The Ticket, The Ride: Food

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Half the fun of travel is eating! They say the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach; therefore, I think it's fair to say the quickest way to experience a culture is through our own stomachs. Language barriers can quickly be squashed and forgotten by sitting down to some food and drink. Try and appreciate the local cuisine and not only will you be richer because of it, but your relationships with the locals will be as well. I can almost guarantee it. This is my culinary mindset when I travel. My normal diet is plant based and I typically adhere to a vegetarian or vegan diet. But I do make some small exceptions while traveling to fully experience the culture, show respect to the locals, and just overall live it up and check things off my foodie Bucket List. (Though I do advocate responsible eating regardless of country. Be aware of endangered species, destructive cultivation methods, and conservation efforts while traveling. Please! Be a mindful travler!)
My time here in South Africa has been no different. Though I did challenge myself to remain vegan for an entire month here in SA, (post here: A Vegan Diet In South Africa), I have strayed into unfamiliar and somewhat "exotic" culinary exploits during my first jaunt here in Africa. And let me tell you, South Africa is delicious! I've yet to have a bad meal here! Vegetarian or otherwise... South Africans know how to eat, cook, and enjoy everything that their land has to offer. And not only is the food here delicious but, for the most part, it's healthy as well. Good on you, SA! Here are some of my top eats that you can most likely only find here in South Africa... Biltong: Biltong, though many South Africans would recoil at this statement, is very similar to beef jerky. Cured strips of meat, sliced into strips or bits, seasoned to perfection amounts to South Africa's favorite snack. Biltong comes in all sorts of styles and meat varieties. Beef being the most typical, ranging all the way to more exotic varieties such as kudu, springbok, impala, crocodile, kangaroo, wildebeest, and giraffe. Yes, giraffe.

Never thought I'd nibble on giraffe...

I've tried a few different varieties, and thought I'm a Veggie at heart, I can be a sucker for this stuff. South Africans in general swear by it and it has truly been a staple food ingrained in their culture. I dare say you haven't truly experienced South Africa without diving your hand into a brown paper bag, oil stained and full of biltong.

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Bunny Chow:

Now, I haven't been to Durban, yet (where I hear the true Bunny Chow is made and eaten), but my South African boyfriend claims to have found a fair and equally delicious substitute here in the capital city of Pretoria.

Bunny Chow is a beautiful thing. I love bread. And I love curry. I love good bread. And I love good curry. Combine those things together and you have the spicy, delicious, calorie-packed, powerhouse called Bunny Chow. (No, it's not made with bunnies. Don't worry, my vegetarianess couldn't stray that far!)
Originating in the Durban Indian community, this delectable "fast food" is simple, yet satisfying: Cut a loaf of bread in half. Hollow it out. Fill with your choice of curry. And mow down. It's so good. I could probably eat one every day. But then again, I'd be giving a new definition to the term "chubby bunny" if I did.

It's said that Bunny Chow was developed by Indian migrant workers coming to South Africa and the bread loaf stems from a lack of access to traditional Indian breads, such as roti. The convenience and "take away" style of the bread loaf can also be attributed to the Apartheid regime of South Africa when segregation prevented different cultural groups, such as Indians, from entering certain restaurants or shops. Regardless of its hard and tumultuous roots, Bunny Chow is here to stay. And thank goodness, because it's delicious.

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Chakalaka:

(Cha-Kah-Lah-Kah) Not only is this South African side dish fun to say, it's equally appealing to eat! Sweet, salty, spicy, hearty in texture and flavor, chakalaka found an easy path into my heart. It's typically served with pap (a thick, starchy, porridge type dish made from ground maize), chakalaka recipes vary. Most recipes though contain beans, tomatoes, onion, chilies, and curry paste.

Now, it's not exactly filling like a Winter chili or anything; even with the beans. Chakalaka is more of a side relish. The first time I tried to cook with it I paired it over top of wild rice and I was in comfort food heaven. It's cheap, sweet and vibrant in flavor, and can be paired with almost everything. Nom, nom, nom ~Chakalaklakalakaaah~ (Go on, say it!)

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Fantastic Fusion:

South Africa is composed of an incredible amount of different cultures, languages, and ancestry. (South Africa has 11 official national languages! Eleven!) So with all this heritage comes an astounding amount of distinct food cultures. But, what's really fun is seeing how these distinct food cultures mix together to create a remarkable and delectable fusion food scene. Being an American coming from my own beautiful melting pot of a country, I'm no stranger to fusion food. I embrace it, I love it, and I love the creative potential with little to no boundaries.

Though it is important to hold on to cultural traditions and Grandma's secret recipes, it's also fun to shake things up a bit. Ostrich sushi anyone?

Baobab restaurant, Pretoria

Here we have two prime, modern, and yummy examples of South African fusion. Number 1: Ostrich sushi. Though I wouldn't say that it's a popular dish by any means, somehow it found its way onto my plate. The ostrich was smoked and delicate and paired with cream cheese; the ultimate sign of fusion sushi. I wonder how the Japanese would find this? Number 2: "Modern" Potjie. Poitje is an Afrikaans stew, simmered in a cast iron pot outdoors. It's hearty, flavorful, and reeks of farm to table; synonymous with Afrikaans farming culture. This stew is often thought to have been born from the collaborative cooking efforts of both the Afrikaaner farmers and Malaysian immigrant workers. A lot of veggies, copious amounts of thick, mild coconut milk (traditionally cooked with beer, though my dish was a fusion of a fusion!), Dutch-Malay spices, and the meat of your choosing (though I opted for none) served with rice. Hungry for more? Don't worry, my ravenous appetite for South African cuisine is just getting started. Check back later for more foodie conquests. Have a great, unknown, yummy food suggestion? Let me know I'd love to write about (and eat!) it. post signature

When I lived in and worked in Korea as an elementary English teacher, it was customary to show face at dinner “meetings” after school. These usually took place on Wednesdays or Fridays and lasted anywhere from two to four hours, depending how rowdy your principal and fellows teachers planned on getting that night.

While in South Korea, I chose to be extremely flexible when it came to my diet; try everything! South Koreans bond over food. The dishes are typically large, communally served, and sat in the middle of the dining table. They’re culture fastens around dining together and any effort put towards this cultural bond is greatly appreciated. So, when these dinner meetings came to be, I genuinely took interest in asking what was for dinner out of pure cultural curiosity. I never once thought that I should ask what was for dinner in order to live another year longer.

A typical 'Teacher-Meeting'.

One Friday after school, like so many before, we all went out together to a local restaurant near our elementary school. What are we having? Ah, we’re having fish stew. Fish stew? Ok, I can handle that. I’ve eaten fish intestine stew with my coworkers before so this dish seemed like the Minor Leagues. A colleague of mine filled up my bowl with a giggle and placed it in front of me. It was a small, shallow bowl, full of a mild broth, onions, greens vegetables, and white pieces of fish with thick skin clinging to it. It was quite beautiful actually and I welcomed the change from the usual beef or heavy starchy-salty rice dishes we usually go out for. I took a few bites, and slurped down some broth. I sat for a bit, chatting to my coworkers, when suddenly …the inside of my mouth began to go numb.

My gums tingled, my tongue felt swollen, and my lips felt anesthetized. I dove a bit deeper into my stew and turned over the large, pale chunk of fish inside. At the end of the thick, white and green striped, gelatinous skin was a spiny bit of tail. Immediately the inside of my chest became hot. I knew what this was: This was FUGU: A poisonous Japanese blowfish.

I paused, my spoon hovering chin-distance above my bowl, and looked up at my coworkers. “Is this fugu?”, I said motioning at the large, simmering pot in the middle of all of us. Two of my colleagues quickly whipped out their phones and began to scroll through to find a translation of the Korean dishe's name. "Here!", my sweet Sumin said proudly displaying the word blowfish on her phone. Then another coworker joined in showing me an article in English on her phone, not understanding that the title of the article contained the word "poison" in it. ha!

My bowl of Fugu~

Did I die? Obviously not? Was I happy to be alive later on in the night?
Somewhat, yes. Would I've rather been asked beforehand when eating a poisonous animal? Maybe. But, sometimes it's better to be blissfully ignorant? The jury is still out on that one...

Fugu, when not prepared properly, can be fatal when ingested. Its organs contain a poison that when consumed can cause paralysis and death with similar affects of coming into contact with a nerve agent. Fugu poison is 1,200 times stronger than cyanide. And! There is no antidote. Now you can see why I was a bit flustered when my mouth began to go numb...

'dat Fugu, doe
(photo credit National Geographic)

Fugu has a relatively bland taste. Its flesh and texture reminded me of an undercooked catfish. Its meat is white, gelatinous, and disappears into whatever other flavors you cook it with. So, why eat it?

Like many dangerous, "exotic", or rare foods in Asia it's all about showing your manliness. Fugu, and many dishes like it, can show strength or weakness, wealth and power, status and virility. It's expensive, it's relatively rare, and it can kill you. All those factors make it highly sought after. That's exactly why we had it at our teacher's dinner. My principal was showing off.

Will I try it again? No. Do I suggest you do? Not really. But if you're into checking off 'Bucket List' worthy food items... look no further than Fugu: A Food To Die For.

I know. I said a dirty word: VEGAN. *gasp* When most people hear the word vegan...some may conjure up images of emaciated hippies with dread locks tying themselves to a tree soon to be cut down by 'The Man'. While this may be true for some, this is a stereotype. Not all vegans talk about being vegan all of the time. Sure, I'm writing a blog post about it...but...well, ok you got me there. But! I'm currently in the midst of a month long vegan challenge and considering I'm currently living in a country obsessed with everything meat, I think that it's an interesting topic to touch on. I'm not here to lecture or preach. This post is intended for anyone curious about 'the challenge' and what it's like following a vegetarian diet outside of the Western World. I intend to share a few cultural-fusion recipes in future posts as well. During my two year stint in Korea, I did sway far away from my normal vegetarian diet. I had been an on/off vegetarian since I was about 16 years old and found it very difficult to maintain a strictly plant based diet in Asia. When I cooked on my own, I was fine. But when eating communally with coworkers or with friends it was basically impossible and I had to dive in full-force. Korean culture is very communal. Everyone does, and eats the same. If you are at a restaurant meeting with your coworkers there is a set menu and it usually includes a meat or fish of some type. Heading off to Korea I was somewhat aware of this and went in with an open mind intent on exploring everything culturally. I didn't want to offend anyone and wanted to be accepted by my school and coworkers as quickly as possible. I was a closet-vegetarian on the side, hehe. Even going out with friends proved to be difficult at times. Salads or vegetarian options are incredibly scarce. Unless you are in a big metropolitan city like Seoul, you are best eating at home. But for the most part, veggie options simply do not exist and I even wish you good luck finding a decent lettuce in your local supermarket. So, I had to be flexible! Which is fine and I encourage you to be as well. I did my best to stay away from the meat at the table but instead ended up gorging myself on salty side dishes and white rice. My weight dramatically increased because of this and I was not a happy camper. I was very active during my years in Korea as well. I played badminton with my school, soccer with a weekend club, rode my bike everywhere, and joined a gym. But this could not fend off the onslaught of sodium and carbs. So, I gave in and had to switch up my diet a bit. I did have some friends who were able to maintain a great deal of their vegetarian or vegan lifestyles while in Asia. But, every once in a while I did catch them eating something that wasn't exactly in line with their views. But, like I said, it is virtually impossible and sometimes ignorance is bliss. Also! Ordering a "vegetable sandwich" in Korea means that you get a ham sandwich with vegetables on top. And, in my personal opinion, wasting an animal product is far worse than eating one. Waste not, want not. I do not believe in a throw-away culture. (That's how I came to eating live octopus. But, I'll bring that up in a later post...haha) That is one of my biggest pet peeves. ____________________________________________________________ For those of you unaware, I am currently living in Pretoria, South Africa. And since the start of my vegan month in Africa, I have "cheated" on this little challenge of mine. I had caramel-chocolate cake for my boyfriend's birthday. And yes, it was so worth it. I don't consider it a set-back. I consider it my boyfriend's birthday and it was the first that we've spent it together. But other than that, I've managed to stay true to my diet. And it's been lovely! I've been full, and full of energy. I enjoy cooking and searching out dietary substitutions is easier than you think. Thank you Internet! South Africa, though meat is a stead-fast part of their culture, also has an incredible stock pile of farm fresh produce for exceptionally low costs compared to MidWest, USA. This has made vegan-life yummy, colorful, and plentiful. One thing that has been a lovely surprise here in South Africa is the fact that avocados are virtually a staple food. Everyone eats them! And they're cheap! Who would've guessed! Avocados in Michigan, my home state, can be fairly pricey and can often be considered a luxury item. Here, I challenge you to find me a salad either in a restaurant or in someone's home that is sans-avocado. Yes, please and thank you~! Unlike Korea, South Africa has an incredible variety of vegetarian options in restaurants. I love cultural-fusion food and South Africa, through historical means, has a wealth of it. Combine vegetarianism with a multi-cultural palette and it's easy to munch away. Now, I don't know if this burger was necessarily vegan (I ate it pre-vegan month.) but just look at it! In all of its glory:

Look at that color~!!!

Beautious! Chris took me to a little local hangout spot here in Pretoria called Ginger & Fig. Their menu was decadent, playful, and surprising. Deciding on this beetroot burger with mushroom tapenade was an easy choice and I was anything but disappointed. I'm sure there'd be a way to make this vegan, if it not already is.
Since I began this journey a few weeks ago and since I've been an on/off Veggie since I was 16, I've been asked a number of questions. I typically don't mind the questions, but over the years I've gathered them all to be virtually similar. So, here you go: Frequent Questions & Answers: 1) But, where do you get your protein? Ok, I said I didn't mind the questions, but... I hate this question. Abhor is a better word actually. Animal protein is not the only source of muscle building protein! Read a book, Lana! Meet the legume. Do you love hummus? Most people do. Surprise! You've been eating a protein packed legume! Garbanzo beans, or "chick peas", make up the base of the world's favorite dip and it is packed with protein. Now, just like all foods, you mustn't over do it. Garbanzo and other beans and legumes, thought high in protein, are also high in calories and "good" fats; just like peanut butter and lean meat. A little bit is good for you, as is anything in a balanced diet. Other vegetarian proteins include: green peas (appx. 8 grams of protein, same as a cup of milk), whole grains such as quinoa, lentils (another legume), nuts and seeds, and (the long stigmatized) tofu. 2) But, meat is so yummy! Don't you miss it? Yes. I do miss it at times. But honestly I'm fine without it. Sometimes I do crave meat, especially here in South Africa where braaiing (barbecuing or grilling) is a weekend tradition and bonding experience. But when I do miss it, there are incredibly yummy alternatives that can even please the most steel-face meat lover. I've found a great company here in South Africa called Fry's. They make an amazing variety of vegan "meats" made with great, healthy, ingredients. I've even found "braai" sausages! Of course, with anything, moderation is power. Don't go over board on these meat alternatives. The bulk of the ingredients include soy and soy is known to be high in estrogen. Every once in a while, sure, go for it! But, unless you want your hormones out of whack... best make some black bean burgers for the braai. Also, have you ever had a portobello mushroom from the grill? Oh my sweet, sweet, lawd! Juicy, smokey, and a bit "meaty" they can quickly squash any meat craving. Cheese though. I do miss cheese and hate cheese substitutes. That has been the biggest battle so far. But! Cheese in South Africa does tend to be more readily available directly from its source in comparison to The States. There is definitely a stronger connection of farm and consumer here which I think is one of the biggest problems with the food industry in The States today. So, that being said, once this month is up... I'm going to douse a greek salad with some feta. I'm only human! 3) Do you really notice a difference? Yes. I've only been on this diet for two weeks (including a cheat birthday weekend) and I've already noticed a difference in my belly area. It's shrunk! As I type this, I'm currently wearing a pair of shorts that I've never been able to wear before. You know, those "goal pants". Buy them when they're a must-have, on sale, and a size too small so your future-self can fit into them once you 'get it together'. Yeah, those. Take that for instant results! A combination of exercise and a healthy diet will do that to you. No tricks or gimmicks here. I don't know if you knew this, but...veggies are kinda good for you. 4) How? As mentioned before, there is an amazingly vast non-meat world of food out there. I've encountered so many yummy recipes thanks to food bloggers from all over the world that one month may not be enough time to try them all. I like to Google my favorite recipes or ingredients and add "vegan" before each search. Also, traveling around the world has opened me up to many recipes, food customs, and ingredients that I would've otherwise been oblivious to. Try new things! Try everything! You'll be surprised. Here in South Africa, one of my favorite new things is "atchar". It is an Indian-African side dish mainly made up of pickled mangoes, vegetables, Indian spices, and oils. It's sweet, sour, and spicy. My first thought was actually, "Wow, Koreans would love this stuff!" I've also downloaded (which I highly recommend) MyFitnessPal. It's an app that you can use on your computer or mobile that tracks your daily food and exercise intake. It also tracks your carbs, sodium, protein, etc. Simply search for a food and log it in. Using this app has not only helped me keep my calories in check but also serves as protein proof. Every day since I've used this app I have been within at least 5grams of my recommended protein intake. And, looking at past entries just now, I sometimes even go over my protein goals without even noticing.

Baked cauliflower and parsley "cookies". 100% SA farm fresh produce, 100% vegan

5) But...but, WHY?! I have my own reasons to eat the way I eat, as do you. You have that choice, as do I. I'm not doing this to offend anyone and if it does, maybe you should re-evaluate and re-direct your anger. I like vegetables! How could that statement offend you? I'm not offended by anyone's diet (Aside from certain cases like foie gras and veal. Those do upset me I must admit.) . If you are educated on your dietary choices, and where your food comes from, and if it works for you, then hell-yah dude! By all means, eat up! I'm not stopping you. Culture dictates food, I am well aware of that. I just personally don't feel the need to kill an animal to have a yummy meal. If I have the option, I choose not to. I like vegetables. It's as simple as that. In regards to my 'vegan-month', I'm doing this as an extra fitness challenge to myself. I used to be overweight in college and have since dropped 50lbs. The final phase of that weight loss was centered around a vegan diet and I felt great. I'm currently still trying to work off that extra rice-weight I put on back in Korea and decided to try this again. I enjoy the challenge! Living and eating abroad already comes with plenty of challenges. This is just a personal challenge of mine. And it's one that I happen to quite enjoy.

Wild South African Eats: Tastes of the Road

Fugu: Food To Die For.

A Vegan Diet in South Africa.

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