Food Trippin’: Famous Street Food Cultures

A foodie’s adventure is marked by variety and that range depends on their propensity to travel to literally have a taste of other people’s culture through their food. In many cities around the globe, food is a vibrant part of daily life and is incredibly affordable and easily accessible, often through sidewalk vendors, night markets, and food hubs.

**Image source:** behindthefoodcarts.com

Singapore would always come to mind with its bustling and ubiquitous hawker centers where tourists and the working class converge for Pan-Asian, cross-cultural (Chinese, Malay, and Indian) varieties, classics being the Hainanese chicken rice, chili crab, garlic tiger prawns, duck rice, steamed pork buns, and curried noodles.

Similarly, Bangkok has countless sois—small neighborhood streets with food stalls and open-air cafeterias lined up side-by-side. On your must-try list would be pad thai, sticky mango rice, Thai milk tea, and tom yum.

As soon as the sun sets, you can enjoy couscous, shawarma, kebabs, or deep-fried sesame cookies in Marrakesh, Morocco, as the heaping bowls of olives, cumin, turmeric, saffron and ginger lend a heady, fragrant air to the marketplace setting.

And then there are places like Portland, Oregon that just brings all of the world’s best street foods in one place with hundreds of food carts on the streets on any given day, selling Brussels’ frites, Rome’s gelato, or Spain’s churros.

I am Naman Wakil and I am a food blogger. Like this Facebook page for more ideas on gastronomic adventures.

To a Delicious Feed: Facebook Accounts Every Food Love Should Follow

Tired of all the selfies and long-winded status updates from your Facebook friends? If you love to cook or simply love food, then there are plenty of Facebook accounts that cater to your needs. Here are some pages you should like for a more delectable feed:

Food52

Food52 is arguably internet’s ultimate source for all things food. Get the latest updates from recipes to stunning food photography by liking them on Facebook. Their posts will surely make you crave for something every time you refresh your feed.

Tasty

Buzzfeed puts all things related to food (recipes, photos, trivia, tips) into their social media food arm called “Tasty.” They post plenty of one-minute video recipes that range from pasta to dessert to anything covered with cheese.

Bon Appetite Magazine

Bon Appetite Magazine is a foodie’s haven both in print and online. Its Facebook page is chock full of delicious looking recipes accompanied by fabulous shots that will make anyone scrolling through their feed drool.

Spoon University

This page is perfect for college students and those who still eat like they’re in college. It has plenty of simple recipes and food hacks for better instant food. A word of caution, some of their recipes aren’t for the weak.

Hello, I am Naman Wakil and food is my passion. Subscribe to my blog for more recipes, tips, and articles on food.

Wrapping Up The Differences Between The Gyro And The Shawarma

Who doesn’t want a great-tasting sandwich? Shawarmas and gyros are a must-try for people who want a taste of Mediterranean cuisine. A lot of people think that gyros and shawarmas are the same: both have meat roasted to perfection with sumptuous veggies and sauce wrapped around in pita bread, but there are key differences between the two. Below are clues on how to differentiate a gyro from a shawarma.

Shawarma is of Middle-Eastern origin, and the gyro is a sandwich from Greece. Shawarma came from Turkey as a different type of kebab.

In terms of meatiness, the gyro is made out of loaf-like meat mixtures, usually of lamb and beef. Shawarma is made of meat like lamb, goat, fish, or chicken. Spotting a gyro from a sea of shawarmas is easy because gyro meat comes in long and thin stripes. Shawarma meat is often small and chunky. Meanwhile, spices used in gyros include oregano and garlic. Shawarma seasonings and spices include cinnamon, vinegar, dried lime, and allspice. As for sauces, shawarma comes with a tahini made of hummus. Gyro is paired with tzatziki or a spiced yogurt sauce.

Still confused? Don’t let the pita bread fool you! Or maybe it’s time for you to make a taste test to know the difference.

Hi, I’m Naman Wakil. My passion is great food. Visit my blog for more gastronomic reads.

Preparing The Perfect Spanish-Style Patatas Bravas

As a foodie, I believe that potatoes are heaven sent. There are so many ways to enjoy them and in my travels, I realized that different countries have their own special way of preparing potatoes. For me, this means discovering more recipes while immersing myself in a culture’s unique flavor. If you’re tired of the usual mashed potatoes or French fries, do yourself a favor and try out Spanish-style patatas bravas.

La Tasca Spanish Tapas Restaurant — **Image source:** Telegraph.co.uk

Before marching to the nearest Spanish resto, save yourself from horrible Yelp reviews and cook the recipe yourself. All it takes are potatoes, tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, onion, and spices. Here is a simple step-by-step recipe:

1.Boil the potatoes and cut in quarters.
2.Preheat your oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
3.Start sautéing the garlic and onion in olive oil. After five minutes, add the tomato sauce. Once the sauce and the spices are done, you can go back to the potatoes.
4.Put the potatoes in a tray with olive oil and bake for about ten minutes.
5.Pour the sauce in the tray. Add cheese, garlic powder or more spices if desired.
6.Bake for another ten minutes or until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
7.Let it cool for a while and enjoy.

Some people prefer to deep fry the potatoes and add bacon bits or ground meat but if you want your patatas bravas simple and healthy, follow the recipe above. Trust me, once you’ve tried this dish, you’d want to have this for dinner every night.

dolce-herminia-patatas-bravas-barcelona — **Image source:** Driftwoodjournals.com

Au revoir, French fries. Hola, patatas bravas!

Hi, Naman Wakil here. I love everything about food. I am a freelance food blogger based in Los Angeles. Apart from being a foodie, I am also a traveler and a budding photographer. I hope to travel to all countries around the world and eat their specialties before I start my own restaurant. Follow this page for more delicious adventures.

Hummus: This Dip’s Serious History

Hummus is a popular dip and staple in any Mediterranean fare. Yet, for all its popularity, many people remain unaware of its history. To be fair, I only recently discovered a few facts about this chickpea spread myself and I was astounded by several new things. In an instant, hummus became more than what I imagined and I found myself enjoying it more. I decided to share some of my findings.

Image Source: Wikimedia.org — **Image Source**: Wikimedia.org

No one knows where it began, but everyone’s doing it: Strange, isn’t it? Many regions claim to be the birth place of hummus, but officially speaking, no one really knows where the dip began. This is because hummus has been around for quite some time and comes in many variations. Still, it is largely believed that it began somewhere in the Mediterranean, as the main ingredient – chickpeas – is abundant there. Another fun fact is that while most of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean counties claim hummus as their dish, there is not much difference in variety. The other real difference among the hummuses is the amount of cumin and tahini used in them. Some substitute the butter for olive oil. But the dish is essentially just chickpeas, sesame paste, lemon juice, and garlic.

Image Source: bostonmagazine.com — **Image Source**: bostonmagazine.com

Hummus was serious business: Many arguments are made as to which hummusia makes the best hummus. It seems like a small matter, but many food enthusiasts still fight over which variety is actually the best. How much of this ingredient makes a difference? Furthermore, each variety supposedly has varying aphrodisiac properties. Some chefs call hummus a surprising love potion, since chickpeas are filled with iron, magnesium, zinc, and potassium – all known to increase sexual functions and boost physical energy.

This, for me, proves, that there really is more to everything than initially meets the eye. Even “small” dishes have their own history and fun facts. I can’t wait to learn more!

I am Naman Wakil and I am proud to be part of the community that eats, lives, breathes, and loves food. Join me on my food quest by following this Twitter account.

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