June | 2015 | thefidgetyfoodie

My 9 most random supermarket finds

Posted on June 22, 2015 by thefidgetyfoodie

Stocking up on frappé sachets in Greece

One of my favourite things to do in a new city or town is explore the local supermarket.

For me it’s the heart and soul of a country, culture and cuisine. What could be more insightful than a look at what people eat every day? That’s why it was a no brainer for my list of 6 steps to scoping out a city like a true foodie.

Bear in mind that this is written by someone who gets a thrill from visiting even her own local supermarket. From a young age, mum would always take me on her weekly Thursday night shopping trips and I LOVED to pour over the shelves, suggest new products (sometimes even helpfully throwing items straight in the trolley) and help her unpack.

The best part about foreign supermarkets is the potential for quirky and unusual items that I may never have seen or been able to get my hands on before.

I pick up a packet of marzipan carrots whenever I’m in Switzerland

This is how I discovered some of my favourite supermarket finds, like mini marzipan carrots from Switzerland (perfect for decorating carrot cakes) and frappé sachets from Greece (because real Greek frappés must have Greek Nescafé in them).

Then there are the items that stop me in my tracks and have me asking how, or ever why?

blk. That’s black water to you and I.

1. Like the black water I came across in Mexico City. Otherwise known as ‘Alkaline Fulvic Trace Mineral Infused Water’ and supposedly containing superior minerals to assist better hydration than normal water. I’m not sure how water can become more hydrating but ten points to the manufacturers for being attention grabbing.

What a load of crap

2. I’ve already told you about my discovery of crap in Romania but it surely deserves another mention. I don’t think anything else has ever stopped me in my tracks quite as quickly as this towering collection – holy crap I thought! Even though I now know that crap means carp in Romanian, it still makes me smile.

Clever Romanians eat Big Ben it seems

3. Another thing I noticed in Romanian supermarkets is how they love to use English names to brand everyday products. This is how I came across chocolate called ‘Big Ben’, ‘Laura’ and ‘Clever’. It was a marketing ploy that worked on me – I bought one of each.

Swiss eggs for Swiss National Day

4. When it comes to clever branding, the Swiss are ahead of the game. What other country would brand eggs with their national flag? I discovered these around Swiss National Day on the 1^st August which celebrates the foundation of the Swiss Confederacy. Around this date practically everything is coated in red and the distinctive white equilateral cross – eggs included.

Spam flavoured macadamias, what are the Hawaiians thinking?

5. Branded red eggs I have no problem eating. Spam flavoured macadamia nuts? Not a chance. Spam is massive in Hawaii, with a yearly festival devoted to the stuff (called the Spam Jam, of course). Obama even orders it when he goes home. I guess it’s the Aussie equivalent to chicken salt. Read More

A mile of wine (literally)

Posted on June 13, 2015 by thefidgetyfoodie

The Saale-Unstrut wein region

This time last year I was preparing for a challenging aerobic goal.

Not it wasn’t a half marathon or the City2Surf. I was training to walk a mile.

But not just any mile. A wine mile. Or Weinmeile to be precise (and Germans are always precise).

The pretty town of Naumburg

Tucked away in Saxony is the town of Naumburg (not to be confused with Nuremberg), which sits in Germany’s northernmost wine region of Saale-Unstrut. Naumburg is a picturesque medieval town, filled with castles and architectural ruins from its heyday as an important fair and trade centre.

A typical house with a terraced vineyard for a backyard

Many people live along the Saale river which runs through the town and most houses have a little vineyard tucked away on the steep slope of their backyard. Once a year in June, every household along the river bands together to celebrate the local wine industry by hosting the Saale Weinmeile – a day of walking, drinking and feasting in the sunshine.

The Saale river

I was staying with friends Marc and Kathleen in nearby Leipzig when they casually mentioned they’d be taking me to a fun wine event about an hour away. I didn’t realise just how much fun we would end up having (or how much wine we’d end up drinking!).

Willkommen to the Weinmeile!

We joined the throngs of people at the starting point, draped with a welcoming banner. Every house along the river participated in some way – usually with a stand selling glasses and bottles of their homemade wine and food.

One of the many stands spruiking local wine

As a group of six we decided early on that bottles would be our currency and we picked one up every few stands. Someone had the clever idea to also kick off with a bratwurst or two to provide some ballast for what lay ahead.

Grüner Silvaner was another of my favourites wine varieties

It was a scorching hot summer’s day in June so the locally grown crisp white wines that we encountered at every step were an ideal refreshment. The mild climate that comes from the river valley is perfect for cultivating dry white wines with a fruity flavour.

A snapshot of one wine menu

Initially I didn’t recognise a single grape variety but I learnt quickly that Kerner and Müller-Thurgau, followed closely by Grüner Silvaner, were my favourite grape varieties, reminiscent of my perennial favourites Riesling and Gewurztraminer.

Hand-knitted wine holders – genius!

My friends Bjorn and Antonia were such professionals, they brought their own woollen wine glass holders. I was so jealous. Read More

Getting souped up for winter

Posted on June 1, 2015 by thefidgetyfoodie

Lifting the lid on Transylvanian ciorbă soup

Today is the first day of winter in Australia.

And it’s cold!!! Cold for Aussies means fifteen degrees. Brrrghhh.

It’s sprung up on us because we generally skip autumn and go from the rays of summer straight into a determined chill. It always takes me by surprise and yes, I’m subsequently writing this in a robe and slippers.

So it seems like the perfect time to talk soup and I have many fond memories to ladle out.

Ciorbă soup housed in a dome of bread

Like this ciorbă de fasole cu costiţă afumată soup I had in Sighișoara, Romania last year. I’d heard about an infamous Transylvanian soup, in this case made with beans and smoked ham served in bread, and wanted to track it down. The soup was just as dramatic as the medieval fortress of Sighișoara itself and so delicious. I took particular joy in scraping the inside to extract broth-soaked bread, layer by layer.

Filled with a heady bean, pork and spice laden soup

I only made it about halfway through before my stomach gave up. It filled me up for a day and was only 15 lei – around €4.

Freshly served elk soup

My good old friend, Estonian elk soup, is the ultimate comfort food in a bowl, served alongside elk pies and pickles and accessorised with a complimentary Estonian wench to serve and rouse on guests.

I wonder if there’s a symbiotic relationship between how cold you feel and how much you enjoy your soup – I’d say definitely yes.

I remember feeling like an icy pole when I went to Iceland. And I was there in summer.

I constantly took refuge in the shops to momentarily melt and peruse expensive wool jumpers.

Icelandic fish soup served on a delightful fish plate

In between I’d dart out for a hot dog and then some Icelandic fish soup which is rich, warming and full local seafood. My all-time favourite bowl was in Húsavík (the self-appointed whale watching capital of the world) with my friends Elfa and Siggi.

That’s borscht at the front, vegetable soup at the back

My favourite soup for colour is always borscht and the versions I tried in Poland, especially at quirky milk bars, were sensational. The milk bars often serve a hot and cold version, both equally cerise and equally good, especially alongside a pierogi or five.

A line up of traditional Hungarian soups

Now let’s talk about goulash.

But that’s not a soup; I can hear your muttering.

Well in Hungary it is. Somehow the rest of the world misread the brief and turned it into more of a stew-like dish but on its home turf, gulyás is decidedly a soup. And boy do the Hungarians do an excellent job in merchandising this signature dish.

Every festival or event you go to will have at least one stand with a cauldron-esque contraption full of the steaming stuff. They ladle out the beef and vegetable broth enthusiastically and serve it with chunks of bread.

Tureens of rich Irish seafood chowder

I can’t talk soup without talking Irish seafood chowder. My most memorable bowl was in Doolin, a windswept cliff-hugging town in County Clare. Local seafood, tender potatoes and cream combine like some kind of x-rated threesome. It’s the only thing one should eat at the local pub with the bellow of traditional Irish music in the background.

Perfectly chilled gazpacho

As a final wild card I’m going to throw in gazpacho – that’s for those of you on the other side of the world. I love love love gazpacho and don’t think I’ve ever had a bad version anywhere in Spain. This one came from Mallorca and the refreshing chill of the tomato, garlic and chilli was the perfect accompaniment to the hot sun of the island.

It almost makes me want to take off my slippers…