This photo of dried fish in Zambia was contributed by Liz Watkin. Thanks for sharing, Liz!

Does anyone know what kind of fish it is?

If you liked this, check out our Food of the World photo group on Flickr to see more photos posted by PocketCultures readers around the world. We’d love to see yours too! Just join the group and add your photos.

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Lake Titicaca trout, from Bolivia
Cooking chapati in Nairobi, Kenya
Japanese breakfast: dried fish here, too

Porteños, as locals are called, like to get together with friends to have leisurely discussions ranging from the whys and wherefores of life to their beloved football team, the course of the economy (always in some sort of crisis or another), or their amorous escapades in excruciating detail (they are, after all, of Latin descent, and, let’s face it, men like bragging).

Cafes are not only a rendezvous for friends: job interviews and work-related meetings also take place in them. Even love affairs begin and end over steaming cappuccinos.

Cafes are quite busy early in the morning, when office workers stop by for a breakfast of the national combo: “cafe con leche y medialunas” (white coffee with croissants) or a “tostado mixto” (a ham and cheese toasty). The morning paper is usually provided as well. It can safely be said that a cafe is an extension of home and office.

Cafes play such a key role in popular culture too that even songs have been dedicated to them, especially tangos. Twenty years or so ago, there was a hugely popular and long-running TV show about a group of friends that met in a cafe every week. Does it ring any bells?

Thanks to the influence of Italian immigrants at the turn of the 20th century coffee is always espresso; filter coffee is sacrilege in these latitudes. A very few places offer “cafe americano,” as filter coffee is called here, but it doesn’t seem to be very popular. It is served in “pocillos” (demitasses) or “jarritos” (stemmed glass cups with a handle.)

Patrons can choose between “café,” “café doble” (a large coffee), “café con crema” (coffee with a dollop of whipped cream), “cortado” (three quarters coffee, a quarter milk), “lágrima” (a quarter coffee, three quarters milk), “capuchino” (coffee, a drop or two of milk, milk froth) and “cafe con leche” (cafe au lait.) The price generally includes a small glass of soda water (maybe orange juice in more upscale places) and a small sweet treat, like a cookie.

The social and cultural influence of cafes is such that fifty-three of the oldest establishments have been declared part of the cultural and historical heritage of the city of Buenos Aires. Many of them were founded by Italian and Spanish immigrants in the early 20th century. Cafe Tortoni (Avenida de Mayo 825), perhaps the most popular with tourists; and Confiteria Ideal (Suipacha 384) are just two of them.

Wood panelling, brass fixtures, marble tops, and tango music playing softly in the background conspire to take one back to a bygone era when artists, writers, musicians and intellectuals met to discuss ideas over (what else?) endless cups of this sexy dark beverage.

A warm welcome to Ana, who is going to be writing about Argentinian culture on PocketCultures. Ana was born and raised in Argentina, and she keeps close links with her country, despite being currently based abroad. You can read more about Ana’s experiences living abroad on her blog.

Read more:
Italian cafe culture: when to drink cappuccino
Submarino: another Buenos Aires classic
Argentinian blogs on Blogs of the World

Maple toffee is a winter tradition in Canada. It is made by pouring maple syrup onto snow. Thanks to Xiaozhuli for sharing this one!

Pocketcultures loves to discover food from around the world. If you have some photos, why not join our Food of the World Flickr group?

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Canadian blogs on Blogs of the World
Canadian street barbeque
Celebrating the arrival of Spring in Romania

Thanks to Anina2007 - aka Ana - for sharing this! She says: the “alfajor de maicena” is made of two layers of cookies (made with corn starch, eggs, etc) stuck together with lots of dulce de leche and sprinkled with grated coconut. A perfect match for cafe au lait.

Do you have interesting food photos you’d like to show on Pocketcultures? Join our Food of the World Flickr group where we are always on the lookout for new images.

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Check back for more stories on Argentina by Ana - coming soon!
Panes de queso y mate - another treat from Argentina
Eating in Buenos Aires - follow that taxi!
South American blogs on Blogs of the World

Mooncakes are eaten in China during the Mooncake festival in the Autumn. Thanks to scaredzone for sharing these.

Pocketcultures loves to discover food from around the world. If you have some photos, why not join our Food of the World Flickr group?

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Celebrating Nutella
Photo tour of West Sumatra, Indonesia
Celebrating 6 festivals in one day

It’s winter where I’m writing from and so this soup looks very appealing. If the weather’s hot where you are maybe you don’t agree so much!

This filling soup is from Colombia is made with potatoes and served with chicken, corn and some cream. Thanks to Little Emporium for sharing the photo.

Pocketcultures loves to talk about food from around the world. If you have some photos, why not join our Food of the World Flickr group?

Read more:
Buying empanadas in Colombia
Colombian blogs on Blogs of the World
Street fashion on five continents

Every Friday is food of the world day here at PocketCultures. And today is also World nutella day. Certain members of the PocketCultures team grew up in Italy, where nutella is a very important part of life. So, we’d like to dedicate today’s post to nutella!

Thanks to _inmyshoes_ for sharing this photo of a yummy looking homemade brioche with nutella. If you know Italian, the recipe is here. If you don’t know Italian, well, the pictures are also worth a visit!

Pocketcultures loves to discover food from around the world. If you have some photos, why not join our Food of the World Flickr group?

Read more:
Tort de ciocolata: Romanian chocolate cake
Submarino: hot chocolate, Buenos Aires style
How to drink cappuccino in Italy