Saturday 21 February 2015

Comment: Junk Food Kids: Who's To Blame? The Parents

Junk Food Kids, Part one
Channel 4
Synopsis: a third of UK children are overweight or obese. This series asks how the epidemic happened & what can be done.  



There is good food and bad food. There is also a difference between eating too much fat, eating a regular balanced diet and eating very little. For anyone experiencing being overweight, obesity is a ticking time-bomb waiting to explode. 

The term 'Fat' sounds harsher than obese, but it's still the same thing regardless. 

As difficult as it may be, eating healthily and responsibly, is not impossible and the occurrence of childhood obesity, is mostly down to the parents responsibility, or lack of responsibility. 

One of the doctors says it's nobody's fault - well, i'm sorry but i digress: the fault and blame lies with the parents of these children. I'm fed up of people refusing to hold themselves to account for their actions that lead to dire consequences, when it comes to the state of theirs or their own child's/children's health. The ignorance of these parents, especially throughout this programme, astounds me. 

You put crap in and don't exercise, you get crap out. & the blame shouldn't be directed at the manufacturers. They are not the ones pointing a gun to their heads, saying 'eat this'. Insofar as to where I stand, I don't follow diets, and dyslexia is a major concern as well, but at the same time, eating nothing but sugary and high cholesterol foods does no wonders to one's physical state. 

To see a 5 -year- old child have HALF of their baby teeth taken out, is depressing and grim. And horrifying, - but this is the harsh reality of the situation we are facing, and we also need to address this matter, urgently. 

It's all said and done to blame and accuse Americans of being overweight and fat, but when people of your own country, especially here in Britain are also obese & more and more of them turn to burgers, crisps, fizzy drinks, chips etc, this doesn't become an American issue, any more; obesity becomes as huge as a national and global epidemic, inasmuch as dyslexia. One has to confront their own realities and tackle it, rather than to deny or dismiss that obesity doesn't happen in the UK. 

To think of such a thing as that, is plain ignorance. 

There was a 13- year- old girl named Pavia who weighed 9 stone, which by my calculation is 126 lbs. Yet she was reluctant to do anything about it, in spite of her mother's pleas. She was very childish and acting immature and stubborn. One scene whilst during a visit to the doctor's, she was seen playing on her cell phone, instead of concentrating and listening to what the GP was saying. It angered me. She was being disrespectful, obnoxious and rude by paying no attention, whatsoever. 

Do I feel sorry for the parents? In this programme in particular, I feel difficult to do so. The parents are to blame, because they are unwilling to find fault and not see the dire consequences of their actions and decisions. The title of the show asks 'who's to blame?', and in my eyes, it is the parents. 

What their parents are doing to the kids, as well as by failing to intervene and stop this problem from escalating, is just a form of child abuse and neglect in my eyes. They are in denial of the situation, and their kids are emulating it. 

In one scene, the mother and daughter were out shopping at a supermarket and the daughter was snacking and eating food, without paying for it. Surely this is theft. Saying: 'I can't blame a parent.... it's nobody's fault', I find that absolutely incredible, because by saying this, the doctor in the programme is endorsing the idea that it is okay for parents to continuously give their young children junk food. I was not happy about that. 

The solution in curbing the problem is simple: to tax junk food, make fruit, vegetables, fish, seafood, nuts, fresh produce more readily available and cheaper. Not just in supermarkets, but market stalls too. Rather than limit food choices, it's all about having a balanced diet. It's possible to have burgers, chips, fried chicken, sweets but only in moderation. It's good to have them as either a treat, or just once every few months or weeks. 

As for educating people on obesity and healthy eating, I don't really know how much more education they actually need. Only some of them need informing, the rest is just common sense and personal responsibility. We are responsible for our own actions, regardless of the state, & of the people making money out of selling unhealthy junk food. We are the ones who choose and decide what to buy in the supermarket, in restaurants, fast food places and what to put in our mouths

And saying you choose not to eat fruit because it is boring, is a lame excuse. 

It is frightening to believe that these young children and teens, who continue to eat their way to an early grave, will die before they become 30 years of age. Should they carry on the way they are doing right now. 

Unfortunately, for these parents, as well as some of these teenage children such as Pavia, who are obese, setting boundaries is not a priority for them. They just don't think, they just act. If they love their children as much as they claim and say they do & want them to have a longer life, then they wouldn't allow these problems to continue throughout. 

Junk Food Kids was a compelling documentary that also angered me at the same time. Angry not at the producers for uncovering the truth about the existent childhood obesity and health issues.... but angry at how horribly horrific the situation has become. 

I am happy the programme makers decided to do this, because not only does it expose our hypocrisy by calling Americans fat and our people in Britain healthy and thin; it demonstrates that we too need to confront the obesity crisis head on, and tackle it. 

Sunday 15 February 2015

Cantonese Isn't Dead: The Argument For It

It impresses me to see people speaking Chinese, be it Mandarin or Cantonese. Regardless of whether they are Chinese or not. Such as Canadian Dashan, who is the most famous White guy in China and the most famously 'more- Chinese- than- Chinese' foreigner in China.

I can only speak Cantonese, but not very well. It is when I listen to someone speak it, do I understand what they are saying, even if my spoken Cantonese isn't that great. My sister's Cantonese is far better than mines, -which is sad for me I know-, but I will continue trying to get better at speaking it. Whereas my Mandarin is non-existent. I can't speak or understand it. I consider my first language to be English, as I am British- born and I have been using English for all my life. I can speak, read and write English. I converse with my siblings (who also converse in Cantonese to my parents) in English as they were also born in the UK, as well as to my sister-in-law who is Chinese and speaks Mandarin, but speaks English really well. My mother, who was born in China speaks Cantonese and Mandarin, the same thing with my father, who was born in Hong Kong, although he is more fluent in Cantonese. He can also speak and communicate in English.  

For me, Cantonese sounds more fluid, expressive, smoother, whereas Mandarin sounds choppy, rough, and in a way, annoying in a high pitched tone. It has 8 or 9 tones compared to Mandarin, which only has 4 tones. I would also say that with Cantonese with the pronunciation of words, some of them do sound similar to English, even though the meaning is not the same. Likewise, the word 'gai' means chicken in Cantonese but as written and pronounced as 'gay' in English, of course, this refers to either a person's sexual orientation or that they are happy or jolly. 'Gai Dan' translates to egg in English: 'gai' >> chicken, Dan >> being egg. Eggs are hatched by chickens and with that you get 'gai dan'. 


Above: how to say and pronounce family members in Cantonese with English written pronunciation

The writing styles share similarities with Mandarin, but the similarities do end when it comes to its grammar and pronunciation. It is also argued that unlike Mandarin, written Cantonese does not have to mirror spoken word Cantonese. Because of this, written Cantonese text looks exactly the same as Mandarin text - yet verbal wise, it is pronounced differently. 

The Chinese government along with Hong Kong, should actively promote both Mandarin AND Cantonese as the main dialects or languages, whichever you want to call it. Not one over the other. And not by excluding Cantonese outright. 



Illustration by Pang Li/China Daily 

This mandatory enforcement of Mandarin in Guangdong speaking areas of China, as well as Hong Kong by the Chinese government makes me worry about the future of Cantonese - we need to preserve this dialect for future generations of Hong Kong based and overseas Chinese communities. It is a part of our culture and we just can't let it slip away. 

The widespread use of Cantonese outside of Hong Kong by American born, British born and Australian Born Chinese is still prominent today. Many of us bi-lingual British born, American, and Australian born Chinese grew up speaking Cantonese and English at home. And for Canadian Chinese, French as well; making them tri-lingual in Cantonese, English and French. Currently, there are 70-100 million Cantonese speakers around the world. 

Most British born Chinese have origins from Hong Kong (be it from one or both parents, who are originally from Hong Kong) when it was formerly a British colony up until 1997, which could explain why many of us claim Cantonese as our first or second language. 

And Cantonese is (supposedly) the main dialect of Hong Kong. Etymologist Dr Chen once 'claimed' in HK (Hong Kong) Magazine that Putongua - the official Chinese name for Mandarin- is not even a naturally evolved language, but a language imposed by the Chinese Communist Party. 

To underestimate the influence of the Chinese Cantonese culture is a grave mistake; the Chinese food served in restaurants around the globe in Chinatowns, is of the Canton variety. Many Chinese films and movies, especially those during the 1980s, were made in Hong Kong with spoken Cantonese. Today, overseas born Chinese still speak and converse with their elders in Cantonese. A language or dialect is only declared dead, when the populations of those people stop speaking it, altogether. It hasn't happened, and thankfully also. 

Whenever I go down to Chinatown in Central London, I see there are still Cantonese speaking waiters, shop assistants, alongside Mandarin speakers. 

During the time when China took over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom in 1997, Hong Kong with Cantonese still flourished, all in spite of being under Chinese rule. It may not be as widely spoken as it is these days, but as long as TV shows on TVB still air programmes in Cantonese, it is not going to disappear overnight.  

Speaking of TV stations and channels such as TVB, I would like to see more Cantonese -based TV channels available on digital satellite in the UK. Unfortunately in the UK, TVB Europe only exists as an online TV service, and not on Sky and digital TV platforms. Whilst it is a good idea to have an online TV service, many British Chinese and Chinese living in the UK access TV through their TV sets and digital set top boxes. We do have CCTV-9, Phoenix PCNE, but the content is mostly in Mandarin. In the US, they have TVB as a separate cable channel, in addition to ICN TV & Asia Television Home Channel. 

Directv in the US offers Cantonese and Mandarin TV packages, something that I wished we had in the UK too.  

China and Hong Kong are fighting a culture war - the dominance of Hong Kong in the 1980s and early 1990s produced movies resulted in the growing usage of Cantonese as a spoken dialect. China on the other hand with Mandarin, has been playing catch up, and they have in many respects, succeeded. 

Most linguists would argue that Cantonese is a language in itself; and in spite of people saying it is harder to grasp and learn in comparison to Mandarin, I just think it's an excuse used by certain people to support Mandarin and denounce Cantonese and its years of cultural history, altogether. And add to that argument, by further highlighting China's role in society, because they are a super power. That is why lots of people are championing Mandarin, whilst overlooking Cantonese. 

Why, you ask, learn and speak Cantonese, just because China has billions of people who speak Mandarin, compared to Hong Kong who only has over 7 million people?

I'd say you should learn, because many of us overseas born Chinese, for instance, speak Canto and it would be cool for us to converse and get to know each other through Canto.  

Like all languages and dialects, Cantonese is not that difficult and impossible to learn and understand, as long as you commit to it and practice and practice. The more you enjoy using it and speaking it, the easier it gets. As a native speaker, yes it's easier if you are Chinese and your parent/s is or are Hong Kong Chinese, because you pick it up from the day you first speak it to your parents or to other native Chinese people. 

Cantonese was the oldest dialect for thousands of years before Mandarin. It was widely spoken by millions of Chinese and used in many Chinese-based TV shows and movies. Some examples being Jackie Chan's Police Story and Big Trouble In Little China, years before Mandarin so why get rid of it? English has existed for centuries - yet nobody calls for it to be abolished, so why should it be any more different because it is Cantonese? But again, this is a super power-thing we are talking here. The UK and USA for instance are countries with enormous histories and pasts, and in spite of English - the UK used old English, whereas it appears that the U.S doesn't have an official language , English is the most widely spoken language. 

And China are going about it the wrong way by not giving people more choice and more options. Having only Mandarin as the only lingual choice, not to mention its total disregard shown towards Cantonese, just doesn't cut it for me and drives a bigger wedge in the Chinese community. Languages and dialects can and should co-exist alongside each other, that Cantonese and Mandarin can work alongside, despite the tonal differences. 

Yet even more unfortunate is that in Southern China, use of Cantonese in the media, by way of speaking and being used in newspapers, has been banned. Where else in the world would you have another country that bans a dialect/language and anyone and everyone is forbidden in speaking it, anywhere? That is just insane. 

A future without Cantonese, is virtually unthinkable; if it happens, an integral part of our Chinese culture would be gone - therefore, why can't it co-exist alongside Mandarin, because it should. 






                                        

Friday 13 February 2015

Valentine's Day Superficiality: Why I Dread This Occasion The Most



Valentine's Day is anti-romance, capitalistic, materialistic, contrived, vapid and an attempt to take advantage of people's emotions and feelings, in expressing their love for their partner. 

Love and romance are both personal in nature; it's supposed to be heartfelt, come from the heart and genuine, and shouldn't be used to degenerate and belittling a couple's love and affection. 

Why anyone needs to express their feelings and love through material objects, no matter its value, is something I don't get. Because a couple's love means more, rather than just 1 day and by giving or receiving a Hallmark card with a big fat heart and message on it. 

Sure enough Christmas is as guilty of being too commercialized as Valentine's day; however, I dread Valentine's Day the most, because it toys and plays with people's personal emotions and feelings when it comes to romance and love by glorifying it to the max. In a shallow - type of way. 

Relationships are a big thing, marriage is too.... whereas with Valentine's Day, who really needs a special day to celebrate and remember the true importance of love and romance? The definition of the true importance of love and romance can not be defined by a card, box of chocolates, sex, jewelry and a couple of roses, and by one day of the year. 

I also dislike how it puts pressure on people to get together with someone, even if you are single, and yet, currently you are not ready or do not feel ready to be in a relationship. 

You know what? Being single, you need to have love and respect for yourself first, before you are in a committed relationship with someone, and then when the time comes, if and when the right person comes along, it will happen. And that is not (always) on Valentine's day. In this case, putting your feelings first, is not being selfish - it just shows that you're not going to be pressured by anyone, or any event or day telling you you need to find your boyfriend, girlfriend and later jump into bed with them. 

It's funny people assume it's only single people who loathe Valentine's day, but there are some couples, who feel a relationship isn't something that should be turned into a commercial hype-fest. It's also funny when people assume being single is considered a bad thing altogether. 'Single' is a word that describes a person strong and confident in themselves, who enjoys their independence & freedom, without being dictated and relying on other people. 

Valentine's Day is a bit like giving someone an ultimatum, but with its image shrouded by superficial pap. It is the season of do-or-die - if you don't accept, then chances are, it's over for the pair of you for good. 

If you decide to part- take and fall for all that commercial clap-trap, you are seen or accused of only showing your love for your significant other, because it is the thing to do on February 14 of every year. If however, you don't do anything and don't get him/her anything on the big day, you run into arguments with them. 

It's the one day in the whole calendar where the entire world, and universe tells you to be with someone on this day, and if you don't, then to them you are nothing. Well, technically, not nothing, but you are not in the same league as them. And with that, you are made to feel miserable. 

It's the one day where it makes married people, people with boyfriends, girlfriends look great, and single people look like fools. 

There are 364 other days of the year to express your feelings to your partner. You can choose other days to be with each other's company, and without shoving Valentine's Day down your throat. 

I am not here to change your mind about Valentine's Day - if it is your type of thing, be my guest. I don't particularly care. 

Just ponder this thought: it's better to appreciate that you have someone at all or as a single person, valuing your true self as a human being, rather than valuing and evaluating your relationship with your partner, based on one ceremonious day of the year. 

Sorry cupid, but no thanks. 

Sunday 8 February 2015

My Favourite Regional Cuisines


*Source: World Cuisine Recipes

last updated: February 11, 2016

I'm a foodie fan, and food and culture go well together; it is the heart (and stomach) of one's nation. Good food provides warmth and comfort, after a hard day's work. It brings family, friends and people together. Not only does it provide nourishment, and makes us full, the origins of those dishes have a story behind them, as well as cultural and geographical significance. 

My relationship with food has nothing to do with dieting and weighing myself. I mean, I know when my stomach feels full, I can't eat any more and I am always wary of what type of foods I put in my mouth. 

Living in a multicultural city such as London, I am fortunate enough to be exposed to cuisines and dishes from all around the world, - although I am quite critical of the fast food places that serve burgers, fries, fried chicken that get passed around as the only available type of American cuisine being served to customers.  

The best world/cultural cuisine can be best found in areas in or around the town or city that contain migrant and ethnic communities such as Chinatown around the world, Southall in West London, UK. Sure there are Indian and Chinese takeouts and restaurants outside of the central part London, Manchester, Birmingham, New York etc, but if you want the good stuff, you'd have to travel far. 

I love food, and not speaking in terms of being a fatty - which is something I am not. When people say they love food, it's not always about being greedy and putting on weight and stuffing their faces with unhealthy sugary, fatty foods. It's about being open-minded about the different cultures of food they have been exposed to in person, trying them out and enjoying them. Appreciating the effort being put in to cook it, as well as the final end product and enjoying the taste and flavours.

We all eat for different and special occasions, during breakfast, lunch, dinner, as well as during snacking. At weddings, ceremonies, in restaurants, fast food joints and at home. I pretty much like any type of cuisine, I'm open with it - I'll try anything and if I don't like a particular type of food or dish, then I wouldn't eat it any more. Such as liver, kidney, sheep's blood and animals that I see as pets, I would not eat those. In Peru, they eat Guinea Pigs and whilst it is one of their signature foods, I see them as pets that are meant to be looked after, - and not as something to be devoured. Cheese is a bit of a weird one for me, as I don't eat it unless it is melted on bread or toast, pasta/spaghetti or on pizza or covered with fish or meat. I'm usually not someone who hates a particular type of food when I haven't tried it, i.e. a picky eater.  

With spicy food, I like it when it is not too hot - I don't mind Indian and Mexican food, as long as it doesn't burn my mouth. Although I still end up drinking water or some other beverage to wash it down. 

Food culture transcends race and ethnicity, nationality, religion, culture, history; it acts as a symbol by signifying a particular culture or region for instance, and thus, it's why people have a strong relationship with food, as it ties in with other things outside of the culinary landscape. Like I said before, trying out and eating different cuisines, in turn, makes you learn and understand their culture a little better. There is no need to travel overseas just to consume Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Jamaican food when there are restaurants that serve those types of food in or around where you live. 

American, British, Canadian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Spanish, Brazilian, Italian, Portuguese, Tex-Mex I love them all. Well, with Japanese, it's okay. 

By going in with an open mind, try a bit of every dish and by then, you'll figure out what you like and don't like eating. And the foods you enjoy eating, you'll order them again and again. 



American - the cuisine of the United States of America; American cuisine and Chinese cuisine share one thing in common: the image of its food is that of burgers, fries, fried chicken, doughnuts and sweet and sour dishes, egg rolls, noodles, fried rice. But if anyone is open-minded enough to know that American food is so much more than that and has regional dishes from different States and regions. 

Unfortunately, the American food served here in the UK mostly comprises of fast food, and so, therefore, because of places like McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, people, in general, think American food is crap and just your standard fare of fries, burgers, fried chicken. But it's not, and some of its dishes include vegetables such as Collard Greens, sweet potatoes (Yams), corn. I would like to see more restaurants that offer the type of food that is served in the South, mid-west, northeast and central of America. 

I'd take regional American food over the usual fried chicken, fries, coleslaw, burgers, anytime. 

Cajun and Creole

Clam Chowder


Boston Baked Beans - a variety of baked beans sweetened with molasses or maple syrup & flavoured with Salt pork or bacon

Apple Pie

Gumbo


Dirty Rice - a traditional creole dish of Louisiana made with white rice which gets its 'dirty' colour by being cooked with pieces of pork, beef or chicken, green bell peppers, celery, onions and flavoured with black and cayenne pepper


Source: Getty Images

Seafood Boil


Po boy Sandwiches

Jambalaya






Oysters Rockafella

Red Beans and Rice - Louisiana Creole

Soul food 

Black Eyed Peas

Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, Okra, Sweet Potatoes




Cobbler

Cobb Salad



Tex-Mex - Texan and Mexican fusion cuisine - burritos, fajitas, quesadilas, tacos, Texas caviar 


Chicken Fried Steak




Can we have more of this type of American food in Britain and around here in London, & less of the Mcdonalds, Burger King and KFCs, pretty please? 

Chinese Cantonese - when people outside of China think of Chinese food, it tends to be of the Cantonese variety from Hong Kong. It is one of the 4 main types of Chinese cooking and is predominately savoury that utilizes vegetables, meat, fish, rice and noodles. Cantonese cuisine gets a bad rep, because of dishes such as wonton soup, egg rolls and sweet and sour pork/chicken get more attention and is eaten more often compared to other Cantonese and Chinese dishes. It's flavourful that uses minimal seasoning, the dishes are varied with snacks, rice, meat, fish, noodles that it's more accustomed to my tastes. Cantonese food is more than just sweet and sour, wontons, egg rolls, although I wouldn't touch frogs legs, jellyfish, shark fin soup. 

It is arguably my favourite type of Chinese food, but I also like the other types as well.

Prominent Cantonese dishes include: 

Dim Sum - small portioned dishes that are served during breakfast and lunchtime, they range from egg tarts to shrimp and pork dumplings, sticky lotus rice with meat and chicken feet with black beans 




Steamed spare ribs with fermented black beans and chilli


Water spinach with fermented bean curd and chilli 


Ho fun noodles - you can have it fried with Beef, bean sprouts, soy sauce and green onions, or with beef, bean sprouts in a thick gravy

Roasted and cooked meats - Roast Peking duck, roast pork, crispy pork belly, soy sauce chicken, Orange cuttlefish 



Source: Foodspotting 

Clay pot rice

Steamed Sea Bass 




Source: Red Cook

Broccoli in oyster sauce 

Fried tofu with meat 

Red or Green bean soup 

Milk Tea

Source: Food Spotting

Egg Waffles 

Source: CNN


Lemon Chicken - like the Orange chicken dish that you find in many US Chinese restaurants but with Lemon sauce in place of Orange sauce. This originated in Hong Kong.



Source: City Wok 

Steamed Egg Omelette



Source: Phong Hong Bakes & Cooks 

Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) in Oyster Sauce 




Hairy Gourd Melon soup with meat 


Scrambled Tomato Eggs



Lobster Noodles 


Source: Dish Maps 

Baked Pork Chop Rice - rice, pork chops, veg, tomato sauce and topped with melted cheese, not the most Chinese dish one thinks of, but it's still tasty




Turkish

Doner Kebab - I enjoy eating these, especially the chilli and garlic sauces that go well together 



Lahmacun - thin flatbread covered with a layer of spiced minced meat, tomato, pepper and onion 



Coban Salatasi - Turkish salad of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions. The dressing consists of lemon juice, olive oil and salt

Etil Pilav - rice with pieces of meat 



Durum - a Turkish burrito of lamb, chicken or beef, it's basically everything you have in a doner kebab - salad, sauce, meat - but in the form of a wrap






Baklava 




Italian

Lasagna and pasta



Source: La Vinoteca Eatery 

Pasta and beans

Ravioli

Pizza

Risotto with lemon and green beans

Cotoletta - breaded veal



Carne Pizzaiola - meat with peppers, tomatoes in olive oil, is served with pasta or rice

Chicken Cacciatore - Chicken with tomatoes, onions and herbs



Source: CBC In The Kitchen

Stuffed calamari in tomato sauce

Panettone 




Korean - first time I tried Korean food was when I was in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2014; it was nice with flavours that weren't overpowering. I definitely prefer it more than Japanese food, as the flavours, textures and appearance, were and is similar in many ways to Chinese food. Likewise, Kim-chi is similar in taste and texture as Za Choi, which is a type of pickled mustard originating from China. 

Kim-chi

Japchae - noodles that look very much like vermicelli - thin, transparent threads made from sweet potatoes

Gimbap - Korean sushi

Jeon - Pancakes

Galpi - pork or beef ribs 

Beef Bulgogi - beef marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, scallions, black pepper and cooked on a grill




Steamed chicken and vegetables with cellophane noodles in Gangjang sauce

Steamed egg omelette 


Brazilian - Whilst my time in Sao Paulo was pretty difficult and not so enjoyable, one of the few highlights was the food. I really liked it - and though it can be too filling for some, who don't like eating too many carbs in beans, rice, there is a wide selection of dishes with a few native desserts as well.

Rice and Beans stew with meat called Feijao 




Cheese Bread



Source: PopSugar 

Chicken Croquettes

BBQ meats



Source: New York Streetfood 

Acaraje - a deep-fried patty made with black-eyed peas, oil, onions, filled with peppers, minced beef, onions, prawns/shrimps

Pastel - similar to Cornish pastries filled with assorted meats


Portuguese


Egg Tarts - almost identical to the Chinese custard egg tarts in appearance but flavoured with cinnamon and vanilla 

Piri Piri chicken 



Source: Schwartz 

Caldo Verde 

Folhadas - meat or cheese stuffed pastries

Cod fishcakes 

Steak sandwich 

Alheiras - sausages made with bread and chicken 




Source: Catavino

Caldeirada - fish and seafood stew cooked with tomatoes and herbs

Clams

Salame De Chocolate - dessert in the shape of salami sausage made with chocolate, biscuits and eggs


Spanish 

Paella - seafood edition 



Churros - fried dough pastry sticks that originate in Spain and Portugal. They are usually served with thick melted chocolate or dulce de leche with sugar sprinkled on top of them



Tapas - Spanish's version of Hong Kong dim sum which are small appetizers or snacks served before the main meal, these include empanadillas which are little empanadas and meatballs with sauce



Patatas Bravas - fried cubes of potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce 



Arros Negre - known as Black rice/Black paella, this Valencian-based dish is made with cuttlefish/squid, cephalopod ink, rice, garlic, olive oil and seafood broth to name 


Empanadas - baked or fried pasty similar to the cornish pasty with stuffings that can consist of cheese, meat, corn or other ingredients



And in addition to this list, here are other cuisines I am very keen on trying out too:

Columbian

Valluna - pork cutlets/chops in breadcrumbs 

Ajicao - A type of Chicken and corn soup 

Bandeja Paisa - similar to an English fry-up in many respects; grilled steak, fried egg, sausage with avocado and banana chips




Tamales - ground corn steamed or boiled in leaves, can contain chicken, beef, sweetcorn & other vegetables 

Manjar Blanco - type of leche, a dessert spread made with milk and sugar 

Arepa - type of cornmeal bread 

Lechona - roast pig stuffed with rice, peas, onions and spices 

Potatoes with cheese 



Argentinian 

Locro - a thick stew dish of corn, beans, potato or pumpkin with meat (usually beef, sometimes with chorizo) & vegetables



Costillas a la Riojana - pork ribs with onions, peppers, peas along with fried eggs and fried round potatoes




Peruvian

Ceviche - seafood soaked in lemon juice with chillies 





Tacu Tacu - beans and rice fried topped with breaded fried steak and onion salsa

Arroz Con Mariscos - seafood rice

Causa - a casserole of potatoes and avocado that can include meat or fish and/or hard-boiled eggs

Lomo Saltado - Chinese Peruvian fusion dish of stir-fried beef, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, onions with soy sauce served with rice 



Source: Huffington Post

Pollo A La Brasa - Peruvian style roast/grilled chicken marinated in pepper, paprika, red peppers, garlic, cumin (and soy sauce) 



Choritos a la Chalaca - steamed mussels with vegetable medley and corn 



Rocoto Relleno - stuffed peppers with meat and melted cheese 




Dominican Republic 

Mangu - boiled and mashed plantains with red onions

La Bandera - beans, rice and meat stew



Source: Book of Days Tales 

Tostones - fried plantains

Passion fruit juice

Sanchocho - meat and vegetable broth 

Dulce De Coco - coconut macaroons 

Quipe/Kipe - deep-fried bulger rolls filled with meat, beans



Source: NBC Latino

Chenchen - ground corn

Habichuelas - dulce made with beans, sweet potato, sugar and coconut

Pica Pollo/Aroz Con Pollo - Dominican fried chicken



Source: Dominican Heat 

Croquetas - chicken croquettes

Chimichurri - Dominican burgers made with ground beef or pork served on water bread and garnished with lettuce and a Marie Rose type of prawn cocktail sauce called Salsa Rosa



Source: Dominican Cooking 

Asopao De Pollo - similar to a gumbo, contains meat and rice 

Lechon Asado - roast pig 

Pastelon De Platano Maduro - version of English Shepherd's pie, only it is topped with mashed sweet plantains instead of mashed potato



Source: El Fogoncito 

Locrio - type of Paella 

Espaguetis or Spaghetii a la Dominica - Spaghetti Bolognese Dominican- style 




British

Beef Stew and Dumplings 



Shepherd's Pie 


Toad in a Hole 

Source: Tesco

Kedgeree

Source: Good Gobble! 

Cornish Pasties

Source: Good to Know

Apple Pie and Custard 


Bread and Butter Pudding 


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