The most commonly asked question of a frequent traveler is “What is your favorite place?”
And that’s a hard question to answer. People who ask me what my favorite place is usually get a question back.
“My favorite place for what?”
But I understand it’s easiest to categorize information in list format, so if you’re really interested (and not just asking to be polite), I’m going to be writing multiple posts about my “favorite” things.
This post is about my four favorite plates/new food experiences.
In order to make the list, these things had to be new to me since October, 2009
Caveat: EVERYTHING I ate in India I loved. Even the Pani Puri was good (it’s a crunchy thing filled with a very thin curry/mint flavored sauce that seems to explode when you put it in your mouth.) The same goes for almost everything I ate in Thailand.
So in the interest of keeping this post short,
Patacones (Ecuador)
Plantain is such a versatile plant. Patacones are simply sliced, smashed, and fried plantain, lightly salted. Awesome and simple.
Chiang Mai noodles (Thailand)
The city of Chiang Mai is known for a specific kind of dish which has noodles in it, and then has fried noodles on top which give it this awesome crunch. It includes shallots and cilantro and a bunch of other pure goodness.
Paneer Butter Masala (India)
In particular the one made by Bhavesh and Pravin’s mom in Mumbai was my favorite, but also the one at Jaiwana Haveli in Udaipur. I knew paneer existed, but the one we had in Mumbai on Carrie’s 30th birthday amazed me because I didn’t know that cheese could be both solid and schmelzy at the same time, and absorb so many amazing flavors from the masala used to flavor it.
Kumara Fries, Ginger Beer, and Feijoas (New Zealand)
Okay, that’s three things, but whatever – these were all new to me in New Zealand. Kumara is a kind of sweet potato that gets turned into what Americans call fries (what the Brits call “chips”). Ginger beer is the best from a restaurant called Dux Delux in Christchurch. Feijoas only grow during March/April – but I’m shocked they’re not more known.
There are so many more delicious items to add to this list. So I’m stopping now. Those are my four (6) favorite (new) food experiences since October 2009.
(Pictures coming soon.)