Food – Boomer Away

How to host a Chocolate Tasting event

During our travels in South America I took advantage of many opportunities to expand my knowledge of chocolate. We spent most of a week in Mindo, Ecuador, living above the chocolate factory and restaurant on 9 de Octobre street. The cloud forest makes for a lovely natural setting to rest awhile and experience the many beautiful birds, and of course sample the product. (If you go, try to get the hammock room. It overlooks a “pico pico” berry tree, which attracts birds every morning and evening.)

Processed raw chocolate, with sugar and chile

The shop has a small cacao orchard on-site, where we saw the pods growing on the trees, and the processes that go into fermenting, drying, shelling, grinding and processing the cacao into chocolate.

Matt with macadamia nut, in the cacao shed

One night we participated in a traditional process of making a liquid chocolate drink from fermented cacao beans, dried hot chiles, and honey. There’s no milk involved, since this process predates the invention of modern “hot” chocolate.

Onward to Colombia! We were fortunate to score 2 tickets to a new-product rollout/tasting at Tilin Tilin Chocolate in Medellin, Colombia. The tasting sheets looked like this:

Each sample is judged based on the categories on the right, translated from Spanish as follows: Acidic; Floral; Sweet; Fruity; Nutty; and Chocolaty. Intensity is rated from 0 to 5. Then you “describe the texture”; some chocolate is very smooth and buttery, others are powdery or grainy, and some have a plastic texture.

Select about 5 chocolates, all around 60 to 75% cacao with no extra flavorings, nuts or fruits. You want to judge the chocolate itself, and I think you will be surprised at the wide variations in taste and texture that exist. There are a number of varietals of cacao trees such as Forastero, Criollo, and Trinitario. Then there are the rare Nacional beans from Ecuador which are used at Mindo. Additionally, there are single-source beans from certain forests, and each area has its own “terroir” just like grapes and coffee. Some producers specialize in “bean to bar” production, which gives you the unique flavor profile of a certain forest in a certain season, just like a fine wine. I especially enjoy Tilin Tilin and Santander brands from Colombia, and Pacari or Mindo brands from Ecuador. Santander and Pacari are available in grocery stores in their respective countries, and may be available on amazon.com.

You can also do your tasting with any high end bars from your local grocer, and throw in a mass-produced street variety chocolate bar for good fun.

Make note of the ingredients listed on the wrapper. A 70% bar is 70% fermented, processed cacao mass. The remainder is mostly sugar. Some bars also contain cocoa butter, vanilla, and possibly lecithin which alters the texture.

Pacari chocolate from Ecuador, single-region "Los Rios" — Pacari chocolate from Ecuador, single-region “Los Rios”

I have run this process multiple times, and I have improvised until I developed the following rules.

Prepare to do your tasting when people haven’t recently drunk wine or eaten spicy foods. These combinations can be fun too, but they generally reduce your ability to sense the intricacies of the chocolate. (If you’re like us, this probably means you have to start the tasting right away when the guests have arrived.)
Cut the bars into small pieces, no larger than your index fingernail. Put them in small bowls alongside the original wrappers.
Provide the tasters with judging sheets.
Provide a very weakly brewed “tea” of hot water, possibly with a light flavor, or just plain. You need to reset your palate after each tasting. Chocolate melts at normal mouth temperature, which is part of the joy of cacao. It’s easy to lose the right temperature if you drink cold or lukewarm water.
Instruct the tasters to chew the first sample, only until the chocolate starts to melt. Don’t abrade your tongue on the chocolate; doing so will decrease your taste and texture sensations in later tastings. Once the chocolate has significantly (but not completely) melted, roll the chocolate around on your tongue and enjoy. (Tasters will generally be silent during this part of the tasting.)
Make your notes on this sample. Then rinse your mouth with very warm water, and wait at least two minutes for your mouth to normalize. While you’re waiting, discuss your findings on this chocolate; it’s so interesting to find out how other people perceive the same bar. There’s no “right answer”, we each experience the product differently.
Repeat with the next sample.
If you find that each successive sample is less pleasant, you may have achieved tasting overload. Stop and let some time pass before proceeding.

For fun you might end the tasting with a bar that contains nuts, fruits, chile, flavoring, sea salt or cacao nibs.

How to enjoy nasi kandar

If you’re on the hunt for incredible food that you’ve never had before, you must get yourself to Penang, Malaysia. Other destinations in southeast Asia have their own allures, but Penang reels you in with its unparalleled foodie paradise. After three weeks we are still finding and enjoying new delights. Today’s focus is on one topic: nasi kandar. This northern Malaysia take on Indian food is not to be missed, if you like richly textured, flavorful dishes.

Through our membership in Servas we met up with a great local guy named Tommy and his fiance Cecilia, who spent several hours showing us around George Town, the historic district of the island of Penang. A major highlight was an impressive mid-afternoon meal at Deen Maju Nasi Kandar. The restaurant opens at 2:30 PM, and long before that the locals who are in-the-know start lining up for their turn at the food counter.

There are 2 restaurants in Penang that get this kind of adulation: Deen Maju, and a great Chinese restaurant named Tek Sen. Tommy’s mom Jennifer and friend Leena took us to Tek Sen on another day, so I have to tell you that this family treated us like royalty. I have no problem standing in line for great food, and you know we were richly rewarded for waiting.

Lined up for 40 minutes at Deen Maju Nasi Kandar

When you get to the server he will prepare a plate of rice and then pile it up with the foods of your choosing. Without Tommy’s help this would have been a daunting task for us, since we didn’t know anything about this food. In our later attempts at other nasi kandar places we’ve found that we could ask for our new favorite items and/or ask the server to assemble “a variety of things”. Tommy picked a plate full of winning choices for us. The rice was then laden with a variety of curry sauces that played nice together on our palates.

Fried chicken, squid roe, okra and other nasi kandar dishes

Okra is called “lady fingers”, and it’s not slimy like okra back home. The seeds have a nice little pop texture to them.

Nasi kandar choices including fried fish, and mutton curry

The most unusual thing on the plate was squid roe. These small packets of squid eggs were not what I expected. In flavor and texture they were very mild, very much like spaetzle dumplings. There wasn’t even a hint of fishiness. I’ve since ordered them again, I like them that much.

Fried chicken; squid roe curry; and flavored rice with various sauces

In our later visits to other nasi kandar restaurants we learned that we should point out a chicken dish (fried, or curried), some other dish (fish, squid, squid roe, or mutton/goat/lamb), and a veggie, and ask for “kuah campur” to get the variety of splashes of curry sauces. Prices are generally not posted in advance, and the server totals up a number and writes it on a piece of paper. The total runs around 10 to 18 ringgits per plate ($2.50-$4.50), with the higher cost applied if any shellfish, squid or squid roe is requested. The one prawn I have had was amazing, so I don’t mind paying for it. If you let the server select your meal you’ll want to specify the meats if the cost is any concern to you. Then you order your drinks and that gets added to the paper. (Mango juice is my favorite.) After you eat you present your paper at the register and pay for your meal.

Fried chicken; cabbage; squid; mutton; and squid roe atop seasoned rice

After this big meal we went sightseeing and then stopped at a renowned dessert cart, Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul. We shared two shaved-ice treats. Who knew that corn and kidney beans went so well with sweet treats?

Ice kacang from Penang Road Teochew Chendul

The green “noodles” were startling, but it turns out they’re extruded sweet jelly treats.

At the end of the afternoon we were fully stuffed with amazing food, and it was time to go rest up. After all, more good eats were waiting for us out there in Penang.

Escape to Da Lat, Vietnam

Vietnam is a charming country with an amazing variety of landscapes and cityscapes. Most of it is tropical, and crowded with motorbikes (mostly scooters) and buses and pedestrians. When you want a mountain getaway on the south end of Vietnam you go to Da Lat. The French planned out this hideaway, and its Swiss/French ambience is still apparent.

Temples are not as numerous here as in other Asian locales, but some of them are beautifully situated among these hills.

Clever, patient topiary work at Trúc Lâm Temple

view from the overhead tram at Trúc Lâm Temple

While it is known as “City of eternal spring”, many also call it the “City of flowers”, not solely because of the flower-strewn avenues, but also since it is a major source for florists in Vietnam and overseas as well. The Da Lat Flower Park is a popular site for strolling (and taking selfies). There you will find an associated reference to the only well-known wine of Vietnam. If you go I recommend you replicate this photo, using your own model of course.

If you spend any time in southern Vietnam you will eventually hear of the Easy Rider groups. Your personal driver sets you on the back of his motorcycle and then you’re off to visit the countryside, up and down the mountain roads. Our trip lasted 6 hours, and included 9 stops to see sights and learn about the local life. It’s an exhilarating ride, and once we had done it we were jonesing to do another one.

Harvested flowers preparing for shipment

At a local rice wine manufacturer we pulled samples of hard liquor straight from the spigot as it underwent distilling processes.

Sampling the distilled rice wine from the spigot

We visited a small silk factory where the entire cycle from caterpillar to silk scarf was on view within the site.

Live silkworm with a female and male cocoon (males are bigger)

Soaking the silk cocoons in hot water to unwind the threads

Regrettably, the silkworms are killed in the process.

Dead silkworms are tasty with lemongrass

Nearby we visited a beautiful Chinese Buddhist pagoda. The Budai loomed large over the hillside. His nickname is Laughing Buddha, although he is no relation to Gautama Buddha.

Laughing Buddha at at Linh An Pagoda, Da Lat

Near the end of our trip we toured the Me Linh Coffee Garden, to observe the production of “weasel coffee” (as it’s called in Vietnam), AKA civet coffee. Or, as our guide called it, sh*t coffee. Here the pampered but caged “pets” dine on a never-ending supply of coffee berries, and then (ahem) produce coffee beans out the other end. It’s one of the most expensive coffees in the world, and if you buy it elsewhere it may well be faked. Only here at the source can you be reasonably assured that you’re getting the real thing.

Civet cat or weasel arranges to take a snooze (Me Linh Coffee Garden)

At this farm they grow three varieties of beans for the weasels: Moka, Cherry, and Arabica. You can buy a cup of coffee for $2.60 US, or get the roasted beans for $80 a pound (400,000 VND per 100 grams). If the beans are sourced in the wild and then exported for sale they go for about $180 a pound. Many beans don’t get processed by the weasels, so you can also buy those here at a very reduced price.

We decided to try the Moka and Cherry, after they persuaded us that the Arabica would taste more sour. The Moka was their most popular product, but we found it bitter and we preferred the Cherry. It tasted rich and delicious with fresh whole milk and a light dusting of sugar. The lovely view of the valley enhanced the experience.

Civet cat or weasel coffee at Me Linh Coffee Garden, Da Lat

We lingered there enjoying the springtime air, as the rain clouds held at bay. I admired a couples’ little puppy, and to my surprise the man plopped the little pup right into my arms. It nuzzled against me and drooped its eyelids, and I fell in love with this place.

Someone handed me this dog and now I won’t give it back

Tet season in Nha Trang, Vietnam

We spent a full month in Nha Trang, enjoying the sea breezes, beaches, and abundant variety of restaurants. During our stay we were able to enjoy the Tet celebrations (Vietnamese New Year). Tet disrupts daily life and travel in Vietnam, but we were pleased to find that it was an enriching and rewarding time to be here.

In much of Vietnam Tet is a slack time in the life cycle of the farming communities, where 60% of the citizens are employed. It’s a time of renewal: fresh paint, new decor, and paying off all debts, a clean sweep for the coming year.

For a couple of weeks preceding Tet pop-up shops appear on the sidewalks along a busy street. Large potted trees full of flowers or fruit are a very popular item, and the trucks sit nearby with a crane onboard, ready to lift a tree onto the back of a motorbike, or go deliver a tree to a home.

Carrying off kumquat fruit trees on motorbikes

Pomelo trees with real fruit still attached

Large blooming daisy planters from the countryside

Large decorative items are also a big-purchase item for the holiday, to adorn the buyer’s place for the long term. A home may have one or two of these items in the courtyard or foyer. Hotels and businesses often have more-extravagant versions.

Elaborate stone feng shui piece for sale

These larger plants and artwork that can be lifted by two people cost about $150 (3 million dong) and upwards. The huge pieces will of course cost much more.

I also enjoyed seeing the smaller pieces for sale, with ingenious ways of introducing elements of springtime and wishes for good luck and prosperity.

Coconuts pressed into decorative shapes (Year of the Rooster)

Artificial peach flowers attached to branches

Decorative hangings, about 40 cents each

Artificial flowers glued or wired onto “trees”

One week before Tet the city went silent, as the pervasive building boom took a rest. All of the construction workers retreated to their hometowns, mostly north of Nha Trang. On Tet Eve most but not all shops shut down for the upcoming 5 days, and quiet celebrations began in homes all around town. Rich snacks were prepared, and visiting time began. Small envelopes of “lucky money” were assembled for the children. There were no fireworks this year, out of respect for the locals who recently were killed in floods and landslides. Instead, the city was unusually peaceful.

Envelopes for Lucky Money (I bought some)

Dried fruits, candies and nuts for Tet snacking

Golden and green watermelons, traditional for Tet

As always, the ancestors were honored and remembered at this special time.

Ceremonial display of food and drink in a doorway

Selling spirit paper goods to be burned during Tet

Traditionally you make specific visits as follows: on day 1 you visit father’s family; day 2, mother’s family, day 3, your teachers (who are especially honored in this culture); and days 4 and 5, your friends. In reality, many people keep days 1-3 for family, and then go on vacation from day 4 until the end of the next weekend. The beach was serene on days 1-3, but would soon be jam-packed with visitors from Saigon and China. We enjoyed being observers for Tet, especially during these early days.

Camelot, a magical place

Sometimes, when you are really lucky, you are unexpectedly dropped into paradise. The city of Ajijic and its sister city, Lake Chapala were not on our agenda for this trip. We planned to either bypass Guadalajara or stay in it briefly, on our way from the central highlands of Mexico to the coast at Puerto Vallarta. Our readings had shown that nearby Ajijic was a popular retirement site for Americans, and I was all for turning up my nose at anything that was Popular with Americans. But my options for home stays in Guad and nearby Tequila didn’t pan out, and there was an alluring rental on AirBNB in Ajijic: an upscale hacienda with a large pool and decks overlooking the lake and mountains, and handmade breakfasts included. It seemed a breath of fresh air after weeks spent in populous areas.

Ajijic (ah-hee-heek) reportedly has a fine climate all year, with no need for air conditioning or heat. Our host Alison told us that the rain generally stops around sunrise, reminding us both of the old song “Camelot”:

But in Camelot, Camelot
That’s how conditions are.
The rain may never fall till after sundown.
By eight, the morning fog must disappear.

There are small nursing homes here where people with dementia can live for less than $1,300 a month. It’s a pleasant option in a pleasant city, vs. paying $70K per year in the US.

On our first full day Alison took us to the weekly organic market. Here we started to see the amount of gringos living here, enjoying the great weather and economical living. I felt my spirits rise, just like they do whenever I go to the farmers’ market in Waukesha. The food was a feast for the eyes, and we bought a little for the tastebuds too.

Ajijic organic market day, making cold chocolate drinks with a molinillo

I really enjoyed chatting with the cacao vendor. Back home I volunteer at the Milwaukee Public Museum, where I explain the history and biology of cacao/chocolate, but this was my first time to actually use the wooden molinillo to froth up the chocolate drink, and grind the cacao beans on the stone metate. The iced cocoa drink was extra-delicious, and I vow to start making it at home. This recipe might do the trick, without starting from scratch.

Tasty empanadas made a light lunch, 18 pesos ($1)

Pull-apart fruit, sweet nuggets given as samples

On the next day we went to the more-traditional weekly street market, where natives and gringos alike shopped for the week’s pick of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. Coconut juice is a popular item, with a truckload to be consumed on this market day.

We went for a walk through town and down to Lake Chapala. We were excited to see a wintering site of the American White Pelican, which breeds back home in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac (and upwards into Canada as well.)

Ajijic from Lake Chapala to the Sierra Madre mountains

A walk through the city provided so many visual delights. Instead of the pervasive graffiti we see elsewhere, we found many beautiful wall murals and works of art.

The top of this building has what some call a “baby bottle” tower, a common feature in this area.

In Mexico most of the sidewalks are narrow and the walls of the houses go right up to the sidewalk; there are no lawns. The homes are hidden behind these walls, and what might they contain? Lavish digs, or simple concrete bunkers? Our host wrote 2 books showing some of the glorious homes that are hidden behind these walls. You’ll find a sample here. It seems there is ample work here for gifted architects and interior designers.

Elizabeth Taylor used to hang out here on the lakefront

We went to the Peacock Garden restaurant for early dinner, and my salmon dijon sandwich was complemented by the lovely scenery. A couple at the nearby table shared with us that they have rented a home in downtown for $500 per month, and the furnishings were easily affordable. The Lake Chapala Society is right nearby, offering social opportunities and chances to volunteer and enrich the local society as well. They also offer an English language lending library, which can be a bonus for book lovers.

A couple of nights we walked to the the Fast and Good Tapas Restaurant, a little streetside place. Each tapas or small glass of wine cost 20 pesos, about $1.10. The waiter was also the chef, and he was indeed fast, and the food was really good. On another day we went to the Sunrise restaurant for rib dinners at 90 pesos, about $5. Despite the upscale city locale you can still eat inexpensively.

Every night we enjoyed the sunset over the Sierra Madre mountains. It’s an alluring place, and deserves consideration as a snowbird retirement spot.