Malena loves candy. And travel. And both together. And thus, this site was born.
Rugelach (”creeping vine”): a traditional Yiddish pastry that I tried in Jerusalem on the recommendation of my tour guide. The popular bakery had rows and rows of these delicious, rich, chocolate filled croissant-like pastries. They’re a little more dense and oily than croissants (and I mean that in a very, very good way!) and were extremely tasty. I believe the dough had some cream cheese in it, which might explain the thicker density. I don’t have any links to purchase these, but I do have a link to a recipe: if you make it let me know how it turns out!
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Well, I’ve already mailed small prizes to everyone who participated in the Turkish Delight contest (hopefully they’ve all arrived safely!) but I’m sure everyone was eager to know what the actual correct answers were. Thanks to the participants and next time I’ll make the contest easier! (more…)
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So I’ve raved about Syria, hinting at the many plusses of traveling there: friendly locals not yet cynical about travelers; inexpensive and delicious food; a hassle-free experience when walking down streets alone as a female. Here is a story that was indicative of my time there… and it has to do with candy! (Apologies for the enormous length… I’ll try and be less verbose in the future.) (more…)
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In Turkey, I spent a lot of time eating Turkish Delight, talking about Turkish Delight, trying to find Turkish Delight factories, and watching people make Turkish Delight. Prior to my first visit to Turkey, I actually had no idea what this substance even was - except that the White Witch used it to lure Edmund into her clutches in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe! In Turkey in its most common form, it’s simply a gummy substance formed of starch, sugar or honey, and flavoring (typically pistachio, rose, or walnut.) However, recently lokum (as it is known in Turkish) has also been made with cream, giving it a whitish, opaque look and a milkier feel. (more…)
Want to win a small box of exciting Middle Eastern candy? Guess the different Turkish Delight flavors, get the most correct, and I’ll mail you a little something from the road. Match up flavors to numbers in the picture by this Sunday at 12 noon (my time), but it isn’t as easy as it sounds! The flavors aren’t really normal US ones and some of them are repeated with only small variations, so good luck! Don’t be afraid to get a little creative. (more…)
I spent a few days in Munich for Oktoberfest. I’m not entirely sure I would recommend it - especially to someone traveling alone on a budget - but I did enjoy walking around the fairground at night taking pictures and dodging all the drunken people. The grounds containing the large brewing tents (where beer and traditional German food are served) is also filled with rides, games, stands selling sausages and souvenirs, and gingerbread stands! The gingerbread looked delicious, thick and brown with cute German sayings frosted on (my favorite was “My Frog.”) (more…)
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This is one of my favorite candies ever! I first discovered it at the base gas station when I was stationed in Albuquerque. After moving to Boston, I was absolutely unable to find it again, and went into a small period of mourning. One of the main reasons I was excited to visit Spain was to retry this candy.
It’s absolutely addictive. A soft, sweet, cremey center - a bit chewy and fruity tasting, but the actual flavor of fruit will be forever indistinguishable to me. A harder, licorice like exterior. Lots of fun to peel the outer shell off and then enjoy the center. I am totally unable to stop at half a bag of these - they’re extremely dangerous in that regard. I ate loads of them in Spain and miss them terribly already.
This sort of licorice candy is very popular in Spain - the candy stores and grocery stalls are full of long strips of creme-filled licorice of all colors and flavors. The Pico Balla is very representative of modern Spanish candy. Yum! I think surprisingly, Spain is going to win out as my favorite European candy country.
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You can buy Pico Balla here. If you’ve never tried it before, I highly recommend it!
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Switzerland. The very name conjures up images of rich chocolate. Obviously, I had to visit. From Avignon I took a (per norm, very expensive) train to Geneva. I wanted to discover the birthplace of milk chocolate and the machine that gives modern chocolate its silky smooth consistency. The rumors of Swis efficiency are certainly correct: the train arrived right on time, and the streets had more directional instructions than any I’ve seen before - each lane carefully demarcated for bicycles, pedestrians, or cars. I also had the best meal I’ve had so far on my trip: a small restaurant serving Eritrean food - lentils, spiced beef, and salad served on a delicious crepe. (more…)
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Mmmm baklava! Not exactly a candy, but close enough for my purposes. In Turkey baklava tends to consist of pastry, pistachio, and a lot of honey. There are also kinds with chocolate, walnuts, and creme - but I tended to prefer the more basic variety. I tried the baklava in a venerable pastry shop in Istanbul, renowned by the locals as the best in Turkey, and then traveled halfway across the country to Gaziantep - the Turkish hometown of baklava - where pistachios are harvested and stalls selling the rich, sweet pastries abound. Sadly, I never learned to make it.
I am finally caught up in uploading pictures, so take a look on flickr for all my pictures from Europe, Turkey, and Syria. Next step: write lots of blog entries!
Yes, I am safe in Syria - even with the bombing the US did on the border with Iraq. The locals here aren’t exactly happy about it, but they don’t blame individual Americans as much as government policy.
There is something for all tastes. Big ones, small ones, round ones, square ones, yellow ones, red ones, soft ones, cracky ones… even those enriched with vitamins…
Sweets are little masterpieces!
… This museum is dedicated to all those people who have devoted their lives to a guilty passion, greediness.” (more…)
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