by the seat of your pants” traveler?
  3. What are 3 of the books that have inspired your travels?
  4. What is your favorite travel quote?
  5. What are five activities on your travel bucket list?
  6. When did you fall in love with traveling?
  7. What is the best meal you have ever eaten?  Where did you eat it?
  8. Where are you planning to go next?
  9. What is your favorite travel souvenir?
  10. What do you miss most about home when you travel?
  11. What is the one thing/travel gadget you cannot travel without?

I can’t wait to read your answers!  Happy Blogging!

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Image

The Uncles

The Uncles

Every time we go to a fish market or a restaurant with friends, we always seem to meet a friendly, older Taiwanese gentleman. Generally, these men have imbibed quite a bit, don’t speak much English, and insist you call them Uncle. They want to be your best friend for the evening. In order to do this, they will treat you to salmon sashimi, take shots of galien, and continually fill your glass with beer so you can “gambae” together.

Our Saturday night fish market outing was no exception. We met the Taiwanese man in the picture, whose name is Uncle Frank. He checked all of the above boxes and even offered to send over some mangoes to our apartment later on in the week. It seems we are always meeting such nice and interesting characters in Taiwan!

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May 21, 2013 · 2:03 am