Something tells me that I am going to enjoy writing this piece. I love food, and have always been interested in dishes prepared by people from different cultures and races.I think in today's world we are quite lucky in a sense that there are all kinds of foods available to us. Fancy restaurants and international hotels are able to offer a variety of cuisines from all over the world. I have to admit, that I can be quite adventurous when it comes to my choice of food, when traveling abroad. I remembered just last year, me and my colleagues ate some bats during a business trip to Indonesia. The experience satisfied my curiosity over its taste and I learned that they actually are quite good if stewed with soy sauce. But back at home, I tend to be more predictable and prefer foods that I have always liked since young. So here is my list of top 10 favorite foods rated from number 10 to number 1.
#10. Tom Yam
Tom Yam dish from Thailand is famous for its distinct spicy and sour flavored soup. The soup is made from combinations of spices, plant leaves and lime juice. Seafood, poultry or beef is added into the soup to make it sweeter. The Tom Yam dish is served with fragrant jasmine rice or just rice. This dish will send excitement through your taste buds like nothing else. When I first tried it, I got choked as I never felt so spicy and so sour at the same time. My Thai acquaintance laughed at me but encouraged me to finish it. After that first experience with Tom Yam, I kept on wanting for more.
#9. Kimchi Jjigae or Korean Kimchi Soup
No need to travel all the way to Korea for this healthy soup. Almost all Korean restaurants serve them. Kimchi alone is not that tasty as it is a kind of fermented vegetables. Normally the choice of vegetables would be cabbage, but sometimes they would use cucumber also. The vegetables are fermented in a brine of ginger, garlic, scallions and chilly pepper. The result is a super healthy food and I kid you not. Kimchi is undeniably one of the world healthiest food ever invented. Health Magazine named kimchi in its list of top 5 "World's Healthiest Food" and it is for the same reason that it ended up in this list of mine. A small serving of kimchi contains 80% of daily recommended intake of vitamin C and carotene. It is also rich in vitamin A, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Iron and lactic acid bacterium that aid our digestive system. Some researchers also claim that it reduces growth of cancer cells in a patient. Kimchi soup is normally cooked with soft tofu and pork. The soup version of kimchi taste much better.
#8. Curry
Aahhhhh... the spicy and aromatic curry. I would believe many food lovers share the same passion as I am toward this dish that originated from India. This gravy based dish is very popular and available in many countries. The thing about curry is its pleasant smell, and that hot spicy feeling that you'll feel going down from your throat, right to the bottom of your stomach. The hot and spicy feeling will last for several hours and helps in keeping your body warm. For me, curry can be a mild addiction as I would visit any Indian curry house at least once a week. The spicy curry can cause our body to release endorphins hormones giving us a natural high. Curry is best served with rice, chapatti, bread or other wheat form food. They help to bring out the flavor of curry.
#7. Irish stew
This is a quite common dish in Europe, and is very easy to prepare. Every household in Ireland, practically have their own version of this famous dish. Nevertheless, I just love this stew especially when it's well cooked. I like it when the meat and potatoes become soft and mushy. Mutton is best used for this dish as it adds more flavour to the stew. Other ingredients added, are chunked potatoes, carrots, onions and parsnip. An original hot Irish stew on a cold rainy night can be a very satisfying meal.
#6. Chocolate
Chocolate is my favorite dessert of all time. It is such a versatile and fun food in a sense that you can turn it into all sorts of dessert. My specialty with chocolate is making them into hot chocolate fudge and uses it as toppings for cakes and ice creams. On a rainy day, I like to whip out some hot chocolate drink and slowly savoring the hot beverage while reading a good book.
#5. Steak
A very English dinner with steak can be quite a romantic treat, for both you and your significant other. This classy dish is best served using a cut of meat from the tenderloin (near the hip) part of a cow. I love eating my juicy tender steak with side dishes like baked potatoes, baked beans, onion rings and salad. Steak with gravy added on top will make it even more delicious and mouth watering. Serve together with red wine, a candlelight dinner with steaks has always helped me to score big time with the ladies.
#4. Chinese Herbal Soup
From what I observed, the Chinese practically have the most diverse varieties of culinary delicacies. It's probably because of their great cultural differences within their own country, and the fact that China is the world most populous nation in the world. They are also very creative and daring in their endeavors with food as they are able to make exotic dishes out of animal intestines, insects, mountain herbs and sometimes even dogs.... But my favorite would be their herbal soup which has medicinal values and are often consume as tonics and supplements. The thing I like about them is not just their medicinal benefits but also their aromatic smell. Of course, some may taste bitter in order to unleash their full remedial effect. Nonetheless most of them are quite refreshing and the effects of these herbs unto the body can be felt within hours. Common herbs used to make Chinese soups are Ginseng, Chinese Cordyceps, Wolfberry, Astragalus, Ling Zhi and many more.
#3. Kalua Pork
I have gone to Hawaii just once, and was lucky enough to have tried this unique food. The Kalua pork is a delicious dish, cooked in a specially prepared underground oven with banana leaves. You wouldn't believe the work involved in preparing it. First, a hole must be dug at least 3 feet underground and able to accommodate a fully grown pig. Before putting in the pig inside the hole, grilled hot rocks are laid in first. Afterwards, the whole pig is then wrapped up with banana leaves and they actually buried it right under the ground with the hot rocks. It is then left to cook for the whole day. This special dish is worth every effort and taste surprisingly good. I considered this as one of the most special and exotic dish I have ever tried.
#2. Mango
Mango is a tropical fruit that is very popular in India and South East Asia. It is actually one of the most nutritious fruit in the world. It contains many essential vitamins and minerals in which some are particularly high in content. But that is not the only reason why I love this fruit. When fully ripe, a mango will have tender smooth flesh and can be very juicy and sweet. It never fails to satisfy my sweet tooth. Mango is no doubt my favorite fruit of all time.
#1. Shellfish
When I am young, I was allergic to shellfish. One kiss of shellfish on my lips and it will be swollen for a week. I would look like a freak with enlarged mouth. I remembered not being able to join any seafood feast that my family had. They are always excited whenever seafood is on the table, especially a particular eight legged shellfish with alien-like features. During my last teenage years, I manage to build immunity towards the allergy and guess what's number one in the list of my top 10 favorite food. After more than 15 years, I am able now, without any hesitation, dig in and enjoy that very food I was deprived of during my early years. Crabs......