“The future starts today, not tomorrow.” - Pope John Paul II

Poland has had the unfortunate luck of being sandwiched between the Russian, German/Prussian, and Austro-Hungarian empires during its history. Poland was partitioned three times by these empires, and was absent from the European map for a 123-year period, until 1918. Poles have been coming to the USA at least since the first partition (1772), evidenced by the American Revolutionary War (1776) hero Casimir Pulaski, who has two holidays, one in Illinois (Casimir Pulaski Day), and a US federal holiday (General Pulaski Memorial Day) dedicated to him.

The majority of Polish immigration to the United States came in 3 distinct waves: 1850-1920 during the partitions; post-World War II and during the communist takeover of Poland in the late 1930’s through late 1940’s; and in the 1980’s after the imposition of martial law in Poland (1981). It was after the November Uprising (1830-1831), an ultimately unsuccessful armed rebellion against the Russian Empire, the first known group of Poles made their way to Chicago.

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Central Asian bazaars are a place to buy all kind of goods from food to clothes, electronics and other household items.

Sons of Hedin invites us to look around Osh bazaar in Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan:

“Osh bazaar is the largest of the city’s three markets, and consists of indoor and outdoor sellers. Individuals travel from distant villages selling livestock, local foodstuffs, and fresh vegetables. Fragrant spices and vibrant produce paired with calls of anxious sellers makes Osh Bazaar an unforgettable experience.”

Apricots and other dried fruit

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On summer evenings, the Italian gelateria (ice cream shop) is the busiest part of town. The shop teems with people inspecting the mounds of gelato on display, choosing their favourites, deciding which two or three to sample tonight (that’s right, you can get THREE flavours in one cone!). Outside, the pavement is blocked with locals congregated to eat their ice cream, or just to hang out. You might run into a relative or a friend here and stop for a chat. Whatever else you’re doing, treating yourself to an ice cream is an important part of the evening.

So you can experience a bit of the magic, here are twenty of the most common ice cream flavours (gusti). Which would you choose?

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If you are in The Netherlands, your chances of not bumping into any road side stall/vending points selling the world famous “Patat Frites” is very small - nearly zero probability. Also known as the “Vlaamse Frites“, the traditional Dutch fries consist of long, thick potato fingers.

Photo credit

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Milton Street Dairy by Goeftheref on Flickr

Where would Kiwis be without the local dairy? Certainly situations such as running out of the milk needed for the perfect cup of tea or not having enough snacks to share while watching a film on TV could get quite hairy. Well, OK, it’s not as dramatic as all that, but the dairy, the local word for a small shop, is an important part of New Zealand culture.

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As much as Rajasthan is famous for its beautiful palaces, majestic forts and colorful folk dances, the state is also a food lover’s paradise. As I write this post, my heart is longing for all the Rajasthani sweets I have grown up eating!

Rajasthani cuisine has a variety of delicious and lip smacking sweets and snacks. So, if you have a sweet tooth, try out “Makhaniya Lassi” or “Mawa ni Kachori“; if you are a brave heart and cannot resist spices, then go for either “Bikaneri Bhujiya” or “Mirchi Bada”.

If you are not aware of any of these, don’t worry. Just read on :-

Makhaniya Lassi

Made up of sweetened yogurt, with a dollop of cream, this is my personal favorite. A pinch of saffron here and butter there - the drink is ready.

Makhaniya Lassi is a cool drink to beat the extreme summer temperatures. For added flavor, a host of dried fruits are sprinkled on the top.

The Lassi is easy to prepare at home - takes a few minutes and is generally had after the meal. Photo credit

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Sashimi

Sashimi (Raw Fish) has probably been eaten by lots of cultures other than Asian but, it’s more popular in Japan than anywhere I’ve ever been. In fact, now that I’ve become accustomed to eating fresh Maguro (Tuna) I can’t understand how anyone can eat that grey stuff called Tuna out of a can.

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