Victoria Queen's Secret Kitchen

Author: Jane Best Cook (English)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: When we travel to a new place, what's the easiest way to immerse ourselves in the local culture? It's food! When in Italy, not having a few freshly baked pizzas and a taste of heavily seasoned Italian pickles would be a disservice to our stomachs; when in France, not enjoying a French feast would feel like a waste of money; flying to Germany, eating a few sausages and downing a few beers would only make us feel at ease, as if we've truly experienced the journey. We're becoming increasingly reliant on our taste buds, our noses, and our stomachs to tell us that Taipei and Paris are just a time zone apart. As soon as we step off the plane, we're eager to seek out familiar or once-familiar or yet-unencountered scents; after visiting museums in the city, we rush to find a scent to match the lingering feelings we still haven't fully processed—perhaps a blueberry cake or just a cup of rich coffee; after a performance of opera, we might be tempted to have a few sips of whiskey or a plate of pasta sprinkled with cheese. So on the streets of New York, we watch street performers while savouring a cold, dry hot dog bun. When we arrive in Provence, the atmosphere guides us into the forest in search of the scent of mushrooms. In Germany, after visiting one castle after another, it feels like the perfect time to drink some beer. Through the same cultural food, we extend the awe, joy, sorrow, or various moods we just experienced, and through the scent of food, we prolong the emotions that haven't yet fully left us.