Does fresh fruit figure into anyone's list ... emmm ... no!

Snacks, treats and all those little things we miss when traveling

I’ll be the first one to admit that I get cravings. I think we all do? But when traveling, especially long-term, or when living abroad, I think these little addictions become far more evident!

Yes, I’ve eaten some great food from around the world. But I still sneak out to the local big supermarket chain and buy the occasional stockpile of much-needed treats. What are they? Well, along with some other traveler addictions I’ve listed them below!

My 7 top snack food / treats when traveling

7. A big burger

A big burger is sometimes all you want ... no matter how greasy?

I might be surrounded by great exotic food. But sometimes all I really want to do is chomp on down on a cheese burger and fries.

6. Chocolate bars

The most popular chocolate bar in the world?

After a long day out and about sometimes I just need a quick sugar fix! Kit-Kats rank as the world’s number one chocolate bar for a reason.

5. A good beer

A cold relaxing beer

The emphasis here is on the word “Good”. Most countries have their own brand, some good, some not so good. On a hot evening, there’s sometimes nothing better to relax back with cold one. I’m off beer for now, but it’s something that still ranks up there with relaxing back with a treat.

4. Potato Chips

Pringle's once you pop ...

Sometimes you just want something crunchy and salty. Peanuts never seem to do. And Pringle’s usually do the trick.

3. Coffee

Nothing like a cup of coffee ...

Is there nothing more enjoyable than taking a time out in an air-conditioned coffee-house. Relax back in a cafe filled with the smells of rich coffee, freshly baked cakes all set to ambient chill out music. Slouch back in a comfy chair and browse some high-speed internet. It’s the new half a world away for the long-term traveler.

2. Cheese

Cheese for long-term travelers and expats ranks way up there!

Ask any western expat or long-term traveler what they miss most and cheese becomes a rather fevered conversational topic. This applies heavily to Africa and Asia where the mere mention of good cheese will set a fire under most expat foreigners as they salivate in front of you.

1. Chocolate (Quality Dark or Milk )

Rich dark chocolate ranks as my number one treat on the road

Note the world quality here again. No exports from China allowed, no giant commercial brands. We are talking rich 85-90% pure dark chocolate slabs wrapped in shiny protective foil here. Along with creamy smooth melt in your mouth chunks of sweet milk chocolate goodness. No artificial flavorings, colorings or sweeteners to be found. Finding pure chocolate heaven like this is often a challenge when traveling. But when you do, you tend to buy a stockpile and hide it away. A hard thing to do in hot countries!

Top travel treats and most missed foods by nationality

I’ve taken a few personal polls when traveling from travelers of different nationalities when we’ve been in groups. It’s a popular conversation starter. Here’s a list of what foods people from different nationalities miss the most when traveling abroad:

Sliced meats and fresh bread ... many a nations most missed foods!

• French: Cheese
• North Americans: Potatoes chips
• British: Chocolate
• Nigerians: Amala / pounded yam
• Spanish: Serrano / Chorizo
• Filipinos: Dried Fish
• Israeli: Tahini  /coffee
• Nepalese: Dal Bhat
• Germans: Dried meat / beer
• Malaysians: Nasi Lemak
• Indonesians: Fish
• Dutch: Cheese and Beer
• Slovenians: Sausage
• Polish: Beer
• Indians: Rice
• Italians: Good Coffee

I’ve added a few close seconds to the list as it’s from conversations rather than statistical charts!

Interestingly many Australians didn’t seem to miss anything. Vegemite came up a lot along with a few crude words.

It’s worth a mention, but many, many ladies mentioned they missed vegetarian food when traveling.

Coffee ranked number two with North Americans, and yes I was surprised that potatoes chips really ranked so high.

The British seemed rather perplexed by all this and would usually settle on their mum’s cooking followed by chocolate.

What food expats miss the most:

On a slightly different twist, expats or people living abroad for long periods generally missed the following:

• Cheese
• Coffee
• Beef
• Biscuits
• Good pasta
• Pizza
• Specific confectionery

The most popular snack food or treat when traveling is …

As you can see from the small poll on snacks, foods and treats people from different parts of the world miss the most beer & meant seems to rank high. Bread is something that also continuously popped up as a second and third most missed food. At least among ”westerners” anyway.

Interestingly beer was never an issue with expats.

But in terms of sheer numbers; chocolate wins out overall for everyone. Which is a good thing in my book!

Have you got a favorite snack food you can’t live without, or miss when traveling or living abroad?

On a personal note:

I’ll be offline in a few days for quite a while. I’ve set up some nice things for you in the meantime to fill you in on what’s going on. There’s going to be some great original content here over the next few months. Some never before seen things that I’m very excited about. How often have I said that?! Must be good!

Meanwhile … 

 Happy Holidays to all The Longest Way Home readers out there the world over!  Let’s get ready to make 2012 the best year of our lives!

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Lemon Prawns from Sabah, Malaysia

Lemon Prawns from Sabah, Malaysia, my first and last bite!

Have I saved the best for last? Perhaps I’ve saved the sweetest, and most unusual prawn dish I’ve ever had. This is indeed the last in this series of Food from Sabah Malaysia, which has a nice twist as this was the first meal I had in Sabah.

A strange one too!

Is it me, or is the idea of lemon prawns something like this:

“Fresh prawns sautéed in garlic and served with fresh lemon”

or maybe

“Fresh prawns doused in dribbles of tangy fresh lemon juice”

What was presented to me, more than once, when choosing Lemon Prawns in Sabah was a whole new experience in “Lemon” anything. And, rather strangely fantastic.

Lemon prawns like you’ve never tasted them before

Imagine those fresh from the sea that morning meaty prawns. Now imagine them being covered in a thick sweet lemon curd! Yes, lemon prawns for some fair reason in Sabah seems to bypass lemon chickens delicate flavor. Instead they are dived straight into thick sticky sweetness.

More a desert than a main meal it would seem. The sweetness is akin to lemon cheese cake. And, for some unknown reason it tastes incredibly good! Albeit very rich.

So, if you see lemon prawns in a menu in Sabah Malaysia, keep in mind you might not be wanting desert afterwards!

Last is this series

I hope you’ve enjoyed experiencing some of the real food in Sabah Malaysia along with me over the past few months. It’s a little different in the sense that what you’ve seen here, is what I really got when traveling in Sabah. No fancy lighting, no expensive restaurants, just real everyday food I’ve come across and eaten.

Next week is the start of the holidays, I’ll have a big living in Sabah article followed by a holiday special food post.  Following which I’ve written up some really great topical articles about this journey and the end result. Then in the new year it will be a new country …  more on that in the days ahead.

One other thing …

My seasonal newsletter will be out in a few days. I’ve a special little holiday gift for everyone, a behind the scenes look at the André Brugiroux‘ interview, my private journal updates and lots more insider info you don’t get live here. Signing up today would be a good idea!

Sign up to my  members newsletter here. (don’t forget to check your mailbox and confirm!) 

This is an additional post and one of a series highlighting Food in Sabah, Malaysia

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It's not a paid endorsement, but it is a really good drink in the heat of Asia

100Plus, one of best drinks in Malaysia or South East Asia

No, this is not some sponsored commercial post, I wish it was. No matter, I still want to document 100Plus as it really has had a positive impact on my travels in South East Asia. It’s also my penultimate post about food and drink in Malaysia, so I wanted a lighter subject to write about.

My first taste of 100Plus

Fizzy dissolved Aspirin sprang to mind when I first tasted 100Plus. Sweet, with a not all together dis-likable taste. It’s one of those isotonic “sports” drinks that I never usually drink due to the mass of colorants and flavorings they put in them. The clear, or white original 100Plus is not too bad in that regard.

It was however, about 30 minutes after drinking that first 100Plus on a hot humid day in Malaysia that I realized this drink had something special going on. I suddenly started to feel really good!

Isotonic drinks in high humidity

Humidity causes a person to lose a lot on water, minerals and energy through perspiration. More so if you are not used to these conditions. Traveling around cities, jungles or even simply getting from point A to B can drain you.

Plenty of  water, and a bottle of 100Plus seems to solve this problem for me nearly straight away.

What makes 100Plus a travelers best friend?

Cola’s and sodas are often the first thing a traveler reaches for, after water, when they are out and about. Rich in sugar they give you a quick rush and sometimes a jolt of caffeine.

None of which is particularly good for you.

While water is often touted as being the best solution, and it’s no doubt infinitely better for you, there’s also no doubting the thirst quenching power of certain commercial drinks.

100Plus is indeed filled with sugar, 6.8 grams per 100ml. But, its main impact comes from this: per 100ml – Sodium 48mg, Chlorine  39mg, Phosphate 18mg, Potassium 14mg, calcium 8mg. A bottle of 100Plus is 500ml.

So yes, after adding everything up, you are getting a fair intake of minerals that are excreted in hot humid conditions.

Other people’s thoughts on 100Plus

I’ve introduced 100Plus to several people I’ve met in South East Asia. Most people’s reaction was nothing special when they first drank a can or bottle. But, they all admitted about an hour later they felt a lot better. And, sure enough I’d see them with a bottle thereafter on their travels.

Several Malaysians have told me never to drink more than three a day. Two is my maximum on a hot day in between lots of pure water.

There is no question in my mind that 100Plus makes me feel 100% better when out and about in Asia’s heat and humidity. If humidity affects you when traveling in this region you might try it and see for yourself if it works.

Nothing is better for re-hydration than water. But sometimes, you just need that little extra kick, without the caffeine!

Zam Zam Cola (not another product endorsement!)

Zam Zam cola, welcome to Iran!

Product endorsement? Again, no, but it’s an interesting tale when something you’ve only seen in one country and nowhere else suddenly pops up out of nowhere!

Enroute to a Sabah’s State mosque in Borneo I came across a little shop inside the outer courtyard. There, sitting in a cooler, was a sight I’d not seen since traveling in Iran. Cans of Iran’s own Zam Zam cola.

A little overwhelmed by my excitement the young shopkeeper gave me a can without question.

Zam Zam Cola vs Coca Cola

Zam Zam cola brought back many great memories of my travels in Iran. A country that’s not got an overwhelming choice of good drinks as many western drinks are banned.

Zam Zam is a little sweeter than most colas, and for the most part not as good. But, when in Iran do as Persians do!

Exporting the 0ld way

Quite how, and why stocks of Zam Zam made it all the way from Iran to a mosque shop in Sabah is another story I think. Perhaps it was a trial shipment. Maybe the Iman at the mosque was a big fan of Zam Zam. I really don’t know.

What it did remind me of was the great trading routes of the past. How Malaysia and the surrounding islands of Indonesia and The Philippines became apart of a great Islamic trading route many centuries ago.

It seems the trading route is still alive in someway or another today!

From Zam Zam to 100Plus, drinks in Malaysia

I could have said my favourite Malaysian drinks were tea from the plantations in the Cameron highlands. Or sweet coconut juice from the markets. Or even some high-powered Malaysian coffee. But the truth is, my favorite Malaysian drink is 100Plus.

And much like the trading routes of Zam Zam cola, I wonder if 100Plus will soon find its way through the trading routes of today. Much like trading routes from the past, 100Plus has now made its way to Singapore, Indonesia and The Philippines.

Will it soon become wildly popular the world over? Who knows. All I know is that it does a great job at keeping me feeling good!

This is an additional post and one of a series highlighting Food Drinks in Malaysia

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Chocolate Waffle from Malaysia

Chocolate Waffle from Sabah, Malaysia

Okay, a chocolate waffle can be from anywhere in the world! But, here in Malaysia it seems like the people of Sabah have adopted the chocolate waffle as their own.

On any street where there are people selling food, you are sure to find a vendor offering up fresh waffles with all manner of fillings. From strawberry jam to caramel and honey, the fillings are some of the worlds all time favorites.

My favorite has to be chocolate. Make that, double chocolate.

Street treats in Sabah

Watching your waffle being made is also a treat. The people here take pride in presenting you with something made and crafted with care.

Wait 5 minutes for the hissing batter to form into a light golden crust in front of you as the vendor lightly tucks the sides in, and prods the lid shut tight.  Then choose your topping from the 4 – 10 jars nearby.

While not all vendors offer the best in taste, I have seen some long queues on the street. Here business types, and local people queue together as they all know one thing.

Don’t go to the cafe’s. Street stalls are where the best chocolate waffles are to be found in Borneo!

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Tapioca and Soto from Sabah, Malaysia

Tapioca & Soto from Sabah, Malaysia

Tapioca to me is a desert, and soto is a soup. So only in Sabah, Malaysia could you expect to find this as a savoury dish, and learn a lot more about it.

What’s tapioca?

Tapioca is derived from the Cassava tuber. In the process of extracting starch from the root, tapioca pearls, or beads, are formed. This is a starchy form of sustenance to many countries the world over.

The Malaysian lady serving this seemed to enjoy my surprise and uncertainty about eating  Tapioca in the form of a “soup filler”.

What does Tapioca Soup (soto) taste like?

The tapioca quickly swells up from soaking in the soup. Absorbing all its flavor and giving the otherwise bland starchy sticks a much-needed boost. Moreover, the lady serving it explained that because it soaks up liquid, it fills up your stomach with ease.

Not bad if you’re on a diet!

Coupled with its relative in-expensiveness tapioca and soto make for a small filling meal that many local workers consume everyday in Sabah.

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Ginger Beef from Sabah

Ginger Beef  with some more flowery plates

Only Ginger Beef served on yet more pink plastic plates will tell you this is a local eating establishment!

It may be a slight play on linguist notions, but Beef Ginger or Ginger Beef is still fabulous. Another Chinese import, it’s often found available in many of the little cafes or eateries you can find on Sabah’s streets.

Malaysians know how to cook ginger well!

Normally I am not a huge fan of ginger dishes. The thought of biting into a husk of spicy hot ginger is a memorable one. But here in Sabah the ginger is shredded to a tee.

The meat is tender, and the sauce is virtually drinkable.

Spring onions and lemon grass add to this great pick me up of a meal. I only wish the plates didn’t all have these lurid designs!!

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Pumpkin Chicken from Sabah Malaysia

Delicious Pumpkin Chicken from Sabah Malaysia

Pumpkin pie and Halloween were the only things I used to think that could be done with this vegetable. Certainly not in Sabah where I’ve never tasted it prepared do well.

Pumpkin if not cooked well can be hard, bitter and not such a nice thing to have on your plate. In Sabah, Malaysia pumpkin is added as a main ingredient for many a dish, but here it was one of the main ingredients.

What does pumpkin Chicken taste like?

Pumpkin doesn’t have an over powering taste. In Sabah pumpkin chicken adds a hefty amount of filling to this meaty dish. The difference here is that the pumpkin tastes fantastic! A near subtle blend of root vegetable mixed with carrot like flavors add to a wonderful texture.

This is all coming from someone who’s never really been a big fan of pumpkin. Sabahan food has changed my way of thinking about pumpkins.

Vegetarian options!

Not being a vegetarian I am sure to be wrong about this. But it seems to me pumpkin dishes in Asia may well help in bumping up the variety for vegetarians out there. In this restaurant they were also offering pumpkin and ginger dishes.

For the carnivores out there, pumpkin mixed with chicken is a seriously filling and tasty dish.  One of the best dishes I’ve had so far in Sabah, Malaysia.

This is an additional post and one of a series highlighting Food in Sabah, Malaysia

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Chicken and Oyster Sauce from Sabah Malaysia

Chicken in oyster sauce straight from the downtown local restaurant

Chicken in Oyster Sauce is more Chinese Malaysian good food. Available in any eatery around Sabah. It’s actually really good compared to some other “everyday” types foods available here. It’s not super fried, nor is it full of bones. It’s tangy, meaty, full of vegetables and very easy to find.

What does Sabahan chicken and oyster sauce taste like?

Rich and flavorsome, a plate is packed with delicious chunks of chicken that have been marinated in a blend of oyster sauce and fresh peppers. Again, it’s another one of those dishes that seems to fill a plate with meat.

Available, everywhere

Something that long-term travel lacks is a stable diet. Everyday something new soon becomes as monotonous as eating the same thing everyday. It’s important to bring some stability with your diet. Rich dark and delicious Chicken in Oyster Sauce is just that. It is a  favorite lunch time meal for me, with double rice servings though!

This is an additional post and one of a series highlighting Food in Sabah, Malaysia

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Agar Seaweed from Malaysia

Agar from Sandakan Market

One of the things a really enjoyed in Sandakan market was the seaweed dish known as Agar

It’s similar or the same thing as Guso from the Philippines. A green tubular seaweed served as a side dish to many a meal.

What does Agar taste like?

Agar in Sabah is served up doused in vinegar and lemon grass. At this stage is seems nearly every meal in Sabah has some form of lemon grass added to it. Not a bad idea really, as it leaves you feeling refreshed!

Agar in this case was served up at a local stall above the market. Much to the delight of the people serving it, I recognized it and had no problem in saying I liked it. I suggest you give it a taste too!

Why is Malaysian Agar not green?

Malaysian Agar is different from Guso in The Philippines ( link opens a new page so you can compare) in that it’s not so green. Was it because it was an old plate I was served? Though still tasting fresh and crunchy, I am doubting that is the reason. Maybe it had been soaked in vinegar for too long? Or, maybe because it simply it’s simply not as green?

Answers in the comments below if you know or want to try a guess!

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Rice Noodle Me Hoon

Rice Noodle Me Hoon, a refreshing vegetarian dish from Sabah

Light and refreshing, it’s something I don’t often come across in Sabah, Malaysia. But Rice Noodle Me Hoon is just that. Yet, surprisingly filling.

It’s also been a long time since I’ve had al dente noodles! Served with fresh crunchy sugar snap peas, shredded carrot and some spicy chili on the side. There’s also an option to have chicken in this dish but the vegetarian choice was great for a change.

Rice noodles by more than one name …

Rice vermicelli, Bee hoon, Cantonese noodles or Mee Hoon noodles? Yes, like many things in Sabah they get a different name depending on where you eat. I’ve had people get fiercely annoyed about Mee Hoon noodles being called Bee Hoon, and vice versa. So, I’m going with what’s in the photo I took, and the corresponding menu!

Eating health is not easy in Sabah, Malaysia or is it?

One side effect of so much great Sabahan food, and it is fantastic, is that you can go overboard. Eating rich foods like Murtabak, Beef Rendang, or even Hainanese Chicken day in day out no matter how good they taste. Or how much walking you can put in, is that it takes it’s tole. And ultimately can leave you wanting something a little lighter.

Rice noodles will do the trick! Often bland or soaked in some oily liquid, Me Hoon rice noodles take things in a different direction. Fresh, crunchy, and light! Yet good enough to keep you going until dinner.

Best of all, they are available at all good corner eateries in Sabah, Malaysia.

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Blog Action Day 2011

Today is Blog Action Day 2011, #BAD11 it’s also international food day.

The aim of Blog Action day is to simply gather together writers, bloggers, and publishers from all over the world to write about an important humanitarian global topic on the same day the world over. Past subjects have included water, climate change and poverty. I’m contributing this year with something from my life in Africa.

No matter where we are from, we all need to eat ... (west African beans)

Three levels of food from one nation

I rarely write about my time in West Africa here. I simply don’t have the time to sit down and write out over two years of journals. Such a horrible thought when so many of the issues I came across are slipping by without being mentioned. Such things I saw, learned and experienced there could surely help others today.

Yet I am struggling with my own day to-day life at the moment. So it get’s pushed back in the name of working for the future. Today I’m stepping back in time for some memory recall in a hope to chronicle something I must not forget.

The Ambassadors dinner

Fine wine, roast beef, and apple pie. All set in a luxury villa, complete with swimming pool, small theater, and a lavish amount of decor throughout. At our table is a BBC regional correspondent, a leading national editor, three NGO workers, a radio journalist and a foreign office minister from some random nation plucked from the lottery of invitations.

As a culminating choice of Earls grey or Colombia’s finest is presented the conversation stirs around to where the Ambassador’s wife found such good beef for tonight dinner. It is after all hard to find good beef anywhere in West Africa. The cattle here are a hybrid mix designed for tough climates, and as a result have boot leather tenderness if served up. I should know, I spent over two years hammering, boiling, hanging and near on breaking my teeth on the stuff.

But here, the Ambassadors wife is the talk of the table. She, alone, managed to produce a banquet feast fit for a hundred people of the finest tenderized roast beef this side of England. The secret to all this beefy goodness was seated at the table next to us. The manager of a German construction company outfitted to re-pave half the nation it would seem. The German life-camp has fresh German beef flown over every second week.

Yam Porridge a mix of yam, beans and bitter leaf

Not bad for a tax payers public servant to arrange.

The chop house ladys banquet

A chop house is basically a local eating establishment. Usually a rough shack of timber with crude wooden seating all around and a small selection of basic food staples on offer. It was lunch time and I was back in the real world of my working environment. Princess was the lady who cooked everyday in this chop house, but today was a special day. Today there were guests coming to visit a neighboring business center. And, Princess was hoping to drum up some new customers.

She’d rented some stainless steel food heaters and brought out her very best dishes. Amala, pounded yam, garri, fried plantain, egusi soup and my favorite Yam porridge. Princess had asked me to bring my camera and take some photos of her best dishes on offer. I obliged. It was the least I could do.

You see I’d heard of Princess’ plan from a few days beforehand. And asked her if it was really such a good idea to rent all this equipment just to impress people who were not even guaranteed to eat here.

Princess smiled thinly as I asked again that day. Her eyes looked over at the building across from us. One man had come over. A vague friend of one of my colleagues. That was it. No one else. She’d spent a months earnings in the hope of cashing in for one day.

My colleague later said she could not afford the rent there anymore after this. She was barely breaking even as it was. Today had been her last gamble to make a living.

The villagers demand for nothing

The Fulani are a nomadic tribe of cattle herders that settle for only a few months in one location before moving on. They have a unique look. Long faces, or faces with sharp bone structure. Skin darkened due to constant exposure to the elements, and facial tribal markings by sharp blades.

Fulani children and their mother at their home

They are often regarded as trouble makers and lawless citizens of nowhere. They say they have the right to roam the lands of their ancestors, it is what they have done for centuries. It is their choice to live this way. They’ve lived this way long before the countries even existed.

Today they are often chased out by farmers, landowners and state administrations. Forced to find rough lands to graze their cattle and construct their temporary homes for a few months.

They eat simple food. And by simple, I do mean simple.  Milk from their cows is their mainstay source of nutrition. Lunch is a mix of millet and milk, much the same as their breakfast. Dinner might yield some corn or cassava depending if they’d sold any milk or cattle at the nearby market.

They were happy to see us, it’s not often they get visitors actually wanting to visit. During our departure we made mention of having to go and eat. No sooner had we mentioned this than we were invited to eat a mix of millet and milk.

A simple meal from nomads that no one seemed to like.

Food in so many guises

You can take from this what you want. To me they are memories. I can still taste the ambassadorial tender German roast beef. I remember Princess’ Yam porridge, and how she always saved me some without dried fish in it. And, I remember the Fulani, they’re unique lifestyle, how they were treated, and how they treated us.

So many contrasts that involved food in some way or another. And there are more, much more. Dare I mention Argentinian beef smuggling, the roasted rat, or the strangely addictive peanut infused red hot kilishi.

Famine is often thought about when we think about food and Africa. And, perhaps rightfully so in many cases. But then, I think it’s also interesting to look at the parallels of lifestyles and food. Moreover, I think, it’s quite insightful.

This is an additional article written for blog action day 2011. Please share this article with as many people as you can to raise awareness.

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Chronicles of Africa: the parallels of food – Blog Action Day 2011

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Chicken Rendang from Sabah Malaysia

Chicken Rendang is found everywhere in Sabah, Malaysia

Rendang can be made from beef, mutton, or in this case chicken. The meat is tenderized to near butter like consistency by marinating it in coconut milk and hot spices. I’m usually dubious as to just how tasty a “stew” like meal can be. But Rendang, is no stew.

I recently learned how the coconut milk is made for traditional rendang. Old coconut white flesh is ground down, and boiled in water for 20 minutes, drained, and then used in the rest of the rendang ingredients.

So no, cans, dried packets, or fresh coconut liquid here. And, it’s for the better!

How chicken rendang is made

The trick is to cook the dish until all the liquid has been reduced. Leaving behind a wonderfully flavorsome meat dish that’s woefully tender. So says the lady who cooked this Chicken Rendang dish for me.

Following this, shallots are added with peppers and the result is an amazing fusion of flavors that out do many, many other dishes here in Sabah. Highly recommended!

**Information for writers, bloggers, and online publishers**

(Note: it looks like their site is down a few hours after I published this. I’ll update as I get any information on this)

**Update – I was in contact with Blog Action Day, their website was overload due to so much traffic today and down for 8 hours. They moved hosts, and is now back online again**

Sunday October 16th 2011 is Blog Action Day, which also happens to be world food day. Blog Action Day is an international annual event whose purpose is to raise awareness on humanitarian needs. This years subject is on Food. There is no money involved, no SEO linking, no top 7 links to everyone, no nothing other than to raise awareness about Food.

You can write about, gluttony, famine, wedding cake, parsnips it doesn’t matter. It’s about raising awareness on something you find important about a subject. Please see the Blog Action Day website for more information or follow them on Twitter  the hashtag is #BAD11

I wrote about water last year. This year it’s an opportunity to take part in a global event to write and bring attention to something we all need, food.

If you decide to write about food, let me know and I’ll give you a mention on October 16th.

This is an additional post and one of a series highlighting Food in Sabah, Malaysia

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Squid Won Ton Ho Soup

Everyday food I find in Sabah

Soup is everywhere in South East Asia. Sabah, in Malaysian Borneo is no exception. Squid Won Ton Ho Soup is really good and flavorsome. Filled with onion, peppers, and green leafy vegetables Won Tan Ho also has an egg cooked into it. Not to mention a generous quantity of squid!

Fresh Squid straight from the sea

One of the benefits of being on a huge island is the mass of fresh seafood available from all sides. In the case of  Sabahan squid in this Won Ton Ho Soup,  it’s meaty, without being too fishy and overpowering.

In Sabah this soup comes with the added bonus of having a small side plate of extras that you can mix in with the main soup. Soy Sauce, chili, lemon grass, and even some chives are often on offer.

The science of hot soup?

What I don’t understand is just why hot soup is so popular in equally hot Malaysia?! Rumors have it that hot spicy foods help to cool you down from Asia’s hot climate. The truth behind this belief is somewhat true. Hot, as in spicy hot,  foods make you perspire, which in turn is meant to cool you down. Something that doesn’t always come true in high humidity!

Either way, squid won ton ho soup is not that spicy! Just add the chili from the side plate if you want to bump it up a little. This dish simply tastes really good, is very affordable, and fills me up better than most soups in Asia.

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Food from Sabah Malaysia: Squid Won Ton Ho Soup

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A bowl of ABC from Sabah Malaysia

Sweet tooths visiting Sabah will not be disappointed with ABC!

Looking for a refreshing dessert in Sabah Malaysia? ABC might do the trick for you. Though, I will be the first to admit it’s not always for me.

ABC means Ais Batu Campur or literally Mixed Stone Ice. The ingredients? Now it gets interesting.

What are the ingredients of Sabahan ABC?

Shaved ice is the main ingredient for ABC, after that everything else becomes a mix depending on who is making it. And, it is made right in front of you everytime. Here’s a typical sample.

Shaved ice, red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly (of all colors), and evaporated milk.

Ice grinder from Kota Kinabalu's night market used for making ABC

That’s quite a selection! Still, I can’t get my head around eating red beans in a dessert, and I’m not a fan of eating shaved ice.

That said, many, many people are. And, it’s certainly worth a try at least once on your trip to Malaysia.

Making ABC in Sabah Malaysia

One of the things you will like about ABC is watching it being made in Kota Kinabalu’s night market.

Old iron ice shavers are used to grind up blocks of ice. Repainted, these large heavy metal machines date back quite a few years. A joy to watch as a person loads up a block of ice, then spins a short side handle that turns and pushes the ice block down over a grater. The ice shaving then drop into a bowl beneath it.

Next up comes a myriad of jellies, beans, canned fruits (lychee), sweetcorn, and natas de coco. After that each vendor will add in some of their own speciality’s. From large beans, flavored syrups, to fresh fruit. Then a dash more of condensed milk is added on top.

Eat ABC like a local

I’ve seen tourists dig into ABC with reckless abandon and treat it like ice cream. Big mistake. It’s not like ice cream at all. Watch how the local Malaysians eat ABC. They let it settle and melt a little first. Then, they mix up all the ingredients into an iced soup of amazing flavors.

It’s a great thing to eat on a really hot day in Sabah!

There is also another variation of ABC called Halo Halo in The Philippines. I imagine there could be more variations throughout Asia!

This is an additional post and one of a series highlighting Food in Sabah Malaysia

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Food from Sabah, Malaysia: ABC (sweet dessert)

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A bowl of Thai Green Curry, one of my favorites

Thai Green Curry is one of the better currys in Bangkok

I’ve always liked Thai green curry over many other Thai dishes. I’ve eaten it outside of Thailand on many an occasion. And, so long as it’s not the fishy kind, I’ve always enjoyed it.

How will authentic straight from Thailand Thai green curry match up?

What is Thai Green Curry made from?

This is interesting, and the answer is flavorsome. The green curry itself is made from a paste consisting of  green chilies, garlic, shallots, garlic, lime peel, coriander, cumin, and white peppercorns. Shrimp or fish paste is often added as well.

The paste is added to coconut milk and a host of other ingredients are added to the actual dish itself.

In this case aubergine, tomato, green pepper, Thai basil and prawns.

What does Thai green curry taste like?

Coconut chili soup with a meaty bite. It’s refreshingly light as opposed to its western alternative. The prawns are fresh and add to this dish tremendously. The soupy goodness can be utilized well be eating Thai green curry with some authentic Thai rice.

Which is better “Western” Thai Green Curry or Thailand’s very own Thai Green Curry?

I think of all the Thai food I’ve had in Thailand, this is my favorite. That said, I much prefer the thicker heavier western version. Thai green curry rarely fills me up. And, it’s often far too soupy to feel like I’ve eaten something substantial.

All that said, it is my favorite Thai food and well worth trying out for yourself.

This is an additional article featuring everyday food from Thailand

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One of Thailand's national dishes, Pad Thai

Pad Thai, or Phat Thai is one of Thailand’s national dishes

Pad thai sounds good, many people rant about it, and it is one of Thailand’s national dishes, so I was excited to try it.

Not being a huge fan of Thai food, I really hoped this one would pull Thai food up in my personal rankings.

What is Pad Thai?

Stir fried rice noodles and egg, mixed with a combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, tofu. Pad Thai is then garnished with peanuts, coriander and lime juice. Though sometimes the garnishing is served on the side along with fish sauce and chili.

Which is better, street pad thai or restaurant pad thai?

If you follow my travels here, then you’ll know I normally eat where the locals eat. In this case I tried pad thai in a couple of street places. The result, was usually a very eggy, highly greasy bowl of noodles.

Sometimes not too bad, but nothing to set my taste buds on fire. Many people often have their favorite places that make the best of certain dishes. But, I don’t really want to travel across a city every time I want to try Pad Thai. So, I go with what’s nearby.

Moving up a step, I went to a middle-income restaurant, where my pad thai cost around $3. And the improvement was measurable.

Less grease, more shrimp was the first impression I got.

How good is pad thai?

It’s quite nice if made well. It’s one of the few Thai dishes that fills me quite well. When served with the garnishing on the side I find it a lot better. Mainly because I can flavor it to my liking. More lime, more coriander.

All in all, it’s a good dish, that I recommend, just don’t skimp on it to get the best results.

This is an additional article featuring everyday food from Thailand

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Food from Thailand: Pad Thai

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