i will not post accompanying pictures, since its a long post!
25. octopus: especially baby octopus, deep fried with tartar or marinara sauce, or simply in a salad, yum!! it might not look very appealing in the raw, but when cooked the taste is heavenly.
24. gazelle meat: in my meat eating days i was pretty adventurous with the meat i tried. and gazelle or dear meat was exquisite! very woody kinda earthy taste, dark meat, cooked to perfection with red potatoes and gravy.. num!
23. Lobster: this sweet meat has to be eaten at least once before one moves on! its light, sweet, succulent, and simple.
22. sushi: sushi must be my favorite, even though i dont eat red meat or white, i love seafood! and i crave every once in a while, and usually in the form of sushi. i do not appreciate sashimi but sushi is amazing, especially with a heavy dose of wasabi! Yum!
21. hot dog from a street cart! lol i dont think there’s anything better than that! warm bread, all the toppings one would wish, and the great outdoors! (for those of you in the states, dont take that delicacy for granted!)
20. curry: i think the indian cuisine is one of the best if not the ultimate best in rich, colourful, spicey aromatic foods. and curry being the king of all food, best if eaten in south india, or southern indian restaurants, coz they make the best curries ever!
19. spanish paella: paella is a unique ‘saucepan’ dish from spain, that is both spicey and very de-lish however made! usually its a mix of rice, meat, seafood, vegetables, beans, and spices cooked together with meat/veggie stock and chili paste, you can be creative with the ingredients, or even cook it vegetarian!
18. mexican mole: bit of a wierd combination, but its a sauce made of chile and chocolate served over meat! it tastes great whatever the meat used is.. i like the idea of chocolate with salty foods, it makes it more interesting, like in the french cuisine they have an amazing dish of grilled fish and white choc sauce.
17. authentic wood fired oven baked pizza: this is my ultimate favorite! even more than wood fire ovens, i love pizza made on charcoal (like the turkish pizza) that is a must try (and a sure instant love)!
16. sweet potato: as a main dish or dessert, sweet potato is a delicious veggie that is versatile and goes nicely with lamost all cuisines. i personally like it as sweet potato tempura, or sweet potato pie, but many mash it instead of normal potatoes as it is lower in carb and is suitable for ppl following the GI diet.
15. chowder soup: my favorite type of soup, its chunky, thickened with crackers, its got a creamy base (usually made out of milk, skimmed milk can be used also, hurrah!) the most famous chowder soup is clam chowder, but i personally love potato, corn or mixed vegetable chowder soup more. healthy, chunky, and so good in the cold days!
14. miso soup: or ‘dashi’ is a traditional Japanese soup made out of miso paste some add tofu, some add veggies, the variations are vast but the base is one. a very healthy Japanese snack or side dish, and i think everyone should try it at least once in their lifetime..
13. lucky # 13 is paneer: most famous in indian/persian cuisine. the non melting, non fat cheese cubes incorporated in many vegetarian dishes and i personally love the indian use of paneer in dishes like paneer makhni or dingri mattar paneer.. once tried, you will fall in love instantly!
12. salted lassi: keeping with the indian cuisine, also widely drunk in pakistan and neighbouring south asian countries, is lassi. i love the salted one more than the sweet one coz it makes more sense! its simply yoghurt mixed with a bit of water, salt, pepper, cumin seeds, and sometimes milk and lemon juice. perfect for summer days!
11. pumpkin hummus: this is a great chinese take on the traditional middle eastern hummus! and it is a must try. no regrets there i assure you…
10. durian fruit: the notorious foul smelled fruit that has been banned from buses, hotels, and hospitals in many asian countries, in fact some countries may fine you if you get into a cab or a bus with a durian fruit in your lap! it is a creamy sweet tasting fruit, if you can get past its horrible smell, it tastes like.. vanilla pudding! Durian is also known for its healthy benefits as it cures insomnia, OCD, suicidal depression, parkinson’s disease, PMS, and also can curb a glutton appetite since its rich in proteins and minerals and very filling.
9. dragon fruit: funky color! and tastes amazing. also very healthy and is known to reduce weight and reverse diabetes type 2 if eaten regularly. i love the scent and color of it more than my love for its taste to be frank!
8. rambutans: the overall image isnt so appealing and one may take time to figure out how to tackle it, but once you get there, oh wow the sweetest, silkiest, and most refreshing fruit ever is just waiting! One of my favorites and although i sometimes wish it did not have a seed (flaky skinned seed that you should avoid at all costs when digging into a rambutan) but still is one of my faves!
7. freshly baked saj goodies: i love saj, especially in winter, freshly made before your eyes, with tons of zatar and cheese, and just baked to a perfect crunch! YUM! with mint tea and great company, this is prolly one of the (many) things i would love to eat right before i die! lol
6. pocky: a japanese snack simply being biscuit sticks dipped in chocolate or strawberry! i love them and the original ones should be tried at least once in a lifetime. recently the variations have become endless: cherry cream covered, almond bits and choc, coffee, toffee, banana and choc, vanilla, and the last i tried was an amazing Glico bitter chocolate pocky! Yum-eee! the japanese come up with the craziest stuff most of the time, but pocky, is a sane yet very addictive treat!
5. krispy kreme’s original glazed doughnut: ‘nuf said!
4. MacDonald’s Big Mac: again ‘nuf said!
3. freshly bakes ice cream cones: first, they smell alluring and drool inducing! secondly, they taste just out of this world when they’re fresh!
2. home grown tomatoes: there is nothing more fulfilling than picking up vegetable and fruits and legumes from your own back yard, but even more so if that home grown item is a red, rich, sweet, and juicy tomato! seriously, unbelievable.
1. choclate mousse cheesecake: this i bet women will agree with me on, but men will appreciate since its the most sinful item of food that you can ever sink your teeth into! actually u will not need to use teeth for this as it melts so seductively in your mouth infusing all that (fat) rich taste.. ahhhh! beautiful!
this is my list, feel free to add or even make up your own!
enjoy good food, be adventurous, try new things, especially in their native country, try to stay healthy with your choices, at least most of the time 😉 you can always indulge every once in a while..
Pandima's Box 