Yum Nyam
Quinoa cool
Raspberries are no longer hip enough, it has to be Brazilian acai berries. A light green spirulina smoothie is so nineties, according to many health fanatics, when you can now sip on green kale. And who still cooks millet when it’s all about exotic quinoa? It’s enough to make natural food philistines dizzy, but what can and should you eat without being revealed to be 'uncool'?
yum nyam, health, lifestyle, latin america, eat, lifestyle, food
Penguin, Carambar, Cucciolone: sweets that come with jokes in Europe
When French sweet company Carambar indicated that it may put an end to its wrapper jokes on its soft caramel treats, there was a general outcry for nostalgia and traditions past. But it was a hoax, and the debate led us to find that there are many other places in Europe where jokes are fondly remembered on sweet wrappers
yum nyam, italy, marketing, poland, youth, united kingdom, germany
Let the (new) pope eat Polish cream cake
Before spring even broke in 2013, Benedict XVI of Germany had resigned the papacy over to our era’s new pope, Francis I, an Argentinian and jesuit to boot. We return to Wadowice, hometown of their predecessor John-Paul II, who so loved the world-famous kremówka
Cod in breadcrumbs, posher than the average fish and chips
For any Englishman who lives abroad, there is a shortlist of products and foods which are dearly missed when away from the motherland. My own personal list includes Irn Bru, HP Sauce and Yorkshire pudding (not all mixed together!) …but above all I miss fish and chips
yum nyam, recipe, expatriates, england, china, united kingdom, fisheries
Eat ears for ‘entroido’: Galician gastronomy during Spanish carnival
Anyone travelling to north-western Spain should be prepared to pile on the pounds – whether you’ll be served as a guest of someone, or ordering out in a restaurant alike. If you’re there for carnival in February, we recommend going the whole hog
yum nyam, meat, gastronomy, santiago de compostela, spain, party
England: home to Europe's cheese?
Watch out for homogenisation. In order to flog their wares to Americans and their sensitive stomachs, or to get them approved by Brussels, European cheese makers are being asked to pasteurise their products. How disgraceful! Cheese and cheese-making has such a wonderful tradition...
Plätzchen: decoding German Christmas biscuits
I woke up on 1 December to see the first downy white flakes of snow floating past my window in Göttingen. A few hours, some steaming mulled wine and ten frozen fingers later, and it was time to make the traditional christmas biscuits
yum nyam, recipe, cooking, gastronomy, lifestyle, traditions, germany
Hannukah fun-ukah
Christmas markets, singing angels, hectic shopping and chocolate Santas. Traditional jews don’t have any of that christ-plus-hype. They celebrate Hannukah instead and down oil rather than sweets. In 2012, Hannukah is held between 8-16 December
Dublin's role in European week for waste reduction
The event in Dublin on 24 November has expanded across Europe, having already taken place in England and France. The European commission has designated 2014 'European year against food waste' and the European parliament recently passed a resolution urging a reduction of food waste by 50% by the year 2025. Second in a series from cafebabel Dublin
Does Turkish food in Berlin taste like Turkish food in Turkey?
Thousands of Turks who went to Germany 50 years ago to work in factories settled down, their juniors opening markets and restaurants offering a great variety of Turkish food. Berlin has a population of over 300, 000 people of Turkish origin, and these first- and second-generation immigrants confirm that it is not so hard to cook traditional meals with German products
yum nyam, recipe, expatriation, culture, turkey, multiculturalism, berlin
Europe's breakfasts: I'll have what Obama's having
Russia: Putin feeds Obama whilst a leather boot fans the flames. Italy: whilst Obama becomes president, Berlusconi serves his escort a hot drink. Germany: Merkel cooks brekkie for hubby: a round-up of European politicians' breakfast stories in the news, plus a pancake recipe for the bimonthly gastronomy column
yum nyam, recipe, angela merkel, gastronomy, barack obama, silvio berlusconi, lifestyle
Istanbul's criminal, cosmopolitan activity to sit outside bars
The local council of Beyoglu, an area sandwiched in between Taksim and the waters of the Golden Horn, closed off all outdoor seating on bar terraces in the popular neighbourhood of Istanbul in June 2011. Over a year later, the ban is announced to be permanent. One anonymous female bar owner explains the dilemma
yum nyam, business, social life, entertainment, alcohol, culture, turkey
Popara: eating leftovers in Bosnia-Herzegovina
At the top-notch restaurant Mala Kuhinja (‘Little Kitchen’) in Sarajevo, I order a large beef steak with roast tomatoes and peppers. It costs about 10-12 euros. The restaurant is famous for its generous portions, so I have no option but to take my entree home in a so-called doggie bag – not a controversial cultural option in country like mine
Czech your beer craze
Water, malt, hops and yeast - that’s all it takes to make beer, the most widely available drink in Europe. The Czech Republic has the highest rate of consumption at 160 litres per person of pivo, followed by the Germans and Austrians who content themselves with 115 litres each per year. Before you make your own brew at home, find out who were the first ancient consumers
yum nyam, germany, beer, europe, czech republic, austria, food
Ramadan: from Bologna with love
We’re hungry, and in a hurry. The evening sun is still strong enough to melt the tar between the cobbles. I’m in Bologna, Italy, and Badr is bringing me as a guest to iftar, the daily feast that breaks the ramadan fast.
yum nyam, italy, morocco, recipe, best of cafebabel.com, bologna, ramadan
Shortage of Eastern Europeans in strawberry fields (forever)
As potential EU workers scramble for jobs, owners of strawberry fields in Spain and England lament a serious lack of workers. Tighter laws in the past five years have made it difficult to employ non-EU migrant workers, but EU citizens refuse to do the job themselves. Plus, a strawberry-inspired recipe
yum nyam, recipe, agriculture, pizza, economy, united kingdom, fruit
Europe snacks between Spanish tapa and French aperitif
A snack, a bite… any excuse is valid for a quick break and a chance to satisfy your stomach, with your friends or family. This is also called an appetiser; it’s the time in the day when many Europeans have a well-deserved respite. Plus a patatas bravas recipe
Book review: ‘The Whispering Muse’ by Icelandic writer Sjon
The Whispering Muse is not just the story of one man and his love for fish. In tight, sharp and, at times hypnotic, prose, Sjon mixes Greek legends with Icelandic myth to create a starkly original fable of his own, a book which was published on 7 June
yum nyam, greece, iceland, culture, book review, culture calendar, books
Czech cuisine: Prague’s first homemade dumpling shop
Culinary critics might say that it is impossible to find any spice or excitement to the boring Czech dumpling. Yet the Czechs don’t want anybody poking fun at their small, plain balls, which are also a staple of Bohemian cuisine. Chef-cum-entrepreneur Petr Kosiner insists that these 'knedliky' can win big, having devoted his life to this widespread yet unappreciated dish
Croissant – Turkish, not French
The European journey of a French legend, and why the croissant has finally become a veritable speciality in France
