Mincarea

Food, glorious food. Hot sausage with mustard.


Or not. I don't think I've seen mustard in this country. Ketchup? Loads. Mayonnaise? O lord yes. And sour creme seems to be a condiment here as well.

I've been thinking about food in Moldova (and out of Moldova) and thought I'd share some of these thoughts.

Like, who in Moldova thought of the idea to put mayonnaise on pizza? And how can we end this travesty?

Continuing with this thought, how can ketchup be construed as pizza sauce? It is so patently a different substance. It is also a tradition that should die an unglorious death.

On the other hand, there is flavored ketchups here, including a spicy (uite) ketchup that I really like. It shakes up the banality of eggs and potatoes.

Oh yes, smintina. Otherwise known as sour creme. It goes on everything - in my household, it is a substitute for butter. Actually when you think about it, it probably is better for you then butter, but it always amuses me to see my little host sister smear her bread with a huge dollop of sour creme.

Moving on to compote. Oh, this is one of the best things to happen to me in Moldova. And I'm very sad it's going to end. Compote is like a delicious natural juice - you throw in a bunch of apples, or plums, or whatever (raspberries, strawberries) and you boil the daylights out of it, add a bit of sugar (but in my household, not a lot) and then serve cold. It's the most refreshing, clean thing I've ever drank. I don't know how else to describe it - it's a clean, crisp, delicious taste. And it's about over.

Fruit and Veg season is about over. Alas. Have I mentioned before that Americans have *no earthly clue* as to what good fruit actually tastes like? And vegetables for that matter. I'm eating eggplant here, for chrissake. I hate eggplant. And scarfing down plums by the dozen. Eating a peach here is a near religious experience, like biting into an orb of heaven.

Le sigh.

Speaking of fresh things, I've had my first taste of straight off the tree walnuts - and again, completely different then the stuff we buy in the stores. These nuts are soft, and taste like butter. So delicious and good.

Speaking of delicious and good, since I've been here I've been eating this grainy type of item called greasca. It's not something that I've ever eaten before, but I really like it. Well, after two minutes of searching on internet, turns out I've been eating buckwheat.

Buckwheat groats to be exact. Commonly called Kasza, or Kasha, in the United States.

Well. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get it in the US. Silly me.

Apparently, Groaty Porridge is a traditional dish on Guy Fawkes Day in England. And guess who's going to be in England on Guy Fawkes Day? Yes, that would be me.

Have I mentioned that I'm going to england? Oh, I know I have. And this is a food posting! But this is ALL about food, my dear.

Because I realized in the middle of a conversation that I'm going to be able to get a Thomas the Baker Curry Vegetable Pasty (pronounced past-e) in about a month. For only 2.50$, I'll have a little pocket of pastry filled heaven.

Of course, London also has every other ethnic dish that one could want. Sushi on escalators. Indian Food on every corner. Haggis.

Well, that one will never happen.

I haven't been this excited about FOOD since... well really I don't think I've ever been this excited about food. It doesn't bode well for my newly slenderized figure.

But really, how much harm can a person do in one week? Hmmmm?

So, how do you like them apples?