Guide to UNESCO World Heritage Sites
If there is one comfort food that I just can’t life without, it is an American style breakfast. Before I found an acceptable and nearby American-style breakfast near my apartment in Korea, I ate that disgusting Mcdonald’s Deluxe breakfast with a huge smile on my face. After all, something was better than nothing. Read more
One of my absolute favorite foods in the world has to be American Chinese. “Orange chicken” ranks in my top five for sure and “BBQ Pork” is not far behind. Read more
One of the biggest reasons to travel is food, and given how many amazing meals there are out there, who could blame us? However, no matter where you are in the world, the food doesn’t really transfer across country lines without some changes. For example, when I lived in Korea, I thought Chinese and Japanese food would be nearly identical or at the very least, readily available. While you can find it if you look for it, differences in the Korean palate changes the taste enough to long for the real deal.
California is in the best of both worlds. It is undoubtedly American, but still has an incredible amount of Mexican influence fuelled by its strong Mexican-American community. Here are some snacks that are originally Mexican, that you can easily find in California (and hopefully, at least some other parts of the US).
This peanut based soft Read more
Picadillo can be found in Mexico, as well as in other Latin American cultures, Spain, and in the Philippines. They all derive from a Spanish dish, but has been adapted to meet the needs of the local people. Filipinos, for example, often eat it with rice, which is something Mexicans never do. Mexicans, like with many other meals, like to eat it with tortillas on the side (pictured). Like menudo, it boasts a very rich broth, definitely not as fatty or thick, but still too salty for some blander taste buds. The main meat is ground beef which is cooked in chunks that often fall apart during the cooking process. However, this mix of big chunks and smaller pieces makes it so that you have a slightly different texture with every spoonful, which enhances the taste in my opinion. The other main ingredients are onions (cut into slices) and Italian or Mexican squash which is cut into slices that gets soggy in the broth. Read more
Besides friends and family, the thing expats like myself miss the most about our home countries is the food. Prior to returning, I made a huge list of foods I missed that I hope to showcase as I systematically eat my way through America. Some are homemade Mexican meals, some are from my favorite chain restaurants, and hopefully, I’ll have an In-N-Out burger or some very greasy American Chinese food along the way. Enjoy!
Menudo is a very well known dish among Mexicans, but it’s usually reserved for special occasions such as a birthday party or a holiday. For this reason, it is probably not something you are very familiar with unless you have Mexican friends. Restaurants might have it on weekends, since you really need to make big pot to make it worthwhile. Read more