BOLIVIA
Samaipata: Roasted squash with fried red onions and garlic over rice with toasted black and white sesame seeds. Washed down with fresh-squeezed lemonade.
La Paz: By no means Bolivian, but we had amazing Cuban sandwiches and mojitos at Sabor Cubano.
Potosi: K’alaphurka: a delicious maiz stew, filled with fava beans, vegetables, hot chilies, potatoes, chunks of roasted pork, spicy chorizo and crunchy pork cracklings, all cooked with a red-hot volcanic rock that is dropped in the ceramic bowl right before the soup is served.
PERU
Cusco: Gringo food! Roasted Mediterranean veggies, avocado and baked Parmesan cheese over mixed greens, and a mint lemonade. The perfect anecdote to five days of trek food.
Mollendo: Ceviche! Raw white fish marinated in lime juice and mixed with fish stock, red onion, cilantro, hot peppers and onions, served cold with the big, starchy Peruvian corn known as choclo.
ARGENTINA
Salta: Tamales, typical of Northern Argentina (and parts of Bolivia and Peru). Corn meal stuffed with meat and spices, then wrapped in a corn husk and steamed. Also made with cheese stuffing and called a humita. Served with spicy sauce and washed down with a local stout.
El Bolson, Patagonia: Homemade empanadas, typical everywhere in Argentina. Baked dough pockets usually filled with either cheese, or ground meat and spices. If you are lucky, you can find more original combinations, like these with creamed corn, onion and cheese. We helped make these with our volunteering host.
El Bolson, Patagonia: Purple Peruvian potatoes (which, strangely, we didn't try in Peru). Here steamed with turnips, carrots and sausage, tossed with butter and parsley. The potatoes are only mildly starchy, slightly sweet and freaking delicious.
CHILE
Baked Green-lipped Mussels in Garlic Butter, served with a glass of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, naturally.
Kaikoura: Pan-fried Paua, a New Zealand mollusk
AUSTRALIA
Eltham Valley, NSW: Roast leg of lamb with pears and champagne, home-cooked by our generous volunteering hosts Julie and James
Singapore: The perfect anecdote to the hot SE Asian weather: fresh coconut water, sipped straight from the fruit.
Singapore: I can't for the life of me remember what these are called, but they were delicious! Little savory pastry shells filled with bean sprouts, turnip, egg, fried tofu, peanuts, shrimp, cilantro and dark soy sauce, topped with sweet chili sauce.
Singapore: Our favorite meal in Singapore. Laksa, a rice noodle soup in a spicy coconut milk and seafood broth, topped with shrimp, cockles and bean sprouts. Accompanied by otah, a chili-infused mackerel and chive cake, wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled. All washed down with a Tiger beer, of course.
Singapore: Wonton noodles. Thin noodles and Chinese kale in a thick fish stock topped with sliced sweet and spicy barbequed pork, hand-rolled pork dumplings and fresh chives. I was halfway through the dish before I remembered to take a picture, but it looked as lovely as it tasted.
Kuala Lumpur: Grilled corn on the cob, doused in green curry-heated coconut milk. I'll never be able to go back to butter and salt.
Penang: Self serve steamboat kebabs. Color-coded sticks of meat, seafood, dumplings, veggies and several unidentifiables, all to be dunked in a communal pot of boiling broth before being devoured with one of three dipping sauces.
Luang Prabang: Khao Soi. An intensely flavorful version of the typically Asian noodle soup. Made with flat rice noodles in a thick, porky broth with pulled BBQ pork, ground pork, lemongrass, scallion and garlic. Served with fresh herbs, chilies and green beans, and the secret ingredient to all that flavor: fermented bean paste, a sweet and spicy mix that packs a punch of unique taste.
Luang Prabang: Upscale snack plate, the gourmet versions of the snacks we found at most street stands. Grilled pumpkin seeds, fried mushrooms, bamboo shoots and bananas, rice cakes, flat papadam and the most interesting: fried riverweed -similar to seaweed- from the Mekong studded with garlic and sesame seeds and topped with a spicy paste of chili and dried buffalo skin.
Luang Prabang: White rose. A delicate, subtle steamed shrimp dumpling topped with fried garlic and shallots.
Hanoi: Beef and papaya salad. This was our typical beer-house meal. A fresh, spicy salad of green papaya, fresh herbs, carrot, peanuts, chilies and a citrusy dressing topped with dried beef. A perfect meal to prepare the stomach for countless "bia" or Vietnamese beers.
Kathmandu: Tongba, a warm Nepalese/ Tibetan beer made from fermented millet. Hot water is added to the fermented grains at the bottom of the little barrel and is drunk through a straw that is closed at the bottom and perforated on the sides, allowing the imbiber to drink the liquid without consuming the millet.
Everywhere: Dal Baht, Nepal's national dish. Warm lentil soup served with rice, curried vegetables, pickled chilies, often some kind of leafy greens, and a crispy papadam. To eat, the lentils are poured over the rice, mixed with the other ingredients and typically eaten with one's hands. We requested forks.
Horcon: Paila- Chilean seafood stew
NEW ZEALAND
Kaikoura: Grilled New Zealand Crayfish, also called Rock Lobster
Havelock (The Mussel Capital of the World): Steamed Green-Lipped Mussels
Baked Green-lipped Mussels in Garlic Butter, served with a glass of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, naturally.
Kaikoura: Pan-fried Paua, a New Zealand mollusk
AUSTRALIA
Sydney: Harry's famous Steak Pie with mashed potatoes and mashed peas at the Cafe de Wheels
Eltham Valley, NSW: Finger lime, a locally-grown citrus that contains little cavier-like balls of juice instead of pulp
Eltham Valley, NSW: Roast leg of lamb with pears and champagne, home-cooked by our generous volunteering hosts Julie and James
Queensland: Custard Apple (known as chirimoya in South America), a sweet, custardy fruit, eaten with a spoon right out of the skin. One of the best things I've ever tasted.
SINGAPORE & MALAYSIA
Singapore: Tian Tian's Hainanese Chicken Rice: probably one of the most famous versions of Singapore's national dish. Moist, flavorful boned chicken over fluffy rice cooked in chicken broth, topped with the holy trinity of condiments: crushed ginger, spicy chili and garlic sauce, and dark sweet soy sauce. Simple, yet so tasty.
Singapore: The perfect anecdote to the hot SE Asian weather: fresh coconut water, sipped straight from the fruit.
Singapore: I can't for the life of me remember what these are called, but they were delicious! Little savory pastry shells filled with bean sprouts, turnip, egg, fried tofu, peanuts, shrimp, cilantro and dark soy sauce, topped with sweet chili sauce.
Singapore: Our favorite meal in Singapore. Laksa, a rice noodle soup in a spicy coconut milk and seafood broth, topped with shrimp, cockles and bean sprouts. Accompanied by otah, a chili-infused mackerel and chive cake, wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled. All washed down with a Tiger beer, of course.
Singapore: Wonton noodles. Thin noodles and Chinese kale in a thick fish stock topped with sliced sweet and spicy barbequed pork, hand-rolled pork dumplings and fresh chives. I was halfway through the dish before I remembered to take a picture, but it looked as lovely as it tasted.
Singapore: Durian fruit. The famous (or, depending who you ask, infamous) iconic fruit of SE Asia. You will smell it before you see it: a stench of sweet garbage left to rot in the hot sun. In my opinion, the taste isn't much better, but the locals love the stuff, putting it in everything from soft bean curd desserts to battered, deep-fried durian fritters. Bleugh.
Penang, Malaysia: Apom Manis, little griddle cakes stuffed with banana and coconut.
Kuala Lumpur: Grilled corn on the cob, doused in green curry-heated coconut milk. I'll never be able to go back to butter and salt.
Penang: Self serve steamboat kebabs. Color-coded sticks of meat, seafood, dumplings, veggies and several unidentifiables, all to be dunked in a communal pot of boiling broth before being devoured with one of three dipping sauces.
THAILAND
Bangkok: River prawns in chu chee curry sauce from Chote Chitr, a Bangkok restaurant and foodie destination
Bangkok: Mango and sticky rice with coconut syrup.
Bangkok: Papaya salad. Julienned green papaya mixed with red onion, garlic, hot chilies, tomato, flash-cooked green beans, dried shrimp, lime and peanuts. Fresh, acidic, salty and spicy.
MYANMAR
Nyuang U, Inle Lake: Street snack. Chick pea dough filled with chives and chilies, fried in heavy iron molds. Served with a spicy dipping sauce and sesame seeds.
Everywhere: Typical Burmese meal: meat, fish or vegetable curry with all the fixings.
Yangon: Whole curried fish, coated with curry paste and deep fried. Served with a fresh sauce of tomatoes, onions and cilantro with lime.
CAMBODIA
Phnom Penh: Grilled squid at the market, served with fresh herbs, cucumber and spicy chili sauce.
Lazy Beach, Koh Rong Samloem: My go-to dish while at Lazy Beach. Fried marlin filet topped with a fresh salsa of chilies, shallots, garlic, ginger, scallion and lemon. Dear god, was it good.
Kampot: Kampot pepper crab. Kep crab steamed and served with lemongrass and fresh peppercorns from Kampot.
LAOS
Vientiene: BBQ fish and BBQ pork wraps (two separate dishes with the same accompaniments). BBQ'd meat served with lettuce, fresh herbs, scallions, cold noodles, cucumber, garlic, ginger, peanuts, tomato and two different dipping sauces. Each person takes a lettuce leaf, fills it with a variety of ingredients, rolls it up and eats it like a wrap. Fresh, flavorful and delicious. Washed down with the ubiquitous fresh coconut water, of course.
Luang Prabang: Khao Soi. An intensely flavorful version of the typically Asian noodle soup. Made with flat rice noodles in a thick, porky broth with pulled BBQ pork, ground pork, lemongrass, scallion and garlic. Served with fresh herbs, chilies and green beans, and the secret ingredient to all that flavor: fermented bean paste, a sweet and spicy mix that packs a punch of unique taste.
Luang Prabang: Upscale snack plate, the gourmet versions of the snacks we found at most street stands. Grilled pumpkin seeds, fried mushrooms, bamboo shoots and bananas, rice cakes, flat papadam and the most interesting: fried riverweed -similar to seaweed- from the Mekong studded with garlic and sesame seeds and topped with a spicy paste of chili and dried buffalo skin.
VIETNAM
Everywhere: Fresh fruit was ubiquitous throughout Southeast Asia. We were spoiled for choice with exotic fruits like dragonfruit and rambutan, in addition to the classics like fresh pineapple, papaya and mango.
Luang Prabang: White rose. A delicate, subtle steamed shrimp dumpling topped with fried garlic and shallots.
Hanoi: Beef and papaya salad. This was our typical beer-house meal. A fresh, spicy salad of green papaya, fresh herbs, carrot, peanuts, chilies and a citrusy dressing topped with dried beef. A perfect meal to prepare the stomach for countless "bia" or Vietnamese beers.
NEPAL
Kathmandu: Momo, a typical dish of Tibet, found everywhere in Nepal. Steamed or fried dumplings filled with everything from yak meat to vegetables to cheese. These were a mix of steamed and fried momo, filled with beef, chicken and onion, and spinach and cheese
Kathmandu: Tongba, a warm Nepalese/ Tibetan beer made from fermented millet. Hot water is added to the fermented grains at the bottom of the little barrel and is drunk through a straw that is closed at the bottom and perforated on the sides, allowing the imbiber to drink the liquid without consuming the millet.
Everywhere: Dal Baht, Nepal's national dish. Warm lentil soup served with rice, curried vegetables, pickled chilies, often some kind of leafy greens, and a crispy papadam. To eat, the lentils are poured over the rice, mixed with the other ingredients and typically eaten with one's hands. We requested forks.
SOUTH AFRICA
Knysna: Fresh oysters and white wine in Africa. Who knew?
