Yup,
I don’t eat meat.
While
I could go entirely vegan, I’d rather stick to my ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet,
because 1) I am a candy girl and some sweets without eggs are like Gozo without
its Azure Window & 2) I am very much in love with cheese and I simply enjoy
sampling the various textures and tastes.
How
is travelling to meat-loving destinations when you’re mostly about the
vegetables? Not always easy, but I managed and apparently… survived! There are,
however, certain places on the Globe that made their mark and simply make
thinking back or going back a very complex and joyful experience, because… in
the end, there are certain dishes, let’s face it, that make us smile.
Note: Italian food is
my favourite; it would have been easier to list ‘Italy on a whole’, but I
believe in the regional differences in the world and support them.
Of
course, there are countries or areas that would have rightfully been found
below, like Argentina, Armenia, Cyprus, or Turkey… the sweets in Albania,
Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, France, Hungary, Kosovo, and Portugal… with
the freshest of vegetables and of sour cream and milk rightfully encountered in
my home country of Romania, so I promise that a follow-up to this article will
be written!
- Sicily
Last night, I saw one
of Paul Hollywood’s food shows. Centre-stage: Palermo, not only one of the
cities I find most fascinating in the whole world, but also the capital of the
island that sums up all my cravings and fetishes as far as food is concerned.
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| Cannoli in Palermo |
Only
thinking of Sicily brings back happy times, incommensurable joy, and… is an
event on its own. My favourite sweets: cannoli.
My favourite gelato: in a brioche. My favourite pasta: had in
Cefalù, aubergine-based – alla norma.
Unforgettable caponata. Not to
mention the special cassatina siciliana,
the various tiramisus and pizzas, the artisan Aztec-inspired
chocolate of Modica and the almond milk. A granita
and a brioche may well be the
perfect breakfast. And arancine – the
perfect snack. Even train station bistros serve incredible food! I must say
that Sicilians are blessed with the best of the best: pistachio of Bronte,
cherry tomatoes of Pachino, almonds of Noto. Where would you have marzipan,
pesto, orange juice of the ultimate quality and taste, if not here?
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| Brioche & granita alle mandorle for breakfast in Pozzallo |
- Sardinia
What do I love
about Sardinia, apart from its people, who are truly special? The fact that
homemade food is so treasured on the island!
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| Tiramisu in Fertilia |
I tried home-baked
mind-blowing pizza, huge bruschetta,
history-influenced crema catalana and
tiramisu to die for, gelato artigianale, the traditional
pastries pardulas di ricotta and tilicas, and the honey-soaked seada, got addicted to the native fregola and artichoke. Yes, flavours
from many parts, adapted to the personality of the Sards.
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| Aubergine pizza in Santa Teresa di Gallura |
- Greece
Whenever I know
that I am travelling to Greece, I think not of the beaches or of the culture,
or of the friendly people… I think of food. Of eating incredibly fresh and
healthy food. My palate immediately starts rejoicing.
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| Food Heaven: Greek salad, fries, and beer in Orestiada |
I could manage for
a year with only Greek salad, feta, cheese salad, Greek yoghurt, spanakopita, galatopita, tzatziki,
Kalamata olives, and aubergines in all styles – grilled, baked, fried; I don’t
fuss too much about it.
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| Baked aubergines in Kalambaka |
- Brazil
During almost one
month in Brazil, I didn’t eat bread. At all. Consequently, I lost some weight,
felt carefree and full of energy to simply travel, swim, and paddle.
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| Pasta + arroz e feijão in Mariana |
There are many
things that I miss. Off the top of my head? Hmmm… pão de queijo, the pasta combined with all sorts of weird-looking
but quite tasty vegetables, the vegetarian version of acarajé, the arroz e feijão,
the tapioca pudding, the açaí bowls that I grew to love, the
fruit in all those decadent cakes… rare but dazzling. Talking of fruit, I
rediscovered my passion for them here. I didn’t like mango or melon before
heading to Brazil. I got crazy over papaya. What about fruit juices? The best
I’ve ever head: from guava to passion fruit, I could still have them all day
every day.
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| Buying jaca in Salvador | © Vitor Maciel |
- Israel
The food in Israel was… wow, in a truly
unexpected way. There are not enough people raving about it; I see it as a big
great secret. You understand when you get there: the mix of fresh Mediterranean
cuisine and the earthy flavours of the Middle East is spectacular.
Everything combines so well, it mesmerises you.
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| More-than-delicious breakfast in Vered Hagalil |
Plus, the portions are gigantesque, to say
the least. From the first shakshuka to the humus and the falafel /that was allegedly born here and it never
tasted better anywhere else, for me, at least/, from the delicious pastries
– so good that they all seem homemade – to perfectly balanced salads, fluffy
breads, flavourful dried fruit, and hearty full-vegan breakfasts, it all felt
like a very adventurous and pleasant journey, with surprises lurking around
every corner.
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| Falafel after Shabbat in Eilat |
