Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2023/24 i National Geographic Traveller Food

Joanna Lobo I’m a proud Goan, and it thrills me to explore the food of my home state and showcase its diversity. I believe Goan cuisine is deserving of all the accolades. This story is an attempt to highlight the many vibrant and unique dining experiences in this small state, and stake a claim for why it’s one of the best cuisines in India. GOA, P 56 Zoey Goto Sometimes an individual can change the whole culture of a place. In South Dakota, Native American cook Matte Wilson is blazing a trail — reclaiming and reinterpreting a key part of his Indigenous culture by using the meat of reintroduced buffalo to create fusion dishes. BREAKING BREAD, P 66 Nicholas Gill I’ve been writing about the food in Lima for almost…

BROTH Making your own fish stock with shrimp shells and fish bones is well worth the effort. I season mine with a paste of garlic, white pepper, salt and coriander root — or, if I can’t find the latter, whole coriander stems and leaves. You can also add bouillon cubes for extra oomph. AROMATICS Cut the tips off the lemongrass, leaving about three quarters of the stalk. Wrap it in a paper towel and pound with a heavy object to bruise. Then, slice at an angle into 5cm lengths. I like to add smokiness by charring shallots in the wok and adding at the end. PRAWNS Small to medium prawns (shelled and deveined) are ideal for this dish because they nestle perfectly inside a soup spoon with a touch of…

I remember eating my first oyster. I was working for Gordon Ramsay and I’d never seen anything as beautiful as the colour of the shell, while the flavour was minerally — the taste of the ocean. They were once seen as peasant food but perceptions — as well as prices — have changed, and they’ve become a luxury. I’ve seen how time-consuming it is to grow them, though, so that’s largely what you’re paying for. It’s also worth noting they’re one of the most sustainable forms of seafood, as they store carbon, filter the water and protect the coastline. I love eating them raw, fresh from the water, with a squeeze of lemon, but equally, you can fry, poach or steam them. At my restaurant, we love to gently drop…

Often described as Lithuania’s national dish, these potato dumplings were originally known as didžkukuliai — they were renamed in the early 20th century as cepelinai, or zeppelins, because of their resemblance to the German airship. The dough is made from a mix of cooked and raw potatoes and traditionally incorporated potato starch from the cooking water as a binding agent. For simplicity, cornflour or potato flour are used here instead. Any leftovers will freeze well. SERVES: 4 TAKES: 1 HR 45 MINS INGREDIENTS 3kg starchy potatoes, peeled 1 tbsp and 2 tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning 2 tsp lemon juice 3 tbsp cornflour or potato flour salad, to serve FOR THE FILLING 20g dried mushrooms (such as porcini or ceps), soaked in 500ml boiling water for 20 mins, then…

‘Fusion’ is a word Mory Sacko has banned from his vocabulary. “We don’t blend gastronomies — it’s more of a dialogue between different cultures,” he says of Mosuke, his first restaurant, which opened its doors in Paris in 2020. French, African and Japanese cuisines are on the menu and each dish is a triptych of ingredients, flavours and textures. “It’s a cuisine that doesn’t exist anywhere else, because through it I’m telling my own story,” Sacko says. And it’s a story he wears on his sleeve — literally. At work, he dresses in the white jacket traditionally worn by French chefs, but he’s had it customised: it’s adorned with African wax print motifs, and instead of a classic double-breasted design, it wraps around like a Japanese kimono. Sacko was the…

This dish of bratwurst cooked in a vinegary broth is typical of Franconia. It’s often made using a combination of vinegar and wine, but this version uses red wine vinegar. SERVES: 4 TAKES: 25 MINS INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp oil 2 onions, cut into ½ cm pieces 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into ½ cm pieces 100g celeriac, peeled and cut into ½ cm pieces 2 tsp icing sugar 4 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 litre chicken stock 1 tsp juniper berries 1 tsp allspice berries 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tbsp peppercorns 1 small bay leaf 1 tbsp sugar 500g Franconian bratwurst sausages 1-2 stems parsley nutmeg, to season farmhouse bread or Bavarian soft pretzels, to serve METHOD 1 Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions,…

Central & Kjolle Taking the number-one spot in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2023 is Central, with its ecosystem-based tasting menu charted by altitude. Sister restaurant Kjolle, on the same Barranco block, wasn’t placed far behind, and uses many of the same native ingredients in a more freewheeling menu. Try the ‘muchos tubérculos’, a tart made from raw and cooked Andean tubers. centralrestaurante.com.pe kjolle.com Astrid y Gastón Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio’s flagship restaruant is set in a historic San Isidro hacienda and has been revolutionising Latin American fine dining since it opened in 1994. It continues to break new ground with seasonal tasting menus that are based on the finest native ingredients. astridygaston.com Mayta Restauranteur Jaime Pesaque’s flagship establishment serves some of Lima’s most beautifully presented dishes, using…

On the Kent coast, where the North Sea meets the English Channel, the historic town of Deal was at one time the busiest port in England. Today, though, it’s less dockyard and more seaside resort, popular with day-trippers and weekenders from London and beyond, who come for the pebble beach and pretty castle and stay for the town’s growing culinary scene. Deal Castle, which was commissioned by Henry VIII, is the town’s top tourist attraction. Work up an appetite exploring the picturesque grounds before you hit High Street in search of something to eat. For a quick snack, pick up a sausage roll or vegan pasty at modern independent cafe Hope & Lane (hopeandlane.com) and wash it down with an organic coffee. For something a little more substantial, slightly further…

Haemul pajeon (seafood and spring onion jeon) is one of the most beloved varieties of jeon (fritter) in Korea — as evidenced by the sheer number of restaurants specialising in this particular dish. The fresh seafood and spring onions make a delicious pairing. The Dongnae region of Busan, in the south of the country, is particularly famous for its haemul pajeon. The Korean pancake mix used here can be found online, as well as in specialist supermarkets in the UK. SERVES: 4 TAKES: 40 MINS INGREDIENTS FOR THE SEAFOOD 120g cleaned squid (around ½ squid) 8 prawns, peeled, deveined and minced 200g shucked oysters, minced ½ tsp minced garlic FOR THE BATTER 2 eggs, separated 125g Korean pancake mix 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sesame oil FOR THE JEON 4…

Savoy cabbage is one of my favourite leafy vegetables, and this is a delicious way to enjoy it. When I was a child, my mum would regularly make it for after-school meals, accompanied by rice and chicken or meat curry. I love the mild flavour of the cabbage, accented by subtle spices with the aromas of fresh coriander, panch phoron and green chillies. In my opinion, the egg stirred through at the end makes this dish sublime. SERVES: 6, AS A SIDE TAKES: 20 MINS INGREDIENTS 4 tbsp vegetable oil ⅓ tsp panch phoron (Bengali five-spice) 1 garlic clove, crushed ½ medium onion, finely sliced 1 tsp salt ¾ tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground cumin 1 savoy cabbage, halved and finely shredded 2 medium eggs small handful of fresh…

During lockdown, I had a recurrent fantasy — I’d dream of sitting in a pub with a pint of stout. Of all the elements of daily life we were denied throughout those uncertain months, this, it seemed, was what I was missing the most: being in a convivial — and preferably traditional — space with a pint of something hard to pour at home. While the UK’s pubs are obviously no longer subject to Covid restrictions, they’re currently enduring a different kind of hardship — faced with rising energy and food prices, staff shortages and high rents, they’re closing at a worrying rate. If the pandemic made many of us long for the pub, the threat of losing our locals has really brought home just how important they are. Fortunately,…

Of all the types of food that are paired with wine, cheese has perhaps the strongest association. But is it really the soulmate it’s made out to be? Well, it is and it isn’t — it all depends on the type of cheese. And, of course, the style of wine. The conventional wisdom is that cheese goes particularly well with red wine, and if you’re looking for a wine to drink with a cheeseboard then, yes, a red is probably your best bet, particularly at this time of year. Does it matter which? Well, it’s obviously a matter of taste but generally I find medium-bodied reds with soft, smooth tannins work better than either heavily oaked blockbuster cabernets or light reds, which can be overwhelmed by stronger cheeses. My favourite…

From Jewish latkes to Korean gamja-jeon, potato pancakes and fritters are enjoyed across the globe. Made from mashed or grated potatoes, they’re eaten plain or seasoned with herbs and spices, then finished with sweet or savoury toppings. Deep-fried maakouda are a popular street food in Morocco and Algeria, eaten on their own or as a filling in sandwiches with anything from aubergine or sardines to a simple tomato sauce. They’re also commonly cooked at home and served alongside soup. Here, the mashed potatoes are flavoured with turmeric, onion, garlic and fresh coriander or parsley. SERVES: 4 TAKES: 1 HR 5 MINS INGREDIENTS 5 white potatoes (around 1 kg total), unpeeled 1 small onion, grated 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 large egg 4 heaped tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or…

Bullinada, a traditional Catalonian fish soup, is made with potatoes and seafood such as fish, prawns and/or baby squid. It’s delicately flavoured with white wine, saffron, fennel, orange and chilli and finished with a swirl of garlicky mayonnaise. This version uses fillets of white fish — cod cheeks are a good alternative if you can’t find hake or monkfish. The first two steps of the recipe can be completed ahead of time, then the final stages can be done shortly before serving. SERVES: 6 TAKES: 40 MINS INGREDIENTS 1 large onion, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 8 garlic cloves, of which 6 finely chopped and 2 crushed good pinch of saffron threads 2 litres fish stock (use 3 fish stockpots) 100ml dry white wine 800g new potatoes, peeled and cut…

Q1 WHEN IS A PUB MORE THAN JUST A PUB? WITH THE BRITISH PUB SEEMINGLY IN DECLINE, A HANDFUL OF TOP CHEFS ARE ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM, BRINGING FRESH FLAVOURS TO YOUR LOCAL It’s a rainy Monday evening in mid-September in a pub in rural Somerset, yet every table is taken, with blackboard specials disappearing by the minute. What’s more, it’s been this way since April, when The Three Horseshoes, in Batcombe, reopened after a refurbishment. These days, the pub has celebrated New Zealand-born chef Margot Henderson at the helm — and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s appearing on numerous hot lists, thanks to its elevated comfort food, bucolic location and five chic bedrooms. But this success story is set against a far-from-rosy backdrop: quite simply, British pubs are in trouble. The figures…

Daybreak hesitates on the horizon as we make our bone-rattling journey across the prairies. Up ahead is a scene so majestic, even the shock of the 4am wake-up call suddenly loses its sting. Illuminated by the first mellow rays of buttery sunlight, a herd of over 1,000 mighty buffalo roams into view, a little overdressed for South Dakota’s balmy summer climate in thick woolly overcoats and Viking horns. The odd velvety muzzle nudges a wobbly legged calf, still far too trusting, away from our off-road buggy, which is parked just a short stampede away from the herd. But in general the dusty beasts just eyeball us coolly from under a thick fringe of eyelashes before nonchalantly carrying on with the task at hand — grazing the plains. It’s an epic…

“WELCOME TO THE OLDEST BRATWURST KITCHEN IN THE WORLD,” SAYS SOFIA HILLEPR ANDT, AS I DUCK BENEATH THE WOODEN CEILING BEAMS. “This wood was cut in 1379.” One of the beams has a cushion attached to it, no doubt because it’s concussed a patron or two. On the walls are weathered pots and pans, alongside knick-knacks and trinkets such as old beer mugs and faded portraits. Sofia runs Zum Gulden Stern, a 600-year-old bratwurst kitchen, or bratwurstküche, in the heart of Nuremberg’s Old Town. The building is so aged the brick facade leans inward, creating a simultaneously unnerving yet cosy ambiance, which pairs well with the open kitchen’s flaming grill. It’s just before noon and already the restaurant is buzzing with hungry diners. A few dozen sausages are sizzling on…

In Little Havana, Ball & Chain serves Cuban classics such as chicharrones (left) — fried pork rinds — and ropa vieja (previous page): shredded beef marinated in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers and onions. The Ball & Chain Trio (below) play at the restaurant throughout the week; Maraca-player Orestes isn’t hired by the restaurant, but he comes in every day to play, dance and pose for photos. Over in the Coconut Grove neighbourhood, Chug’s Diner dishes up duck croquetas with orange mustard, pickled onions and crackers (below left). South Beach’s ‘Deco Drive’, meanwhile, offers a taste of the tropics with art deco architecture and coconut palms lining the street (top left). The Cuban sandwich is arguably the community’s most iconic dish. Believed by some to have originated in Florida, it…

SEA FOOD SPECIAL FISKEKOMPANIET During Tromsø’s evocative midwinter nights, two very different worlds exist alongside each other. Outdoors, snowflakes drift to the ground as shadowy figures shuffle under the glow of streetlamps, their heads bowed as if a Lowry painting has sprung to life. Indoors, the warmth and colour is overwhelming, and smiles come easily when refuge is taken. My thaw takes place at Fiskekompaniet (‘The Fishing Company’), a waterside seafood restaurant with windows that stretch to the ceiling, offering a sublime view across the harbour. As evening falls, distant lights flare from a ghostly hillside and the spindly, lit-up legs of the Tromsø Bridge spider across a vast fjord. The frozen night lends an ethereal stillness to the scene. Fiskekompaniet has been serving up north Norwegian seafood since 1996,…

How did you come to write this book? I was born in 1984 in a city called Gumi, but grew up in Seoul. Until I moved to the UK in 2006, to work for The Ledbury [a London restaurant], I’d never known any other culture. Back then, young cooks didn’t want to work in a Korean restaurant — they wanted to learn about French or Italian food because that was fine dining. That was true for me, too. It was only when I started working in the UK, and later Australia and the US, that I realised how important it was to keep my Korean heritage. In the past few years, interest in Korean food has been growing, but there wasn’t anything that covered its history and culture. I wanted…

Gochujang (red chilli paste) seasoning goes well with pork, which has an inherently strong flavour and aroma. It’s common to stir-fry gochujang pork with an array of vegetables, but cooking the marinated meat by itself — as in this recipe — gives a deeper taste. If possible, cook over a charcoal grill for extra smoked flavour. SERVES: 2 TAKES: 30 MINS, PLUS AT LEAST 30 MINS MARINATING INGREDIENTS 3 tbsp gochujang (red chilli paste) 1 tbsp yangjo ganjang (naturally brewed soy sauce) 1 tbsp mirin 1 tbsp gochugaru (red chilli flakes) 1 tbsp light brown sugar 1 tbsp minced garlic ½ tbsp sesame oil ½ tbsp sesame seeds ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 400g pork belly or picnic shoulder, cut into 3mm-thick slices 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil METHOD…

CASTLE CARY, SOMERSET THENEWTINSOMERSET.COM The fifth cider is the charm. With its champagne-like mousse and tart-sweet finish, The Winston has the presence of the prime minister after which it’s named. What’s more, it’s conquered my cider-sceptic palate with its suitably zesty bombast. At The Newt’s Cyder Cellar bar and press, swallows dart through the eaves. From here, the view beyond the courtyard takes in the beautiful brick-walled parabola and much else. And there’s plenty to see across the estate’s 1,000 acres, from gardens and Victorian glasshouses to orchards and a canopy walkway, not to mention a butchery, bakery, two hotels, three restaurants and a reconstructed Roman villa. At the heart of it all lies Hadspen House, a palladian Georgian pile owned by South Africans Karen Roos and Koos Bekker. Under…

2 2bn The number of carrot seeds sown in Britain each year, producing over 700,000 tonnes of the vegetable 1940 THE YEAR THE NOTION THAT CARROTS HELP YOU SEE IN THE DARK WAS POPULARISED IN THE UK, A WARTIME RUSE TO CONCEAL THE FACT RADAR WAS BEING USED BY BRITISH PILOTS 16th The century in which the orange carrot was hybridised from the original red, purple, black, yellow and white in the Netherlands 85% PROPORTION OF THE UK POPULATION THAT LIKE CARROTS, ACCORDING TO A 2023 SURVEY, MAKING IT THE NATION’S SECOND-FAVOURITE VEG, BEHIND POTATOES 10 million lbs The volume of carrots handled daily by Grimmway Farms in California, the world’s largest producer 1747 The year carrot pudding pie appeared in a cookery book. The first printed recipe for carrot…

I grew up with African food, but in a Lebanese way. Let’s take my mum’s okra stew — the African version is filled with fried fish, cow foot, sheep tail, oxtail and beef all in one stew — while Lebanese cooking is quite simplistic and based around fresh salads and grills, that sort of stuff. So, the stew she’d make would have none of that, just beef, and it wouldn’t be made with palm oil. It was African food but in a tame way, because of my Lebanese dad. Whenever my mum makes it, I go absolutely mental — it warms up your belly, is full of good nutrients and is a different flavour to anything you’ve ever had before. My grandma once made it in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with…

INDO PEANUT Frites Atelier, The Hague Dutch chef Sergio Herman spent 18 months experimenting with a variety of potatoes and frying techniques in order to perfect his crispon-the-outside, creamy-on-the inside Belgian fries, which come with a choice of gourmet sauces and toppings. The indo peanut option sees them covered in a peanut sauce with kaffir lime and finished with crunchy fried onions, crushed roasted peanuts and rempejek, a deepfried Indonesian-Javanese cracker. €7 (£6) fritesatelier.com PAPA A LA HUANCAÍNA Barra Maretazo, Lima Papa a la huancaína is a traditional Peruvian speciality in which potatoes are boiled then dressed in a spicy, creamy sauce made from queso fresco, sautéed ají amarillo (chilli), red onion and garlic. Originating in the central Peruvian city of Huancayo, the dish is today popular throughout the country.…

I’m on a dirt path surrounded by swaying coconut palms that of fer up little in the way of af ternoon shade. The heat is relentless, scattering everyone indoors and blanketing the village with stillness. I hurry along, seeking out an oasis. Then, around a corner I find it — a small farmhouse with a red tiled roof and a spacious balcony. It seems a small village can hide many secrets. And here I am, in an unexplored part of my ancestral home, out to uncover one of them. Camurlim is a village in North Goa, near to the popular market towns of Anjuna and Mapusa. And the red-roofed farmhouse is where I’ll be learning about Goa’s Hindu Saraswat cuisine, courtesy of Shubhra Shankhwalker, a graphic designer and cook who…

Christmas pudding may be Britain’s best-known festive dessert, but in France, the bûche de Noël — or yule log — reigns supreme, with skilled pâtissiers and home bakers creating an array of different versions, from the classic to the outré. “It’s a very traditional French thing,” says baker Frank Barron (known as @cakeboyparis on Instagram), who moved from California to the French capital in 2012. “There seems to be no question that there will be some type of bûche on the table as part of dessert, after the main festive feast is over.” As a dessert, the bûche de Noël has a relatively short history, but its namesake dates back much further. The original yule log was just that — a large, heavy piece of wood that was burned during…

OBATZDA Arguably the defining dip of Bavaria, obatzda is a hybrid buttercheese spread, made by combining soft cheeses such as camembert with butter and some paprika. It’s best enjoyed on rye bread at a beer garden. ELISENLEBKUCHEN Infamous across Germany (and the world) at Christmas time, this traditional gingerbread has EU PGI status. In addition to its fragrant spice blend of cinnamon, coriander, cardamom and cloves, it must contain at least 25% ground nuts, notably almonds and hazelnuts. SCHÄUFELE A quintessential Sunday roast dish, schäufele is slow-roasted pork shoulder. It’s served with the bone in and its crunchy skin, atop a simple jus. CARP Seen as a sign of good luck, Franconian carp is served beer-battered and fried or ‘blue’, meaning it’s stewed in a broth of white wine, vinegar…

Lima defies easy culinary categorisation. Peru’s capital, set above the towering cliffs of the Costa Verde, overlooks a sweep of Pacific coast from the gritty port city of Callao to the fishing village of Chorrillos. A city, a port and a gateway to Latin America, Lima doesn’t have a distinct geographical cuisine, it has dozens of them. Regional ingredients and cultural heritage, both ancient and modern, all mingle together, creating new combinations of flavours. Ceviche, Peru’s national dish, is a good starting point when trying to understand the enormous complexity of Limeño food. The recipe has undergone multiple transformations since early Peruvians marinated fish in what’s thought to have been the juice of the tumbo — a relative of passion fruit — to preserve it. During the period when the…

Korean fried chicken, seasoned with a sauce made from soy sauce, gochujang (red chilli paste), gochugaru (red chilli flakes) and corn syrup, is a popular dish. In this version, the coating is made with a packaged mix commonly sold in Korea and available online or from specialist shops in the UK. For a mix of flavours, try serving half the chicken simply fried and the other half tossed in the sauce. The recipe includes mat-gogeum — to make it, simply mix salt and MSG at a ratio of 9:1 (you’ll only need 1 tbsp for this dish). SERVES: 2 TAKES: 30 MINS INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE 3 tbsp corn syrup or golden syrup 2 tbsp ketchup 2 tbsp gochujang (red chilli paste) 2 tbsp ganjang (Korean soy sauce) 1 tbsp…

I’VE BEEN EATING AT… Lavo, the new Italian restaurant in London’s Marylebone from the team behind Hakkasan and Yauatcha. Menu standouts include ‘silk handkerchiefs’ pasta with wild boar bolognese and truffle, and a 20-layer chocolate and peanut butter cake. Farida Zeynalova, assistant editor I’VE BEEN READING… Edible by Kevin Hobbs and Artur Cisar-Erlach. It’s an illustrated guide to 70 sustainable, edible plants, from the common (dandelion) to the lesser known (yellowhorn). It also contains fascinating passages on subjects such as agroforestry and climate change. Nicola Trup, deputy editor I’VE BEEN LOVING… Intrepid Bakers in Tufnell Park, London, which offers a modern spin on traditional Greek fare, from olive loaves and spanakopita to pistachio baklava and cinnamon whirls. It was founded by Meletios Evdokias, who grew up in a family of…