Food in Nigeria – Jollof Rice

Jollof rice, also called ‘Benachin’ meaning one pot in the Wolof language , is a popular dish in many parts of West Africa. It is thought to have originated amongst members of the Wolof ethnic group in the Senegambia region, Nigeria. There are many variations of Jollof rice. The most common basic ingredients are rice, tomatoes and tomato paste, onion, salt, and red pepper. Beyond that, nearly any kind of meat, vegetable, or spice can be added.

The dish consists of easy cook or basmati rice, tomatoes, and tomato paste, onion, salt, spice (such as nutmeg, ginger, Scotch bonnet, cumin) and chilli pepper. We can use optional ingedients such as vegetables, meats, and fish.

The cooking method for Jollof rice begins with using oil  to fry finely-chopped onions, tomatoes and ground pepper (plus any other optional seasoning); adding stock ; and then cooking the rice in this mixture so it takes up all the liquid. The rice takes on a characteristic orange colour from the mixture. It can be served with cooked meat, chicken, fish,or vegetables separately on the plate or they can be stirred in at the end.

Food in Kenya – Mandazi

Mandazi  (also spelled as Ruwaid or Fahad, called mahamri when made with coconut milk)are a form of fried bread  that originated in Eastern Africa in the Swahili coastal areas of Kenya and Tanzania. It is still popular in the region, as it is convenient to make, can be eaten with almost any food or dips or just as a snack by itself, and can be saved and reheated for later consumption.

Mandazi are similar to doughnuts  having a little bit of a sweet taste which can be differentiated with the addition of different ingredients. However; they are typically less sweet than the usual style of doughnuts  and are served without any glazing or frosting, They are frequently made triangular in shape (similar to samosas), but are also commonly shaped as circles or ovals. When cooked, they have a “fluffy” feeling and texture to them.

Mandazi are made by briefly cooking the dough in cooking oil. The ingredients typically used to make mandazi include water, sugar, flour, yeast, and milk . Coconut milk  is also commonly added to add a little bit more of a sweet taste. When coconut milk is added, mandazi are commonly referred to as mahamri or mamri. Ground peanuts and almonds, among other ingredients, can also be used to add a different flavor.

After being cooked, they can be eaten warm or left to cool down. Mandazi are popular, as they can be eaten in accompaniment with many things. Mandazi are commonly made in the morning or the night before, eaten with breakfast, then re-heated in the evening for dinner. Mandazi are also commonly eaten with tea or fresh fruit juice, or are eaten as snacks by themselves. Different dips, often fruit flavored, can be used to add various tastes.  Mandazi can also be eaten as a dessert  after a meal where it is often served with powdered or cinnamon sugar to add sweetness.

 

Food in South African – Biltong

Biltong is a variety of cured  meat that originated in South Africa. Various types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef and game  meats to fillets of ostrich  from commercial farms. It is typically made from raw fillets of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or flat pieces sliced across the grain. It is similar to beef jerky in that they are both spiced, dried meats.

The typical ingredients, taste and production processes differ, the main difference being that biltong is usually thicker (from cuts up to 1″ (25 mm) thick), while jerky is rarely more than 1/8″ (3 mm) thick. Also, biltong does not have a sweet taste.The word biltong is from the Dutch  bil (“rump”) and tong (“strip” or “tongue”).

Indigenous South African peoples such as the Khoikhoi developed a preparation method to preserve meat without refrigeration. After European settlers (Dutch, German, French) arrived in southern Africa in the early 17th century, they learned how to cure and dry meat from the indigenous South Africans. Preparation involved applying vinegar and rubbing the strips of meat with a mixture of salts and spices including pepper and cloves.

The need for preservation in the new colony was pressing. Building up herds of livestock took a long time but with indigenous game in abundance, traditional methods were available to preserve large masses of meat such as found in the eland  in a hot climate. Iceboxes and fridges  had not been invented yet.

The most common ingredients of biltong are:

• Meat
• Black pepper
• Corainder
• Salt
• Sugar or Brown sugar
• Vinegar

Modern-day ingredients sometimes added include: balsamic vinegar or malt vinegar, dry ground chilli peppers, nutmeg, garlic,bicarbonate of soda, Worcestershire sauce,  and onion powder.

 

Food in Chille – Cola de mono

Cola de mono  is a traditional Chilean drinkserved around Christmas time, very much like the tradition of serving eggnog during Christmas in North America. As far as texture and taste, it can be fairly compared to the mixed drink White Russian.

Although there are many versions of this drink, it contains mainly aguardiente, milk, sugar, coffee, and cloves, . A virgin version can be made simply without the alcohol, with families making a batch for the children and one for the grown-ups.

There are several theories surrounding the origin of the name. Since this drink is homemade, it was originally bottled in bottles whose labels were from the company Anis del Mono, Eventually the play on words of cola de mono was created. The more accepted theory, however, is related to President Pedro Montt , nicknamed El Mono Montt, or Monkey Montt. During an evening party, Montt prepared to leave and asked for his revolver, a Colt. He was convinced to stay and continue on with the festivities. After all of the wine was drunk and the guests still thirsty for more, mixed milk, coffee, aguardiente, and sugar. Within time, the drink gained popularity and was dubbed “Colt de Montt”, eventually morphing into “Cola de Mono.”

FOOD IN BRAZIL – COXINHA

The coxinha  is a popular food in many countries in South America especially Brazil,. consisting of chopped or shredded chicken meat fried in batter, molded into a shape resembling a chicken leg.

Coxinhas were originally made with a chicken thigh, which its traditional shape is meant to resemble. In its modern processed form it may have originated in Sao paulo in the 19th century.

In the book Stories & Recipes, Nadir Cavazin says that the son of Princess Izabel of Brazil (1846-1921) and the Count D’Eu, a child who lived in seclusion for having mental problems had a favorite dish, chicken, but only ate the thigh. One day, not having enough thigh, the cook decided to turn a whole chicken into thighs, shredding it and making the filling for a flour dough shaped into a drumstick. The child endorsed the results.Empress Teresa Christina, when she was visiting him, could not resist the tasty delicacy; she liked it so much she requested that the master of the imperial kitchen learn how to prepare the snack. So coxinha won over the nobility and became history.

The coxinha is based on dough made with wheat flour and chicken broth, which is filled with spiced chicken meat. The filling consists of chicken, tomato sauce, oniom , parsley, and scallions, that is coated in wheat flour .Variants including potato are also commonly sold .It is shaped to roughly resemble a chicken leg. The dough used to coat the filling is often prepared with the broth of the chicken, enhancing the flavor of the coating.

Different variations of the original are becoming more prevalent today – for example, the coxinha mineira, for which the filling includes maize, so named because maize is deemed a culinary tradition in the state of Minas Gerais, as well as areas where the caipira and sertanejo dialects are spoken. Cheese coxinhas are also very common in snack bars. To mark the cheese coxinhas they usually have a toothpick where the bone would be in a chicken coxinha.

Food in Argentine – Dulce de leche

Dulce de leche  is a confection prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from the caramelization of the product, changing flavor and color. Literally translated, it means “candy of milk” or “ca”milk jam” It is popular in South America, notably in Paraguay, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia and Venezuela. The dulce de leche of El Salvador has a soft, crumbly texture, with an almost crystallized form

The most basic recipe calls for slowly simmering milk and sugar stirring almost constantly, although other ingredients such as vanilla may be added for flavor. Much of the water in the milk evaporates and the mix thickens; the resulting dulce de leche is usually about a sixth of the volume of the milk used. The transformation that occurs in preparation is caused by a combination of two common browning reactions called caramelization and the malliard reaction

A home-made form of dulce de leche is sometimes made by boiling an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for two to three hours (or 30 to 45 minutes in a pressure cooker), particularly by those living in countries where it cannot be bought ready-made. It is dangerous to do this on a stove: if the pot is allowed to boil dry, the can will overheat and explode.

Dulce de leche is used to flavour candies or other sweet foods, such as cakes, churros, cookies, creme carame (known as flan in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions), and ice creames

A similar recipe is used to prepare basundi  inIndia, which resembles a less condensed dulce de leche, flavoured with cardamom and eaten as a dessert. The Philipines also has dulce de leche, where it is usually paired with cakes or breakfast rolls.  It has also found its way into other desserts such as cakes and ice cream.

Food in Saudi Arabia – Kabsa

Kabsa (: كبسة‎ kabsah) is a family of rice dishes that are served mostly in Saudi Arabia where it is commonly regarded as a national dish. Kabsa, though, is believed to be indigenous to Yemen. In places like Qatar, the United Aram Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, and Kuwait the dish is popularly known as machbūs ( مكبوس‎), but is served mostly in the same way.

These dishes are mainly made from a mixture of spices, rice (usually long-grain), meat and vegetables. There are many kinds of kabsa and each kind has a uniqueness about it. Pre-mixed kabsa spices are now available under several brand names. These reduce preparation time but may have a flavor distinct from traditional kabsa.

The spices used in kabsa are largely responsible for its taste; these are generally black pepper, cloves, cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, black lime, bay leaves, and nutmeg. The main ingredient that accompanies the spices is the meat, such as chicken, goat, lamb, camel, or sometimes beef, fish, and shrimp. In chicken machbūs, a whole chicken is used. The spices, rice and meat may be augmented with almonds, pine nuts, onions, and sultanas The dish can be garnished with ḥashū and served hot with daqqūs which is a  home-made tomato sauce.

Kabsa is also known as Machboos in the Gulf region.

Meat for kabsa can be cooked in various ways. A popular way of preparing meat is called mandi This is an ancient technique, whereby meat is barbecued in a deep hole in the ground that is covered while the meat cooks. Another way of preparing and serving meat for kabsa is mathbi, where seasoned meat is grilled on flat stones that are placed on top of burning embers. A third technique, madghūt, involves cooking the meat in a pressure cooker.

Food in Vietnam – Bún bò Hue

Bún bò Hue  or bun bo is a popular Vietnamese soup containing rice vermicelli  (bún) and beef (bò).Hue is a city in central Vietnam associated with the cooking style of the former royal court. The dish is greatly admired for its balance of spicy, sour, salty and sweet flavors and the predominant flavor is that of lemon grass. Compared to other noodles, the noodles used in here are thicker and more cylindrical.

Bun bo originated in Hue, a former capital of Vietnam. Outside the city of Hue and some parts of Central Vietnam, it is called bún bò Huế to denote its origin. Within Huế and surrounding cities, it is known simply as bún bò. The broth is prepared by simmering beef bones and beef shank with lemongrass and then seasoned with fermented shrimp sauce and sugar for taste. Very spicy chili oil is added later during the cooking process.

Bun bo usually includes thin slices of marinated and boiled beef shank, chunks of oxtail, and pig’s knuckles. It can also include cubes of congealed pig blood, which has a color between dark brown and maroon, and a texture resembling firm tofu.

Bun bo is commonly served with lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, diced green onions, raw sliced onions, chili sauce, thinly sliced banana blossom, red cabbage, mint, basil, perrilla, persicaria odorata or Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), saw tooth herb and sometimes mung bean sprout. Thinly sliced purple cabbage is acceptable substitute when banana blossoms are not available. Purple cabbage most resembles banana blossom in texture, though not in taste. Fish sauce and shrimp sauce is added to the soup according to taste.

Food in India-Tandoori chicken

Tandoori chicken is a popular Indian dish consisting of roasted chicken prepared with yogurt and spices. The name comes from the type of cylindrical clay oven, a tandoor, in which the dish is traditionally prepared.

The chicken is marinated in yogurt and seasoned with the spice mixture tandoori masala. It is moderately piquant in India and Pakistan, but the heat is reduced in most Western nations. Cayanne pepper, red chilli powder or kashmiri red chili powder is used to give it a fiery red hue in the original version. A higher amount of turmenic  produces an orange color. In milder versions, both red and yellow food colouring could sometimes be used to achieve bright colors, however turmeric powder is both mild and brightly colored, as is paprika , a sweet red pepper powder. It is traditionally cooked at high temperatures in a tandoor (clay oven), but can also be prepared on a traditional barbeque grill.

The tandoori chicken at Moti Mahal so impressed the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, that he made it a regular at official banquets. Visiting dignitaries who enjoyed tandoori chicken included American President Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, Soviet leaders Nikolai Bulganin and Nikira Khruschev, The King of Nepal and the Shah of Iran.

The fame of tandoori chicken led to many derivatives, such as Chicken tikka, commonly found in menus in Indian restaurants all over the world.It is popular outside of India also such as in Pakistan, Bangladesh and in other parts of South Asia, where it is eaten as a starter  before a meal.

Food in Korea-Kimchi

Kimchi, also spelled kimchee or gimchi, is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. It is often described as “spicy” or “sour”.

In traditional preparation Kimchi was often allowed to ferment underground in jars for months at a time. It is Korea’s national dish, and there are hundreds of varieties made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, scaliion, or cucumber  Kimchi is also a main ingredient for many Korean dishes such as kimchi stew , kimchi pancakekimchi soup, and kimchi fried rice

Early kimchi was made of cabbage and beef stock only. Red chili, a New World vegetable not found in Korea before European contact with the American was introduced to Korea from Japan after the Japanese invasions (1592–1598) and became a staple ingredient in kimchi, although its use was not documented until the 18th century. Red chilli pepper flakes are now used as the main ingredient for spice and source of heat for many varieties of kimchi. In the twelfth century other spices, creating flavors such as sweet and sour, and colors, such as white and orange, were added.

Kimchi varieties are determined by the main vegetable ingredients and the mix of seasonings used to flavor the kimchi.The  Kimchi field Museum in Seoulhas documented 187 historic and current varieties of kimchi. Ingredients can be replaced or added depending on the type of kimchi being made. The most common seasonings include brine, scallions, spices, ginger, chopped radish, garlic, saeujeot, (hangul: 새우젓, shrimp sauce), and aekjeot (hangul: 액젓, fish sauce).

Kimchi can be categorized by main ingredients, regions or seasons. Korea’s northern and southern sections have a considerable temperature difference. Kimchi from the northern parts of Korea tend to have less salt, less red chilli and usually do not have brined seafood for seasoning. Northern kimchi often has a watery consistency. Kimchi made in the southern parts of Korea uses salt, chili peppers and myeolchijoeyt (hangul: 멸치젓, brined anchovy allowed to ferment) or saeujeot (hangul : 새우젓, brined shrimp allowed to ferment), myeolchiakjeot  (Hangul: 멸치액젓, , liquid anchovy jeot, similar to fish sauce used in Southeast Asia, but thicker).