Incredible food trip in Taipei, Taiwan

Taipei – where you can eat out of a mini-toilet, eat like a king at the night markets, and find the best soup dumplings in town. Make sure to explore the gastro-jungle that is Taipei and nibble your way around town

GO WITH THE FLOW. The crowds at Shilin Market. All photos by Nikka Sarthou-Lainez

If Taipei were a theme park ride, it would be like a rollercoaster that would take your taste buds up and down on a thrilling adventure. In this city, there are countless of food innovations you would find in the streets, dine-in restaurants, and also in themed establishments. (READ: 10 family-friendly things to do in Taiwan)

There are all sorts of tasty – and even unusual – treats you should sample while there. Make sure to explore the gastro-jungle that is Taipei and nibble your way around town. (READ: 9 places to visit in Taipei)

Taipei night markets: eat, walk, love

READY, SET, EAT. Get ready for a food adventure at Shilin Market

Food lovers should head straight to one – or all – of Taipei's night markets and eat where the locals eat. It's a famous food destination for both residents and tourists, as it has a lot of unique food finds. Wear comfy shoes, take the metro and make your way to Shilin, Raohe, Shida or Ximending.

Probably the largest and most famous one is Shilin. Just a short walk away from the metro station, you'll see hordes of foodies strolling around the area, stopping from stall to stall, and snacking their way around the marketplace. The place is so huge that my hubby and I didn't know where to start. We simply picked one spot and walked from there.

Along the way, we devoured some grilled Taiwanese sausages, large deep-fried chicken cutlets, crunchy squid morsels, beef noodle soup, and pearl milk tea.

FRUIT TRIP. Healthy options are available at Shilin Market

For those with more adventurous palates, do try some stinky tofu and skewers of mystery meat that you can find in selected kiosks.

TRY THIS. Deep-fried stinky tofu, anyone?

It's a good thing that most stalls have product pictures and prices on its signages so all we had to do was point out what we wanted since there was a bit of a language barrier.

NIGHT MARKET. Ximending night market features Hot-Star large fried chicken

TAKE A BITE. Hot-Star chicken is a must-try

Aside from food, the Shilin Night Market also had entertainment options. There's a place where you can go shrimp fishing and eat the catch-of-the-day, and also an area with some sort of mini-carnival games that the kids and children-at-heart would enjoy.

AFTER DINNER. Go fishing in Shilin Market

The place could get really crowded but that's part of the fun, I guess. We didn't realize that we spent a couple of hours there just walking around and ogling the food finds. Before leaving, I bought some boxes of pineapple cake to take home. (Make sure to haggle and you might just get a free box for every five that you buy!)

SNACK! Make sure to get boxes of pineapple cakes at Shilin Market

The tea cuisine at Maokong

CHOW DOWN. Maokong tea fried rice

One of the highlights of my Taipei trip was traveling to Maokong via gondola and tasting its tea cuisine. Riding the gondola was a delightful experience for me. I enjoyed the picturesque views from the crystal cabin with the see-through glass flooring, and the cool breeze from the high-altitude ride – an elevation of almost 300 meters.

Tourists have the option to join tea tasting or tea plantation tours in Maokong but my husband and I decided to go sightseeing on our own. We were able to control our time and stop at the food stalls along the main path, but we chose to eat in a sit-down restaurant where we can get a taste of the specialty cuisine.

TAKE YOUR PICK. Maokong street food

TAKE A STROLL. Maokong street vendors

Since this locale was well known for its tea production, we made sure to order tea-infused food, and of course, some hot tea for drinking.

I'm used to sipping on instant teas at home, but I was able to taste the difference between the freshly brewed tea in Maokong and the one from tea bags. The one in Maokong was very light and floral – even in its scent.

Every time we would order, the server would tell us how many minutes we should wait before pouring the tea. It was a nice dining experience because we also had a good view of the city, which included a faint silhouette of the Taipei 101 building.

Delicious dimsum and dumplings at Din Tai Fung

WORLD-FAMOUS. Din Tai Fung's famous xiao long bao

You must not miss dining in Din Tai Fung where you can bite on the best xiao long bao (soup dumplings) you'll ever taste. Instead of going to the original branch, we opted to go to the one in Taipei 101, and thought we made the right choice since there was a really long queue. We waited for over an hour to get a table at this world-famous restaurant!

Good thing the establishment has a number system and there was a decent mall where we were able to walk around and work up our appetite. When we finally sat down, we indulged our hungry tummies and ordered two kinds of dumplings, pork buns, and a noodle dish each.

USE YOUR NOODLE. Din Tai Fung's braised beef noodle soup

NUTTY NIBBLES. Din Tai Fung's noodles with spicy sesame and peanut sauce

WHILE THEY'RE HOT. Din Tai Fung's pork buns

We didn't need to bring take-out bags since we finished every morsel on our plate. It was that good. The food was truly worth the wait.

The novelty of themed restaurants

MODERN TOILET. Inside the theme restaurant called Modern Toilet

Have a unique dining experience in themed restaurants like Modern Toilet and Hello Kitty Sweets. I have seen the Modern Toilet featured in international television shows and I couldn't let the chance pass so I searched for its location with gusto.

My manly hubby was kind of hesitant to eat from a toilet bowl, but I was able to make him eat sh*t anyway.

Despite being served from a mini-toilet bowl, the food was well presented, but just tasted so-so. I ordered fried chicken while my husband got the curry meal, both of which included a soft-serve chocolate ice cream for dessert (resembling the real thing you would normally see in a toilet bowl).

SOFT-SERVE. End your meal with a chocolate soft serve at Modern Toilet

The dining experience was something new for us – our seats were covered toilet bowls, and there was a toilet theme all around the place. Restaurant patrons could even buy one-of-a-kind souvenirs.

I admit, the concept might be pretty gross, but it was especially fun to take pictures all throughout the meal. Eating there once was enough. I definitely want to try new stuff next time around.

Have you been to Taiwan? What was the highlight of your trip? Let us know in the comments below. – Rappler.com

As a freelance writer and editor, Nikka Sarthou-Lainez enjoys being her own boss and having the flexibility to indulge in her other passions like food and travel. Every year, she vows to visit places she has never been to and tick them off her bucket list. She hopes to be like chef/host Anthony Bourdain someday who journeys around the world to sample different cuisines, one plate at a time. Find out more about her travel and culinary adventures and follow her on Twitter @nikkasarthou

Source: Incredible food trip in Taipei, Taiwan

China search giant Baidu sees lift from travel deal

Chinese search giant Baidu said Thursday it expects a new travel services partnership to help drive future revenue as the country's middle class grows, after it reported better-than-expected third quarter earnings.

Nasdaq-listed Baidu, often portrayed as the equivalent of Google, dominates search in China and is looking to move into online-to-offline services, such as food delivery and movie ticket booking.

Net profit slumped 26.7 percent year-on-year to $447 million (2.8 billion yuan) for the quarter ending in September, according to a statement.

But adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.43, beating the median forecast of $1.28 in a poll of analysts by Bloomberg News.

In the third quarter, Baidu's revenue increased by 36 percent to $2.9 billion, in line with market expectations, helped by its core search advertising business.

The results drove Baidu shares up around seven percent in after-hours trade.

As part of the drive to build a new Baidu, the company this week announced a deal which saw it take a 25 percent voting interest in Chinese travel website Ctrip, in exchange for a 45 percent stake in its own Qunar unit, which also offers plane ticket and hotel bookings.

"We see tremendous potential ahead for the industry and remain very committed to the online travel space," Baidu chief executive Robin Li said on a conference call.

"This opens up a lot more travel products and services to Baidu users."

Steady, though now slowing, economic growth in China has created a travel boom as a growing middle class seeks to spend new-found income.

Analysts said the Ctrip deal would also lessen the impact from money-losing Qunar and reduce Baidu's investment costs as the two travel players coordinate marketing.

"The equity swap allows Baidu to own equity stakes in Ctrip and Qunar, the two largest online travel service platforms in China," Moody's Investors Service vice president Lina Choi said in a statement on Wednesday.

Baidu chief financial officer Jennifer Li played down the impact of slowing Chinese growth.

"Search serves a very diversified customer base and I think we are quite resilient in good times and bad," she told analysts on the conference call.

China logged its worst economic performance since the global financial crisis in the third quarter, with gross domestic product rising just 6.9 percent -- its lowest level in six years.

Baidu forecasts fourth quarter revenue to be between $2.86 billion and $2.95 billion.

Investment & Company Information

Finance

Baidu

Source: China search giant Baidu sees lift from travel deal

Readers' travel questions answered

The Cassville ferry's locking mechanism allows the tugboat part of it to swing out 180 degrees, then connect to the barge that carries vehicles.(Photo: Photo courtesy of Mary Bergin)

Readers, it's time to lighten the mailbag. Here is a selection of your most recent notes and questions.

***

Jim and Monica O'Brien of Madison asked for ideas about what to do in Two Rivers. Three unexpected pleasures in this area are:

•Bernard Schwartz House, a Frank Lloyd Wright design that is based on his 1938 Life magazine commission to create a "dream house" that a middle-class family could afford. Occasional tours are possible, and the building is available for overnight stays. theschwartzhouse.com, 612-840-7507

•Lighthouse Inn, on the Lake Michigan shore, is reasonably priced and family owned. In the hotel restaurant are beautiful lake views, and a 5.5-mile, paved recreational trail to Manitowoc is right outside the door. Bicycle rentals are available. lhinn.com, 920-793-4524

•Susie Q Fish Market, a four-generation business is small but the real deal if you like smoked fish. susieqfishmarket.com, 920-794-8434

Two other unique attractions will be column topics this winter, so stay tuned.

***

Berliners love their currywurst so much that a museum is devoted to it in Germany's capital city. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Mary Bergin)

Ronnie Hess of Madison asked me to give a friend suggestions to get better acquainted with the food of Berlin and Frankfurt. My "Eat Smart in Germany" culinary travel guide covers this type of thing, and research for the book was enriched by an Eat the World food tour in Berlin. These informative walking and tasting tours also are offered in 18 other German cities. eat-the-world.com

A must-see destination in Berlin is the Currywurst Museum (currywurstmuseum.com) because the sausage chunks that swim in curry-spiked ketchup are a much-revered street food.

In Frankfurt, I had the excellent luck of being matched with tour guide Mikael Horstmann (herr-mika.com). He speaks excellent English and is an uber-foodie who certainly knows his way around the city's Sachsenhausen (apple wine) district and has the inside scoop on the city's best pop-up meals, cooked by cutting-edge chefs.

***

"I have been trying to save some 1880s to 1901 buildings in Glen Haven (Grant County), on the Mississippi," writes Greg Sedbrook, who seeks correspondence with other eager learners who live in rural areas. He says his own eclectic background includes creativity studies, future studies, anthropology, medical electronics, locomotive repair and Bavarian dance.

"I'd like to do something like a restoration project with a TED.com summer camp," he says. "I'm open to any sorts of learning-related ideas or visits. I also have a lot of great material on learning from other cultures." Contact him at sedbrookgr@yahoo.com.

***

The Red Mill Inn, near Stevens Point, celebrates supper club cooking on Nov. 7. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Mary Bergin)

Some of you appreciate our occasional "Take Ten" approach to close-to-home travel and share other favorites.

"Just read your article on walking/hiking trails in Wisconsin – beautiful," says Mary Craig of Manawa, who enjoys a trail along the Little Wolf River, built and maintained by volunteers in this Waupaca County city.

"It is less than a mile long but has boardwalks and five bridges – an arched bridge, lattice bridge, covered bridge, log bridge and crooked bridge," she writes, adding that "a newly constructed trail along County B in Manawa leads you to the Pat Wade Memorial Trail, which wanders through a woods" and is named after a Navy officer who died in 2007 during service in Iraq.

The entire trail through Manawa is used the first weekend of July for The Stampede, an annual run of 5 and 10 kilometers. cityofmanawa.org

"Green Bay has two fabulous farmers markets: one on Saturday mornings and one on Wednesday evenings," writes Therese Rulfedt of Green Bay. "I am disappointed that you didn't mention either one (in a "Take Ten" on the topic). I have been to several that you did mention, and our farmers market is as good or better." The season resumes in May.

"You must try Rock River Country Club in Waupun," writes Eugene Lambert of Waupun, after our "Take Ten" on golf courses. The front nine links-style course opened in 2004, and the back nine parks-style course ("100s of trees") opened in 1927, he says. "Two very distinct nines in one" semi-private course. golfrrcc.com, 920-324-2621

***

"I was excited to see the Cassville ferry article, but you didn't mention the neatest feature of the ferry: how it turns around," writes Bill Mullen of Appleton. "The one time I got to use it, I about fell over when it started turning around. It is so cool! I've never seen anything like it."

Bill is referring to the ferry's locking mechanism, which allows the tugboat part of it to swing out 180 degrees, then connect to the barge full of vehicles and smoothly cross the river. The car ferry's schedule resumes May 1. cassville.org, 608-725-5180

***

Anne Glasner of Appleton writes about why she is a supper club fan: "These are restaurants with diverse menus and a place where you can carry on a conversation. A diner rarely is hustled out for the next seating at a supper club. The servers are apt to be very experienced at what they do, and they recognize the return diners frequently. Supper clubs don't require suits and ties or memberships. Just a real appreciative 'eating out' experience."

With that, I can't resist updating you about what is next for my Wisconsin Supper Club Cookbook signings. In the lineup:

♦ Red Mill Supper Club, 1222 Hwy. HH, Stevens Point, 5-7 p.m. Nov. 7. Buy a cookbook and get a $10 Red Mill gift certificate to use on a subsequent visit. redmillsupperclub.com, 715-341-7714

♦ Five O'Clock Steakhouse, 2416 W. State St., Milwaukee, 5-8 p.m. Nov. 13. Filmmaker Holly De Ruyter will show her "Old Fashioned: The Story of the Wisconsin Supper Club" documentary; $10 admission includes complimentary appetizers, 5:30-6:30 p.m. fiveoclocksteakhouse.com, 414-342-3553

♦ Barnes and Noble, 7433 Mineral Point St., Madison, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 19. Barnesandnoble.com, 608-827-0809

Look for updates at www.facebook.com/supperclubcookbook.

All "Roads Traveled" columns are archived at roadstraveled.com. These articles began in 2002 and are the result of anonymous travel, independent travel, press trips and travel journalism conferences. What we choose to cover is not contingent on subsidized or complimentary travel.Your column feedback and ideas are welcome. Write to Midwest Features, PO Box 259623, Madison, WI 53725 or mary@roadstraveled.com. 

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Source: Readers' travel questions answered

US travel agents see the heart of Italy

FAM trip participants experience the Best of Romagna

US East Coast travel agents recently had an in-depth experience of much that green, green Romagna has to offer - their verdict? Amazing!

Travel agents from Massachusetts recently took the opportunity to explore a fabulous secret Italian destination, learned to cook Italian, ate great food, tasted great wines, experienced the culture and castles of magnificent Romagna - and learned about its green tourism initiatives.

The FAM trip included guided excursions, specially-arranged tastings of local produce including food, wine, olive oils, sea salt, a hands-on cookery class to make (and eat!) fabulous pasta and an informal workshop to understand the area - in particular Romagna's new green tourism initiative.

The agents visited extraordinary Ravenna (twice capital of the Roman Empire) with its amazing mosaics and UNESCO world heritage site followed by a visit to the lovely hillside olive-oil and wine village of Brisighella   where they tasted some of Italy's best olive oil, local wine and grappa.

Another fascinating day was taken by a visit to the cookery school and library founded in honour of the 'Father of Italian Cookery' Pellegrino Artusi. The US guests learned how to create authentic pasta and made their own delicious lunch under the supervision of the head chef of the Casa Artusi Foundation. In the afternoon the agents took a guided walk around the sensational wine village of Bertinoro,  visited the superb castle and tasted wines in its oldest vineyard - Fattoria Paradiso

The art city of Cesena , with its fabulous medieval library and towering castle was also visited by the agents after a morning visit to Longiano  and its lovely theatre Petrella . The day started with an olive-oil and wine tasting at an ancient olive grove and hostelry the Locanda della Luna  followed by visit to its soaring castle  a sensational lunch of local produce at the Michelin-rated Dei Cantoni restaurant. Naturally the day finished with another sensational meal - at Cesena's oldest (and many say finest!) restaurant Michiletta

Cervia is the base for the new Green Tourism Italy http://www.green-tourism.com/visit/italy/ project and the agents were treated to a visit to Cervia's Salt Museum http://musa.comunecervia.it/ and a presentation about the benefits of the tourism greening initiative - including the fact that all guests have access to free bicycles to visit the area. After a lunch of very local seafood, a guided visit to the sensational UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Marino by SanMarino2000 tourism consortium http://www.sanmarino2000.sm/en/index.html

During their stay, the agents even managed to fit in inspection visits of the thermal baths at Castrocaro http://www.termedicastrocaro.it  and at Bagna di Romagna http://www.bagnodiromagnaturismo.it/

And just to prove how close they are - the agents took a scenic day excursion by train to Florence and a day visit to nearby Venice.

Accommodation for the visit was in the country hotels Relais Villa Roncuzzi, http://www.villaroncuzzi.it/ and at the hotel Delle Colline http://www.hoteldellecolline.it/ and the Allogio San Girolamo http://www.alloggiosangirolamo.it/ in Longiano.

Further FAM trips are planned in the spring… Details HERE

 

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Source: US travel agents see the heart of Italy

How to Travel With a Dog

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BeyondSnacks #CollectiveBias

I've mentioned here before that Dave and I spend many of our weekends traveling. Neither of us is from the Madison area, and few of our friends live here, so we use most of our weekends to visit loved ones. Sometimes that means driving just an hour and a half to Milwaukee to spend time with my family. Sometimes that means a 4-hour drive to Michigan to visit Dave's. But no matter where we're traveling to, Leia is coming with us. She's a part of our family, so she's always a little more than excited to head off on a road trip with her favorite humans.

In the beginning, it was an adjustment. We would spend a lot of time figuring out what we'd need for her for the weekend, often packing unnecessary items. We also had to take apart and put together her crate every weekend.

But after two years of traveling with our pup, we've got it down to a science. Here are some tips for how to travel with a dog!

Start Small

When we first got Leia and started traveling with her, she didn't handle long drives well at all! Anything more than an hour or so, and she would get car sick. And we definitely learned the hard way. After that, we tried to keep her car rides relatively short at first to get her used to travel. Now, two years later, she loves the car and never gets sick!

Proper Identification

When you're traveling and taking your dog outside their normal environment, there's a higher than usual chance of them running off. Always make sure you have proper identification on your dog's collar, as well as their microchip, in case something happens.

Hydrate

When you're traveling, it's extra important that your dog gets plenty of water! Make sure to give them water as soon as you arrive at your destination. If it's a longer drive, stop along the way to give them some water, as well as a chance to go outside.

Bring Favorite Toys

One of the most important parts about traveling with your pet is making sure they're comfortable! One thing that is sure to make Leia comfortable is having her favorite toys nearby. Leia loves stuffed animals, so we always bring one of those. She also loves to play fetch, so we make sure to bring a tennis ball. Sometimes she doesn't even use them because she's so excited playing with all the new people around, but they can definitely calm her down if she's feeling stressed.

Pack Healthy Snacks

Traveling and being in a place different than home messes with Leia's eating schedule a lot. First of all, she normally doesn't have specific meal times. Her food is always there and she grazes when she's hungry. As far as dogs go, she doesn't eat a whole lot. When we're staying somewhere else, she eats normal food even less. It throws her off to not have food available whenever she wants it, and the excitement of a new environment mostly causes her to forget about food.

For that reason, we make sure to pack healthy snacks! This way, we can make sure Leia is getting delicious snacks (that are actually healthy!) and getting some food in her stomach.

Enter Purina Beyond Snacks. We pick up a bag at Target whenever we'll be hitting the road (meaning basically every weekend). These babies are life-savers when we're traveling with Leia! First of all, she loves them. We get the White Meat Chicken Cutlets Natural Dog Snacks and she seriously goes crazy over them! But what's even better is that they're actually good for her. Unlike so many of the treats you can buy for dogs, these are healthy and natural.

When we're buying Leia's dog food, we make sure to buy something that has meat as the #1 ingredient and isn't loaded with filler ingredients. Why would we do any different with her treats? Purina Beyond Snacks are totally free of grain, corn, wheat, and soy. They also have real chicken as the #1 ingredient instead of poultry by-product meal, which is probably why Leia is so obsessed with them! And since they're natural, they aren't full of artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Source: How to Travel With a Dog

Ten amazing food market stalls around the world

Billy Kwong, Eveleigh Markets, Sydney

Popular Australian chef Kylie Kwong specialises in casual food with flair, so in 2010, when she decided to add a Chinese street-food stall at Eveleigh Markets to her successful restaurant of the same name in Potts Point, no one was surprised. Asian food is ubiquitous in Sydney, but what sets Kwong's offerings apart is the emphasis she places on native Australian ingredients like yabbies (local crayfish) and macadamia nuts, which give her dishes extra kick. At the market – which is in a complex of old railway sheds called Carriageworks – food-lovers queue for moreish snacks like pancakes with saltbush leaves, and sticky rice parcels with macadamias and spinach-like warrigal greens. "I am a third-generation Australian and a 29th-generation Kwong," she says, "so my 'Australian-Chinese' cooking style is a direct expression of who I am and what I love."• Saturday 8am–1pm, Carriageworks, 243 Wilson StreetDan Stapleton

Laxman Rao, New Delhi Photograph: Resham Gellatly

Like most roadside chai stands in India, Laxman Rao's, outside the tax office on Vishnu Digambar Marg street in New Delhi, sells cookies, crispy fried snacks called namkeen (a little like what we call Bombay Mix) and sweet milky tea. But Rao, who's 63, also offers something that most chaiwalas do not: books that he has written and published himself. While his tea has brought him a faithful following, his books have earned him literary acclaim and an audience with political leaders, including former prime minister Indira Gandhi and Pratibha Patil, India's former president.

Born in a small village in the state of Maharashtra, Rao left in 1975 – with 40 rupees and his school certificate, saying he'd completed 10th grade – and made his way to Delhi, where he worked in construction and restaurant jobs. He always aspired to be a writer and, in 1979, he self-published his first novel, Nayi Duniya Ki Nayi Kahani (A New World's New Story). It's about a man trying to become a writer in the face of obstacles, based largely on his own experiences.

Since then, Rao has written 24 novels and plays, many of which have drawn inspiration from his customers and their personal struggles. One of his most popular novels, Renu, about a girl who overcomes poverty and living with an alcoholic father to achieve financial success as an accountant, was inspired by the classmate of some students who used to visit his stall.• Rao's books are also available on AmazonResham Gellatly

Marco Bergamasco, Rialto fish market, Venice Photograph: John Brunton

If you need proof that Venice has not dwindled into a soulless museum city, join the locals doing their morning shopping at the Rialto fish market. There are 20-odd fishmongers in the ancient pescheria on the bank of the Grand Canal, with noisy seagulls swooping down to snatch the entrails every time a fish is gutted. All of them are characters, but if you are staying in a holiday let and want to cook pesce alla griglia or spaghetti alle vongole, the man to seek out is charismatic Marco Bergamasco. Marco works directly with local fishermen, either from the waters of the lagoon or out in the Adriatic, and if one day his stand seems to have a lot less on display, he'll explain that the icy Bora that blows down from Trieste and can last for six days, buffets the boats out at sea, so fishermen stay at home mending their nets.

The city's top chefs buy their fish from Marco, journalists queue up to interview him, and he is Jamie Oliver's favourite, featuring in his Great Italian Escape TV series. Marco is an encyclopedia on lagoon seafood, with anecdotes galore: he'll tell how the wriggling eel is anguilla in Italian but bisato in Venetian dialect, and that it's served roasted as a traditional Christmas dish. "Unlike many of the Rialto fishmongers, whose stalls are passed down from generation to generation," he says, "I started out as a graphic designer. But I was always fascinated by fish, always reading and studying, and when I was offered my own bancarella 23 years ago, I couldn't resist the challenge. I have never regretted my choice."• By the Rialto bridge on the right bank of the Grand Canal, open Tues- Sat 7.30am-noonJohn Brunton

Mae Somjit, Nang Loeng market, Bangkok Mae Somjit's tua pap dumplings. Photograph: Karen Blumberg

In a city heaving with wet markets, Nang Loeng still manages to stand out. Started in 1900, it is one of Bangkok's oldest surviving markets, and home to some of its most venerated vendors. Yet among the curry-rice purveyors and Chinese egg-noodle shops, Mae Somjit is the only one to offer tua pap (sticky-sweet, rice-flour dumplings). These labour-intensive Thai street snacks are increasingly difficult to find, and usually come stuffed with a sweetened mung bean mixture. But Mae Somjit also offers dumplings stuffed with sweetened, shredded shrimp, and festooned with coconut and fresh coriander. "The flavour is both sweet and salty," says Lek Sukjathranan who, like his mother and grandmother before him, mans the family-run, 93-year-old stall. "If the flavour is all sweet, it becomes too much to take and gets boring."• Nang Loeng Market is on Th Nakhon Sawan, between sois 8 and 10, open 8am-3pm dailyChawadee Nualkhair

Alfredo Sendim, Mercado da Ribeira, Lisbon

Alfredo Sendim is nuts about acorns. Some 300 hectares of oak trees cover his family estate, Herdade do Freixo do Meio, in the northern Alentejo region. The acorns are fed to his 300 pata negra (black hoof) pigs, which in turn provide the presunto (cured ham) which he sells in his shop, named after his estate, in Lisbon's Mercado da Ribeira. Alongside the ham and other organic produce from the estate – including rice, olive oil, chicken, turkey, beef, beans and chickpeas – Alfredo sells "acorn coffee", made from roasted nuts, and bread and biscuits made from acorn flour.

When he is not on the farm or in his shop, he is busy promoting sustainable produce on TV or researching the nutritional value of acorns with the Católica university in Porto . "Acorns are a powerful anti-oxidant," he says. "They have a type of fat similar to olive oil, are gluten-free and can replace almonds, cereals or potatoes."• Mercado da Ribeira, Avenida 24 de Julho, open 6am-2pm dailyCelia Pedroso

Sumting Fresh, Neighbourgoods Market, Johannesburg

Neighbourgoods is Johannesburg's answer to London's Borough Market, only cooler. And louder. On Saturday lunchtimes, when urban foodies descend en masse, the buzz of exuberant banter hits the roof. This suits Sumting Fresh chefs Andrew Leeuw and Hezron Louw down to the ground as the pair can't keep quiet: they launch into song, chant catchphrases and joke with the punters as they take and prepare their orders. While the setting is decidedly grungy – a fashionably deconstructed car park at the foot of a concrete tower block – Andrew and Hezron's food is as colourful as their patter. By garnishing fried chicken with Asian slaw, sweet chilli, aioli, parmesan and watermelon, they turn it into an artisan treat.• 73 Juta Street, Braamfontein, neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za, open Sat 9am–3pmEmma Gregg

Humberto Chávez González, Valladolid, Mexico Abraham Chávez González at his father's stall. Photograph: Larra Nebel

Valladolid, just east of the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, is the culinary capital of Mexico's Yucatán state. And in its Mercado Municipal, the acknowledged master butcher is Humberto Chávez González, who works with his son, Abraham. Don Berto, as locals know the father, is in his 70s, wears a crisp white shirt and big black glasses, greets passersby by name, and cuts meat with astonishing deftness. His longaniza de Valladolid, a rich sausage made in this town and beloved across the Yucatán peninsula, is considered some of the best in the city. He and Abraham make it daily in a smokehouse in their backyard and sell it at their white-tiled stall. The secret is their quality meat and the intense recado, spice paste, that Don Berto makes himself. If you arrive late in the day, the longaniza will be sold out – but Don Berto and Abraham will still greet you with a smile.• The Mercado Municipal is at the corner of Calle 32 and Calle 37, open daily 6am-2pm. Longaniza de Valladol id must be cooked before eating; or try it at most restaurants around town, including the excellent Hostería El Marqués further along Calle 37Zora O'Neill

Sushi Dai, Tsukiji, Tokyo Photograph: Alamy

Japan has less of a food market culture than most other Asian countries, but a visit to the world-famous Tsukiji fish market imparts some of that street-food buzz. After the excitement (and blisteringly early start) of the morning tuna auction, visitors can enjoy some of the freshest sushi in the world in the many hole-in-the-wall restaurants just yards from the auction floor. Possibly the best-loved and most legendary establishment (judging by the typical three-hour queue that snakes around the block) is Sushi Dai, a cosy, 10-seater place, offering omakase (chef's selection) sets for about ¥4000 (£22). It was originally popular with auction workers after they finished their early morning shifts. Once it had been discovered by foreign visitors, they created such a fuss that Japanese tourists soon took notice, too. Nowadays the friendly staff have a smattering of English and offer advice and recommendations, so if you can stomach the long wait, this is the place for some of Tok yo's freshest high-grade sushi.• tsukiji-market.or.jp, open 5am-1pm, closed Sunday and some WednesdaysTom Fay

Les Fromages de Valérie, Les Halles, Avignon Valérie, centre, at Les Fromages de Valérie. Photograph: Jon Bryant

Avignon's Les Halles market is the undisputed epicentre of fresh produce in Provence. It's not the olives or the aubergine caviar that attract the longest queues, however; that honour is reserved for Les Fromages de Valérie. It may be because Valérie offers free tastings of Beaufort d'été cheese from the Alps and her unpasteurised banon. She also has tiny marbles of exquisite goat's cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves, a pungent Pelardon (also from goat's milk) whose aroma can be detected from miles away, and giant slabs of gruyère and oak-aged comté. She also stocks a discreet, almost unmentioned, selection of foreign cheeses – pecorino, gouda, manchego and cheddar – tightly wrapped in the glass-fronted cabinets. Her shiny green stall is in the second row on the right, third booth down, where Valérie waits with her giant knife.• Place Pie, avignon-leshalles.com, open Tues-Sunday 6am-1.30pm (2pm at weekends)Jon Bryant

Dotty Chard, Samadi Sunday Market, Bali Dotty Chard and her bottles of tonic. Photograph: Theodora Sutcliffe

Dotty Chard makes a fresh batch of jamu kunyit asam (sour turmeric tonic) every Saturday for sale at the Samadi Sunday market, an eclectic little organic-led market in Canggu on Bali's southern coast. "As soon as a Javanese girl gets her period, they're shoving jamu down her throat," Dotty says. "We use it to increase blood flow and reduce cramps. And Indonesian women don't complain about PMT because the turmeric in jamu acts as a stabiliser for mood swings." As research begins to suggest – and alternative therapists already claim – a range of health benefits from turmeric, Dotty's grandmother's recipe is gaining in popularity in Bali. While some modern recipes include everything from pepper and lime juice to lemon and honey, Dotty uses just turmeric, tamarind, palm sugar, water and a little salt. She sells it in the same bottles she remembers the jamu ladies carrying on their backs when she was a girl.• facebook.com/Samadimarket, open 9am-2pm Theodora Sutc liffe

Source: Ten amazing food market stalls around the world

Nassau food tour showcases Bahamian fare beyond the resort

Washington Post

Alanna Rodgers, above, founder of Tru Bahamian Food Tours, explaining the signature confections of the Tortuga Rum Cake Co. in Nassau, the Bahamas. The decadent chocolates at Graycliff, right, reflect the estate's past life as a residence of British royalty.

It's Day 3 of our family vacation in the Bahamas, and so far I'm not impressed by the conch.

I want to love it. The exotic-sounding conch, with its ostentatiously horned, pink-fluted shell, is the national dish of this beautiful chain of islands. And naturally, like so many culturally important foods, it's also considered an aphrodisiac. So I keep trying it. I've had conch salad, conch fritters, cracked conch and conch chowder. At two restaurants. With the exception of the fritters, in which the conch is minced or pulverized, the conch in every dish has been tough and tasteless, like choking down rubber bands. The conch salad, especially, always seems so promising: a fresh, cold, ceviche-style salad tossed in a light lime-and-orange-juice dressing with fresh tomatoes and chilies. But no. Yuck.

And then, a couple days later, I find out why.

"Conch has to be tenderized before you work with it; otherwise, it's like chewing rubber," says Alanna Rodgers, founder of Tru Bahamian Food Tours. We're at a stop on the "Bites of Nassau" tour when Rodgers tells us that the rubber-band factor is a sign of how adept a Bahamian chef is with conch.

The 11 of us on the tour, including my husband, Brian, and 5-year-old daughter, Chloe, are gathered around a long wooden table upstairs at Van Breugel's Restaurant & Bistro, a power-lunch kind of place popular with politicians, lawyers and offshore bankers. The waitress brings us the restaurant's take on conch chowder, and she seems to read my mind when I wonder whether Chloe will like it.

"No, no, no! This will be too spicy for her!" she says, giving a bowl of chowder to everyone but Chloe.

"This is for the baby!" she exclaims with a lilting accent and a big smile, plopping a massive bowl of vanilla ice cream, topped with hot fudge and a cherry, down on the table in front of Chloe's face.

Van Breugel's conch chowder is indeed spicy, but delicately so, with a coconut-curry broth and hints of sweet Thai basil instead of the dish's traditional tomato base. The chowder is delicious — and finally, thankfully, so is the conch.

By now, a couple of hours into the food tour, it should come as no surprise that the conch chowder here is wonderful. Millions of people visit the Bahamas every year, but few of them will actually taste authentic island cuisine, Rodgers says. It's a fate that won't befall us. Rodgers has promised authentic, off-the-beaten-path Bahamian food, and she delivers on this four-hour tour that winds its way through downtown Nassau, largely eschewing tourist-thick Bay Street in favor of side roads and family-run eateries.

Before we set off, Rodgers fills us in on a bit of history, because the story of Bahamian food is laced with colonialism, piracy and slavery.

For years, the Bahama Islands were deserted (or nearly so) after Christopher Columbus arrived and the Spaniards decimated the native Lucayan people with disease and slavery. Later, the Bahamas became a haven for pirates, who flocked to its shallow waters and 700 islands' worth of hiding places. The British eventually cracked down on Blackbeard and his ilk and established colonial rule. But for generations after the pirates were run out of town, the Bahamas remained a magnet for illicit activity — a base for Confederate blockade runners during the American Civil War, a bastion for rumrunners and gangsters such as Al Capone during Prohibition and a pipeline for cocaine trafficking in the 1980s.

Slavery continued to stain the islands after the Spaniards left. British Loyalists brought their slaves with them after fleeing the American Colonies during the American Revolution. When Britain intercepted slave ships after it abolished the slave trade, it liberated and relocated captured Africans to the Bahamas. Still more slaves escaped to the Bahamas from nearby Florida.

All that history shows up in the people (most Bahamians are black descendants of slaves) and in their traditional foods, from the pigeon peas in "peas 'n rice" that found their way from Africa to the Caribbean via the slave trade, to that staple of the American South, macaroni and cheese.

Influences of West Africa and the American South are especially evident on the tour's first stop, a nearly 30-year-old restaurant called Bahamian Cookin'.

Bay Street might be crowded under the shadow of massive cruise ships and the crush of tourists who haggle at the Straw Market, sip daiquiris at Junkanoo Beach and snap pictures with Royal Bahamas policemen in front of the pink-hued buildings in Parliament Square. But it's strangely quiet just a few blocks away at Bahamian Cookin', where we dine on a typical island lunch, Bahamians' biggest meal of the day.

"If it does not have both rice and meat included, it's not considered a proper meal," Rodgers says.

Lunch here certainly fits the "proper meal" definition. Our plates are mounded with savory, fall-off-the-bone steamed chicken, sweet grilled plantains, crispy conch fritters with a spicy dipping sauce, coleslaw, peas 'n rice and a square of rich, casserole-esque macaroni and cheese made with evaporated milk. The restaurant is dimly lit, but it's brightly decorated with yellow-and-white fish-print curtains made of a batik fabric called Androsia, and oversize beaded headdresses from Junkanoo, a Bahamian street parade reminiscent of Brazilian Carnival.

"This is the most down-home, traditional stop on our tour," says Rodgers, and after this huge meal, I can't believe we have five more tasting stops to go.

As we leave, Bahamian Cookin's owner, Cookie, says goodbye by handing each of us a glass of iced switcha, a sweet Bahamian lemonade, to sip on as we walk. Outside, it's sprinkling, or, as the Bahamians call it, "sprying," so Rodgers pulls plastic ponchos from her messenger bag for everyone in the group.

"No thanks," I tell her, turning down the poncho. After all, it's 85 degrees outside, and it's only sprying.

From the down-home cuisine of Bahamian Cookin' we move on to its polar opposite: the regal opulence of Graycliff, a historic estate-turned-hotel that packs a little bit of every kind of culinary decadence: one of the Caribbean's first five-star restaurants; a chocolatier; a cigar factory; a 250,000-bottles-strong wine cellar filled with rare vintages from around the world. It's also a hotel, where lush gardens, tucked-away courtyards and a mosaic-tile swimming pool give hints of its past life as a home to British royalty.

Source: Nassau food tour showcases Bahamian fare beyond the resort

Travel Desk: food museums, Bond movie hotels and gay ski week

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Two museums devoted to food, in London and New York, open this week.

First up is the British Museum of Food, left, (bompasandparr.com; £5/€6.80), which opened yesterday in London's Borough Market and claims to be the world's first cultural institution entirely devoted to the history, evolution, science and sociology of food. Exhibits include historical menus, food as art and an exploration of peristalsis, which are the muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract.

On Wednesday, it's the turn of the Museum of Food and Drink,

(mofad.com; $10/€8.80) in Brooklyn, whose opening exhibition is called Making it and Faking It and includes an analysis of the classic hamburger. Its main selling point are that you can eat some of the exhibits and the museum has no plans to affiliate with any brands in order to maintain "its spirit of independence"

FIVE HOTELS FROM BOND MOVIES

The new Bond film, Spectre, gets its Irish release on Monday, and for the 24th time we get to see James pursue baddies and Bond girls but still find the time to enjoy a martini and some of the world's fanciest hotels. Here's five that have featured throughout the years:

Hotel Cipriani, Venice (Giudecca 10; belmond.com; rooms from €1,500) Venice's classiest hotel, home to 79 luxurious suites, is where Daniel Craig moored his boat (and where cast and crew lodged) in Casino Royale. The hotel reopens in March 2016 after a major refurb.

Hotel New Otani, Tokyo (4-1 KioI-Cho, Chiyoda-Ku; newotani.co.jp; rooms from €425) Famous for its revolving restaurant and 400-year-old gardens, this elegant business hotel, built in 1964, served as the HQ for Spectre front Osato Chemicals in 1967's You Only Live Twice. It's been upgraded since, so no sign of Blofeld or his cast of badly acting baddies, just contemporary luxury.

One & Only Ocean Club, Bahamas (Casino Dr; oceanclub.oneandonlyresorts.com; rooms from €525) Walk through the lobby and you're keeping step with Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, although you'll need more than luck to win an Aston Martin in a hand of poker. Your consolation is a stunning room that comes with a personal butler.

Peninsula Hong Kong (Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui; peninsula.com; rooms from €450) In The Man With the Golden Gun, Roger Moore followed Bond girl Andrea Anders to Room 602 of Hong Kong's most famous hotel, a byword for colonial elegance and five-star luxury: its fleet of green Rolls Royce Silver Shadows is just as it appeared in the film.

Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur (tajhotels.com; rooms from €600) The white floating marble palace that is the icon of Udaipur also served as Octopussy's lair in the 1983 film. Octopussy is seen swimming naked in the hotel's lily pond, which is overlooked by the most affordable rooms. To live like a maharaja you'll need to check into one of the suites.

BEWARE FREE WIFI

The free wifi in some of the world's hottest tourist spots is a prime target for hackers, according to a new study by internet security firm Skycure. The most vulnerable areas are Times Square in New York (right), followed by Notre Dame in Paris, Disneyland Paris and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Rome's St Peter's Square and the Grand Palace in Bangkok made the list while London's Trafalgar Square showed 10 dodgy spots. Skycure's advice is for travellers to avoid free wifi networks altogether, but if tempted, never log into bank accounts or any website where you might share credit card details. It suggests loading your mobile device with a virtual private network (VPN) for greater protection against hacking.

LIMBERING UP FOR GAY SKI WEEK

The Arosa resort in central Switzerland is preparing to host the 12th Gay Ski Week, which will run from January 10th-17th, 2016. The festival has grown to become one of the biggest winter events on the European LGBT calendar. This year there'll be daily après-ski parties, cabaret shows, disco ice-skating, moonlight sledding, pool parties and classical concerts, while en piste activities include a drag ski race. There is over 225km of skiable terrain and the runs suit all levels of proficiency. Five-day packages in three-star accommodation from snowtrex.ie (not including flights) start at around €700. See gayskiweek.ch

LIVERPOOL

Aer Lingus launched its new daily service to Liverpool yesterday, which will see 16 flights per week between Dublin and John Lennon Airport.

Fares start as low as €19.99 each way on the twice-daily service, with flights from Dublin at 6.50am and 6pm, and a third flight on some days at 2.10pm.

The return flights leave Liverpool at 8.15am and 7.25pm, with the third service departing at 3.35pm. See aerlingus.com

GET AWAY AT HOME

Faithlegg House Hotel & Golf Resort (faithlegg.com) in Co Waterford is in the last week of its Paint the Fairways Pink package for Breast Cancer Awareness month, which includes a round of golf and an overnight stay from €119 per person sharing. Cashel House Hotel (cashelhouse.ie) in Connemara has a two-night B&B, one dinner deal from €165 per person: on October 31st the deal includes a guided walk to a famine village. Coopershill House (coopershill.com) in Co Sligo has a two-night, one dinner deal from €239 per person sharing, and you can bring your dog

MICRO-GUIDE ABU DHABI

STAY Fairmont Bab Al Bahr (Bain Al Jessrain, Khor Al Maqta; fairmont.com; rooms from €150) Behind the glass front is one of the most elegant mid-range hotels in town.

EAT Mijana (Ritz Carlton, Abu Dhabi Grand Canal; ritzcarlton.com; mains from €19) Authentic Lebanese fare, including six types of hummus. The camel's milk smoothie is a treat.

DO Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (2nd Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al Maktoum St; szgmc.ae; admission free) The most beautiful building in the emirate, with 80 marble-topped domes and over 1,000 pillars.

Source: Travel Desk: food museums, Bond movie hotels and gay ski week

Where Is Your Favorite College Campus Drunk Food Spot?

A night out on a college campus either ends in ordering a pizza and passing out before it arrives, trying desperately to microwave some Bagel Bites, or heading out to your go-to drunk spot for greasy food. The reason we can't shake those late-night cravings is because our bodies need fuel that isn't booze to function. Plus, the fact that we've already consumed so many calories means that we feel a few hundred more won't hurt.

Pizza, burgers, tacos, nachos, Chinese food, and sweets all make the list when it comes to drunk food, but what about those iconic college spots you have to thank for feeding your embarrassingly drunk self? They're where stories were made, where nights you don't remember came to a head, and where you stuffed your face with fried food at 2 a.m.

Tell us where your favorite drunk food spot was/is on your college campus in the survey below.

Take the survey here.

Source: Where Is Your Favorite College Campus Drunk Food Spot?

SBS to serve up tasty mix on 24 hour Food Network

SBS's new 24-hour Food Network will bring a delicious mix of the world's best cooking programs to Australian viewers from November.

22 Oct 2015 - 1:04 PM  UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO

SBS's new 24-hour dedicated food channel, Food Network, will soon be available to Australian foodies.

The channel will launch at 1pm on Tuesday, November 17 and will serve up food and cooking programs from around the world.

SBS Managing Director Michael Edeid said SBS had "a proud reputation for delivering distinctive food programming that allows Australians to delve into different cultures."

"Today we're excited to reveal the next course in our food menu," he said.

"Food Network will offer a taste of something more, with a focus on simple, authentic and accessible everyday food inspiration from around the world, available all day, every day, across platforms, and for free."

Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone will be one of Food Network's star attractions, with several of his shows to be featured on the channel, including Kitchen Inferno and Surfing the Menu.

Some of SBS's locally made programs will also find a new home on Food Network alongside a mix of global contact.

Program highlights will include home cooking inspiration with Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals and Giada at Home; food-inspired travel and culinary adventure programs Reza: Spice Prince of Vietnam, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and Diners, Drive Ins & Dives.

Food entertainment programs like Chopped hosted by Ted Allen will be sourced through an output deal and licensing agreement with Scripps Networks Interactive, the world's leading producer of high quality engaging lifestyle content.

SBS Chief Content Officer, Helen Kellie, said "preparing and sharing meals with family and friends is at the heart of modern Australian culture."

"Our audiences tell us there's an appetite for something fresh and different on TV. Food Network will offer everyday food inspiration for all Australians, with accessible cooking using simple ingredients, and food-inspired entertainment and travel for all of the family," she said.

SBS to launch dedicated 24 hour food channel

SBS will dish up its fourth free-to-air channel, dedicated to the food genre, later this year.

Food Network Channel Manager, Chris Keely, said the channel would be home to some of the world's most popular cooking programs.

"Whether it's learning tips and tricks from trusted kitchen masters like Curtis Stone and Rachael Ray, exploring all that's weird and wonderful as we explore the world's cuisine with personalities like Reza Mahammad, Andrew Zimmern and Guy Fieri, or getting your thrills with the likes of Ted Allen, Alton Brown and Bobby Flay as they put aspiring cooks to the test, Food Network will be home to some of the most popular programs in this genre," he said.

Viewers are invited to share their own food adventures and endeavours on social media using the hashtag #MyFoodonTV for the chance to see their cooking on Food Network.

Food Network will broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will be available on free-to-air channel 33.

All programs will also be available online on SBS On Demand. 

Source: SBS to serve up tasty mix on 24 hour Food Network

Finally some sense! BBC bans taxpayer-funded free food and first class travel

GETTY

The BBC is cutting costs by cutting first class travel

The corporation has drafted in a stream of cost-cutting proposals in a bid to plug a £150million shortfall in the licence fee.

An increasing number of people are rejecting the licence fee and switching to watch TV solely online creating a funding gap.

Related articles

The Government is also closing in on spending at the BBC, claiming it cannot continue to operate trying to create all things for all people.

High-profile TV presenters and other BBC stars have also been told they will not receive any cash-back should they take taxis in central London.

BBC expenses have drawn a raft of criticism as it emerged some senior executives were claiming up to £3,000 in taxi fares every year rather than using the Tube.

GETTY

The BBC says staff will no longer be able to enjoy a free lunch

The corporation now plans to consult with unions ahead of the proposals which will come into effect next year.

Despite staff being told they will be unable to claim for sustenance, expenses from those journalists wining and dining contacts will be reimbursed.

GETTY

The BBC has also said its stars will not be able to claim for taxi journeys

A BBC spokesman said: "With the financial challenges the BBC is facing, it's more important than ever to get maximum value from every penny of the licence fee.

GETTY

First class travel for BBC staff has also been banned

"These proposals will help create a simpler, more efficient, BBC while ensuring staff are not out of pocket for the essential costs incurred in doing their jobs."

Related articles
Source: Finally some sense! BBC bans taxpayer-funded free food and first class travel

World Halal Travel Exhibition: Invest in Halal

The World Halal Travel Summit & Exhibition (WHTS15) opened today in Abu Dhabi. Present at the three-day trade show, exclusively supported by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, is HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings. Commanding a 33% share of the MENA region's Halal-friendly segment, HMH is a pioneer in creating the region's first international Halal-friendly chain of hotels and one of the strongest players in the field.

Speaking to a select group of journalists at the HMH booth at WHTS15, Laurent A. Voivenel, CEO of HMH, stated, "Halal tourism market holds enormous potential for hotel investors and developers. Given the business opportunity and demand Halal-friendly hotels will continue to claim bigger market share globally. By 2030, Muslims will make up more than a quarter of the global population rising from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion and 30 per cent of this population will seek Halal options".

As a travel segment, Halal Tourism equals roughly 10% of the entire travel economy and last year was calculated to be worth $145 billion representing over 108 million Muslim travellers. The segment is forecast to continue to grow to an amazing 150 million visitors by 2020 and will be worth over $200 billion globally.

HMH spotted the opportunity early in the MENA region rolling out the concept in 2003. Laurent said, "At HMH we have taken a 'Halal-friendly' and not 'Halal-only' approach. Our strategy has been to position ourselves as a perfect choice for both regional and international corporate and leisure travellers including families and single female guests seeking safe and healthy environment. Let's not forget, not everybody is seeking 'Halal Hotels'. The world is shrinking with greater connectivity as well as low cost carriers opening new markets bringing in more diverse mix of travellers. Therefore, the way forward is not 'Halal-Only' rather it is 'Halal-Friendly' and that is what we are all about."

According to Laurent dry hotels are equally popular with Western or non-Muslim travellers. He said, "On average over 60 per cent of our clientele are non-Muslims. Our typical customers are savvy travellers (both leisure and corporate) looking for value for money - basically, smart accommodation at the right price. Equally essential for them is a safe environment.

Laurent stressed, "A dry hotel can yield the same GOP as the one with alcohol provided the facilities are defined right. After food and beverage, the largest money maker in a hotel is banqueting. So whenever HMH is involved in planning and development of hotel, we advise owners to allocate maximum space to meeting and banquet facilities instead of too many food and beverage outlets as that could generate superb revenue".

Visit HMH at The World Halal Travel Summit & Exhibition (WHTS15) taking place at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 19 to 21 October, 2015.

Source: World Halal Travel Exhibition: Invest in Halal

Create your own food lover's tour of Hawaii's Big Island

There's nothing vanilla about Jim Reddekopp other than everything he lives and breathes, of course.

Reddekopp is the self-described head bean at Hawaiian Vanilla Co., which claims to have produced the first commercially grown vanilla in the U.S.

Here on the Hamaukua Coast in the northeastern rain forest of the Big Island, he grows tropical vanilla orchids, hosts entertaining plantation tours, serves a vanilla-infused luncheon and runs an on-site vanilla products store.

The northern quarter of the island holds several intriguing places just right for a food lover's tour: the vanilla plantation, an exotic mushroom farm, a macadamia nut factory, a grocery store selling locally grown products, organic tropical fruit stands and restaurants specializing in local fare.

My husband, Michael, and I decided to taste-test the scene.

We started about 30 miles north of Hilo, driving three miles uphill from Mamalahoa Highway on Pohakea Road toward Hawaiian Vanilla's headquarters in Paauilo, our ears popping as we gained 2,000 feet in elevation. Reddekopp and his wife, Tracy, began their 20-acre farm, which has two acres dedicated to vanilla production, in 1998.

On the tour, our group walked to one of four shade houses holding dozens of vanilla orchid plants. Inside, Reddekopp showed how they loop the orchid vines to get maximum growth from the plants that, without flowers, look like leafy house plants.

He also demonstrated how he hand-pollinates vanilla orchids so they will grow vanilla bean pods. (It's a tedious process.)

At the Vanilla Shoppe, guests were seated around a long dining table while Reddekopp whipped up vanilla garam masala shrimp with vanilla-pineapple chutney served on a crostini.

The official "Vanilla Lun cheon" followed with vanilla lemonade; vanilla iced tea; organic salad with feta cheese and vanilla-honey peppered pecans with vanilla-raspberry balsamic dressing; roasted potatoes with vanilla-Southwest rub; and a vanilla-citrus-bourbon chicken sandwich with vanilla-caramelized onions, vanilla barbecue sauce and vanilla-mango chutney. Dessert was vanilla lilikoi (passionfruit) curd over (you guessed it) vanilla ice cream.

Although my husband (a former chef) and I initially were concerned that we might be "over-vanillaed," we enjoyed the meal. Except in the ice cream, vanilla was a background flavor that added a comfort-food appeal to the meal.

Sauces, seasonings, teas, nuts and more were for sale in the Vanilla Shoppe; the first ingredient listed on most was "love" to show the family's passion for its products.

Info: Hawaiian Vanilla Co., 43-2007 Paauilo Mauka Road, Paauilo; (877) 771-1771, www.hawaiianvanilla.com . Tours, tastings, luncheon ($39 for adults) and s hop; reservations required. Hawaiian Vanilla also has a "vanilla cottage" for a farm stay; www.vrbo.com/585942.

Exotic mushrooms

From Hawaiian Vanilla we drove 11 miles south along the scenic Mamalahoa Highway to Hamakua Heritage Farm and its mushroom factory.

Hamakua grows pioppini and alii (also called black poplar and king oyster, respectively) mushrooms in what looks like mayonnaise jars in bright rooms with skylights and grow lights.

"Unlike most mushrooms, our mushrooms don't sit in the dark and eat manure," said tour coordinator Jane Holmes. "Our mushrooms are enlightened."

The mushrooms feed on a growing material, or "substrate" of ground-up eucalyptus, corn cobs and wheat germ. "Our factory smells like a bakery," she said.

Hamakua has partnered with local companies to incorporate mushrooms in foods such as lavash, butter cookies, brownies, "chocorooms," mango and lilikoi butters and even coffee.

"You don't really taste the mushrooms ," Holmes said, "but they add the rich, buttery taste of umami."

Of course, the gift shop has a variety of colorful mushroom-shaped earrings.

Info: Hamakua Heritage Farm/Hamakua Mushrooms, 36-221 Manowaiopae Homestead Road, Laupahoehoe; (808) 962-0017, www.hamakuamushrooms.com Tours, tastings and shop; tour reservations required.

Macadamia nuts

Hawaiians grew taro, sweet potatoes and sugar cane on the Kohala Peninsula on the northern tip of the island long before Europeans arrived. We headed there to see what's growing now and to take a beach-to-mountain scenic loop.

Our first stop was at the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co. (not related to the mushroom folks) in Waimea. A 10-minute video showed the intricacies of extracting the rich nuts out of their extremely hard shells and sorting them into whole nuts and the pieces used for trail mix or pressed for oil.

On the self-guided tour we looked through large windows as workers were making nut brittle by spr eading melted butter and sugar with macadamias onto marble slabs.

Other workers poured the nuts into the "flavoring panner," which looked like a small cement mixer, to coat them with any of nearly a dozen flavors, including wasabi, island onion, garlic butter and herbs, black peppah and chili peppah. There were even Spam-flavored macs, which come in boxes that resemble the packaging for one of Hawaii's favorite foods. I didn't detect the spiced-ham flavor, but they were salty.

Our family favorite was the Kona-coffee glazed nuts, although Michael was also partial to the rum-glazed macs.

Info: Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co., 61-3251 Maluokalani St., Kawaihae; (888) 643-6688, www.hawnnut.com.

Market and farm tours

As we drove north from the dry coastal area we entered wetter farm country. Family-run Kohala Grown Market in Hawi — a colorful, low-key village — sells only fruits and vegetables grown on the Big Island.

The day of our visit the boutique ma rket was offering mangoes, ulu (breadfruit), red Cuban bananas and other tropical fruits as well as organic oranges, lemons and limes. The lime was the largest, most flavorful one I've ever had.

The market's Kohala Grown Farm Tours lead excursions to visit farms that produce, among other foodstuffs, jackfruit, taro (for poi), organic vegetables, cacao (for chocolate), coffee and spices. The tours end with lunch at Sushi Rock (not associated with mainland cafes with a similar name), which uses organic and local ingredients as much as possible, including fish, produce and goat cheese.

Source: Create your own food lover's tour of Hawaii's Big Island

Traveler Food – An Innovative Idea That Revolutionized Train Travel

This e-catering website has earned the trust and respect of millions of passengers by offering a wide range of meals at different destinations across India. The company has through its high quality services, helped in resolving one of the greatest issues faced by train travelers in India.

Delhi, India, October 18, 2015 --(PR.com)-- When it comes to getting freshly prepared and hygienic food delivery in train right on their berths, most railway passengers rely on the timely and efficient services offered by Traveler Food. This e-catering website has earned the trust and respect of millions of passengers by offering a wide range of meals at different destinations across India. The company has through its high quality services, helped in resolving one of the greatest issues faced by train travelers in India.

Traveler Food is the brainchild of Amber Arora, a qualified management professional, who established the company no more than 2 years ago. Within the short duration of its existence, the website has made availability of healthy, hygienic and tasty food in train an expected standard in India. The website works in close partnership with some of the most renowned names in the food catering industry across different destinations in India. Its focus has always been on e nsuring complete customer satisfaction and providing the clients with best value for money.

The success of Traveler Food has ensured that the passengers are no longer dependent on the substandard meals supplied by the railway catering department to satisfy their hunger. Rather, they can now choose from a wide variety of cuisines and dishes that are not only tasty but also prepared in a neat and hygienic environment. The travelers can enjoy both veg and non-veg food delivered right at their berths on the station of their choice, which further adds to the pleasure of train travel.

From delivering a meager 2 to 3 parcels of food in a week in early 2013, Traveler Food today delivers around 500-600 meals per day. This in itself is a proof of the level of popularity and trust that the company has built over the two years in terms of providing meal on train. The consistently high quality of every meal delivered as well as its affordable pricing has made this e-catering site a b oon for regular train travelers across the country. In fact, the growing popularity and demand of its services has inspired the website to expand its services to other various stations by the end of next year.

The innovative idea that gave birth to Traveler Food over two years back has also inspired the growth of several other e-catering websites offering food delivery services for train passengers. However, what makes Traveler Food stand ahead of its competitors is the fact that despite its enormous success, the company has never wavered from its objective of providing delicious food to travelers in a hassle free and cost effective manner. It is this basic principle that has resulted in the website become one of the leading e-catering services in India and has helped it to win the trust of numerous clients who would otherwise prefer to stay hungry while undertaking a train journey.

Traveler Food210 Jaina Tower-2, Janakpuri WestNew Delhi- 11005891 7827998877, 7835887766c ontact@travelerfood.com

Source: Traveler Food – An Innovative Idea That Revolutionized Train Travel

Travel to Prague where every day is fresh, edgy and steeped in history

From first rate museums to chic boutiques, from sprawling castles to world class theaters Prague holds attractions for any traveler.

PRAGUE, October 16, 2015 – So you're thinking of vacationing in Europe? Maybe a few days shopping along the Champs Élysées? Gondola excursions in Venice? How about a bull fight in Madrid?

Wait! What about Prague??

It's a city that's steeped in a thousand year history of emperors, royalty, and even Communism.

But today's Prague, home to about two million people, offers so much more, from first rate museums to chic boutiques, from sprawling castles to world class theaters. And while the city (divided into Old Town and New Town) is literally slammed with tourists for most of the year, the majority come from Asia, Russia, and other spots in Europe.

There are few Americans visiting, and it's a mystery as to why. Aside from the culture, most locals can speak a bit of English (and are happy to help you even if they don't). The food is quite good, and the dollar goes a long, long way.

And oh yes, it's truly considered the beer capital of Europe.

Paris is romantic, and London might be proper, but Prague is fresh, edgy, and intellectual. You might want to get there before it's no longer Europe's best kept secret.

View of the City from the Prague Castle – Image R.S. KAYE all rights reserved

Inside the quintessential Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, located within the Prague Castle walls. Here one finds the most magnificent stained glass, tombs of several kings and emperors, and the Bohemian Crown Jewels.

Image R.S. KAYE all rights reserved

Inside the quintessential Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, located within the Prague Castle walls. Here one finds the most magnificent stained glass, tombs of several kings and emperors, and the Bohemian Crown Jewels.

Inside the opulent Spanish Synagogue. Refurbished in the 1990's, the building was used by the Nazis as a storehouse for valuable Jewish religious objects brought there from all corners of Europe. Today it is a part of the Jewish Museum of Prague, as well as a functioning temple.

Another view of the St. Vitus Cathedral, this time off in the distance, across the Vltava River. Image R.S. KAYE all rights reserved

The Czeck people are renowned for their crystal work, intricately painted Easter eggs, and exceptional marionette puppets. Some are so real, you can easily imagine that person sat for the artist. There are several shops that sell both mass produced, and handmade, and so beloved is the art form, there is also the National Marionette Theater.

Czech Puppets – Image R.S. KAYE all rights reserved

The evening view from the balcony at the Eurostars David Hotel, located about a ten minute walk from the Old Town. While a $250 a night price tag for five star digs in the center of Old Town may not seem too bad compared to two or three times that in other major European cities, places like the Eurostars can easily compete at about $80 a night.

Inside the opulent Spanish Synagogue – Image R.S. KAYE all rights reserved

Refurbished in the 1990's, the Spanish Synagogue was used by the Nazis as a storehouse for valuable Jewish religious objects brought there from all corners of Europe. Today it is a part of the Jewish Museum of Prague, as well as a functioning temple.

Eurostars David Hotel – Image R.S. KAYE all rights reserved

The evening view from the balcony at the Eurostars David Hotel, located about a ten minute walk from the Old Town. While a $250 a night price tag for five star digs in the center of Old Town may not seem too bad compared to two or three times that in other major European cities, places like the Eurostars can easily compete at about $80 a night.

Old Town square Image R.S. KAYE all rights reserved

The center of Old Town, home to the third oldest astronomical clock in the world. People from all walks of life gather here to shop, have a beer, and watch dozens of street entertainers.

Fruit Market – Image R.S. KAYE all rights reserved

For just under two dollars, an enormous serving of the freshest berries and grapes awaits you as you stroll through the open air markets.

Pastry stand – Image R.S. KAYE all rights reserved

Or grab a Trdelník, a traditional Slovak and Czech pastry covered in cinnamon and often filled with a chocolate hazelnut cream.

Image R.S. KAYE all rights reserved

Enjoy a chamber concert inside Klementinium, in the Mirror Chapel. Mozart once played the organ here, and it easy to get lost in the dramatic baroque marble and painted ceilings

Enjoy a chamber concert inside Klementinium, in the Mirror Chapel. Mozart once played the organ here, and it easy to get lost in the dramatic baroque marble and painted ceilings

Sunflowers – Image R.S. KAYE all rights reserved – Images by by R.S. Caye

Wind up the day with a dark coffee at a place like La Petite Cafe located on Myslikova Street, where bakers like Elena will tempt you with hot, fresh baked butter croissants (yeah, the sign says 30 Koruna, which equals about a dollar!).

And don't forget to try a local brew. Bottles can be bought individually for about 50 cents in the market, and you'll find everything from wheat beers, to dark lagers, to the world famous Pilsner (originating in Plzen, a town in the Czech Republic).

R.S. Caye is a long time journalist and business consultant based on the west coast of Florida.

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Source: Travel to Prague where every day is fresh, edgy and steeped in history