Calling all meat-haters: The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is coming up from September 28 to October 7 and there won't be a beef steak or a deep-fried chicken wing in sight.
The Vegetarian Festival is a special time for some locals, who strictly observe a vegetarian (or for the extremists, vegan) diet to basically cleanse their souls. There are daily processions from various Chinese shrines around Phuket which are colorful and meat-free.
If you want to take part yourself there are a few rules you have to follow: As well as avoiding all meat dishes, you have to wear white, can't drink alcohol, can't have sex and must "behave physically and mentally." While this isn't exactly our idea of Thai holiday fun, there's surely something to be said for a purely vegetarian parade.
Ever ended up with a bellyache after eating out in France? Chances are you'd be in good company if the results of a recent inspection by French health inspectors are anything to go by.
Authorities checked out over 9,000 cafes and restaurants across a bunch of tourist hotspots in France and the shocking result is that a quarter of these were breaking hygiene rules. And we're not taking minor digressions either, because the inspectors closed down 37 places completely, and from others carted away 30 tons of food they considered unfit to serve.
We always knew there was a reason we shy away from the escargots. Now we know what it is.
We trace it all back to the mid-air curry explosion on British Airways last year, when a flight attendant re-heating a curry dish started a fire on a plane in flight.
Britain's curry woes are now continuing. With new immigration laws, the number of curry chefs in Britain is on the decline and many Indian restaurants across the country are being threatened with closure.
And on top of that, a British Airways flight this week from Belgrade to London had to be grounded because of a frightening smell--a terrorist gas attack was suspected. It turned out to be a large container of curry spices.
In honor of the fact that we've finally been able to peel ourselves away from America's Next Top Model (not even one episode watched this season!), we're bringing you a little blast from the ANTM past. Season 1 contestant Elyse Sewell is currently modeling in Seoul, having already worked in Osaka, Hong Kong, Paris, and other popular drop-offs for her waify kin.
The above video is her ode to the food of Seoul, as set to the Nightcrawlers' "The Little Black Egg." The best part is, naturally, when she gets to that famous chopped up, still-wriggling octopus. So that's the model diet secret we've been missing out on!
In case you've managed to get through a month of 2008 without realizing it, this year is the United-Nations-declared International Year of the Potato. (Apparently they had a Year of Rice back in 2004; who knew?)
As well as 2008 being a very special year for the potato in general, it's a year when we're going to be keeping a closer eye on a famous traveling potato named Spud. One of the only potatoes with his very own website, Spud's last excursion saw him in Namibia in late 2007. We're keen to see where he'll turn up during the Year of the Potato.
Our big tips for you, and Spud, in Year of the Potato travel: Try China, which produces more than a fifth of the world's supply of potatoes, or pretty much anywhere in Europe, where they're proud to be the world's biggest consumers of potatoes. (Russia and Ukraine lead the way.) We're still searching for a travel company offering a grand potato tour, but somehow the theme just hasn't taken off. Yet.
Fans of Japanese food, listen carefully. Go World just pointed us towards the perfect outing for you if you're visiting the ancient (and gorgeous) city of Kyoto, and if you're wanting to take your love of Japanese food to the next level.
Organized by the Women's Association of Kyoto, visitors to Japan are given the opportunity to go into a local home and learn a new skill. Learning how to cook some Japanese food is a popular excursion, and you can also learn how to wear a kimono, fold some origami, arrange flowers or participate in a tea ceremony, all in a normal, everyday Japanese apartment.
This one-to-one experience doesn't come super-cheap, with a two-hour cooking session costing 16,000 yen ($140), but it gets cheaper if you bring a few friends with you. And for a half a day you can really feel like you're turning Japanese.
Vendors in Bangkok have been selling puffer fish meat disguised as salmon, causing the deaths of more than 15 people over the past three years, according to local doctors.
Puffer fish was banned in 2002, however local markets and restaurants in Bangkok and elsewhere continue to sell the illegal meat. Here is what another local doctor had to say about the issue:
Some sellers dye the meat of puffer fish and make it look like salmon which is very dangerous.
In Japan many people dine on the fish as a form of adventure eating, but obviously, if the fish is dyed and sold as salmon, those folks have no idea what they are actually ingesting.
However, there are a contingent of people in Thailand that know exactly what they are eating. Recently, in the province of Khon Kaen a man and his family fell ill after eating puffer caught from a local pond. Furthermore, plenty of open-air barbeque restaurants off puffer fish on the down low. The Public Health Ministry of Thailand prohibits the production, selling, export, and import of puffer fish and offenders could face two years in prison and a 20,000 baht fine.
Obviously all good things to keep in mind on your next trip to Bangkok.
There's a new trend on online social networking: Websites matching locals who like to cook with hungry tourists. Registered families willing to serve a traditional meal to travelers come from Wales, France, or Denmark. Apparently those open-minded Dutch have got on board too.
If you're holidaying in Amsterdam you can use the services of the Dine With the Dutch website to hook up with a local couple or family for dinner. Your meal will cost you exactly €49.98 (but €25 for teenagers), and you can request particular kinds of people. The website suggests a taxi driver or an artist couple. We still think it's a lovely idea but we're quite curious about what else the kinky Dutch will serve up with the food.
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by amandak
