"Food ways" is an expression that dates back to 1946. It refers to the eating habits and culinary practices of a people, region, or historical period. Food Ways Presented by Everyday Exotic Spices: Food finds for foodies and food lovers - curated content from around the web, sharing the ways we all like to enjoy our food! Food history, recipe sharing, and all things food-related. This foodie blog is aimed at newbie cooks or beginners. But everyone is welcome!
I am always interested in learning about world cuisine. I especially like Jewish food or Israeli cuisine. In a social community where I am an active member, people love to share food-related posts. One of the members, Vasya007, shared a post about cholent or hamin (see below). I was inspired to look up some recipes and additional information..
“Cholent or hamin is a traditional Jewish stew. It is usually simmered overnight for 12 hours or more, and eaten for lunch on Shabbat. Cholent was developed over the centuries to conform with Jewish laws that prohibit cooking on the Sabbath.” (Wikipedia)
Cinco
de Mayo is a holiday celebrated mainly by those of Mexican Heritage.
It is not observed as a national holiday but here in America,
particularly Texas, the state of my current residence, it is
celebrated every May 5th.
As with most holidays, there is great food! This post shares a
selection of cooking videos that showcase food served during Cinco
de Mayo celebrations.
In Korean cuisine, banchan is a small side dish served along with rice as part of an everyday meal. No Korean meal is complete without at least 2 to 3 banchan.
If you are one of my followers or subscribers then you know that my guilty pleasure is watching Korean dramas. Not only are they entertaining but they are educational and the food they eat always looks so mouth-watering. Watching them makes me hungry. I always wish I could be right there with them enjoying the food! LOL.
Netflix is doing well these days helping me satisfy my appetite for K-dramas. This streaming platform has quite a selection of movies and TV series, historical period or modern, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and more! Crash Course in Romance is a Korean series that was released on Netflix in January 2023. This series introduced me to “banchan”. One of the main characters was Nam Haeng-seon (played by Jeon Do-yeon), a lady who owned and operated a shop called “Nation’s Best Banchan”. Customers could come into the store and pick whatever banchan dishes they wanted for lunch or dinner.
Not being very familiar with Korean cuisine, my first question was: What is banchan? My second question was: What is the best banchan? I did a little research and am sharing my notes below.
NOTE 1:“Banchan means side dish in Korean, but in reality, it’s a bunch of small dishes filled to the brim with pickles and the like that scatter the table at lunch or dinner.” (REF: Hills, S. W. (2022, January 13). The Funky, Flavorful Side Dishes to Complete Any Korean Meal. Food52. food52.com/blog/17598-the-funky-flavorful-sides-a-korean-meal-wouldn-t-be-complete-without)
NOTE 2:“There are generally three main types of banchan — fresh vegetable banchan like namul or muchim; braised or soy sauce-based banchan called jorim; and well-preserved mit banchan like kimchi or jeotgal, that’s usually on hand in large batches.” (REF: Yoo, Irene. “How to Cook a Bunch of Banchan.” Food Network, Food Network, 6 May 2021, www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/how-to-cook-banchan-side-dishes-crowd. Accessed 7 Mar. 2023.)
NOTE 3:What are some popular banchan dishes? (REF: TasteAtlas. “46 Types of Banchan Sorted by Popularity.” Tasteatlas.com, TasteAtlas, 20 Nov. 2020, www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-types-of-banchan-in-the-world. Accessed 7 Mar. 2023.)
NOTE 4:“Banchan dates back to the mid-Three Kingdom period, around 300s AD at a time when Buddhism was a heavy influence and meat consumption was highly discouraged. As a restyle, seasonal vegetable-based dishes became the focal point of Korean cuisine.” (REF: Angela, and admin. “Banchan History: All about Korea’s Famous Side Dishes.” FOODICLES, 2 June 2021, foodicles.com/banchan-history/. Accessed 7 Mar. 2023.)
NOTE 5: Everything you need to know about the history, etiquette, and ingredients behind banchan. (REF: Spalding, Lavinia, and Mae Hamilton. “How to Eat Korean Banchan — and a Guide to the Most Iconic Dishes.” AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 30 Aug. 2021, www.afar.com/magazine/how-to-eat-korean-banchan-and-a-guide-to-the-most-iconic-dishes. Accessed 7 Mar. 2023.)
Always happy to learn about exotic fruits from around the world. This post is about the ACKEE FRUIT. Even though it is a fruit, it is cooked as a vegetable. It is native to West Africa, but has been cultivated in Jamaica since 1778 when it was brought to the Caribbean by British slave traders. The Jamaicans liked it so much they made it the country's national fruit and their national dish is ackee with saltfish (or codfish).
WARNING: Do not eat this fruit in its unripened state as it is poisonous. However, once ripe, eat only the yellow arilli which is the edible portion. The black seeds are always toxic whether the fruit is ripe or unripened.
NOTE: If you are unable to buy it fresh, you can also buy canned ackee to use in your recipe. You can even find it freeze-dried.
I was curious to know if there were any West African recipes with this fruit as a main ingredient, but discovered that even though the ackee fruit originates from there, in that part of the world, it is used mainly for medicinal purposes.
“The ackee tree (Blighia sapida) is indigenous to the tropical forests of West Africa. Although it is not popularly eaten there, it is cultivated in the region for several nonfood uses: Immature fruits are used to make soap; the wood from the tree is termite resistant and used for building; extracts from the poisonous seeds are taken to treat parasites and are sometimes used as a fish poison; topical ointment made from crushed ackee leaves is applied to the skin to treat headaches and ulcers. And the Ackee leaves are also good as a fodder for goats.”
Since this food comes with a warning, you might want to know a little bit more. Below are some additional links of interest.
Happy World Vegan Day to all of those who are vegans. World Vegan Day has been celebrated every year on November 1st since 1994.
To my vegan friends, I know that you are dedicated and committed to encouraging everyone to convert to a plant-based diet. Although I must confess that I have not fully crossed over, some significant changes have been made in my diet that you would be proud of. When it comes to being a vegan, in America (especially if you live in beef-eating Texas), it’s a challenge.
Celebrity Vegans: Senator Cory Booker
There are many celebrities in the entertainment business who tout their vegan diet and try to influence others to make that change. I consider politicians a “type of celebrity” and they can also be influencers. However, Senator Cory Booker insists that he would never use his official public position to try to convert anyone else. Nevertheless, kudos to Cory Booker, an African-American Senator who is currently running for President in the 2020 Election. He is an outstanding role model, a shining example and proof positive that becoming a vegan is definitely doable. I mean … African-Americans are not known for preparing vegan-oriented meals. For him to make that kind of dietary change, it could not have been easy. Go bro!
Fast Food Restaurants in USA Should Have More Vegan Dishes
As I said, I have not fully changed over to a vegan or plant-based diet but it’s not for lack of recipes. Many of my online vegan friends share their recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, and snacks that you can make for yourself at home. But what about eating out? Like most Americans, I often eat at fast-food restaurants. I am of the opinion that it certainly wouldn’t hurt for America’s fast-food restaurants to add some vegan dishes to their menu. I know that it can be done because Wendy’s restaurants in India have paneer on their menu. They don’t have that in the USA. But they could and they should. If they did I would order it when I’m going through the drive-through! LOL.
Buddha Bowls Make Switching to Vegan Easy
My significant other is a YouTube junkie and he loves watching the cooking videos. Since we share the same bedroom I usually end up watching those videos with him. There is a wonderful YT channel called Tish Wonders and in one of her instructional videos, she prepares 3 mouthwatering Buddha Bowls. Her last recipe is my favorite. I personally believe that for someone to make the transition to a vegan diet, starting out by eating Buddha bowls for lunch or dinner is the best way! It’s an opinion, of course. But a very reasonable opinion. Don’t you agree?
Final Tip About Becoming Vegan
Changing over to a vegan diet is a good thing. But some people might make unhealthy decisions. Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition, published a very informative article about 8 vegan diet dangers and she cautions that one of them is irreversible. Before making any major diet and nutrition changes, you may want to seek professional medical advice.
