ottawa foodies

It struck me tonite when I went to the grocery store, attached to La Cabana, to pick up some dried chilis, tortillas, chocolate etc., that I am always searching out new foods from other cultures. (Other than my Cape Breton Scottish heritage.)

I ended up going next door to a Bangladeshi grocery.

I picked up some snacks that even I never heard of.

As I type, I'm munching on some rice based snack called Chulbule with a spicy Teekha Tadka flavour.(see picture). Not too shabby andw ith a unique flavour.

Are there other Ottawa Foodies out there with similar xenophile tendacies ?

Is a trait of a foodie to keep seeking out new flavours, new food experiences (including the 'goings on' at, say, Atelier), new cooking techniques etc. ?

Here is the other Bangladeshi snack I got.

I think I bought it for the tres kewl package alone.

Xenophilic or what ?

I used to grab something like the chulbule when I lived in Halifax at the indian/middle east grocer there, tastey stuff!

I'm much like yourself, always on the hunt for new things to try. I married a mandarin translator which helps alot when shopping at the asian grocers too :-)

I also love strong flavours, so I'm always trying out pickled, brined and fermented things even if I can't read the label, just to have a taste. I'll buy things not knowing what to do with it until I get home and google.

I tend to agree...my day-to-day cooking, tends to be something I have never tried before. I have a few dishes I occasionally revisit but I would say on the whole I try something new 60-70% of the time. My mom is an excellent cook and has lots of really good "Canadiana" dishes but I rarely make them.

When asked what my favourites are I always draw a blank...and I really love food. Honest!

That being said, when I cook for a crowd, I usually make something I am confident will be an A+ (that is, hopefully. Of course there are always surprises)

Peter,

If you like strong flavours and fermented things, you must have tried fermented (red) beancurd (tofu). The stuff found in those cute brown earthenware jars you see in chinatown.

I bought a jar years and years ago and it had no english labelling on it.Like you, I bought it not knowing what it was, but I liked the jar.

... and man oh man that stuff was just rank !!

Makes warm limburger cheese smell like roses in comparison.

I think it was the strongest smelling food item I have ever experienced. It packed the same wallop as the smell of the liquid fertilizers I smelled in the Dutch countryside.(Tears to the eyes level of intensity)

After stitting in my fridge for 2-3 years, I emptied out the jar so I could put my spare change in it. I have been using the coin jar for a number of years and it STILL has a distinct smell to it (although it's mixed with a coin smell now).

Any other Foodies familiar with this stuff ?

How is to be used ?

Captain Caper,

I have a jar of fermented tofu (I don't think the same as your photo shows) in the fridge that I'm working on and a second jar in the pantry ready to go. I think my wife uses it somehow with congee (have to ask her), but I just nibble on it or have a little with eggs and rice.

I love stinky cheese too :-)

Probably the Fu-Cung Brand. Seems to be the most common.

How can you stand it ?? ... without cooking it.

It doesn't put hairs on my chest when I smell it ... it burns them off !!

hey!
I love my fermented tofu
just swish a tad of it with freshly steamed jasmine rice, green onions and cilantrp for a quick snack high in protien

yes yes it's an aquired taste

OH
most chefs are xenophilic also

CC, it is another brand... I'll have to check later. There are LOTS of brands for fermented tofu sold localy. I personaly don't find the taste or smell too strong.