From Jetlag Travel

by Erik Olsen on

I gotta drag out some bits of an old post I did because the book I posted about – Phaic Tan is now out in the US. Before, I think it was only available in the UK and Australia. I’d gotten my hands on a copy of one of the earlier books called Molvania, the first in the mock-guide book series by a company called jetlag travel. I posted about it a while ago, expressing my enthusiastic regard for the idea.

Well, Phaic Tan ups the ante with a hilarious take on the whole exotic island motif. The country of Phaic Tan is said to be “an overwhelming explosion of sights, sounds, tastes, smells and strange colonic movements,” where “traffic police wear face masks but surgeons rarely do”.

Very clever, and that’s just the start.

There are also photos and clever little hotel recommendations, etc. For food, authors make up dishes in the “cuisine section”, and mention one particular dish called Nergak, which the book says “is a spicy fish sauce widely added to food throughout Phaic Tan. It is made at a massive processing plant in Pattaponga, one of the biggest factories in Asia, said to be the only man-made structure that can be smelt from the moon.”

This is one of those concepts I really wish I’d thought of.

Salmon Festival

by Erik Olsen on

I love to point out things that are happening in my old stomping grounds of the Northwest. One of the more interesting cultural events that really speaks to an icon of the area is the Wenatchee Salmon Festival. The festival runs September 28 to October 1 this year. Salmon is big in the Northwest. Big business, big in the cultural/historical sense, and big in the dining sense.

The red meated silvery fish are a big part part of the rich heritage of the region. And even though many of the biggest salmon runs have been decimated by dams and pollution, the salmon is still revered and, well, eaten. And I’ll tell you, if you’ve never had salmon at Ivar’s, well, you don’t know what you’re missing.

The Wenatchee festival is having its 16th anniversary this year with live entertainment (the Jude Bowerman Band), and a live reptile demonstration with Reptile Man Scott Petersen (what reptiles have to do with salmon is beyond me, but hey, that shouldn’t dissuade you from going.

Real Fishermen–Carpe Diem

by Iva Skoch on

Neil’s post about goulash reminded me of another controversial Czech specialty – fried carp. Don’t make that disgusted face! Carp can actually taste good, if prepared properly.

Europe has a fascinating history of fish farming, or aquaculture, dating back to the Middle Ages. Historically, monasteries were the centers of the nascent fishing “industry,” and many ponds were created to feed members of the Church.

This tradition dates back to the 11th century, and spread throughout Europe. My home country, the Czech Republic, was one of the biggest fishing centers, sporting as many as 25,000 fish ponds by the 15th century.

The primary meal fish is, and has been, carp, but eel, pike, perch, and trout are also common–and tasty–fish “crops.”

The tradition continues to this day, but you’ll have to travel a little out of the way to see it in action. You’re not going to see these events on a tour bus or just sitting around in the city. No, you’re going to have to get out to the country, to a local fish farmer.

The most common, most efficient, method is to drain the lake to one end, and just scoop up net-fulls of thrashing fish. In Czech, we call it a “vylov” (pronounced “VEE-lof”). The modern method usually goes like this: men from the village are invited to come at 4am, warmly dressed, ready to get drunk, and get wet. Waders or tall waterproof boots are required. Big, burly men catch, separate, and weigh the fish, which are quickly put into holding tanks on big trucks–essentially aquariums on wheels. Water, fish, and body-warming slivovice (90+ proof clear plum brandy–preferably homemade) are sloshed around in a frenzy until the lake is emptied. The pace slows somewhat, as the slivovice kicks in, but it’s still a blur of activity. The day is capped off by a big feast for the participants, with, of course, delicious dishes made of fish: fish soup, smoked fish, and fried fish.

Once a tanker truck is full, it’s bound for markets all over Europe, or, at Christmas time, particularly in Germany and the former Eastern block, the fish end up in big barrels for purchase by families who can’t wait to put their carp in the bathtub, where they swim briefly before being prepared in the Christmas Eve dinner.

Unfortunately, the European Union’s ridiculous, burdensome regulations are killing local agriculture and aquaculture. Better get there soon, or it will all be gone.

Dive Book

by Erik Olsen on

What kind of dive stories do you enjoy? Well, my guess is many of you will probably enjoy The Last Dive by Bernie Chowdhury. This book is a page turner if I’ve read one – especially if you are into diving – but even if you are not. In short, it’s a peek into the world of extreme diving from the eyes of a father and son who bonded over the sport. If you’ve ever considered taking up technical diving, this book will give you pause. If you have a significant other with objections to the idea, do not under any circumstance allow that person to read this book. As the title suggests, don’t expect a bunch of feel good stories. Death is on every other page (some really tragic). You can read an excerpt here.

Tom Haines in New England

by Erik Olsen on

The Boston Globe’s Tom Haines has gotten to do some pretty fancy stuff. A few years ago he set out with a Globe photographer to write about the changes being wrought where cultures collide.

Called Crossing Divides, I blogged about the series with pronounced relish (and a dollop of mayonnaise). I thought it was superb. Well, this time Haines is heading out again, but sticking closer to home. His recent expedition takes him to his home turf: New England. Haines hits the road for a five day journey exploring the Northeastern states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and…well, it looks like he may have just passed through Massachusetts. As he made his way along, he apparently took readers’ advice on what to see and do, a potentially dangerous proposition. Judging by this picture, the trip also included either a) drinking from large bottles or B) with small people…perhaps from Rhode Island, since that is the smallest state, after all. (ahem)

Per usual, though, it’s good stuff. Haines remains one of our favorite writers and this series doesn’t disappoint.