three chili hot

Food has been a real focal point of this trip. I spend most of my time looking forward to the next meal, and then declaring "this is the spiciest soup yet" or "okay - this is my new favourite!", usually while sweating profusely and looking at the rolling eyes of my family across the table. Actually, this is kind of a narcissistic post in that vein.

We mainly eat locally and cheaply, but do occasionally break down and buy a plate of spaghetti or fish and chips for the kids. But these meals are about twice the price. Since we've hit Southeast Asia, the four of us can eat dinner for less than $8 CAD, including drinks. But regardless of price, each destination so far has been a bit of a culinary odyssey.

Europe was the land of lots of little dishes. Tapas, nuts and olives in Spain and the mixed mezze in Turkey (an assortment of cold dishes and dips) were all awesome. Add in lots of good wine in the former and various flatbreads and sweets in the latter, and we needed a bit of a detox after flying out.

Good curry in Sri Lanka took about fours hours to prepare, with each vegetable cooking separately, so it ends up being 5-6 dishes surrounding a plate of rice... all for two bucks. And for someone who has had a lifelong aversion to eggplant, I have now seen the light.

We have also learned the dominance of the roti as a global foodstuff - with curry, banana, Nutella and condensed milk to name a few toppings. In Sri Lanka the kids started their love/hate relationship with fruit smoothies. Mango or banana = good. Wood apple = bad.

Thailand (via some good friends) introduced som tam to our lives - a vinegary and sometimes spicy shredded green papaya salad with green beans, tomato and peanuts. Like I needed a new vice. Plus the tom ka, and massaman curry, and pad thai. I'm growing some lemongrass when we get home.

The real revelation in Thailand was street food. Anything you want, someone is cooking or selling it in a little stall for one dollar. Wandering a night market and looking for a treat? Look no further. Walking to the bus and need some noodles? Check. How about a bag of mango chunks or sliced guava for the train? Fine. Slightly bored and want a bag of something spicy? Got you covered. 

Malaysia has been the land of hawker markets - think of it as street food with some order and shared overhead. You find a table in a central courtyard, walk around the various stalls to order, give your table number, and they bring it over. The diversity of dishes is staggering, from frog porridge to sushi, and so much fun to mispronounce.

Over the last month we've eaten nasi goreng, char keow teow, bubur cha cha, rojak and assam laksa pretty regularly. For all the non-Malays out there that's rice with fried egg, fried noodles, shaved iced with syrup, jellies and corn, fruit chunks with molasses and seafood, and spicy fish soup, respectively.

But even once we find a new favourite, it will invariably be a little bit different each time you get it, depending on the vendor, city or how well you've explained "no meat please".  I like it when there are cockles in my char keow teow - no one else does.

Happily (for them) the kids have also discovered all manner of food that they didn't know existed at home, courtesy of free breakfast buffets or friendly proprietors that slip the cute blond kids a free treat. And this isn't local cuisine. Coco-puffs (yes they have an overseas market) and mango cornflakes at the guesthouse for breakfast. Fanta (most likely containing red dye number 5) and Milo, which tastes just like ovaltine and is sold everywhere under the banner of pro-soccer players. Mystery chews and buns I buy for fun (usually red bean paste, much to their disappointment). It's all hilarious to them.  

There have been various and sundry celebrations and holidays. We've managed to get a cake for each of our birthdays - my lovely wife even convinced a local woman who sells muffins on a little tropical island to bake one for mine... because why not?

We've cooked fried halloumi cheese in Turkey for Thanksgiving, and celebrated Christmas with a tapas dinner of sushi and samosas (and NZ pinot noir). We rang in the New Year at the most happening Italian restaurant on Penang. We've just had a four course meal cooked in our guesthouse by an Italian family pining for home. And visits from friends and grandparents have involved lots of local beverages, massive cheese plates and meals at prices beyond our $8 budget.

In this epic food adventure I've tried bowls of deep-fried white bait, eaten cold noodles in shrimp paste, and with my father ordered a durian. Although admittedly I met my match in the "King of Fruit" at that roadside stand. It wasn't so much the smell (which is legendary - this fruit is actually banned from public transport) as the texture. Slimy, yet firm. Locals actually took pictures of us struggling through. 

Being a vegetarian family, half of whom eat seafood, hasn't really been an issue. The instances of mystery meat on our plates have been few and far between. Just in case, we now travel with bowls and cutlery for instant oatmeal and three - minute noodle, as well as a travel kettle for tea, instant coffee and to boil eggs. Not as tasty as nasi goreng or mango sticky rice, but quick, easy and familiar... which is also a good thing sometimes.

Full disclosure: I have consumed a large Egyptian strong-beer and a package of margarine flavoured sunflower seeds while writing this post.