Sun is getting stronger, but yet the cold air still makes me feel like I am in winter time zone here in New York City. Here is the already posted blog, Pataska, from our delightful trip to Atacama, Chile, the highest dry dessert in the world in January, 2014. Tierra hotels, where we stayed both in their Atacama and Patagonia location, has just published on their website a small article of our visits. Please click to see the article:...
Read MorePataska, Local Flavor in Atacama
I have to taste local flavors wherever I travel. So, I always ask the same question to the locals and guides whom I meet. “Give me the name of local dishes which I should try”. When I was in Atacama ‘Patasca’ was the only, must try dish, and everyone was recommending the restaurant called Las Delicias de Carmen. Pataska is a stewed dish, in which chewy large corn (known as Hominy corn in America), potato, pork and red pepper are cooked together....
Read MoreAtacama No. 2: Ricarica
Wherever I travel abroad I love to discover local medicinal greens and glasses. I asked Martin to make sure to show me if he spotted any of such greens or glasses on our expedition. On our way to Valle de la Luna Martin stopped the driver in the middle of hot dessert and let me out of the van. He pointed low small bushes and called it ‘ricarica’. Noticeably minty, rosemary-like flavor with a slight astringency and acidity exploded in my mouth, when I chewed it....
Read MoreNot Food but Valle de la Luna
Visiting Valle de la Luna reminded me of this hilarious conspiracy. The below is from WIKIPEDIA. “The Moon landing conspiracy theories claim that some or all elements of the Apollo program and the associated moon landings were hoaxes staged by NASA and members of the other organizations. Various groups and individuals have made such conspiracy claims since the mid-1970s. The most notable claim is that the six manned landings (1969-1972) were faked and that the twelve...
Read MoreFood Notes from Chile
The visit to Atacama, the driest hot salt dessert, and snow and glacier covered Patagonia in Chile, was an amazing experience. Here are some of the food related notes from this trip, which I want to share with you. I will post one after another in series. Atacama No. 1: Chanar and Algarrobo Look for Chanar (Geoffroea decorticans) and Algarrobo (Prosopis chilensis) trees in San Pedro de Atacama. San Pedro de Atacama is a charming dessert village, which was founded in...
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