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Luxurious puff pastry Prawn Shrimp with cream cheese filling is the perfect mingling snack for all parties and celebrations. The bite-sized puff pastry cup is easy to make and perfect with a glass of champagne or sparkling wine. Impress your guest with this luxurious Champagne snack at your next party, celebration or brunch. You need: 1 roll of premade puff pastry 1/2 finely chopped red onion 200 grams of precooked and piled shrimp 200 ml of full fat sour cream 200 grams of cream cheese 4 tablespoons of finely chopped dill 150 ml of finely chopped chives 1 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice Salt and white pepper The zest of one lemon 10-15 jumbo shrimps, king prawns or langoustines for garnish How you make them: Roll out the puff pastry and cut out circles to fit in small muffin tins or a muffin tray. Cover the muffin cups with baking paper and fill each cup with baking beans. Blind bake the pastry in the middle of the oven. Follow the instruktions on the puff pastry packet. Let the puff pastry cups cool completely on a cooling rack. Add sour cream and cream cheese to a bowl and whisk until stiff peaks. Finely chop dill, onion and 2/3 of the chives and add to the bowl. Save the rest of the chives for garnish. Slice the shrimp into small pieces, and add them to the rest of the ingredients. Save the big jumbo shrimps or king prawns for garnish. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and the zest of half a lemon. Stir gently until completely combined. Fill the puff pastry cups with the shrimp and cream cheese filling. Garnish with jumbo shrimps, chives and the rest of the lemon zest. Enjoy with a glass of chilled Champagne or sparkling wine.

The bright red fruit of Tomato is one of the most widely used ingredients in almost every cuisine around the world. Being high in moisture, tomatoes are prone to go bad faster as compared to most produce. Over the past few centuries, as natural preservation methods have improved, people found out that the best way to use tomatoes and make sure they last a long time was by crushing them into a pulp along with some salt. With a few more spices and herbs, this tomato paste can turn into a flavourful tomato sauce perfect for tossing with pasta or cooking chicken breast. The First Tomato Sauce Tomatoes originated in the Americas and were unknown to the Old World until the Columbian Exchange in the late 15th century. Among the many plants native to America, there were also the spicy chilli peppers prized by the natives for their invigorating taste. However, the skin and seeds of chillis are not easy to digest on their own and the only acidic ingredient that they knew which could soften the chilli was the tomato. When explorers saw the natives using chillies, they noted that they usually made a paste out of the chillis along with tomatoes and other spices and used it to season everything they ate. The natives also used the paste for medicinal practices leading the explorers to believe that tomato is a poisonous fruit due to its resemblance to nightshade. However, this could be the first-ever use of tomatoes as a sauce and was written about by Bernardino de Sahagún, a Spanish friar who had found this chilli and tomato sauce on sale in the markets of Tenochtitlan in Mexico. Marinara Sauce While Europe took time to adapt to using tomatoes in the kitchen, Italians were the first to experiment with the fruit. Tomato sauce was first mentioned in the Italian cookbook Lo Scalco alla Moderna, written by Italian chef Antonio Latini in 1692. The recipe is most likely to have been developed in the Southern region of Naples or Sicily which had a lot of naval trade and favourable weather for tomato gardens. The tomato sauce was known as Marinara which roughly translates to “sailor style”. It was given the name Marinara not because it had any seafood in it but because it was the favourite staple of Italian merchants during long sea voyages. Tomatoes have high moisture and low shelf life and the best way to preserve them is to crush them into a pulp with salt to prevent microbial growth. This proved a profitable food supply as something more flavourful than dry bread and long-lasting than meat. However, the tomato paste grew slightly more acidic or sour over time. The merchants found out that crushing a few leaves of basil kept the sauce aromatic and prevented the sharp sourness when stored for a long time. The paste eventually evolved into a light sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes, basil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, perfect to pair with Spaghetti or on a pizza. Italian Tomato Sauces The Marinara sauce became an inspiration for many regional tomato sauces in Italy to pair with pasta or meat such as the spicy Arrabiatta with crushed red pepper flakes or the Puttanesca with a savoury flavour from anchovy fillets, olives and capers. The Amatriciana sauce features chopped guanciale which is a cured cut of pork cheek and the Bolognese is a rich meat sauce made with mirepoix, ground beef, tomatoes, wine and herbs. Sauce de Tomate After the Italians popularised the use of Tomatoes, the French were quick to adapt and made Tomato sauce one of the five mother sauces in French cooking. The traditional French recipe includes tomato concasse which means finely diced tomato that has been peeled and seeded along with tomato puree, mirepoix, herbs and spices. It is flavoured with pork and thickened with roux, a cooked mixture of flour and butter. It is most commonly used as a base for stewed dishes in southern classical French cooking such as the Boeuf Bourguignon and Ratatouille. Salsa Roja Mexican cuisine is known to be spicy with a generous use of chillies and similar to their ancestors, the Mexicans use a sauce made of tomatoes and chillies as a base for most of their dishes. The Salsa Roja is a spicy red sauce that is usually made of crushed tomatoes and chillies along with onion, garlic, salt and pepper. It is crushed in a traditional stone mortar and pestle known as the Molcajete. The ingredients are either crushed raw or after stewing or roasting on an iron griddle. Stewing usually results in a milder sauce while roasting intensifies the flavour. Salsa Roja is the base for most Mexican stewed dishes including Enchiladas and Birria. It can even be used as a spicy dip with fries or snacks.

After forty days of fasting and penitence during the season of Lent, Easter is a time to rejoice celebrated with feasts, church service and wearing bright clothes in pastel colours. Easter, which falls on 31st March 2024 this year, marks the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All around the world, people celebrate the day with decorated chocolate eggs in a basket, jellybeans and tracking the Easter bunny. However, many cultures have their unique customs and traditions for the festival. Just like Christmas, Easter also has roots in both Christianity and ancient pagan culture. Though it is mostly considered a religious holiday, many of our modern traditions are rooted in ancient pagan celebrations of the spring equinox. Celebrating Easter in South of Europe Spain and France are renowned for their extensive celebrations of religious festivals due to their deep-rooted cultural and historical significance. Both countries have a strong Catholic tradition, with Christianity deeply ingrained in their societies for centuries. As a result, religious festivals, including Easter, are celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm. The Giant Omelette Festival in France The Fête de l’Omelette Géante or the Giant Omelette Festival in Bessières, France is a grand celebration of Easter with feasts, Easter Egg hunts, parades, and performances with a spectacular grand finale where they cook a colossal 15,000 egg omelette which can feed more than 2000 people. More than 100 volunteers all dressed in yellow and white, gather around a long table and crack the eggs into large bowls. Over a bonfire in the centre of the town square, an 850kg, 13ft frying pan is held up with the help of a forklift truck. The chefs known as the Knights of the Giant Omelette pour 70 litres of duck fat into the pan to warm it up. The eggs are whisked with hand-held paddle mixers in large aluminium stock pots along with chopped chives, salt, and pepper as well as the mild chilli pepper piment d’Espelette. The beaten eggs are poured into the pan and stirred with large wooden paddles to prevent them from sticking and burning. The omelette takes around half an hour to cook after which it is served to everyone visiting the festival along with a slice of sourdough bread. Semana Santa Celebrations in Spain The celebrations during Semana Santa can vary greatly depending on the region of Spain. In Andalusia, which is located in the south of Spain, Semana Santa is particularly renowned for its elaborate processions. In cities like Seville, Malaga, and Granada, the processions can be very elaborate, with large floats depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ, and penitents dressed in traditional robes and hoods. These processions can last for hours and are attended by large crowds of locals and tourists alike. In other parts of Spain, such as Catalonia in the northeast, the celebrations during Holy Week tend to be more low-key. While there are still processions and other religious ceremonies, they may be less elaborate than in other regions. Instead, families often gather together to enjoy traditional Easter dishes and spend time with each other. Global easter food traditions Easter is celebrated by millions worldwide and brings a delightful array of culinary customs and traditions that have been passed down through generations. Across diverse cultures and regions, food plays a central role in Easter festivities, symbolizing renewal, abundance, and the spirit of togetherness. In many countries, the Easter table is adorned with a stunning array of dishes that showcase the seasonal bounty and culinary creativity of each region. Easter Eggs and the Easter Bunny Possibly the most recognizable symbols associated with Easter are the Easter Eggs and the Easter Bunny. Eggs are painted in bright colours to be used for the popular Easter egg hunt, where they are hidden for children to find and collect. The modern custom of dyed eggs and decorated chocolate eggs comes from a tradition dating back thousands of years, long before the time of Jesus Christ. Many ancient cultures, including the Greeks and Egyptians, saw eggs as a sign of fertility and new life. They exchanged eggs as gifts during their springtime festival. Ancient Babylonians believed an egg fell from heaven into the Euphrates River, and hatched into the goddess of fertility, Ishtar which sounds similar to Easter. As a coincidence, Anglo-Saxons celebrated a festival on the spring equinox dedicated to their goddess of fertility called Eostre. Christian missionaries started the custom of hiding dyed or painted eggs for children to find and bringing them back to the missionaries as a tool for increasing the children’s interest in religious stories and church activities. Rabbits and hares are associated with spring as it's the season when they give birth, and you can find a lot of baby bunnies in the field. According to an old German tale, an old woman who loved children would hide brightly coloured eggs in her garden as Easter treats. One year, while the children searched for them, they noticed a hare hopping past and believed that the animal had left the eggs. Easter Ham Easter is celebrated with a feast for dinner and every dinner table in America has a portion of Ham as the centerpiece. Ham symbolizes good luck in many cultures making it a fitting meal option for all kinds of celebrations. The reason ham is the prime highlight of the Easter dinner is that pigs are typically slaughtered in the late fall or winter, and it takes several months to cure and smoke the pork to make the ham ready to eat just as the spring begins. Hot Cross Buns The treat made famous by the nursery rhyme, Hot Cross Buns are sweet and sticky buns made with a dough leavened with yeast and speckled with dried fruit, candied peel, and spices. A sweet flour paste is piped on top of the bun in the shape of a cross that represents Jesus Christ being crucified on a cross. The recipe dates back to ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, where they served sweetened bread as symbols of honour toward their goddesses. They became popular at Good Friday in England when bakers were forbidden to sell spiced or sweet bread except on special holidays. It was a popular belief that Hot Cross buns baked on Good Friday were holy and could cure any disease and were gifted to sailors as a good luck charm on their voyages. While a popular treat worldwide on Good Friday, Hot Cross buns are an important part of the Easter dinner in New Zealand and Australia where it is the season of fall during Easter.

Easter is a time for celebration, family gatherings, delicious food, and fun games. If you're planning to host an Easter dinner this year, it's important to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, full of laughter and plenty of scrumptious easter dishes and treats. Here are 7 tips for planning the perfect Easter dinner. Hosting an Easter dinner requires some preparation and attention to detail. By planning your menu, selecting the right wine pairings, and creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere, you can ensure a successful and memorable celebration for all. Prepare Early To ensure a successful Easter dinner, it's important to prepare early. Create a checklist of everything that needs to be done, including menu planning, grocery shopping, and setting the table. This will help you stay organized and on track. Plan the Menu Planning and executing the perfect Easter dinner can be a daunting task, but with a little preparation and forethought, it can be a stress-free and enjoyable experience. The first step to hosting a successful dinner is to plan the menu. Will you opt for traditional Easter dishes or a more modern interpretation of the menu? Taking the time to sit down and go through your menu is crucial to reducing stress and increasing the likelihood of success when it comes to shopping and execution. If you're planning on cooking a large meal, it's wise to consider preparing some dishes in advance. This can help reduce stress on the day of the event and ensure that everything runs smoothly. You can also incorporate seasonal ingredients such as asparagus and strawberries into your menu. When planning your menu, consider your guests' dietary restrictions and preferences. If you have vegetarian or vegan guests, be sure to include some meat-free options. It's also a good idea to offer a variety of dishes to cater to different tastes. Select Wine Pairings Selecting the perfect wine to accompany your Easter dinner can elevate the dining experience to the next level. Begin with appetizers by offering a light and refreshing white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or sparkling champagne, which pairs perfectly with fish and shellfish. For the main course, a full-bodied red such as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon can be a great complement to lamb or ham. If your menu features mild-flavoured white fish, consider serving a light and crisp white wine like Pinot Grigio. If you're unsure about which wines to choose, don't hesitate to ask for advice at your local wine shop. They can provide personalized recommendations based on your menu and budget, ensuring a successful pairing that will impress your guests. Create a Welcoming Atmosphere Creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere is key to hosting a successful Easter dinner. Greet your guests with a smile and a warm welcome. You can also play some background music to create a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. To decorate your table, consider using pastel-coloured tablecloths, napkins, and plates. Fresh flowers or Easter-themed centrepieces can also make a great focal point. You can also add decorative chocolate Easter eggs to each place setting as a fun touch. Play Fun Games Playing fun games is a great way to entertain your guests and create lasting memories. Consider setting up an Easter egg hunt for the kids, or playing games such as egg and spoon races or egg toss. You can also set up a photo booth with Easter-themed props to capture fun moments. Serve Plenty of Sweet Treats No Easter dinner is complete without sweet treats. In addition to traditional Easter desserts, consider serving Easter-themed cookies or cupcakes. You can also set up a candy bar with Easter-themed candies and don't forget the chocolate eggs. Sweet treats are an essential part of any Easter dinner. In addition to classic Easter desserts, you can add a fun and festive touch by serving Easter-themed cookies or cupcakes. Consider setting up a candy bar with a variety of Easter-themed sweets, such as Chocolate eggs, colourful jelly beans and marshmallow chicks. Have Fun! Hosting an Easter dinner is a great opportunity to spend time with family and friends and create lasting memories. Don't worry too much about perfection - focus on creating a welcoming atmosphere and enjoying the company of your loved ones. And don't forget to have fun and enjoy some sweet treats and fun games along the way!

Spanish Saffron is the queen of spices, the champagne of the spice world and a delicacy like no other. It's renowned for its complex flavour profile, bright red colour and of course, its price, which pound for pound, is more expensive than gold. With its own Denomination of Origin, Spanish saffron is recognised for being of utmost quality and with its smoky and yet floral flavour profile, it transforms the most humble dishes such as vanilla ice cream into sensation gastronomic masterpieces. What is Saffron? Saffron is made from the stigmas of the Crocus Sativus flower – a relative of the lily. It’s been used for many centuries for various things, including as an aphrodisiac, a dye, a medicine, and of course, as a spice. It contains certain chemicals that are said to be able to enhance memory and alter your mood. In some countries, it is a symbol of culture, luxury, and wealth. Saffron contains several antioxidants – crocin, crocetin kaempferol, and safranal. It is the crocin and crocetin that are responsible for the spice’s red colour, while the safranal gives it its distinctive, delicate aroma and flavour. The golden yellow colour that saffron imparts to the dishes into which it is added, is as important as the distinctive favouring it adds. Aglio Olio (ali oli), paellas, cooked potatoes, ice creams, and more, all become super scrummy after the addition of a few threads of red gold spice. Spanish Saffron versus Iranian Saffron Iran is the biggest producer of Saffron in the world with a stonking 90% of the worldwide production. Thanks to Iran's high number of small saffron farms the prices are relatively low, in saffron terms at least. In appearance, Iranian saffron threads are long, flat and dark red, whereas the Spanish variety is shorter and curly, with brighter red and yellow colours. Spanish saffron is produced on only a few small family farms in specific areas around the country. The producers focus on the traditional means of production and cultivation, where after harvesting the saffron flowers by hand, the threads are toasted over charcoal, giving them a distinctive, smoky note. This and the fact that Spanish saffron is revered for its quality and often seen as the best saffron money can buy makes it the most expensive spice of its kind, with a hefty price tag of up to $3,000 for a kilo. Although saffron is the most costly of all spices, don’t let that prevent you from using it in paella. At around €9 per gram, it might feel a little pricey, but you can make approximately 60 paellas with it, so it's not as scary as it might sound at first. Check out the recipe for the Spanish Saffron spice blend. Growing Saffron in Spain Our tale of saffron begins in AD 711 in North Africa and travels across the Strait of Gibraltar as the Moors invaded Spain. They brought with them the secret of Muslim irrigation, still evident today throughout the terraced hill and mountainsides across the Spanish mainland, and saffron, the queen of spices. Only one century ago, Spain was the biggest saffron producer in the world, making 140 tonnes of this exquisite spice" perhaps every year. But by the early 1970s, production had dropped by 50% to around 70 tonnes per annum, and it is still shrinking due to the fact that saffron production has never been properly upscaled. Historically, landowners in Spain used to give a small slice of land to their workers to grow saffron which they could use as a type of currency. They would harvest it, store it away, and bring it out for expensive occasions such as weddings. Alma Makro (an offshoot of Makro Cash and Carry) lends financial support to the local industry, and thanks to the efforts of passionate local villagers, this is one area where production has increased in recent years. There is a Denomination of Origin quality seal for saffron grown in Spain’s La Mancha province. Saffron under the PDO La Mancha Saffron quality seal is the only spice with this recognition of quality in Spain, making it a true one-of-a-kind product. Experience the World of Saffron on a Plate Paella, roast suckling pig, Spanish meatball soup, braised chicken in almond sauce, Arroz al horno (baked rice pork, morcilla black pudding, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, and garbanzo beans), roasted garlic soup, and tres leches cake – What have all these delicious dishes got in common – apart from originating in Spain? Why, it’s Saffron! There are not only an amazing variety of Spanish recipes that benefit from the addition of saffron, but It’s used in dishes from other countries too. Take Chicken Korma or Zafran Murgh Korma for example. This fabulous rich, creamy, slightly sweet Indian curry gets its wonder colouring and subtle earthiness thanks to the addition of a few strands of saffron. Check out the recipe for Barbeque Chicken Skewers with Saffron Spice Mix. Chicken Biriyani, Risotto ala Milanese, Lussekatter (Swedish Saffron Buns), and Sholeh Zard (Iranian Saffron Rice Pudding) – superb recipes from all over the world that wouldn’t be the same without the sunshine spice. It takes any dish to which it’s added to the next level, including paella, of course. Paella just isn’t authentic paella without saffron. It puts the true meaning behind “taste the difference” With a history spanning decades and new saffron recipes being created continuously, it's safe to say that saffron is here to stay. If you haven't used saffron yet, buy some and see. You won't be disappointed.

The spring harvest marks the first yields of the year after the cold winter months. Celebrated with festivities and competitions, each regional delicacy, including artichokes, asparagus, Swiss chard, peas, and local cheese, takes centre stage. Indulge in these vibrant flavours at some of the lively food festivals this spring. Spring is one of the most colourful and joyous times of the year marked with cherry blossoms and vibrant wildflowers blooming along the roadsides. Driving down the roads in the countryside is a special delight with vibrant meadows and fields of yellow rapeseed spread as far as eyes can see. Gardens all over the world are adorned in all shades of red, yellow and purple when eatable flowers and spring vegetables start to grow. Artisan Cheese Fair, England 18th & 19th May 2024, Melton Mowbray, UK From popular choices like Cheddar and Leicester, to lesser-known delights like Cornish Yag and Lincolnshire Poacher, the British Isles are connoisseurs of the art of cheese making. In the rural town of Melton Mowbray, known as the regional food capital, an annual cheese fair is held where around 50-60 artisanal cheesemakers from across the United Kingdom and Ireland display their finest selections. The fair showcases more than 300 different types of cheese from the country along with a selection of local wines, beers, spirits, pies, cider and cakes. The fair also features tasting sessions, theatre shows, workshops and demonstrations of cheese and butter making. Check out the fair website for more details here. Foire au Jambon de Bayonne, France 4th to 7th April 2024 Place du carreau des halles, Bayonne France is known for its splendid charcuterie and they take their ham seriously. Since 1464, for four days in spring, crowds gather in the Halles marketplace in the small town of Bayonne in southwest France for the annual Ham Festival. A parade and concert introduce the Bayonne Ham Brotherhood, a group of judges wearing red capes who preside over the annual ham omelette and Jambon competitions. 30 artisanal producers compete each year for the prize where the guidelines are very strict: pigs must be raised free-range in Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées, or Poitou Charentes, and slaughtered no less than one year old. The meat should be salted and cured for a minimum of 12 months. For more details on the Ham Fair this year, check out the Foire au Jambon website here. Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival, Canada March 9 – April 7 2024, At Bruce’s Mill Conservation Park and Kortright Centre for Conservation. The main event in the spring season in Canada is the production of the golden Maple Syrup. Canada is known for producing over 70% of the world’s maple syrup. Every district across the country celebrates their own Maple Syrup Festival when the Sugar Maples are tapped for their sweet sap. The festival invites tourists to experience the process of making maple syrup. With demonstrations on how they check and tap the tree for its tap and how the sap is boiled down into syrup, the guides share the entire history of maple syrup. Did you know it takes 40 litres of tree sap to make 1 litre of maple syrup? The stands at the festivals serve hot pancakes and sausages as well as waffle sticks with maple syrup to dip along with mugs of hot apple cider. You can also enjoy maple candies and cookies and the classic Maple Taffy which is hot maple syrup poured over snow and lapped up with a popsicle stick into a sticky lollipop. To buy tickets and to learn more about this tasty festival, check out Toronto and Region Conservation Authority here.

The classic martini is a timeless cocktail that's been enjoyed by cocktail lovers for ages. However, sometimes it's fun to mix things up and try a new twist on this classic drink. Enter the Strawberry and Mint Martini – a refreshing and fruity variation on the classic martini that's perfect for spring and summertime sipping. The strawberry and mint martini is easy to make, customizable to your taste preferences, and a great way to shake up your cocktail routine. Whether you're enjoying it at a summer barbecue or sipping it on your patio, this fruity and fresh twist on the classic martini is sure to please. For the Strawberry and Mint Martini you need: 60 ml vodka 30 ml strawberry liqueur 30 ml fresh lime juice 4 large strawberries, chopped 4 fresh mint leaves 1 tablespoon of caster sugar Ice Additional strawberries and mint leaves for garnish How to Make a Strawberry and Mint Martini: In a mixer or cocktail shaker, blend or muddle together the chopped strawberry, and sugar. Pour the mixture into a cocktail shaker or a tall glass. Add the mint leaves, vodka, strawberry liqueur, lime juice, and a handful of ice to the shaker or glass. Shake or stir vigorously for about 15 seconds. Pour the cocktail into a chilled martini glass. You can optionally strain the mixture before adding it to the chilled martini glass. Garnish with additional strawberries and mint leaves and serve on ice. Enjoy your delicious Strawberry and Mint Martini! Try different variations If you want to mix things up and try a different variation on the Strawberry and Mint Martini, there are plenty of options. For example, you could swap out the vodka for gin or rum for a different flavour profile. You could also try adding a splash of orange or grapefruit juice for a tangy twist.

The world’s most popular dessert flavour is Vanilla, an intensely aromatic flavouring extracted from the pale, waxy flowers that bloom only once a year. While Vanilla, a flower of the Orchid family, was native to Mesoamerica, the country known for the largest vanilla production is now Madagascar. Vanilla is the most beloved and lucrative spice with the price for natural vanilla being around 300 dollars for a pound making it one of the most expensive spices in the world, second only to saffron and the story of how the flavour conquered the world is fascinating. The Story of Vanilla Long before the Europeans took to the flower’s taste, its creeping vines grew wild throughout the tropical forests in Mesoamerica. Vanilla was first cultivated by the Totonac people on the eastern coast of Mexico and it was a huge part of their tribute to the Aztecs who used it in their Chocolatl, a beverage made with cacao and other spices. After the Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs in 1519, vanilla was one of the first spices to be brought back to Europe along with its companion, cacao. Hernan Cortez brought back a large supply of vanilla and its seeds to the Spanish royal court from where it spread all across Europe but only as an additive to the increasingly popular chocolate products. The seeds of the fragrant flower were planted in botanical gardens all over England and France but they never offered the sought-after pods. Botanists couldn’t figure it out for centuries until 1836 when Belgian horticulturalists Charles Morren recognized that vanilla’s natural pollinator was the long-snouted Melipona bee, an insect that didn’t exist in Europe. With no insects that could pollinate the plant in other regions, Spain enjoyed a lucrative monopoly through their colonies in Mexico. It all changed five years later in 1841, on the volcanic island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. A 12-year-old slave named Edmond Albius discovered the laborious method of pollinating the vanilla flower by hand. The technique spread across all French colonies and vanilla plantations grew all over Madagascar, Tahiti and Indonesia making the vanilla harvest more effective. Today, Madagascar and Réunion produce somewhere between 70% to 80% of all the vanilla in the world. Why are Vanilla pods so expensive? Firstly, the vanilla orchids bloom only once in the entire year and since the flower has only one natural pollinator, they must be hand-pollinated through the labour-intensive technique. The pods take another eight to nine months to mature and have to be picked by hand when green. To obtain the black pods that we see in store, they need to be cured, then wrapped in little blankets and dried for three to six months during which they ferment and shrink down to a quarter of their weight. How to Use a Vanilla Pod? Since it is an expensive commodity, one needs to make sure that you purchase a good quality product and use it properly so that you don’t waste a dime. The vanilla pod should be thick and plump and should look moist. Dry and thin pods mean that the fragrant essential oils have been lost and there aren’t a lot of beans inside. When storing the beans, wrap them up tightly in a plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container or jar and they will retain their aroma for up to six months in a cool and dark place. Most recipes ask to slit the vanilla pod and scrape the beans out. The most effective and safest way to do it is to cut the pod lengthwise with a clean pair of scissors and then use a little spoon or an offset spatula to scrape out the beans. Before cutting, you can rub the pod between your hands for a few seconds to warm it up and loosen the beans making it easier to scrape them out. There is a lot you can do with the pods after scraping out the beans. The most common use is to dry the pods and bury them in a jar of sugar to add an extra layer of aroma and make vanilla sugar. You can even put the dried pods and sugar in a blender to disperse the flavour more evenly. The dried pods can be chopped up and used as a flavouring spice for your tea or coffee or as an addition to wine used for poaching fruits like pears and apples. However, the best way to use all your vanilla pods is by making your own vanilla extract. Fill up a mason jar with cognac, brandy or vodka and steep your vanilla pods in it. Put the lid on, shake it well and store it in a cool and dark place. Keep adding your spent vanilla pods to the jar and soon you will have a concentrated and delightful vanilla flavour. The most popular sweet spice In the early 17th century, the local England shops started using vanilla in non-chocolate sweets and the spice grew in popularity as an ingredient. It was valued for its intense ambrosial flavour and floral aroma and by the early 18th century, the French started using vanilla to flavour every dessert. Today, Vanilla is a key player in countless recipes from bread loaves and tea cakes to pastries and ice cream. Along with a pinch of salt, vanilla is even used as a spice in delicate sauces and seasoning pork roasts.

Chilli Peppers have become a significant part of cuisines worldwide. Some Asian cuisines are often recognised for their generous use of these spicy ingredients in most dishes. They are the base of many condiments globally from hot sauce, sriracha, curry pastes, paprika and spice blends. These spicy fruits have become so integral that some regional varieties are considered native to the country like the Thai Bird Eye Chilli and the Korean Gochugaru. However, it's interesting to note that until the dawn of the 16th century, the only spicy ingredients known to Europe and Asia were black peppercorn and Sichuan peppercorn. So how did chilli peppers rise to their widespread popularity, becoming the most commonly used spice worldwide? Early Chilli Origins The wild chilli peppers originated in the South American lowlands of modern-day Brazil and Bolivia around 13.8 million years ago. The region is known as the ‘nuclear area’ as it has the greatest number of wild species of chile peppers in the world. These small, red berry-like fruits spread all over South and Central America over time. Chile pepper seeds found in Guitarrero Cave, Peru and Ocampo Caves, Mexico suggest that chillies were first foraged and domesticated by tribal communities 10,000 years ago. These communities incorporated chillies to spice a wide range of their dishes, using them in nearly every dish they ate. The Incas in Peru made an invigorating beverage with cocoa, vanilla, chillies and tomatoes as an aphrodisiac. They were also valued for their medicinal properties. The Mayans and Aztecs used chillies to treat stomach aches, rashes, rheumatism and arthritis while in the Caribbean, chillies were traditionally used as a digestive aid. Voyage Around the World When Christopher Columbus reached the Caribbean on his voyage in 1492, he believed that he had reached India. He sent a few of his men to search for black peppercorn and cinnamon since the spices were quite expensive due to trade problems. While the sailors could not find the spices they were looking for, they noticed the natives gathering small red berries. These berries had a much spicier taste profile than the mild spiciness of black peppercorns and thinking they were a similar kind, Columbus named them peppers. Within the next year, Columbus brought 50 shiploads of Chilli back to Spain from where it started to spread across Western Europe. However, Portugal wasn’t too far behind in exploring and settling in the New World, especially in Brazil where chilli peppers were more than plenty. Vasco da Gama was the first to circumnavigate Africa and travel by sea route to India in 1498 and brought the popularity of chillies to South Asia. Within 30 years, three regional varieties of chilli were growing on the Indian coast. From here, chillies travelled all over Asia by the end of the 16th century through Indian naval trade routes and the Silk Road. An astonishing part of the chilli pepper’s journey was its travel to Hungary. The Eastern European country is famous for its deep red paprika powder. However, the chilli had to travel all the way to Asia to be introduced in this region. The Ottoman Turks bought chillies from traders in India which they brought along with them when they conquered the Balkan regions and planted chilli seeds in Hungary. Chilli Popularity Worldwide While mistaken to be a relative of black peppercorn, chilli comes from the nightshade family similar to tomatoes and aubergines. Some eat them whole as a snack while most use them chopped fresh or dried and smoked, mashed into a paste or steeped in oil for various dishes from curries and stir-fries to salads. Even chilli leaves are used in stir fry dishes. From Bell Peppers which are not spicy at all to the Carolina Reaper that can set your throat on fire, today, there are over 4000 different varieties of chilli peppers across the world with new variations popping up every year.

Indulge in the Swedish culinary tradition with our pan-fried pork belly accompanied by a luxurious creamy onion sauce - a true classic and the ultimate comfort food for cold winter days. This rich and warming dish is served with vegetables or a salad on the side. Pan Fried Pork Belly With Creamy Onion Sauce serves four people and takes about 30 minutes to make. For the Pan Fried Pork Belly With Creamy Onion Sauce You need: 600 grams of smoked or salted pork belly with the rind still on 300 ml milk 100 ml cooking cream 2 teaspoons of flour 3 small yellow onions 1/2 teaspoon of dark soy sauce A pinch of freshly ground black pepper 1 beef bouillon cube A pinch of salt A knob of butter for frying 8 Potatoes How you make The Pan Fried Pork Belly With Creamy Onion Sauce: Peel and boil the potatoes. Cut the pork into 4-millimetre-thick pieces and place them in a frying pan, preferably cast iron, over medium heat with a knob of butter. Add salt to each slice. Avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry the pieces until dark brown and crisp. Once done, remove the pork and place it on kitchen paper, saving the meat juices for the sauce. Slice the onions into half rings and add them to a saucepan over low to medium heat, sweating them down until translucent. Add the all-purpose flour and stir well for a minute before adding the cream, milk, and crumbled bouillon cube. Stir until the sauce thickens. Season with dark soy sauce and black pepper, then add the meat juices to the saucepan. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve the crispy pork and potatoes with plenty of creamy onion sauce and a fresh salad on the side.

The delectable smell of a slice of bacon wafting up in the morning air throughout the house can wake everyone up and make them hungry. In a sizzling skillet or a lined baking tray, the rich fat gets rendered by frying the delightful strips in its own fat turning them extra crispy. The crispy, salty and juicy slice of heaven might tick off all the high calories, high fat and high sodium boxes but that doesn’t stop it from being the world’s favourite breakfast. In Denmark, there are more pigs than people! Being the largest consumer of bacon in the world, Denmark meets its demand with over 5000 pig farms housing millions of pigs spread throughout the country. The History of Bacon The origin of bacon can be traced back to 3500 years ago in ancient China where the pork belly was salted to preserve it for eating the rest of the year. The term for bacon comes from the old Germanic word “bak” which quite literally meant back. Over the thousands of years of languages in Europe, the word developed into “bacun” in modern French. How Bacon is Made Pork belly itself is high in fat and flavourful juices which makes it a decadent delight on its own. Traditional bacon is dry-cured where a raw slab of fresh pork is rubbed with salt and seasonings. This helps develop a more complex flavour for weeks after which it is rinsed and dried. It is either hung to air dry in the cold for months or further flavoured in a low-heat smoker over applewood or hickory wood. It is now an artisanal effort to produce quality bacon that is lower in moisture and higher in flavour intensity without any flavouring or preserving chemicals. However, most bacon today is wet-cured industrially. All the traditional curing ingredients like salt, sugar, spices, sodium nitrite and other chemicals are mixed into a brine. The slab of fresh pork is either immersed to soak in the brine or injected with it. The flavour is sealed by long and slow smoking for days or weeks. Commercially, the effect is replicated with liquid smoke and a few hours in a conventional oven. It usually results in bacon that is higher in moisture but lower in flavour intensity. Different types of Bacon Bacon is a thinly sliced cut of salt-cured pork from several cuts of meat especially the back or the side of the pork belly is loved by all from America to China. Even though the love for bacon is the same worldwide, every nation has its preference for the perfect slice of bacon. Streaky Bacon - American and European Bacon American or European bacon is the popular Western style of bacon with long and thin crispy slices streaked with lots of fat. Also known as side bacon or streaky bacon, it is sliced from one side of the pork belly. The pork belly is not very thick but wide and long and layered with fat and meat which results in the streaks of meat and fat in thin and long strips. Canadian Bacon The thin, round discs of lean pork meat are known as back bacon in Canada. It is a distinct form of lean meat with little fat from the pork loin closer to the back of the pork behind the pig’s shoulder. It resembles ham in appearance and taste being from the same cut of meat. The pork loins are rolled tightly into a compact log, cured and smoked in a process similar to bacon. English Bacon English bacon, also known as Back bacon, is a leaner and meatier variant of bacon, lower in fat. It comes from the pork loin closer to the tenderloin, resulting in a juicier cut. Typically, it consists of a thin slice of mostly meat with a small strip of fat at the top. This traditional cut of bacon is a key centrepiece in a Full English Breakfast. Chinese Bacon The traditional Chinese Cured Pork Belly, also known as Chinese Bacon, are dark and thick slices of pork belly marinated in soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, salt and spices for over 3 days. The marinated pork belly is then hung to air dry in a cool and dry place especially in the cold winter wind of China over a few weeks. The tough slices when used in stir fries and hot pots turn into soft and tender chunks of meat and fat that elevate the dish’s flavour. Pancetta Pancetta is the premium Italian style of bacon. It is essentially the slab of fresh pork belly rolled up tightly into a compact log cured with salt, herbs and spices and then dried. There are also some types of pancetta which are smoked after the drying process and are known as ‘pancetta affumicato.’ It is commonly eaten raw thinly sliced with a dash of freshly ground pepper. These fine slices of pancetta are often used for paninis and antipasti. Thick-cut cubes of pancetta are rendered for their flavourful fat and tender meat for cooking a variety of Italian dishes including pasta and stews. Everything is better with Bacon The different varieties of bacon all over the world are unique from how they are made to how they are used. An Italian pasta dish draws out the fatty flavours of pancetta, and an American breakfast wouldn't be the same without a few slices of bacon. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, a meal is always better with a sizzling slice of bacon.

The Year of the Dragon begins this week with the celebrations of the Chinese New Year. It is the biggest festival in the Eastern Hemisphere, celebrated from Korea to Vietnam, with celebrations lasting for 16 days. The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the end of the coldest days and the beginning of harvests and planting season. It is determined by the lunar calendar and falls on the second new moon of the year, which is 10th February 2024, Saturday. As the regions have been agrarian societies for ages, it has been regarded as a ceremonial time to pray to gods for a good harvest and planting season. People also pray and place offerings in the family shrines, as the ancestors were treated as equals to gods. How to Wish a Happy New Year in Chinese 新 年 快 乐 Xīn nián kuài lè! Legends and Fireworks According to legend, there was a mythical beast called Nián that lived at the bottom of the sea. On the evening before the Lunar New Year, Nián ascends from the waters to terrorize the lands, ravage villages and feast on animals and people. All the people of the land would take temporary shelter from the beast in the mountains. One boy was brave enough to face the beast and turned him away from the villages by using firecrackers. The next day, people celebrated their survival by setting off all of their stores of firecrackers. Ever since then, firecrackers have been set off on Lunar New Year in the spirit of warding off bad luck and ill omens. On this night, the highest number of fireworks are set off across the world! Family Feast at the Chinese New Year Family is one of the core beliefs in Chinese culture and the Chinese New Year is a time for family reunions. Everyone travels back home to spend time with their families. The night of New Year's Eve is a feast where the entire family is expected. Even the family members who could not make the journey back home, have their spaces at the table reserved along with a set of tableware to believe that they are present in spirit. While every region has their unique dishes, there are a few traditional dishes that appear on every Chinese family's table. Spring Rolls are a must for the Chinese New Year The first day of the spring season is the prime time to eat spring rolls, one of the most popular dishes in Chinese cuisine. They are an important part of festivities whether served as a snack, appetizer or at the dinner table. While the name spring rolls are globally associated with the fried version, they are popularly steamed or baked in China and are found in various shapes and sizes from the classic thin cylindrical rolls to large and flat round ones. Spring roll sheets are typically made of flour, water and some salt, and rolled thin. The filling can be a mix of any choice of meat, vegetables and seasoning but traditionally consists of pork, Chinese cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, carrots and seasoning. Making Dumplings for the Chinese New Year Another popular dish in Chinese cuisine is dumplings. They are a quintessential part of every special occasion in China, especially the Chinese New Year. As the time of the new year is focused on fortune and good luck, the dumplings are shaped like ancient Chinese silver and gold ingots. It is said that while wrapping dumplings, you are wrapping in the fortune. And after eating them, you are believed to have a prosperous year ahead. Some people also put a coin in one random dumpling and it is said that whoever finds that coin in their dumpling will have great luck that year. Wrapping dumplings is also a family tradition. It is a time for bonding with the family and every member participates in wrapping the dumplings. In many regions, the newly married daughter-in-law has to make a perfectly shaped dumpling to be considered a part of the family. Just like spring rolls, a dumpling wrapper is made of flour, water and salt and the filling combinations vary from region to region. The most common filling is Chinese cabbage and green onion along with pork or shrimp. The tradition of Fish at the Chinese New Year A whole fish is a must at every Chinese family dinner on New Year. The Chinese word for fish has the same pronunciation as the Chinese word for surplus which has made fish a symbol of surplus and wealth. Half of the fish is eaten for dinner, and the second half is eaten on the next day. The idea behind it is to prolong the surplus and make the future prosperous as well. While most commonly steamed, the fish may also be broiled or baked and topped with red peppers and spring onion. Nian Gao The sweet rice cakes known as Nian Gao are must-haves during the Chinese New Year celebrations. In ancient times, nian gao were used as the main offerings to the ancestors and gods. Over time, it became a traditional dessert on the family table during the Spring Festival. It is a simple steamed dessert made of glutinous rice flour and sugar. Nian Gao is usually associated with higher income, higher position, and growth of children, and is considered a promise for a good year.