Where To Get The Best Empanada In Argentina

by Jessica Festa on

When hearing the word “empanada,” many people immediately think of Argentina. The truth is, the type and taste of empanada depends on where you are in the country. Because of the different climates and geographies throughout Argentina, the best ingredients to cook with vary.

On a recent trip to Buenos Aires, I was sitting with a group of locals asking them about where to get the best empanada. “The north,” they replied in unison.

I sulked. They didn’t mean the northern area of the city, they meant the north of the country. Cities like Salta, Tucuman, Santiago del Estero and Jujuy are where natives agree the best empanadas are. Moreover, Mendoza, Cordoba and Rosario also have delicious empanadas, varying a bit from place to place. For example:

  • In Mendoza, traditional empanadas use a filling of beef, onion, egg and sometimes olives or cheese.
  • In Salta, potatoes, beef, chicken and sometimes even llama meat is used for the dish.
  • In Cordoba, empanadas are sweet, with white sugar, potatoes, olives and meat.
  • In Tucuman, the dish is cooked in a clay oven with lemon juice. Traditionally, the empanadas have beef, chicken and tripe; however, newer varieties also include cheese and onion.
  • In Jujuy, the addition of peas, pepper and onion give the meal a unique spice.

If you have your heart set on visiting Buenos Aires, but also want to try some amazing empanadas, don’t fret. There are two great restaurants, both located in Recoleta near Rodriguez Peña and Santa Fe streets, that was recommended to me by various locals – and for good reason. First there is Cumana, an upbeat venue that uses an adobe oven to create traditional dishes. The other is La Cholita, a rustic venue, which gives generous helpings for a good price.

[Photo via From Argentina With Love]

A Sensory Journey Through Morocco, Africa

by Jessica Festa on

Morocco is a country in northern Africa that features unique sights and experiences for all travel styles. When I visited, I was amazed at how much there was to explore – the lively sounds of the markets, the tastes of flavorful spices, the feel of gentle hands during a neck massage and the spiritually felt at a sacred mosque.

More than just your average tourism trip, Morocco takes you on a journey of the mind, body and senses. Your eyes will be opened to a new culture and you will get the chance to visit beautiful and enlightening places that will transform your outlook on life.

Smell

Designed in the 1920s by French furniture maker Jacques Majorelle and restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge in the 1980s, the Majorelle Garden (pictured) is a 12-acre botanical garden in Marrakech. The site is brimming with unusual tropical flowers, cacti and shocking displays of Yves Klein blue. Stroll through this exotic and vibrant garden, take in the unique aromas and visit Yves Saint Laurent’s resting place.Taste

Originated from the Berber people, the native inhabitants of Morocco, tagine is Morocco’s unofficial national dish. Cooked in a conical clay pot of the same name, tagine is comparable to a slow-cooked stew with different tender meats, vegetables and sauces.

A typical Moroccan tagine is made of chicken, preserved lemons, onions and potatoes. Learn to make them in a cooking class like the one at La Maison Bleue in Fez.

Touch

Relax in a traditional Moroccan hammam, which begins with a steam bath and is followed by an exfoliating body scrub and polish with black soap made from argan nuts. The experience ends with a relaxing argan oil massage. Visiting a hammam is part of the daily life in Morocco and is used to de-stress, cleanse and relax the body. Visitors can find hammams in almost every town in Morocco and in many hotels and riads.

Experience

Visit an argan oil cooperative near the coastal city of Essaouira and experience how all-women cooperatives make argan oil from argan nuts using the same technique that has been passed down for centuries. Argan oil is used in a wide range of beauty products for skin and hair, and for cooking. This area of Morocco is the only place in the world where the argan tree grows.

Pray

Make a trip to the majestic Mosque Hassan II set on the Atlantic shore of Casablanca. The seventh largest mosque in the world, Mosque Hassan II is the only mosque in Morocco that non-Muslims are permitted to enter. The mosque can hold up to 105,000 worshippers at once and guided tours are offered to non-Muslim visitors in several different languages throughout the day.

Wonder

Enjoy the mysticism and magic of Marrakech’s famed square, Djemaa el-Fna. Djemaa el-Fna comes alive in the evening with music, cobra charmers, acrobats and merchants selling dates, dried figs, almonds, walnuts and other foods. As dusk falls, the square becomes an open-air dining area packed with stalls lit by gas lanterns and the air is filled with wonderful smells of Moroccan spices and plumes of cooking smoke spiraling up into the night.

Browse

Stroll the narrow alleyways and cobblestone streets of the souk in Marrakech, the largest in Morocco. Visitors can buy traditional Moroccan clothing and crafts from artisanal vendors selling from stalls and small shops. The most popular items – many handcrafted on site in the souk – include Berber carpets, hammered-metal lanterns and traditional Moroccan pottery.

Stay

While in Morocco, rest your head in a guest room at a Riad – a traditional Moroccan house with an interior courtyard and fountain. Hidden behind an unassuming door in the Medina (old city) of Marrakech, Dar Les Cigognes is an example of a traditional riad-turned guesthouse. It features 11 guest rooms off a sunny courtyard with orange trees and a gurgling fountain. Marrakech is brimming with hundreds of riads that provide peaceful hideaways from the bustling souk.


See

Witness traditional male craftsman producing one-of-a-kind leather goods from start to finish. These artisans employ techniques dating back to the medieval times in the world’s oldest leather tannery in the Imperial city of Fez. Tour the famous tanneries and dye pits, bursting with vibrant color, in Fez’s ancient Medina, which date back to the eleventh century.

Move

Morocco provides some of the most diverse options for outdoor adventures and sports – ski the Atlas Mountains in Oukaimeden, surf the Atlantic waves in Agadir or sand board the dunes of the Sahara Desert near Ouarzarzate. Due to Morocco’s unique location and terrain, travelers can visit a ski resort in the Atlas Mountains by morning and end their day soaking up the sun on the beaches of Agadir. Visitors to Morocco also have the option to golf, kite surf, horseback ride and more.

For a visual idea of this sensory and spiritual journey through Morocco, check out the gallery blow.

[image via Jessie on a Journey]

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10 Best Cities Around The World To Experience Graffiti Art

by Jessica Festa on

“Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don’t come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone smile while they’re having a piss.” – Banksy, “Banging Your Head Against A Brick Wall”

While often thought of as vandalism, there are many cities around the globe with beautiful works of graffiti that add an aesthetic property to a destination. In fact, many of the cities on this list feature legal graffiti walls, and works commissioned by the city to help enhance and beautify the region. Moreover, a lot of street art helps to tell the story of a culture, express political views and enlighten viewers on important topics.

Want to know where to experience the best graffiti art around the world? Check out the gallery below.

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Visiting The Favela Of Rocinha In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

by Jessica Festa on
“There were five people killed in the past two days,” Patrick, tour guide from Be A Local, whispered to me. “Even though the cops are moving the gangs, they’re trying to get back in.”

It was sunny and 85 degrees Fahrenheit that afternoon in Rio de Janeiro. In the distance, I could see trekkers climbing Sugarloaf Mountain, hang gliders whizzing through the air and kayakers taking advantage of the calm waters and beautiful beaches. So, what was I doing spending the day wandering around one of the most notoriously dangerous places in the country, the favela of Rocinha?

The previous day, I had been hanging out with a local who had told me that she thought it was an interesting and eye-opening experience, and even she had done a favela tour. In Rio, colorful hillside favelas dot the landscape just as much as beaches and mountains. If you want to really get to know the whole personality of Rio de Janeiro, you should consider visiting one — with a tour, of course, as these places can be unsafe to enter alone.

This is what brought me to Rocinha, instead of the beach, on that beautiful day. For those who don’t know what a favela is, it’s basically a slum or shantytown. Rocinha is the biggest favela in Brazil, and one of the largest in the world. While a 2010 census found there to be about 70,000 occupants, many believe there are actually more than 150,000. The favela is so big it is actually considered a neighborhood with its own neighborhood association. While many of the houses do have basic amenities and the town has shopping and cultural opportunities, it is still not somewhere you want to hangout alone. Concrete buildings aren’t made of concrete because it looks nice; they’re made that way because it gives extra protection from bullets over brick homes. At the bottom of the hill, you will find sewage, garbage and crumbling homes due to poor foundation. The smell in the air flips between rotten eggs and sewage to sweet cakes and sizzling meats, as you stumble through narrow alleys and over uneven rock, decaying wood and twisted wires.

Usually, the way a favela works is the people who live in them do not pay taxes. However, since November of 2011, police forces have taken over the streets in an attempt to clean up the area. Now residents do pay taxes and the cable and electric that was once illegally installed in homes is accounted for. Furthermore, police have been able to move gangs that had been wreaking havoc over the favela, although there are still problems with these groups trying to invade. Still, I was surprised that with all the corruption, disease and drug dealings Rocinha is known for, there are facilities like clothing shops, medical facilities, dance schools, art galleries, bakeries and even a daycare center. The favela has a rich culture and many of the residents are friendly, especially the energetic children that dance and smile in the streets.




One reason for the improvement in quality of life is these people who would once beg for money now are being told they must earn it. Whether through baking, painting, dancing, or drumming – as you can see in my video above – many of these people are now working hard to make money. Moreover, a samba school, ballet school, and music school are also in the favela, allowing for youths to become involved in extracurricular activities. At the bottom of the hill, a sports complex offering boxing, martial arts, capoeira, football, volleyball, swimming, surfing and more is offered, free of charge, as long as the family’s children are enrolled in school. The city is planning to also install cable cars and funiculars, to help those who work in the city and children in school get home in an easier and safer way. Events in the favela like marathons, boxing matches, and dance competitions are also giving the area something positive to focus on.

While walking around the favela, it was clear there is a lot of room for improvement. However, it is also obvious there are people living there with a lot of potential who want to do something good with their lives. The area holds a lot of culture- and the best view of Rio in town- it just needs to remove the dirt and grime hiding its beauty. At least 20% of Rio de Janeiro’s population lives in favelas, and most of them are good people who just want to put a roof over their heads. Hopefully, the new favela pacification program can continue to help bring a higher quality of life to these people.

Eating Acai: A Delicious Cultural Experience In Brazil

by Jessica Festa on

“So, what are some things I should do when I arrive in Rio de Janeiro” I asked my airplane seat mate, Clarissa, a local of the city.

“Ipanema beach is my favorite, Sugarloaf Mountain has great views of the city and you must try açai!” she replied excitedly.

I looked at her skeptically. “Açai? We have that in New York, too. That’s not much of a cultural experience.”

Was I ever wrong!

In Brazil, açai cafes, fruit shops and natural food eateries are on every street corner. These serve everything you could imagine – açai juices, bowls of frozen açai with fruit and toppings, açai cheesecake and even açai syrup to use on ice cream. I became addicted to frozen açai with honey and banana slices (shown above).

Açai is an Amazon fruit that is a natural source of iron, healthy fats, B vitamins, calcium and many other nutrients. Depending where you are in Brazil will determine how and why you consume it. In the southeast of Brazil, in places like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, açai is popular among athletes. In fact, some of the locals I asked described it as being “trendy” to eat. Often served cold with guarana, strawberry or banana, the sweet treat gives sports enthusiasts a useful energy boost. Even those who aren’t into working out still enjoy açai as a snack or healthy dessert.If you head into the north of Brazil the way the fruit is eaten begins to change. This is where açai is cultivated, in a state called Pará. Here you can see many boats coming from the area’s Amazon Forest filled with baskets of the fruit in its pure form. The locals in this area eat it differently — served with fish, as a side dish, at its natural temperature. To me this sounded odd but I was explained that it is similar to how many other cultures eat beans as a side dish. They’re full of iron, protein and energy, which laborers in the area need to do physical work. Furthermore, because the area is very humid, people eat açai to pep them up when feeling sluggish from the climate.

Because açai berries are imported to the United States and other parts of the world, the only place you can really get fresh açai is in Brazil. In other words, eating açai in Brazil is very much a worthwhile cultural experience.