Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2020 i National Geographic Traveller Food

Clarissa Wei While I’m a Los Angeles native, I’ve always had a strong connection to Taiwan, the island where my ancestors come from. I now live in the capital city, Taipei and am enjoying the ample access to fresh bamboo, ferns and tropical fruits. This island is both beautiful and lush, and the streets absolutely teem with good eats. TAIPEI, P 102 Jenny Linford Britain’s cheeses reflect its landscape and history in a very rich, interesting and delicious way. It was a pleasure to talk to key players in the British cheese scene about this food we all love so much. I knew the interviews would make me crave good cheese, so I made sure to stock up beforehand. CHEESE, P 48 Liz Dodd I learned more about veganism on…

BUTTERMILK One of the keys to juicy and tender fried chicken is a lengthy soak in buttermilk, before dredging and frying. Not only does the buttermilk help the coating adhere to the chicken, but the acidity helps to tenderise the proteins in the chicken. FRYING Use the largest cast iron frying pan you own. The heft of it means it retains heat well, holding an even cooking temperature throughout the frying process. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, you can use a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan or a dutch oven. SAUCE To cut through the richness of fried chicken, it helps to serve it with a sauce or glaze that brings some heat, sweetness and acidity to the party. A piri piri glaze is the perfect complement, but…

One of the first wines to capture my imagination was cahors, from southwest France, where it’s known as ‘black wine’ because of the intensity of its colour. It seems a shame, therefore, that there’s now a tendency for producers from the region to put the name of the grape front and centre on their labels, rather than that of the region. The reason? Cahors wines must have a minimum of 70% malbec, and they’re hoping to capitalise on the grape’s growing popularity. Despite the malbec grape being native to this part of France and having a long history in local winemaking, it’s primarily associated with Argentina, the world’s biggest exporter of malbec wine. The variety found in the South American country — to which malbec cuttings were imported, via Chile,…

My mum’s a great cook. I grew up eating bucketloads of South Indian and Sri Lankan food. My main memory is mutton curry with white rice, dhal and maybe some cabbage or spinach. I’m vegan now, but back then I ate a lot of meat and that dish was the thing we’d always get excited about. In Sri Lankan food, you also have ‘short eats’ (small snacks) — vade and stufflike that. Dosa, too. She used to make all that. I recently learnt to cook Sri Lankan food. My mum gave me — for the first time ever — the full recipe for her vegetable curry. We went over for lunch and my mum and I made all the Sri Lankan stuffourselves. She was over the moon. She’d been waiting years…

“Have I helped to change people’s understanding of Russian flavours? Yeah, I think so,” says Evgeny Vikentev. “I’ve had a lot of people come up to me after dinner and tell me, ‘Evgeny, that was super-interesting. We thought Russian cuisine was just pelmeni [dumplings].’” The chef set up his St Petersburg restaurant, Hamlet + Jacks, in 2015, with friends Evgeniy Litvyak, Evgeniy Khitkov, Evgeniy Tonkov and Hamlet Movsisya. He’s part of a new generation of chefs spearheading a movement in Russian gastronomy, using local ingredients and modern techniques to push boundaries and change perceptions of the country’s cuisine. Located a short walk from Nevsky Prospect, St Petersburg’s main shopping street, Hamlet + Jacks is a slick, industrial-style restaurant. You won’t spot pelmeni or borscht on the menu here — instead,…

BRONWEN PERCIVAL Cheese buyer, Neal’s Yard Dairy Thoughtful, curious and articulate, Bronwen Percival occupies a special role in Britain’s cheese world. She works as a buyer and technical manager for Neal’s Yard Dairy — the micro-dairy turned artisan cheese retailer founded by Randolph Hodgson in 1979. And her role involves working as closely as she can with the producers of the 60 cheeses they stock. Bronwen visits cheesemakers all over the UK, getting to know the cheeses she’s buying. It’s a practice first started by Hodgson, and is a time-consuming yet extremely important part of her job. “It would be super-easy just to pick up the phone,” she explains. “But there’s no better way to maintain our connection than to set foot on the farm, taste through the batches of…

When creating a cheeseboard, it’s best to have a mixture of styles. So says Hero Hirsh, head of retail at Paxton & Whitfield, the 223-year-old cheesemonger that has shops in London, Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon. Hero believes it’s best to choose a variety of hard, blue, washed rind and soft cheeses, covering a range of milks — cow’s, goat’s, ewe’s, buffalo’s — and age profiles. The cheeses should ideally be served simply, alongside plain crackers. If you want to be creative, you can put together themed boards, based on a country of origin or milk type. Always remember that cheeses should be served at room temperature rather than fridge-cold, as they’ll be at their most expressive this way. See right for Hero’s fantasy cheeseboard. paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk UK 1 Westcombe Cheddar A raw…

My story starts with wind and fire; born in Baku, Azerbaijan, a country of precious traditions and a magnificent passion for food. The first memory that comes to mind when I think about the start of my journey is my grandma in the kitchen, experimenting with recipes using the best hand-picked ingredients from the land. It is easy for me to see that my passion was born here – by connecting with authentic flavours from my childhood and learning about the land, I am able to serve a new type of love - the love for our planet @foodbydana_uk www.foodbydana.com…

Traditional picanterías are concerned only with lunch; they open at noon and continue to feed hungry guests until there’s nothing left to serve — usually by around 4-5pm. La Nueva Palomino is one of the most popular, always busy with boisterous groups of families, even during the week. On the menu you’ll find panceta de lechón al horno (roasted suckling pig belly) served with pastel de papa (a side dish of sliced potatoes baked in a mixture of milk and cheese). La Nueva Palomino is also known for its homemade chicha de guiñapo — a light and sweet fermented drink made with a local variety of purple corn that’s been brewed since pre-Inca times. Ornate sillar columns lead to La Benita de los Claustros — a modern take on a…

THE FOOD TOUR EAT THIS, SHOOT THAT “Santa Barbara doesn’t do chain restaurants — that’s not our jam,” says Tara Jones Haaf. “Downtown has about 400 restaurants, and pretty much all of them are family-owned.” The establishment we’re hovering outside isn’t open yet, but Tara has connections. On her Eat This, Shoot That tour she shows guests her favourite places to eat, offering food-photography tips and samples along the way. All our stops are in the Funk Zone, a district squeezed between the ocean and Highway 101, where once-derelict warehouses have evolved into restaurants, bars, boutiques and flats. Many of these former industrial buildings initially sprang up to serve the nearby train station, but as transporting goods by rail became less common, they fell out of use and artists moved…

In the English-Welsh borderlands, the ruins of Ludlow’s medieval castle are a clue that this pretty market town was once a political powerhouse: the administrative capital of Wales. It’s now part of south Shropshire, over on the English side, and has become as well-known for its gastronomy as its history and good looks. A rural setting close to bountiful Herefordshire, Worcestershire and the Welsh Marches ensures a year-round supply of quality produce, and as a result, many Ludlovians are passionate about championing ‘real’ food and independent businesses. Ludlow Food Festival was arguably the first of its kind in the country, established 25 years ago as a riposte to a proposed supermarket development nearby. The festival was put on hold for 2020, but for an outdoor foodie fix, try the Ludlow…

NATIONWIDE • ADAMHANDLING.CO.UK/HAME SHORYURAMEN.COM/DIYKITS DISHOOM.COM/BACON-NAAN-ROLL For much of this year, the UK’s restaurants have been coming up with innovative ways to diversify, whether by adding al fresco tables, launching takeaway services or creating meal kits that allow diners to prepare their signature dishes at home. The latter promises restaurant-quality food that wouldn’t travel well as a takeaway, in the comfort of your own home. Portioned up, and sometimes pre-cooked, the kits come ready to heat up and assemble. But is the semi-DIY approach better than a takeaway? I order a ganso tonkotsu ramen kit from Japanese restaurant Shoryu, which has branches in London, Manchester, Oxford and Japan. Although a ramen fan, I’ve never been tempted to make a 12-hour bone broth from scratch, so this is the perfect compromise. Following…

MARLOW, B UCKINGHAMSHIRE • THEHANDANDFLOWERS.CO.UK If it’s possible for a business to embody a person, The Hand & Flowers must surely be Tom Kerridge in bricks and mortar. The chef’s personal brand is about generosity and informality, and in the pretty village of Marlow, he’s created a pub to match. The menu is strong on comfort food, a descriptor that, in the wrong context, could be seen as a slight — an implication of flavour without refinement — but is intended as anything but. The dishes are crowd-pleasers (fish pie; steak and chips) made with a level of care that seeps into the presentation — as you’d expect from a two-Michelin-starred pub. Take the lamb bun, which looks like an upturned toffee apple, glossy and round with a bone sticking…

I’VE BEEN READING… Noble Rot: Wine from Another Galaxy. This hefty hardback goes down smoothly, tackling almost every aspect of the wine world in a personable and accessible way. Written by Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew, co-founders of both the magazine and restaurant, it’s an ideal Christmas present. £30, Quadrille. Glen Mutel, editor I’VE BEEN USING… Fresh wasabi, grown by The Wasabi Company on its Dorset and Hampshire farms. The fresh stuff packs a lot more punch than paste from a tube, and I’ve been adding it to everything from homemade sushi to potato salad. Nicola Trup, deputy editor I’VE BEEN DINING AT… The Dairy Bermondsey. The restaurant recently moved from Clapham to a spacious new home on Tower Bridge Road, and its menu champions creative, seasonal dishes. Standouts include…

Once you become interested in cheese, it’s so easy to completely lose yourself to it. And things can move quickly — one minute you’re breaking offbits of cheddar from the block in the fridge, the next, you’re buying aged comté and gruyère just for the tyrosine crystals. Like many others, I was once put offby both the taste and texture of cheese, but slowly grew into a borderline obsessive. But this isn’t just a tale of a maturing palate, for I feel I’m now hooked by the entirety of it: the traditions, the variations, the geography, the backstories, the possibilities of new discoveries — that sense of satisfaction that comes from enjoying a variety you once despised. At my local deli, the list of artisan cheeses reads like a roll…

I first ‘discovered’ kohlrabi in southern Sweden while I was running my first restaurant, in the coastal town of Helsingborg. The area is where much of Sweden’s root vegetable, cabbage and kohlrabi crop is cultivated. Part of the same family of brassicas as broccoli, cauliflower, kale and brussels sprouts, kohlrabi is a fantastic vegetable that’s popular in Germany and Central Europe. It grows above ground, but bears some resemblance to a turnip, with a bulbous green or purple stem and crunchy, white flesh that can be eaten raw or cooked. I prefer to keep it simple, letting the natural sweetness and crisp texture speak for itself. Flavour-wise, when raw, kohlrabi could be compared to celery or radish, and when cooked it’s milder and sweeter. The British kohlrabi season runs from…

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER FOOD THE PERFECT GIFT THIS CHRISTMAS A PRINT AND DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION With Christmas just around the corner, National Geographic Traveller Food has the perfect gift idea: buy a subscription to the print and digital editions of the magazine today, for yourself or for a loved one, and get a year’s worth of issues for just £10. Packed with authentic experiences, vivid photography and insights into the world’s cuisines, this is the ideal magazine for anyone who travels with a healthy appetite. JUST £ 10 FOR 4 ISSUES 4 ISSUES FOR £10 SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND YOU’LL GET: • FREE DELIVERY OF THE PRINT EDITION TO YOUR DOOR • IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO DIGITAL EDITIONS • HUGE SAVINGS ON THE SHOP PRICE • FULL ACCESS TO THE WEBSITE • 4…

CYPRUS A semi-hard, unripened, brined cheese, made from a mixture of fatty goat’s and sheep’s milk (sometimes even cow’s), halloumi has become a hipster salad staple — sliced, cubed, grilled, barbecued or fried, it always delivers a celebratory, salty squeak. You’ll find it on menus all over the island, while the halloumi sold loose in Cypriot stores is a palpable step up from what UK palates are use to. visitcyprus.com WHERE TO START: Anogyra Village, in the Troodos Mountains, where you can sample squeaky treats at a dairy farm, then to the tiny village of Letymbou to see halloumi made in the house of local cheese legend Mrs Sofia. Tours available at gastronomycyprus.com EMILIA-ROMAGNA, ITALY Parmesan cheese, Parma ham, fresh egg pasta and balsamic vinegar — superstar Italian products that…

The Tahi estate, situated in a secluded corner of Northland, New Zealand, is literally buzzing with wildlife. It’s here that Tahi produces 14 di_ erent kinds of ethical honeys, which, thanks to New Zealand’s warm, subtropical climate and abundance of manuka flowers, all have their own unique flavour. The eco-retreat, spanning almost 800 acres, began life as a run-down cattle farm and was eventually transformed into a nature sanctuary teeming with flora. Here, guests can explore the area’s vast parklands, learn how they can become more eco-conscious in their day-to-day lives and, of course, sample Tahi’s award-winning honey. A founding member of The Long Run — a membership organisation of ecoforward tourism ventures — Tahi gives all of its profits to wildlife conservation e_ orts and the local community. Because…

I pinch a slice of straw-yellow cheese between my thumb and index finger, sending flurries of crumbs to my balsamic-splattered plate below. Like a rough diamond plucked straight from Northern Italy’s green pastures, my 36-month Parmigiano Reggiano sparkles with tyrosine crystals and oozes with scents of nutmeg, dried fruit and thick, meaty stock. It’s flavoursome punch is salty but sweet, sharp but smooth, earthy but light. A PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) product since 1996, Parmigiano Reggiano is made within a geographical area so specific that a dairy on the wrong side of Bologna wouldn’t make the cut. In fact, a hard cheese can only legally be called Parmigiano Reggiano (or Parmesan, as it’s known outside Italy) if it was produced in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna…

Dadaocheng is one of the oldest districts in Taipei, home to a lively tea export industry in the 17th century. The architecture here features a fascinating mix of baroque, Chinese and Japanese influences. Start the day at Dihua Street, the oldest street in the city, and grab breakfast at Old Noodle Shop, a champion of hot sesame noodles. Afterwards, cross the street to try your luck at Xiahai City God Temple, which houses more than 600 statues of deities and is popular among those praying to find love. Right next door is Yongle Fabric Market, the largest of its kind on the island. As well as a vast array of fabrics and haberdashery in various colours and styles, you’ll find a busy wet market on the first floor. Stay on…

What sparked your interest in Central Asia? I worked in London as a bookseller, and to earn some extra money I got a job with a travel company based in Hong Kong, which was publishing lots of guidebooks on Central Asia. I worked on one focused on Tajikistan, and in 2009 I decided to go. It was incredible, especially since there were hardly any tourists back then. I started travel writing to fund more trips. How did you make the leap to food writing? The guidebooks I worked on always made out the food [in Central Asia] was terrible. I was so disappointed with this myth, because that hadn’t been my experience. When I ate in people’s houses, the food was amazing, and the markets were full of fantastic produce.…

THE NUMBER OF TAIWANESE TEAHOUSES CLAIMING TO HAVE INVENTED BUBBLE TEA. HANLIN TEA ROOM, IN TAINAN, AND CHUN SHUI TANG, IN TAICHUNG, ARE LOCKED IN DISPUTE OVER WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA. 17th The century in which tea was first introduced to Europe. The Dutch brought it over to Holland from China via a trading post on the island of Java. 1831 The year Twinings created the Earl Grey blend, which was requested by, and named after, the then prime minister. Earl Grey comes with a distinctive twist of citrusy bergamot. 2737BC The year Emperor Shen Nong of China accidentally ‘discovered’ tea. According to legend, the leaf of a wild tea plant fell into his pot as he was boiling water, and he enjoyed the taste. 2.8% THE FALL…

Under the shade of an awning, Rosine Bekoin leans over a fire, stirring a pan of roasting cacao beans — the main raw ingredient of chocolate. A rich, fruity scent rises into the air. Around her, 10 other women sing as they pound roasted beans into cocoa powder using 3ft-long pestles. Some, like Rosine, are in jeans and T-shirt, others in colourful wraps. They caramelise sugar over a fire, mix in pounded cacao, nutmeg and homemade palm oil, then roll the thick paste across a table to cool — a process known as tempering. As the chocolate hardens in the sun, Rosine cuts it into bars, ready for sale. The end product is a work in progress, but is caramel-sweet with a crispy texture, rather like hard-baked biscuits — and…

What are the different varieties of baharat, and can they be made at home? Anissa Helou: The word ‘baharat’ in Arabic means ‘spices’, and unless you’re referring to Tunisian baharat (a mix of ground cinnamon and dried rose petals) the word simply describes spice mixes generally, rather than specific blends. Under the baharat umbrella you have mixtures, such as seven spice (Lebanon and Syria), b’zar (throughout the Gulf), ras el hanout (Morocco), advieh (Iran) and hawayej (Yemen). Each is made with a different combination of spices and has variations to suit particular ingredients or dishes. Advieh can be made in several different ways. One recipe consists of rose petals, pistachio, cinnamon, raw cane sugar, cardamom and saffron and is used in delicate rice dishes, including jewelled rice. Another contains cumin,…

I grew up in India, in a Gujarati family, and while I eat everything, it’s a vegetarian culture. One of the biggest sources of protein for vegetarians there is cheese — and by this, I mean paneer. Unlike fattier, more processed Western cheese, which there’s no tradition of in India, paneer is pretty healthy, and works well in curries. It adds that element of richness that reminds me of things I grew up eating: palak paneer, creamed with spinach; paneer makhana, the cheese equivalent of chicken tikka masala; mutter paneer, which is with peas; and paneer bhurji — a bit like scrambled eggs but with paneer. Paneer is traditionally made with buffalo’s or cow’s milk. Unlike in Europe, where cheese is a catch-all term for combinations of bacteria in milk,…

My shoes squelch in mud as we stand on a grassy bank, waiting for Himioa, or Himi as he’s better known, to coax the hīnaki out of the lake. The hīnaki — a cylindrical, woven rope pot — slinks unhappily from the water, empty. It was laid last night in the hope of trapping a freshwater eel. “I expected this,” Himi says, laughing. “The moon has been too bright for them.” Native longfin eel, or ‘tuna’ as they’re known by Māori, are a traditional source of food, though numbers have dwindled in New Zealand's Lake Aniwhenua and Rangitaiki River due to dams disrupting their migration and breeding patterns. Himi Nuku is involved in a conservation effort to preserve the fish for future generations, manually transporting them from one end of…

For a long while, British food didn’t have the best reputation. Accusations of blandness and overcooking may occasionally have been justified, but some of the criticism of our national cuisine might have been a simple matter of vocabulary. To the uninitiated, the names of dishes such as toad in the hole and spotted dick sound ambiguous at best, and unappealing at worst. Steak and kidney pie, however, is a much more literal proposition. It’s clear at a glance what you’ll find under the pastry lid, and while some offal-avoiders might not be keen on the idea of kidneys, for aficionados, they’re the best part. Gary Rhodes, the chef who perhaps did more than any other to revive interest in such traditional food, referred to steak and kidney pie as “that…

1. WHY HAVEN’T I HEARD ABOUT THEM? Because they’re unequivocally Brazilian, indigenous to central and southern parts of the country. These thick-skinned, dark purple berries have an extremely short shelf life and begin to ferment three to four days after being picked, making them di cult to export anywhere else. 2. WHERE DO THEY GROW? Getting hold of these berries is no easy feat. They’re native to three states — Minas Gerais, Goiás and São Paolo — and in season for just a few weeks of the year. The way they grow is particularly striking; you’ll find them smothering the tree trunk rather than appearing among the leaves. 3. WHY ARE THEY SO RARE? The jabuticaba tree only thrives in a subtropical climate, and in rich, well-drained soil. Once planted,…

A sleepy island perched on the far western edge of the Pacific, Taiwan has a rather unusual national identity. Its formally called the Republic of China, and while it regards itself as its own country, it’s not recognised as such by mainland China. And over the centuries, there’s been much debate about what it means to be Taiwanese. The island has experienced several waves of colonisation — by the Dutch, the Chinese and the Japanese — and prior to that it was inhabited by indigenous tribes of Malay-Polynesian descent. The fascinating side effect of this mixed cultural heritage is a dynamic food scene, which can be readily experienced in the capital city, Taipei. Here, Japanese-style tea houses sit between skyscrapers, and night markets snake around the perimeter of elaborate Chinese…

In the primrose-speckled meadows of France’s Jura Mountains, comté has been lovingly made for more than 1,000 years. A true product of the region, it brings together farmers, producers and sellers, each of whom plays their part in producing a versatile cheese that’s unique from one wheel to the next. Every stage of the cheese’s journey adds a new element to its incredible diversity of flavour profiles — from creamy and nutty to spicy and fruity — which has helped comté become one of France’s most beloved cheeses. 1 The terroir All excellent cheeses start with the landscape, and in line with strict regulations to ensure the highest quality, comté can only be made from the milk of either Montbéliard or Simmental cows, which graze in the Jura’s picturesque pastures.…

OUR PICK FLAVOUR Yotam Ottolenghi & Ixta Belfrage The final instalment of Plenty — a trilogy of books celebrating vegetarian cooking — sees Yotam Ottolenghi team up with his test kitchen head chef, Ixta Belfrage. Having travelled extensively through Europe and Latin America, selftaught Belfrage injects the book with techniques and flavours (think infused oils and heaps of chilli heat) from Brazil, Mexico, France and Italy. Together, the pair have produced a collection of more than 100 vegetarian dishes that combine culinary traditions from around the world. Expect fusion dishes such as aubergine dumplings alla parmigiana, celeriac and goat’s cheese ‘tacos’, and spicy mushroom lasagne. To help budding chefs make the most of their ingredients, the book is split into three sections covering ‘process’ (with instructions on the art of…

Atelje Jorg Zupan, chef-owner of Atelje — the only restaurant in Ljubljana with a Michelin star — prides himself on a no-frills approach to cooking with Slovenian ingredients like sheep’s cheese and leer fish. The restaurant has ever-evolving menus and diners can choose between the seven-course Expressions or the nine-course Impressions tasting menus, or opt for a two-course lunch menu. restavracijaatelje.com Gostisce Gric The proud owner of a Michelin Sustainability Award, this family restaurant is set in a log cabin in the countryside, 12 miles from Ljubljana. Using produce from his organic farm, chef Luka Kosir serves dishes like smoked duck breast with accompaniments such as birch syrup. An advocate of pickling, salting and fermenting, Luka is also passionate about foraging for wild ingredients. Local meats and cheese are also…

What made you start a food blog? When I went on parental leave to raise my three daughters, I gave cooking lessons to Japanese clients and was impressed by how eager they were to learn about French cuisine. A few years later, I started my blog to share recipes and stories, and prove French cuisine can be affordable. Describe French food culture. It all starts with finding the best produce at the farmers’ market, chatting with the producer, then searching for a recipe. Finally, gathering friends or family to enjoy lovely moments together. Gastronomic heritage is still central, even in modern French cuisine. What are some of your favourite dishes to cook? Savoury tarts and quiches, because they have many adaptations. Also, vegetable dishes; like ratatouille or tian. Comforting winter…