Month: July 2024

Well I never…have you ever seen a sight more enchanting and ethereal as the cherry blossom orchards of Japan?

It was all I could think of as I walked through the streets of Kyoto, my gaze lingering on the delicate branches of the fairy tale canopy overhead, laden with candy floss-pink flowers. What a sight to behold!

The only thing that could distract me from this wonder were the sights and sounds of another truly out-of-this-world spectacle; a street food festival right here in Kyoto that the beauty of the cherry blossoms had led me right into the heart of!

And what a feast of the senses I had stumbled upon. Oh to be able to try it all!

I walked past stalls and stalls filled with everything from fragrant peaches to vibrant matcha and hearty yuba croquettes. Time, I decided, for lunch! I soon settled on a dish of black pepper stir fried udon noodles to fuel my explorations as I made my way through the festival.

But wait a minute, what was this?! Right before me, displayed carefully on a vendor’s stall, was a selection of some kind of crispy, puffed delicacy I hadn’t come across before in all my travels.

I simply had to find out what they were!

It didn’t take long before I was embroiled in a fervent conversation with Haru, the local vendor, and I discovered that these delicacies were inspired by traditional Japanese rice cakes and were made using authentic Mochi sticky rice.

When Haru offered me a chance to sample a flavour, how could I possibly say no?!

The mochi rice bite as he called it, had been gently fried in sesame oil and then dipped in Teriyaki sauce; it had the perfect balance of tangy saltiness teamed with the delicate crunch of the sesame oil. It was truly a taste to behold!

“Why Haru, the flavour combinations for these rice bites must be limitless!” I cried, as I thought of all the wonderful taste sensations I had experienced on my travels so far.

“This I must write down!” I exclaimed, reaching for my trusty notebook in the depths of my knapsack and hastily scribbling ‘Mochi Rice Bites: Flavour Combinations from Heaven’ with ‘Teriyaki Mochi Rice Bites’ straight underneath it. With my udon noodle lunch still fresh in my memory, it only felt right that ‘Oriental Inspired Black Pepper’ made it onto the list too.

What else would pair perfectly with these crunchy, sticky rice bites I thought? “Aha!” I exclaimed, startling poor Haru in the process, as memories of my recent trip to Thailand came flooding back. “It has to be Thai Tom Yum!”

I simply knew that the aromatic lemongrass and classic Thai spices of Tom Yum would be the perfect fit for a trio of flavours for what would soon become “Mr Filbert’s Mochi Rice Bites” – a range of Asian inspired savoury snacks that can be enjoyed anywhere!

My goodness; if there was ever a greater variety of fresh food and local delicacies than that offered up at the street and floating markets of Ratchaburi, I surely will eat my hat!

Stall after stall and boat after boat of the most astonishing ingredients and flavours, it was a feat in itself to take it all in.

Dried shrimp! Ginger root! Tom Yum! Crispy tofu! Green mussels! Egg noodles! An abundance of tastes and aromas I had never come across before. This truly was a magnificent place for any food devotee to find themselves in.

As I wandered through the streets, taking in as many sights, smells and sounds as I could, I marvelled at the delights of these street markets. From vendors tying up snacks in banana leaves to the aromas of fresh Thai shrimp rice being cooked at the roadside, it was as though the market itself had a beating heart of its own and the place was alive with the joy and love of food.

I took a moment to pause in the middle of it all and soak everything in; these sights and sounds I could not forget!

It was at that moment that one smell in particular caught my attention – the sweet, unmistakable aroma of sweet chilli which was wafting over from a small, colourful stall tucked away slightly off the main street towards the harbour.

I followed my nose towards the stall and as I approached I could see vibrant colours of deep orange; what kind of delicacy could this be?

The vendor, an excitable young man with a welcoming smile and a clear passion for his wares beckoned me over and offered me a sample – I didn’t need to be asked more than once!

To my absolute delight as I bit down into the light round snack that was handed to me, I was greeted with the convincing crunch of a delicate rice cracker combined with the powerful yet complimentary flavours of warm spice and sweet chilli.

“My goodness!” I cried to the vendor as my face erupted into an uncontrollably huge smile. “This must be one of the finest snacks I have ever had the pleasure of indulging in!” As we laughed together and he offered me several more of these delicious bites, I knew I simply had to include these flavours and textures in my next gourmet snack…

Sweet Chilli Rice Crackers, with a Korean-style hot chilli Mr Filbert’s twist.

“Fields of purple as far as the eye can see!” I cried as I pulled on the brakes of my vintage silver bicycle at the bottom of the most spectacularly beautiful valley, in the heart of glorious Provence where miles upon miles of lavender and rosemary fields unfurled before me.

I was here to soak in the sights, and experience a little of the local culture and food, but my adventure today was destined to prove much more than that…

As I looked out onto the vast endless sea of colour my heart skipped a beat. Oh, that smell! The heavenly pine-like rosemary aroma was truly out of this world. In fact, there was something nostalgic about being here, like a distant memory or a dream I had had before. Perhaps the warmth of the sun and the beauty of my surroundings had sent me a little lightheaded!

Time to refuel I thought, as I delved into my backpack to retrieve a bag of freshly roasted, lightly salted almonds I had purchased from a street vendor in the historic city of Arles earlier this morning. If only the almonds could taste as sweet as that rosemary smelt!

It was at that exact moment I was struck with an idea that nearly had me skipping through the fields of green and purple with excitement.

What if we could combine the sweet fragrance of rosemary with the light saltiness of the French almonds to create a gourmet snack of the finest quality? “That’s it!” I exclaimed to absolutely no one in particular as I stood alone amongst the fields, one hand steadying my bicycle while the other furiously scribbled into my notebook.

There are few pleasures in this world greater than sitting in a traditional quayside Greek tavern overlooking the stunning Aegean Sea, while sipping on a cold beer.

This, Dear Reader, is where I find myself one lazy November afternoon and let me tell you, it doesn’t get much better than this! The gentle breeze offering a welcome respite from the heat of the day, the pleasant sound of locals going about their day, the calm lapping of small waves against the shore.

Of course, being the snack enthusiast that I am, the only thing missing for me was the perfect gourmet accompaniment to my ice cold beverage.

With my appetite awakened, it was then that something caught my eye on the other side of the bar…something so vibrant and enticing that I couldn’t help but take a closer look. Framed by the turquoise blue of the Aegean Sea was a large glass Kilner jar filled with the deepest green and purple olives I had ever seen. Truly a treasure trove of gems!

On closer inspection and after questioning Dimitri, the jovial yet burly tavern owner, I discovered that these jewels were indeed home-grown Halkidiki and Kalamata olives, a local speciality. I simply had to try them!

As Dimitri decanted a selection into a terracotta ramekin I was hit by the unmistakable aroma of fragrant rosemary along with the pungent sharpness of garlic; a beautifully pleasant assault on the senses. As for the taste? Well my friends, the combination was simply sublime!

Juicy, succulent and drenched in flavour, I could have eaten the entire jar!

Desperate not to forget this taste sensation I scrambled to find my trusty notebook, nearly knocking my beer and several chairs over in my haste.

“Mr Filbert’s Mixed Olives with Rosemary and Garlic” I scrawled in large writing across one page; a flavour combination not to be forgotten!

“AHA! Could this really be the eighth wonder of the world?!”

I exclaimed loudly, the words tumbling from my mouth with sheer abandon, as I stumbled across my very first sighting of the infamous black truffle, deep in the heart of the Umbrian hills.

The day had begun, as all good days do, with an energising breakfast of espresso and ciambelline al vino – the perfect fuel for a day of foraging, with my good friend Giovanni at my side and his trusty hound Alfonso at our feet.

Into the early morning mist we set off, passing fields of durum wheat and vineyards before delving into the soft blanket of woodland ahead, making our way deeper into the tree.

“What a time to be alive!” Giovanni exclaimed. What a time indeed! With Alfonso the hound keen and ready to catch any scents in the air, his paws bounding along the forest floor as his nose led the way, it didn’t take us long to uncover our very first black truffle – and what a beauty she was. Soft, earthy and marvellously distinct, I am surely yet to find a gift of nature with such a unique and special aroma.

“Giovanni, it’s an inspiration!” I cried, as my mind immediately broke into a thousand different ideas on how best to use this captivating ingredient within my recipes. But what could possibly pair with such a powerful and distinctive taste as the truffle? It was at that moment that Giovanni handed me a salted nut with a rueful smile, and it was there that the seed for one of my best taste sensations yet was sown….

“Italian Black Truffle Mixed Nuts”; the perfect mixture of saltiness and truffle, truly a match made in heaven!

After scribbling the details furiously in my notebook, it was time to leave the embrace of the woodland and head back to the town of Assisi for a well-earned home cooked meal – because, as I always say, nothing tastes better than a meal you have worked hard for!

Tempting as it was to return to the Umbrian hills the very next day for more black truffle foraging, the lure of discovering more incredible snack inspirations was calling. Armed with my trusty notebook and the foundations of my very first Italian Black Truffle Mixed Nuts recipe in my back pocket, I knew it was time to embark on a new adventure…

Onto the next taste sensation!