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Fruits and Food Galore
The open air markets in Tashkent are a great place to stock up on dried fruits, fresh fruits and fresh breads. Bread is respected and relished like if it is holy. My guide and interpreter told me that in traditional homes, a piece of the Uzbek non is placed under the head of a newborn baby. This is to wish him or her a healthy long life. The most popular bread is non, a round bread, and it is available everywhere. In the market, I saw the bread sellers selling the breads on old fashioned baby prams! The breads are baked in clay ovens called tandir (it is like the…
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Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent
Eski Juva bazaar is the biggest and oldest, not only in Uzbekistan but in the whole of Central Asia. Located in the heart of the Old Town of the capital and next to Chorsu square, Eski Juva has been operating on the same spot for over two thousand years. It is built near the majestic Friday Jami Mosque and the Kukeldash Madrassah, dating back to the 15th - 16th centuries. The stalls in this ancient bazaar stand under seven huge domes covered with colored glazed tiles. I was so overwhelmed and impressed with the abundance and diversity of the produce and products sold.
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Master Classes in Tashkent
My trip to Uzbekistan was sponsored by the World Association of Chefs and the Association of Cooks of Uzbekistan and International Centre of Uzbek Culinary Art. I was here to teach the best of Asian dishes and to deliver talks to couple of culinary schools. The chefs here have not been exposed to many of the Asian cuisine like Thai, Indonesian, Indian, Chinese or even Malaysian and Singaporean style cuisine. Ingredients were not easy to get and I had to modify each and every of the traditional recipes to suit the Uzbek taste buds too.
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The Killing Fields
I visited the Killing Fields in Choeung Ek where more than 20,000 people were buried. This is a sad place to visit but very informative. It was just awful to think that I was standing on top of a mass grave where underneath lay thousands of bodies. There was a shrine that housed the skulls of the massacred people!! It is shocking that such things happened in Cambodia not long ago!
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People watching in Pune
It is only in the countryside that you get to see more people in ethnic clothes! When travelling, I want to see people the way they are - the villagers are innocent and mostly shy people but their hospitality is so warm. They are always ready to share their food - language is not a barrier here - just with gestures they will convince you to have a drink or eat something in their houses. I love people and I do not class people into groups. In my eyes, all men are equal!
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Shivaji Market
When in Pune, visit the Sivaji market. You might consider being a vegetarian for life after seeing all that healthy, fresh looking vegetables on sale there. Most of them were probably just plucked from the trees that morning. The vendors were very friendly and the whole lot of them were like one huge family!! Check out the two women who are chiselling the mortar and pestles.
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Ho Chi Minh street foods
There is lots more food in Vietnam than just Pho and Banh Mi. Vietnamese cuisine is all about fresh and simple ingredients. In Ho Chi Minh, everywhere you turn, whatever time it is, there are people preparing food or eating. People sit on low stools to consume their meals. When travelling always stick to freshly cooked hot food.
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Binh Tay market in Cholon
I visited the big Ben Thanh market and did not like it for two reasons – the vendors were too pushy and there were too many touts. My favourite market in this city is certainly the Binh Tay market in Cholon. This market caters for the Vietnamese locals and therefore prices were very reasonable and I also found the vendors friendly.
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Here and There in Ho Chi Minh city
There are a lot of interesting places to see in Ho Chi Minh City and its surrounding area and it is best explored on foot. Don’t forget to wear a pair of sunglasses and a hat – it can be very hot! If possible leave your important documents like passport in the hotel’s safe.
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Temple Visit
Chùa Bà Thiên Hậu (The Pagoda of the Lady Thien Hau) is a Chinese style temple located on Nguyễn Trãi Street in the Cho Lon (Chinatown) district of Ho Chi Minh City. The roof of the pagoda tells fantastic tales taken from traditional Chinese lore, while the walls are covered with lacquer paintings of various spirits and deities. This temple should be a “must visit” place in this city.
