Tag Archives: Milk

Sain Yavaarai Mongolia!

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Mongolia its Grrreat

Mongolia its Grrreat

For those planning a trip to Mongolia – don’t bother leaving UB if you are a Vegan or Lactose Intolerant. You will starve! These people love their meat and dairy products. It makes sense, most people here are nomads and don’t want to stick around in one place long enough to grow a crop.

That said UB is not really Mongolia, but you’ll have to come here anyway. All international flights and trains stop here. The trouble starts when you figure this out and try to leave UB. It’s not as easy or as comfortable to traverse the country as it is in other places. It’s best to have a plan to escape UB before you even get there.

Once you do get out into the country you can really start to enjoy yourself. The countryside is great, but the people here are the best assets that Mongolia has. They’re extremely generous with everything they have (especially their Vodka – made from fermented mares milk, YUM) and are always ready to help out.

Reflections on Sweet Potato, Pumpkin and Hokey Pokey

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Flavored Milk is Big Down Here

Flavored Milk is Big Down Here

The three things that stand out about food here in New Zealand are their love of (In order) Ice Cream, Pumpkins and Sweet Potatos (known locally as Kumara).

Let’s cover the last first, when I first saw it listed on the menu I just assumed that Kumara was a strange type of sausage. But it seems that Kumara is the name of a type of Polynesian sweet potato, brought here by the Maouri; and when combined with deep fryers, brought here by the English you have Kumara Fries.

Sweet, sweet Kumara fries. If that isn’t a lesson in the benifits of social integration between Europeans and the native Maouri nothing is.

Secondly, pumpkins. Kiwi’s can’t get enough of them. They are pumpkin crazy! Of our first three meals here two of them had a pumpkin ingredients. You can find pumpkin in your curry, pumpkin in your hummus, pumpkin in your soup and pumpkin sliced or diced in your produce section – when it’s out of season. I’m still investigating how this facination with the pumpkin began, and my work is delicious.

And lastly, Hokey Pokie – or really ice cream in general – or really dairy in general. They love it, which is good because there are a lot of cows down here.

There are no convienience store here, they’re called “The Dairy”. Milk and ice cream are everywhere.
In the states we think we have flavored milk right? Chocolate milk is fun and tasty. Down here they have chocolate, banana, strwberry and …lime. Yes! Lime flavored milk, but how does it taste you ask? Delicious. This is a million dollar idea they’re sitting on, someone should patent it.

And then there’s ice cream. It’s a national obsession, every day we see people eating it, LOTS of it. And the big kahuna of flavors is Hokey Pokey. I have no idea what it is, maybe just a mismash of other flavors all rolled into one, but they can’t get enough of it.

So there you go, no need for ‘Got Milk’ ad’s down here, they have it covered. And if you’re lactose intolerant, maybe they’ll let you move to Australia, because you aren’t going to do too well here.