Dietary Card

by Kelly Amabile on

Dietarycard offers a selection of language cards that makes
dining out in a foreign country easier for those with dietary concerns.  Specifically made for those who suffer
from food allergies or require a gluten-free diet, travelers can feel comfortable knowing that the correct instructions
were passed on to the chef. The small cards can be handed to restaurant staff to alert them to diners request, and
hopefully avert confusion that language differences could present.

The company carries a full range of cards and
can create custom ones. They’ve announced that beginning on December 1, they will expand custom card offerings to
include Greek, Turkish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Czech, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Russian. They currently make
cards in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

The UK company can ship cards almost anywhere, and they can be
ordered online. Check out their
top ten tips for
tenacious travelers — # 7 points out just a few of the cultural differences surrounding food preparation and
cooking that diners should be aware of.

Don’t Forget: $100,000 Chivas Contest

by Erik Olsen on

We mentioned this a ways back, but it’s coming up (Oct. 10th) so take a moment to check it
out. The makers of Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky are offering some lucky souls $100,000 to travel the world. The pair of
adventurers must be willing to travel the globe together to find the best that life has to offer. According to the
listing, they “must be curious, intelligent, with strong writing skills and a sense of the world around them”. Dude,
that’s me!

Anyway, while you’re out there, you’re going to have to compile some 50 tips that identify extraordinary moments and
experiences, all of which will be compiled into ‘The Chivas Life Guide.’ Go get busy, send in
your proposal. They want entrants to put together a three-minute video tape
explaining why they should be chosen. And applications have to be received by October 10th at 5 PM EST.

Drinking Palinka

by Adrienne Wilson on

I haven’t a clue what just triggered this memory of drinking
Palinka, a home-made spirit distilled
from fruits like apricot and plum, but thinking back on the first time makes me laugh and
smile. The three of us gathered around a small table in the kitchen of one of the families we were building
for in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. After a long day of hammering (mostly my thumb) and working on new homes for and with our
gracious hosts in part of Habitat for Humanities International Global Village program the Palinka sounded like a great
idea. Our host family joked and said if you were sick the Palinka would be sure to make you feel better. None of us
were sick, but having never tried the Central European brandy we were all eager to take it down. Let’s just
say I’ll never forget that more slightly burning and warming feeling I encountered and they’ll never forget the
expression on my face.

With my memory of the Palinka in place I decided to do some hunting of where I could possibly get my hands on
some here or learn how to make some myself. Didn’t find any step-by-step instructions on how to create the beverage so
very loved in Hungary
and Romania, but I did see other topics of interest.

Check out this story on the battle between Hungary and Romania for the rights to the drink. If you ever plan on
heading to this part of the globe make sure you try some for yourself. In small portions of course.

Killing Pigs for Fun

by Erik Olsen on

Poor Porky.

Looks like things are picking up for those who enjoy killing animals. According
to this piece in the Times, several states have
relaxed the rules and are allowing hunters to go out and kill wild pigs. Bacon-loving hunters in Hawaii, California and
Texas (of course) can now go out and play Lord of the Flies to their heart’s content. The reason is largely because
wild pig populations are soaring in these places and the local authorities figure its time to reduce the population and
to let people with guns have a little fun at the same time. In fact, in California, the Department of Fish and Game has
even started offering advanced wild boar hunting clinics and created a 365-day open season on pigs, with no bag
limit.

Time to revise the famous little ditty: “This little piggy went wee wee wee, ka-boom! and turned to pink mush”.

US to Ban Caviar

by Erik Olsen on

Here’s one for traveling foodies who might soon find one of their favorite luxury items out of reach. The Fish and
Wildlife Service said they will ban imported
caviar that are harvested from beluga sturgeon
in the Caspian Sea, which are endangered and on the brink of extinction.

The problem, you see, is that the good fisher folk around the Caspian have not been very environmentally conscious.
Why, I’m not even sure there’s a Russian word for “sustainable development”. Alas, the fisher folk, in their quest to
bottle salty fish eggs (aka: cured roe) to sell for astronomical sums, have nearly wiped out the poor little (and
sometime BIG) fish that makes those eggs.

But don’t fret yet, dear foodies. You can still have your caviar and eat it too. Turns out it’s only the Caspain Sea
caviar that will be banned. Other places harvest beluga caviar too. And they are free to continue selling the
stuff.