SPRINGTIME IN TAIPEI
LOCATED: TAIWAN
March-May
The best Time to visit Taiwan, or Taipei, is springtime, due to the favorable weather. The warmer weather allows more festivals and activities to be done through the months and days. Night markets are an extremely popular activity for locals and tourists because it consists of thousands of vendors selling local unique cuisine. Also during the beginning of springtime, the cherry blossoms bloom, and the Yangmingshan Flower Festival normally is already occurring. The mountains near Taipei offer individuals a chance to view Taipei's famous skyline additionally.
Foods/Flavors:
Red Bean Cakes
"This popular Taiwanese food is made from waffle batter that’s cooked in cast iron pans with different designs. They’re often called car wheel cakes for a closer translation to Mandarin and for their traditional round shape. These tasty desserts are crispy on the outside and filled with a sweet red bean paste on the inside."
Baobing - Shaved Ice Dessert
"Baobing has roots all the way back to the seventh century AD in China and is another important part of Taiwan food culture.it’s served as a huge bowl of shaved ice, and generally you choose from the display of available toppings and syrups. Even if your Chinese is not up to scratch, most of it you can muddle through by pointing. In Taipei this food will usually be made with frozen fruits, taro, peanuts, grass jelly (if you’ve ever had bubble tea, grass jelly is what those tasty little bubbles are made of), adzuki and mung beans."
Dumplings
Gua Bao - Steamed Bun
"The dish is basically a soft, steamed bun stuffed with braised pork belly. The buns are steamed and the pork comes shredded in a sweet sauce. Most are topped with sweet crushed peanuts and fresh cilantro."
Dan Bing - Savory Crepe
"Sort of a cross between a breakfast burrito and a savory crepe, it’s made of water, flour, and cornstarch whisked together and spread across a pan, then eggs and scallions are added on top to form an egg-pancake. These can be made with bacon, ham, and all sorts of other ingredients, and typically also have cheese added as well. In Taipei this food is served with soy sauce mixed with sesame oil and a little bit of rice vinegar, and sometimes with a little bit of chili pepper as well."
Stinky Tofu
"It comes in two different forms, either fried or with duck blood."
Oyster omelettes
"Unlike Western style omelettes, these Taiwanese versions are perhaps more similar to a pancake as they use flour and water, as well as eggs, to create the batter. Fresh, juicy oysters are fried before being covered with a layer of the batter mix and topped with crunchy vegetables and tangy sauce."
Pineapple cakes
"They are lightly sweet, simple cakes featuring a tangy pineapple filling in the middle. Taiwanese pineapple cakes originated in the 1930s as a result of the pineapple surplus in Taiwan."
Youtiao
"Fried bread sticks, or youtiao, literally translated as “oil stick”, are a must eat food in Taipei at breakfast time. These are long, twisted sticks of dough, friend until golden-brown, resembling Spanish churros."
https://www.cityunscripted.com/travel-magazine/must-eat-foods-in-taipei-taiwan-and-where-to-eat-them
SUMMER IN PALERMO
LOCATED: ITALY
June - August
is hot and sunny, with very rare rains.
Generally, the temperatures are not too high and the breeze blows, however, heatwaves of African origin can sometimes occur: in these cases, it is possible for the temperature to reach or exceed 40 °C (104 °F).
On the island of Sicily, in the middle of the Mediterranean, Palermo has beautiful scenery, beaches, and ocean waters. Which makes for a very enjoyable time at the beach. Offers amazing seafood, pizza, street food, and ice cream.
Foods/Flavors:
Normally influenced by Italian, African, and Arab cuisine.
Pasta alla Norma
"This hearty pasta dish features an assortment of locally grown vegetables and herbs, including tomatoes, eggplant and basil. Salted ricotta rounds out the flavors and gives the pasta a creamy texture."
Arancine
"These savory rice balls have a creamy, risotto-like texture and are stuffed with any number of meat, sauce and cheese combinations. You’ll find them baked or fried and stacked high in most bakeries across town."
Busiate al pesto Trapanese
"The combination of garlic, almonds, tomatoes, basil and cheese is traditionally broken down in a mortar and pestle until it reaches the right consistency. Try it with corkscrew-shaped" pasta.
Cannoli
"Stick with the traditional sweetened ricotta or opt for a more adventurous flavor like pistachio or blood orange."
Orange Salad
"Don’t fall for the brightly colored rings of assorted oranges fool you. Parsley, black olives and olive oil add a savory and salty flavor to the sweetness of the citrus.
Cassata
"It’s a richly flavored dessert that starts with a sponge cake soaked in liquor and loosely mixed with ricotta cheese. Green marzipan and candied fruits form the outermost layer, often arranged in an Arabian-inspired pattern."
Granita
"Granita is Sicily’s answer to sorbet and cremolata. Flavored with sugar and fruit juice, Although the most traditional flavor is lemon, you will also find almond, coffee, mulberry, pistachio and more flavorings available."
Frutta Martorana
"Frutta Martorana is more than a delicious confection. It’s a work of art. Made from marzipan, these sweet treats are crafted by hand into shapes like fruits, vegetables and sandwiches."
Carne di Cavallo
Horse meat
Pani Ca Meusa
"One of the most popular street foods is a sandwich made from lamb spleen and lungs. A few squeezes of lemon and topping of mozzarella cheese rounds out this dish."
Pasta con le Sarde
"The combination of pine nuts, raisins and saffron used to flavor pasta con le Sarde reflects the African influences on Sicily’s cuisine. Salted anchovies, fresh sardines and wild fennel balance the sauce coating the pasta. Restaurants in Palermo add their own twist to this popular dish, with a dusting of breadcrumbs on top."
Sarde a Beccafico
"In beccafico-style, the sardine gets stuffed with breadcrumbs, pine nuts and raisins that combine beautifully as the fish cooks."
Sfincione
"Sicilian pizza doesn’t look or taste like the pies you find on the mainland. You won’t find a foldable thin and crispy crust. In its place is a fluffy crust capable of supporting plenty of cheese, herbs and sardines. Nor will you see slices cut into symmetrical wedges. Instead, the pie gets sliced into thick rectangular squares and perhaps a side of sauce."
Caponata
"One of the best known is caponata, a dish that starts with a base of eggplant, vinegar, pine nuts and raisins. Each cook then customizes the simple stew with other available ingredients."
Timballo
"It’s an excellent way to use leftover rice or pasta. A traditional Timballo Siciliano contains a generous serving of eggplant in each wedge."
AUTUMN IN ABIDJAN
LOCATED: Côte d'Ivoire, COAST OF WEST AFRICA
September-November
Fall daily highs range from 89.4°F (31.9°C) and 83.1°F (28.4°C), which will feel very nice given the humidity and wind. It rains or snows a significant amount: 4 to 12 days per month.
The old capital of Abidjan is a bustling commercial district known not only for its modern and fast-paced way of life, but for its iconic buildings and must-see museums.
Food/Flavors
Attiéké
"It’s made from fermented cassava, which is granulated so it becomes like couscous in texture. You usually eat it with your hands – just smush it into a ball and pop it in your mouth, similar to how the Indians eat rice and curry."
Alloco
"It’s made from plantains (green bananas), which are cut up into bits or slices, then deep fried until they’re super brown and crispy."
Foutou
"First, the cassava and the bananas are boiled.
After that they are left to cool a little, and then they get pounded in this big bowl. They need to be pounded one by one so it doesn’t come out lumpy, so it takes a long time.
Once it’s all pounded into a mush they mold it into these big balls and let them sit.
In the end they have this big lump of sticky yellow goodness, which is typically eaten with a sauce dish."
Placali
"It’s cooked slowly with water and then set aside to cool. When served it’s going to look like a huge dumpling which you pick at with your hands, similar to the foutou."
Sauce Kopè
"Sauce kopè translates to “sauce okra”, which is a very gooey and spicy sauce. It’s usually eaten with placali like you see in the photo. Common ingredients in the sauce are crab, escargot (snails) and fish or beef."
Sauce Arachide
"Sauce arachide is a spicy peanut based sauce, this one more often eaten with rice."
Poisson Braisé
"First the fish is marinaded in some basic flavours (garlic, lemon, parsley, pepper etc) and then cooked slowly on a hot grill. Afterwards it’s topped with sauteed onions and tomatoes and served with a side of attiéké or alloco. You always get the whole fish too so it’s usually a huge meal."
Poulet Braisé
"Poulet braisé translates to braised chicken and is cooked in much the same way as the poisson braisé – marinaded in spices and then thrown on the grill for a slow cook."
Choukouya
"Choukouya is the west African version of flame grilled meat. It’s the classic nighttime meal and you’ll find it getting cooked all over the city in the evenings."
Garba
"This is a very local dish, which consists of attiéké, topped with diced onions and tomatoes and several pieces of fried tuna."
Banane braisé
Banane braisé are plantains slow cooked over hot coals.
Dégué
It’s made by mixing yogurt with millet flour, and they must add a lot of sugar and/or honey because it’s very sweet. Tastes like an oat smoothie or maybe even one of those Asian sago desserts and goes down super easy.
WINTER IN MOSCOW
LOCATED: RUSSIA
December - February
The average high for December, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is 27 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 2.7 degrees Celsius); for January, it's 23 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 5 degrees Celsius); and for February, it's 26 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 3.3 degrees Celsius). Take these average temperatures with a grain of salt, however, as it certainly isn't abnormal for the air to dip into the teens.
"In winter, Moscow's scenery looks awe-inspiring under a dusting of snow. There's something undeniably charming about seeing historic sites like the colorful, tented rooftops of Saint Basil's Cathedral capped with a layer of icy frost. The food here is warm and comforting, and the cultural winter events are not to be missed."
Get to celebrate different festivals and holidays in Russia during the winter including their month long Russian Winter Festival, New Years, Christmas, and Maslenitsa
Foods/Flavors:
Bliny (Russian-style pancakes)
"Bliny is a Russian traditional dish. They are baked in a great quantity for holidays. Bliny can be served with butter, sour cream, black or red caviar, fillet of sturgeon, lox, and salmon."
Pickled Apples (Green Apples)
Pelmeni (Russian-Style Dumplings)
Borshch Soup (beetroot base)
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