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

This is a guest post by Kaja Dutka. All photos are also by Kaja.

Two years ago I got an opportunity to study in Indonesia, on the island of Sumatra. Many people associate Indonesia with Bali and Java islands – the most touristic places in Indonesia.

In fact Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands in total. Fewer people get the opportunity to discover the beauty and cultural diversity of Sumatra.

Indonesia’s population is very diverse. One of the main ethnic groups in Sumatra is Minangkabau – the largest matrilineal society in the world, and probably the only one with patriarchal Islam as the central religion.

Khatam Al Qur’an: Koran reading ceremony in West Sumatra

However, in Minangkabau we can still find many traces from local beliefs, and the Baralek Kawin (Wedding Ceremony) is an example of collaboration between Islam and local beliefs. The wedding party is held according to the adat (local tradition), but includes some Islamic rituals.

The party takes place after coming back from the Mosque, where the agreement concerning marriage is concluded between the groom and the father of the bride. However during the wedding party it is the bride and her matrilineal uncle, who are in the centre of the whole ceremony.

Minangkabau wedding

The remains of animism can be found almost in every area of life. It is common for Minangkabau to regularly visit a dukun (shaman). It’s common to see shamans on the streets selling some supernatural medicines or other items.

Roadside shaman

Many cultural and religious ceremonies and events are celebrated here. The most interesting in the Minangkabau calendar are Tabuik - local celebration of the Mourning of Muhharam; Makan Bajamba (Eating Together) – the anniversary of Sawahlunto Town; Khatam Al Qur’an – the ceremony of finishing reading Al Qur’an by teenagers, and already mentioned Baralek Kawin – wedding ceremony.

Celebrating Tabuik

If you visit West Sumatra you will find not only an unusual culture but also spectacular landscapes. The most interesting sites are Singakarak and Maninjau Lakes, the town of Batusangkar and Payakumbuh.

Read more:
Indonesian blogs on Blogs of the World
An Indonesian wedding with a difference
The best of Thailand at Pattaya floating market

Romanian “Coliva” (term is also used under different forms in Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria) is, according to Wikipedia, “boiled wheat which is used liturgically in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches”.

This traditional food is usually prepared for the days we comemorate our dead ones - special religious holidays. On these days mostly women (sometimes men too) bring to the church coliva and other kind of food as bread, fruits, cakes, and so on, or even cooked meals such as sarmale and a bottle of wine.

All these are blessed during the liturgical service and then they are given to the poor, friends, neighbours or members of the family.

Besides boiled wheat, coliva also contains sugar, walnuts,lemon zest, cinnamon and sometimes people cook it as a desert.

Here you can find one version of its recipe if you would like to prepare it yourself!

Read more:
Celebrating Epiphany (Boboteaza) in Romania
Holi colours around India
Iraqi food for Jewish new year
Which are the most religious countries in the world?

The four major flavours in South East Asian cuisine are hot, sweet, salty, and sour and the clever cook will get a good balance into each dish that they cook. This photo contributed by Gnarlykitty on Flickr shows the condiments you see on every table in Thailand.

It includes some chilli, sugar, fish sauce, and vinegar for the diner to add in the proportions they feel fit.

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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Thai takeaway: iced tea in a bag
Taiwan street food: fruit on a stick
Easy baklava and other treats from Azerbaijan

If someone asked me to describe my country in one or two words, I wouldn’t think twice about it.

“Pura vida” would be the answer. The most commonly used phrase in Costa Rica literally means “Pure life”, but the saying goes beyond its simple translation: it’s a way of life. Contextually, then, it symbolizes the idea of simply enjoying life and being happy. As the Urban Dictionary states, it’s a synonym of “hakuna matata” and reflects the relaxed lifestyle of Costa Ricans.

Foreigners can hear this Spanish expression in informal settings as a greeting, a farewell and as a way to express gratitude or satisfaction. It can also refer to someone who is nice and friendly.

-¡Hola Tamara!, ¿Pura vida?              -Hi Tamara, ¿Pura vida?

-Muy bien, gracias a Dios.                   -Very well, thank God.

-¡Diay Felipe! ¿Cómo vas?                  -Hey, Felipe! How’s it going?

-Pura vida, ¿y vos?                             -Pura vida, and you?

-¡Nos vemos mañana!                          -See you tomorrow!

-Pura vida, ¡chao!                               -Pura vida, bye!

-¡Muchas gracias!                                -Thank you very much!

-¡Pura vida!                                         -¡Pura vida!

-¿Usted conoce a María?                    -Do you know Maria?

-¡Claro! Ella es muy pura vida.           -Sure! She’s very pura vida.

But where did Costa Ricans take this phrase from? According to a study of the expression by Anna Marie Trester, a film called Pura vida came to Costa Rica from Mexico in 1956, directed by Gilberto Martínez Solares. In the movie, “Pura vida” is the expression of eternal optimism used by a comic character, played by the actor Antonio Espino, who unfortunately can’t seem to do anything right. While a small population used it then, the phrase “Pura vida” was used nationwide by 1970.

Since this exclamation has become so popular in Costa Rica throughout the years, it is now common to find different kinds of businesses named “Pura vida”. Touristic ones such as hotels, language schools, travel and real state agencies, among others, make use of this idiomatic expression, even outside Costa Rica. Along with businesses and advertisement, the phrase is a must in souvenirs of all kinds. That’s the reason why “Pura vida” is even found in Costa Rican Spanish dictionaries.

Happiness, well-being, conformity and satisfaction is what “Pura vida” reflects; it identifies a Costa Rican wherever he or she may be. When you say, hear or see “Pura vida”, the facial expression of the person changes and a smile is drawn on his face. It is a very meaningful word for us “ticos” (Costa Ricans) because it reminds us of home and its beauty.

Just as Dr. Delise Dickard expressed in her article The simple bliss of ‘pura vida‘, even a tourist can understand what “pura vida” means by spending some time in this small country in Central America.

So, if you want to know what living a peaceful, simple, uncluttered life with a deep appreciation for nature, family and friends, just come to Costa Rica and experience it yourself! ¡PURA VIDA!

Read more:
Celebrating peace and freedom in the world’s happiest country!
What do Costa Ricans eat for breakfast? - Gallo Pinto
World language families

Sweet and refreshing Thai iced tea

photo by Shanti, shanti on Flickr

Takeaway meals and drinks come in all manner of containers around the world. Did you know that a popular way to take away food in Thailand is in bags? You can even order a drink to take away and it will come in a bag with handles and a straw stuck in for sipping.

You can attach the bag on to your motorbike handles or the little hook on the back of the seat in front of you on the bus. Very convenient, but just remember not to set it down!

We love food photos from all over the world. If you have a great pic to contribute, go ahead and join our Flickr group where we are always looking for delicious things to post.

Read more:
The real Phad Thai: Thailand’s most famous food
The cappuccino rule: how to drink cappuccino the Italian way
Submarino: a classic drink from Argentina

In her talk on the danger of a single story Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie spoke about her surprise when she left Nigeria and found that she was seen as African rather than Nigerian.

There are 53 countries in Africa, and the continent is big - bigger than China, India, the USA, Western Europe combined. Yet it is often referred to as if it were one country.

Here’s another game from Sporcle (thanks to them I can now name the states of the USA) about African countries. How many can you name?

Source

Read more:
Blogs from African countries on Blogs of the World
An Eritrean village in photos
Street fashion on five continents: what the world is wearing