Introduction: Umuganuro was historically Burundi's royal sorghum harvest festival, marking the ceremonial start of the new agricultural year with feasting and thanksgiving. Cultural Background: Umuganuro was historically Burundi's royal sorghum harvest festival, marking the ceremonial start of the new agricultural year with feasting and thanksgiving. This generous shared platter, piled with ubugali, mixed vegetables, beans […]
Introduction: Tikvenik is a sweet filo pastry filled with spiced grated pumpkin, walnuts and sugar, traditionally baked in autumn when pumpkins are harvested, and a common treat during the Christmas fasting period since it contains no dairy or eggs. Cultural Background: Tikvenik is a sweet filo pastry filled with spiced grated pumpkin, walnuts and sugar, […]
Introduction: This sweetened version of sorghum porridge is made with lerotse, a type of indigenous melon grown across Botswana, cooked down until soft and stirred through the porridge for natural sweetness. Cultural Background: This sweetened version of sorghum porridge is made with lerotse, a type of indigenous melon grown across Botswana, cooked down until soft […]
Introduction: Boil Up is widely regarded as Belize’s ultimate comfort food: a generous one-pot plate of boiled eggs, salted fish or pig tail, root vegetables and plantain, all doused in a bright tomato-onion sauce called sere or ‘bruck down’ sauce. Cultural Background: Boil Up is widely regarded as Belize’s ultimate comfort food: a generous one-pot […]
Introduction: A hearty, warming soup built around dried split peas and salted pigtail, this dish reflects the resourceful, preserved-meat cooking that developed on Barbadian plantations, where salted pork cuts were a dependable protein through the year. Cultural Background: A hearty, warming soup built around dried split peas and salted pigtail, this dish reflects the resourceful, […]
Introduction: Callaloo, made from the leaves of the dasheen or amaranth plant, is one of the oldest dishes in the Caribbean, with roots stretching back to West African leafy-green cooking traditions carried across the Atlantic. Cultural Background: Callaloo, made from the leaves of the dasheen or amaranth plant, is one of the oldest dishes in […]
Introduction: Conkies are a spiced cornmeal, pumpkin and coconut mixture steamed inside banana or plantain leaves, traditionally eaten on Guy Fawkes Night (November 5th) and Independence Day celebrations across Barbados. Cultural Background: Conkies are a spiced cornmeal, pumpkin and coconut mixture steamed inside banana or plantain leaves, traditionally eaten on Guy Fawkes Night (November 5th) […]
Introduction: Shukto is a lightly bitter mixed-vegetable stew traditionally served as the first course of a Bengali-influenced Bangladeshi lunch, believed to cleanse the palate and aid digestion before richer dishes follow. Cultural Background: Shukto is a lightly bitter mixed-vegetable stew traditionally served as the first course of a Bengali-influenced Bangladeshi lunch, believed to cleanse the […]
Introduction: This delicate salad of Vogerlsalat (lamb’s lettuce, also called corn salad) dressed in dark, nutty pumpkin seed oil is a hallmark of Styrian and wider Austrian cuisine. Cultural Background: This delicate salad of Vogerlsalat (lamb’s lettuce, also called corn salad) dressed in dark, nutty pumpkin seed oil is a hallmark of Styrian and wider […]
Introduction: Pumpkin soup is a winter comfort staple across Australia, taking advantage of the country’s abundant butternut and Jap (Kent) pumpkin harvests. Cultural Background: Pumpkin soup is a winter comfort staple across Australia, taking advantage of the country’s abundant butternut and Jap (Kent) pumpkin harvests. It’s a common café menu item and home-cooked favourite, especially […]