As with every new country, it takes a while to discover what you like, what you don't. What gets you to spitting it off your tongue, or licking your lips for more. I do quite a bit of both. But with travel, living or visiting in different countries, you must be prepared for different and unusual foods, naturally. The other aspect is, where are good the places to eat, where the food is well cooked, for the right price. As well as places either too expensive, or badly cooked. To be avoided. It all takes time to discover the best in terms of location, value and personal taste.
When going somewhere new for the first time, I always remember my Father. He was a great traveller, he loved getting on a plane, or ferry. He and my Mother and small brother visited many countries, sometimes, I and my family went too. He always dressed in the proper English manner. He was wonderful my father, such a 'died in the wool' Englishman. But my mother was supposed to be able to produce English food for him around the world. I remember one holiday to Italy, we were travelling as a family in a camper van. That was in the days before cheap package holidays, before fish and chips becoming available at every corner cafe. Fried English breakfast in every small, back street bar. He was not at all happy with the foreign food. We had some bacon with us, so that saved the day for a while, bacon and eggs being English.Then after trying the local restaurants and finding only true Italian pastas, meats, olives with lots of garlic. He adamantly refused to eat anything, except tomatoes and bread. It was all he deemed English food. I still remember those wonderful fresh tomatoes, available everywhere on the road side shops. With the best of crusty bread. Yum! But it got a little repetitive before the end of the holiday. He sent me out to find him chips one day, from an Italian restaurant....chips (fries)! I eventually took him some back, after a long wait in a busy Italian restaurant. Except they were, what we would call today chunky chips, with the skin on, and fried with whole garlic cloves. You can imagine where they went..foreign muck!
So, I resolved to try everything when abroad. I didn't want to be one of these people who insists on behaving as if they were still in England. What's the point of travelling, without trying new food. The rich variety of food is half the joy of the journey. You remember the culture, the people, the weather and the food. Over the years, I developed quite an eclectic taste in food. In great Britian we have the continent on our doorstep, we import the best. Enjoying the rich variety of cheeses, olives, cured meats, which you can easily buy in an English supermarket or local deli. Also, GB now produces a much wider variety of the more exotic foods, buffalo mozzarella and the like. Tastes, certainly in my home, changed dramatically from the days and tastes of my parents.
Then I lived in Austrialia for a few years, where the food was called Pacific Rim. The most delectable mix of seafood and light dishes. Then. New Zealand where again, the meat, vegetables and fish was some of the best. It was possible to buy the freshest shellfish on the roadside.
In both those countries of the Antipodes, there was the Japanese/Asian influence. Not the Chinese, but more the Japanese. So you were able to find lots of sushi, very fresh fish and the best of meat. Although the Asian people, the Chinese in particular, are renowned for eating anything and everything, they insist on the best and freshest of produce. That fact alone, I feel, pulled the standard of eating from ordinary to extraordinary in New Zealand. When I first went to the Antipodes, twenty six, or seven years ago, much of the food was stodge. Which you could wait for, for an hour and a half, to two hours and a half for after ordering in a restaurant. I must admit, I lost interest before it eventually arrived. I got a lot of free food in those early days. As I kicked up such a stink about waiting so long. I don't suppose I enhanced the reputation of the English at all, but it was just ridiculous what people put up with. That has all changed there now. Food is wonderful, although they spfi still have favourites. The roast dinner from England, Pumkin Soup, muffins of every variety and beetroot in hamburgers.
I do get sidetracked, still, I soldier on. In Brasil there are staples. Coloured by the fact it is primarily a third world country, and the diet, going back generations is quite poor. They use ground Casava, an almost tasteless root vegetable on almost everything. To bulk up, and enrich the diet. Then beans, stewed, black beans in a liquid, are offered with everything. The meat, be it beef, or pork is often salted, by tradition I assume. In fact it's a country where far too much salt and sugar is used on a daily basis. It hits you big time when you first arrive. Coffee is often made already with the sugar already in. As sweet as syrup. Although since my first visit here some ten years ago, it is easier to buy unadulterated soffee. Even in some places, cappochino and the like. Although it cannot be compared with that found in Europe, or North America.
You can go to a 'self service' restaurant. The difference here, although it a buffet style, the food is weighed before you eat. Wonderful, as it means you don't pile your plate up, and then leave most of it untouched. You very quickly get used to the idea of only taking what you mean to eat.theses places are a good way of eating cheaply. You choose from a variety of vegetable, salads, fruits, carbohydrates, meats, pies and fish. Again you will find your favourite. You can even find self service sushi bars. Food of all kinds is very cheap. To eat a good sized plate of cooked food, will cost about $20Rieals. Which in today's exchange rate is about £5. You can't complain at that can you.
I mentioned sushi and sashimi. There are quite a few of those places around. Again you can eat very well for $30/40 Rieals. £10. The variety you find here is mind blowing. There is fresh, raw sashimi of salmon, white fish, or tuna. Sushi made with every type of fish and shell fish. Some lightly grilled. Some mixed with potato, or once with banana, some rice, much sliced pickled cucumber sliced very thin, and slivers of ginger, with wasabi, a very hot ground radish. Together it's definitely one of those meals I drool over. Delicious! Yep...that's my favourite meal.
Of course, there is a wealth of emigrants from Argentina, Switzerland, Italy, France, England. Who all give their own particular twist to what they ate at home. So, if you don't fancy traditional Brasilian food, you can eat self service some modern, some traditional, or Swiss, or Italian, or whatever.
As for deserts, well, if you like condensed milk, then you are in heaven. There is nothing that doesn't get made with that sweet and more-ish thick milk. It igives an entirely new dimension to desert. As it does to anything containing caramel. You can feel the sugar rush just looking at it. Lemon meringue pie made with condensed milk sounds wrong doesn't it, but it's decadent and ultra delicious. You can get about half the normal Eurpean portion for about $3 Rieas. A normal portion for $5. That's about £1.25. How silly is that....it's no wonder I have to tear myself away from the desert counter.
A few of the sweet dishes....yum.
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