Denmark 2018 - Wild Food

Natural Eating 

The Danish countryside is full of edible plants that can be eaten both raw and cooked. Five of the most common now feature on stamps. Sustainable and eco-friendly. More and more people have begun to head out into the countryside to pick, or gather mushrooms, seaweed, herbs and other edible plants. By picking and using the wild seasonal produce provided by Mother Nature, you are participating in a sustainable culture in which you not only make better use of natural resources, but can also enjoy tasty and fully natural culinary treats. Environmentally friendly, healthy and free of charge.

Denmark - Open Sandwich 2012 (Self Adhesive)

Egg and Prawns Sandwich
Rolled Sausage Sandwich
Potato Sandwich
Roast Beef Sandwich

Malaysia 2017 - Festival Food Series - Indian

Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 17 October 2017
Stamp Value: 65 Cent, 80 Cent, 90 Cent & RM5
Stamp Size: 30 mm x 40 mm
Soevenir Sheet Size: 80 mm x 80 mm
Perforation: 14
Stamp Designer: Reign Associates Sdn Bhd
Printing Process: Lithography
Printer: Southern Colour Print, New Zealand
Stamp Paper: Tullis Rusell High Reading Yellow / Green Phosphor Gummed Stamp Paper 103gsm

Malaysia 2017 - Festival Food Series - Malay

Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 06 June 2017
Stamp Value: 65 Cent, 80 Cent, 90 Cent & RM5
Stamp Size: 30 mm x 40 mm
Soevenir Sheet Size: 80 mm x 80 mm
Perforation: 14
Stamp Designer: Reign Associates Sdn Bhd
Printing Process: Lithography
Printer: Joh. Enschede Stamps B.V., The Netherland
Stamp Paper: 102gsm PVA Gummed OBA FREE Stamp Paper

Malaysia 2017 - Festival Food Series - Kadazandusun and Dayak

Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 16 March 2017
Stamp Value: 60 Cent, 80 Cent, 90 Cent & RM5
Stamp Size: 30 mm x 40 mm
Soevenir Sheet Size: 80 mm x 80 mm
Perforation: 14
Stamp Designer: Reign Associates Sdn Bhd
Printing Process: Lithography
Printer: Joh. Enschede Stamps B.V., The Netherland
Stamp Paper: Tullis Rusell High Reading Yellow / Green Phosphor Gummed Stamp Paper 103gsm

Malaysia 2017 - Festival Food Series - Chinese

Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 24 January 2017
Stamp Value: 90sen, RM1, RM1.10 & RM5
Stamp Size: 30 mm x 40 mm

Soevenir Sheet Size: 80 mm x 80 mm
Perforation: 14

Stamp Designer: Reign Associates Sdn Bhd
Printing Process: Lithography
Printer: Southern Colour Print, New Zealand
Stamp Paper: Tullis Rusell High Reading Yellow / Green Phosphor Gummed Stamp Paper 103gsm

Faroe Islands 2016 - Nordic Food Culture

Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 26 April 2016
Value: 9,00 Faroese Krona (Danish Krone)
Stamp Size: 55 mm x 33 mm
Photo: Fotostudio
Printing Method: Offset
Printer: Cartor Security Printing, France
Postal Use: Small Letters Inland - 0-50 gr

Nordic cuisine is the theme of the joint Nordic stamp issue this year.
The Faroese contribution to this issue depicts some of the traditional Faroese specialities.

Faroese Food Culture
Nordic cuisine is the theme of the joint Nordic stamp issue this year. The Faroese contribution to this issue depicts some of the traditional Faroese specialties which are stored in the so-called “hjallur”. This is the Faroese variant of the pantry, a drying shed ventilated by the wind all year round. Hjallurin serves both as cold storage and a setting for various forms of food preservation.

The location of the Faroe Islands in the middle of the North Atlantic has always had a crucial impact on food preservation and thus for the Faroese kitchen. For centuries the grassy treeless landscape has not been conducive to highly advanced agriculture. Grain cultivation was difficult - it is said that on average grain harvest failed every three years. To a certain extent the Faroese have always been dependent on grain imports, and in the former half of the 20th century the hope of grain cultivation was finally abandoned. Instead, potatoes were a solid crop after its introduction in the early 19th century. Along with sporadic cultivation of beets and imported grain, the potato became a basic staple in the Faroese kitchen.

On the stamp‘s left hand side four hares have been hung up for curing. The hare is the only land mammal hunted by the Faroese. It was introduced in the middle of the 19th century, with its hunting in mind – and hares can now be found on most islands. The hare‘s reproductive cycle makes it suitable for hunting. They breed three times a year - and it is estimated that each year approximately 7,000 hares are shot.

Beside the hares there are four “grindalykkjur”, meat strips of pilot whale suspended to be dried by the wind. The pilot whale has always been of decisive significance as a source of meat in the Faroe Islands. In addition to being eaten fresh, cooked with whale blubber, “grind” has also been salted and dried. In a wilted state (semi-dry and slightly fermented) it can be boiled. This is especially true of meat of inferior quality, ribs, shoulder blades, etc. The wind-dried strips depicted on the stamp are eaten with whale blubber, which has either been dried or pickle salted –recognized, moreover, as a delicacy.

The stamp also depicts “greipur”, which consists of wind-dried fish. Fishes are tied together in pairs, called “greipa“, and then hung up in „hjallurin“ for drying. At first a certain maturation and fermentation of the fish takes place, lending it a strong flavour. In this first stage the product is called “ræstur fiskur”, fermented fish which is served cooked. Fat of either dried or salted whale blubber is used with the fish called ”sperðil”, a sausage made of sheep‘s tallow in a bowel, or ”garnatálg” which consists of cleansed fermented sheep intestines. The intestines have been cured, then ground and mixed with fresh sheep‘s tallow. The result is a very strong-tasting tallow which is melted and poured over the dried fish and potatoes.

If the fish is left suspended for a longer period of time, it dries up, becomes very hard and should be beaten tender before eating. Dry or pickle-salted whale blubber or butter, and potatoes, are served with the fish.

A principle of the traditional Faroese kitchen is that everything should be utilized to the utmost. Therefore, “mørur” also forms a part of the foodstuffs in our hjallur. Mørur consists of the sheep‘s intestines and organs and is a part of the traditional diet in the autumn.

We will not dwell on the numerous varieties of dishes that can be prepared from mørur, only name a few.

“Tálgalivur” is sheep‘s liver filled with mutton tallow, most often with onions and peppers. “Blóðmørur” is a kind of blood sausage with blood, flour, tallow, and sometimes raisins in cleansed sheep stomachs. The tallow and sheep stomachs are depicted in the bowl in the centre of the picture.

Other examples indicating that everything can be exploited to the utmost are the cod heads just above the bowl. If they are large enough, fish heads make for excellent dining. They can also be cut to “kjálkar”, fish cheeks fried or boiled fresh or salted, and “lippur”, gills consisting of the tongue and the fatty meat under the chin.

A few guillemots hang beside the “mørur”. Traditionally, seabirds of various species have also been a part of the Faroe kitchen. Guillemots, razorbills, puffins and fulmars are the most common - and on the island of Mykines gannet is also a prized for its taste. The availability of birds is limited and varies with time. The hunting of birds is subject to very strict preservation regulations.

When sheep are slaughtered in the fall, almost all carcasses are hung to mature and dry. At first time a certain fermentation takes place, just like with the fish, but there are three stages in the drying process. After Christmas, the meat reaches a stage where it is called “ræst”, i.e. fermented and semi-dry. “Ræst” meat has a distinctive strong flavour (and odour). It is a highly valued delicacy, served fried or boiled, also providing for a great soup.

After having hung for a few more months, the meat is dry and eaten without further preparation. Dried sheep meat is used as cold cuts on brown bread or the traditional “drýlur” (unfermented bread). Most dried meat is eaten at this stage, but if it hangs to dry for a year, it becomes “skerpikjøt” which is drier and harder than regular dried meat.

These three phases of the drying process for mutton, “ræst kjøt”, “turt kjøt” and “skerpikjøt”, are by most Faroese considered to result in the finest delicacies in the traditional Faroese kitchen. Recent years have seen changes in the traditional serving methods and preparation of Faroese specialties. Star chefs have experimented with food, combined it in creative ways and with non-traditional garnish. This has given rise to a large selection of brand new tasting experiences, which even appeals to people outside the Faroes. The gourmet restaurant “Koks” in Torshavn is well known for its successful fusion cuisine and gourmet artistry with cured raw materials.

It should be added that these cured and dried foods can only be produced thanks to the Faroe high and very salty air humidity, which prevents the food from rotting.

Lately experiments have been conducted, for instance with the aim of wind-drying Danish ham and cheese. These experiments have proved to be quite promising.

Anker Eli Petersen

Thailand 2018 - Thai New Year Sweets

Algeria - Algerian Couscous 2018

The Couscous

Algerian Couscous: Couscous is a traditional food dish that dates back thousands of years and occupies a prominent position in Algerian cuisine. Today, it is resistant to contemporary cuisine. It is a dish based on a grain of wheat flour. Therefore, the history of this dish is inseparable from the history of the most cultivated grain. The world, namely wheat and this seven thousand years ago .

Experts confirm that the date of the cesacean dish dates back to the period 148-202 BC. Remains of pottery vessels similar to those used in the preparation of couscous were found in tombs dating back to the period of the Amazigh king Massinissa. The entry of Islam in North Africa, adopted by the Arab conquerors, where the process of exploration in the Tiaret area in Algeria, found some of the pots, including the amount used in the preparation of couscous dating back to the ninth century .

The word Saxo, which has become Xxx and Cixi in the Arabic language of North Africa, is found in the dialects of all of Algeria and North Africa. It is a word that refers to wheat that is good in stereotypical and present tense in everyday life. It is applied to all occasions such as weddings, The dish is from one region to another like Xuxu and Saxo in the Kabylie region to Algiers, known in the east of the country as Couscous, Grace, Barboche and is called in the Mezab region of Ocho while in the west of the country is named Food .

So Falcxi is a real national dish and is prepared in various ways and cooked in combination with meat of all types and salted dried meat or even with the fish and offers Almrk is a mixture of vegetables and beans and spices and called "Alarqa" Arabic and "watering" Amazighs in red, yellow or white colors, as well as other types of mascara, called "Al-Safa" and other mascara and salted, known as "mashed ". 

This ancient and cross-cultural dish has remained authentic despite the passage of time as it is the staple food in North Africa and the national dish in the Maghreb countries (Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco), which is strongly calling for it as a cradle. The couscous is the specialty of Maghreb cuisine and North Africa as a universal intangible heritage of humanity for UNESCO. This classification will be a means of promoting strong ties between the peoples of the Maghreb.

Drawing: Zeinab Bahri

Value: 25 دج

Stamp size: X29 43

Printing Press: Algerian Bank Press

Method of printing: Ovens

Circular document: a photographer envelope at 7,00 dj and using a photo stamp for the first day.

Pre-sale: On Tuesday, 12 and Wednesday, 13 June 2018, in all major post offices in 48 states .

General sale: Thursday, June 14, 2018 at all post offices

Malta - EUROPA, Gastronomy 2005

Technical Details:
Issue Date: 09 May 2005
Designer: Joseph P. Smith
Process: Offset
Colours: 4 colours
Size: 31.0 x 44.0mm
Values: 16c, 51c

This year’s Europa stamp issue, a two-stamp set which will go on sale on today from all Maltapost branch post offices, depicts gastronomy, the theme chosen by PostEurop for 2005. The two stamps, with face values of 16c and 51c, are the result of some brilliant photography by photographer Joseph P. Smith, and are offset printed by Printex Ltd.

The stamps, in vertical format, are 31.0mm base x 44.0mm in size, with a perforation of 14.0 x 13.9 (comb), and are available in sheets of 10.

Gastronomy, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is the art or science of good eating. Mediterranean cuisine, with its enormous selection and availability of the very best that the land can offer, ranks among the leaders when the subject of good, wholesome food is raised.

Prime examples of our cuisine are graphically displayed on these stamps. The 16c stamp shows stuffed sweet peppers, courgettes and aubergines, and the 51c stamp shows another firm favourite – that most characteristically Maltese dish, rabbit fried in wine and garlic. Both dishes are very traditionally Maltese, and were lovingly prepared for Joe Smith’s photography by Noel Debono of the Medina Restaurant.

In the Maltese Islands, as in other parts of the Mediterranean, vegetables are never regarded as a mere accompaniment to the main course, but as dishes in their own right. Mediterranean and middle eastern people go in for stuffing vegetables, baking them and using them in soups. We also fry them, stew them and put them into pies. Vegetables make a main course at supper time, served as a warm salad with an oil and lemon juice or vinegar dressing. There are several ways of cooking vegetables, according to whether they are young and tender or large and tending to be coarse.

Perhaps the most characteristically Maltese meat is the rabbit. The fenkata, or rabbit feast, has now become the national dish and is thus in danger of becoming cheapened as it is promoted on tourist menus. A fenkata today is best described as a kind of rabbit outing or celebration where a family or group of friends get together for a meal of spaghetti and rabbit. The eve of the feast of Mnarja on 29 June is one of the occasions for a rabbit feast of gigantic proportions, with hundreds of Maltese and visitors making their way to Buskett Gardens to partake of this traditional dish to the accompaniment of folk songs.

The Europa 2005 issue will be available from today as a first day cover, in mint or cancelled format, and as a souvenir folder or presentation pack.

Faroe Islands - EUROPA, Gastronomy 2005

Technical Details:
Issue Date: 18 April 2005
Value: 7,50 DKK & 10 DKK

All over the world the provision and preparation of food have always been an important part of national culture, with countless variations being shaped by the possibilities to hand.

About the Motif
All over the world the provision and preparation of food have always been an important part of national culture, with countless variations being shaped by the possibilities to hand.

Climate has been crucial in terms of the type of food it was possible to produce. Living in tropical countries and having to survive in the polar regions will always be different, of course.

The original food on the Faroes came for the most part from the animal population on the island, mainly sheep in the upland pastures, birds on the bird cliffs and fish in the sea. The climate is not the best for cultivating cereals, vegetables, etc., so they were not of great importance.

Potatoes did not become a regular ingredient in the daily diet until the late 19th century, although people had long been familiar with them. Instead they used to boil Faroese swedes (Brassica) for dinner, for example.

The seasons set their stamp on eating habits. Fish was more or less available all year round, but mostly in the spring, when it provided roe in addition to liver. The opportunity to eat other fresh food arrived at the same time as spring fishing (March – April). Cows usually calved in spring, so there was most milk in summer. Birding and egg collecting (nest plundering on the bird cliffs) were also part of the summer, while the chances of catching pilot whales are greatest in August, when people could also go out into the potato fields and pick new potatoes. In autumn the men went up into the mountains to bring the sheep in for slaughtering. Nearly every bit of a slaughtered sheep was put to good use. As well as the meat, people used the head, trotters, liver, lungs, heart, stomach and blood (the collective Faroese word for which is avroð).

Since ancient times the only way to keep most foodstuffs was to salt or dry them. Salt was in short supply for a long time, so drying was the commonest method for preserving food. There were two salting methods, pickling in brine and dry-curing, with barrels being used for both.

Meat, whale, fowl and fish were all dried. Once gutted, sheep were hung up to dry in the wind in a single piece. Before birds were hung up, they were split along the back and tied together in pairs. Fish too were hung up to dry in pairs, while whale meat was cut into loops before hanging.

The autumn weather had a major impact on whether what had been hung up to dry tasted right. The drying process itself can be divided into three stages: visnað (lightly dried), ræst (semi-dried/seasoned) and dried. These terms refer to flavour, appearance and smell. What we can call “lightly dried” is achieved in just a few days and is much faster for fish than for whale meat. The word visnað is not generally used about meat.

The change to ræst is slow, but if the air suddenly turns cold, whatever has been hung up to dry can jump this stage and never gets the real semi-dried/seasoned flavour. If, on the other hand, the air is too warm, the dried meat can become too ræst and so end up with a harsh or rank flavour. Meat is normally dried until Christmas.

Mutton, fish, fowl and whale meat are eaten at all three stages of the process (and fresh too, of course). Visnað and ræst have to be cooked. Dried meat is eaten as it is. For food to have the best possible flavour, it has to be treated correctly, of course. In particular you have to make sure that flies are kept away, especially in mild autumn weather, or there is a risk of the food being spoiled by maggots.

Mealtimes vary from country to country. In days gone by there were three main mealtimes on the Faroe Islands: morgunmatur (lunch) at around 9 – 10 am, døgurði(dinner) at around 2 – 3 pm and nátturði (supper) at 9 pm or later. Normally there were also two smaller mealtimes: ábit (breakfast), which people ate when they got up early in the morning, and millummáli (tea), which came between dinner and supper.

For lunch people used to eat drýlur (cylindrical, unleavened bread, originally baked in the embers of the fire). Later, rye bread made from rye and wheat flour became more common. An accompaniment would be served with the unleavened bread. These days it is sliced meats and the like, but back then it was most likely to be a piece of mutton.

Dinner usually consisted of boiled fish, whale meat and blubber or fowl. In the late 19thcentury it became common for people to eat potatoes for dinner. On Sundays and festivals those who could (i.e. farmers) would have ræst meat and súpan – soup, specifically meat soup (made from preserved meat with flour or grains, etc., added). Cooked fish was also considered to be a good Sunday meal.

Supper nearly always took the form of spoon food, i.e. milk products of various sorts in summer and soup in winter. When the cow had calved there would be ketilost, a cold dish of heat-thickened colostrum served with cinnamon and sugar. Drýlur and bread were not eaten with supper, but it was common to eat wind-dried fish before the soup. People generally drank water, milk, milk mixed with water, tea or coffee.

No one started the day’s work on an empty stomach. Breakfast was therefore a slice ofdrýlur and a drink of milk, a little soup or leftovers from the previous day’s supper.

For tea people drank milk, tea or coffee accompanied by a slice of bread or, occasionally, pancakes. White bread or cake has gradually become more common.

Food was generally boiled. Every household had at least two pots: one for oily or greasy food such as blubber, liver, etc., and one for everything else. There were three types of food bowl: a meat bowl, a fish bowl and a snyktrog (for greasy or oily food). As well as their pots, people also kept large ladles (sleiv), slotted spoons (soðspón) and various “sticks” for stirring porridge (greytarsneis) and whipping milk or cream (a milk beater ortyril) in their one-roomed hut, which served as kitchen, workshop, living room and bedroom.

Times have changed, with the result that we now eat a lot of food bought in shopping centres – most of it foreign. The Faroe islanders have acquired an international cuisine, with vegetables, fruit and spices being a normal part of everyday life. But old Faroese food is still eaten with great relish and is regarded as a real delicacy.

Moldova - Traditional Food and Culinary Herbs 2014

Tehnical Details: Date of Issue: 28 September 2014 Width: 46.0 mm Height: 27.5 mm Denomination: 1.00 MDL 1.20 MDL, 4.00 MDL, 7.00 MDL Layout/Format: Sheet of 10 Perforations: 14 by 14.5 Designer: Vitaliu Pogolşa Printer: Printing House Nova Imprim Chisinau Moldova Stamp Issuing Authority: Ministére de la technologie de l’information et des communications Republique de Moldova Traditional Food and Seasoning Plants, as follow:  1.00 MDL - Fried Fish with Garlic 1.20 MDL - Bean Soup with Thyme 4.00 MDL - Cheese and Dill Pies 7.00 MDL - Chicken Broth with Parsley

Romania - Live healthy! Romanian Traditions 2014

Technical Details:

Issue Date: 18 April 2014

Designer: Mihai Vamasescu

Process: Offset

Colours: 4 Colours

Size: 36 x 36, 164 x 92 mm

Values: 1 Leu, 3.60 Lei, 4.50 Lei, 8.10 Lei

About Live healthy! Romanian Traditions

Approaching in the wide range of philatelic themes, an issue of public interest concerning a balanced nutrition, Romfilatelia develops a new project dedicated to a healthy lifestyle, by introducing into circulation the postage stamp issue: Live healthy! Romanian traditions.

Taking into account that there is no food which can assure all our nutritional needs, it is important, and recommended to have a varied alimentation including fruits, vegetables, bread, cereals, dairy products, meat and eggs.

The four stamps of the issue, having the face values ​​of lei 1.00, lei 3.60, lei 4.50 and lei 8.10, illustrate some of the traditional dishes that can be found on Romanians’ tables on Holidays.

Red eggs, lamb meat, season vegetables, cheese in fir-tree bark and cozonac cake are among the foods served during the Holy Feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, being important symbols of the Easter holidays and embodying Resurrection, purity and the renaissance of the entire Creation.

The red egg has always been associated with the renaissance, the beginnings, and thereafter with the Resurrection of our Lord. Thus, egg tapping is accompanied by the Easter greetings: “Christ is Risen!”, “Truly He is risen!”, that Christians use on Easter time instead of “hello” or its equivalent. The red colour symbolizes the blood of Christ.

The Lamb is the symbol of innocence, gentleness and purity. The lamb or the ship embodies the animal to be sacrificed, the Christian as a member of God’s flock, and Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself for the salvation of people, overcoming evil. Roasted, baked or cooked in sour soup with vegetables, lamb meat is a delicious dish. From a nutritional point of view, rational consumption of lamb is recommended as it is highly rich in proteins, vitamins and microelements. However, to ensure proper functioning of the body, lamb roast and eggs should be associated with many salads and season vegetables, such as wild garlic, garlic, green onion, pilework, and many others.

The Easter traditional cake called Cozonac, a product similar to Pasca (a Romanian pastry containing eggs, sour cream and fresh cheese) is presented as the sweet bread of Resurrection and renaissance of the entire Creation, replacing thus the pasca or being served together with it.

A symbol of water, life, fertility and wisdom, the fish is one of the earliest Christian representations, Jesus calling the Apostles fishers of men, and feeding a large crowd of believers with only two fish and five loaves of bread. In addition to the union with Christ, the fish is also a symbol of water, life and spiritual food. Fish products have an excellent nutritional value. The amount of nutritive elements it contains varies according to the species and the environment they live in. Fish fats are characterised especially by the high amounts of Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The cheese in fir-tree bark is a type of dairy prepared in the mountain areas, being an important source of fat-soluble vitamins (that can be dissolved in fats or oils), essential amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium and zinc. A balancing element of daily alimentation, dairy products shouldn’t be missing from any person’s meals. They are delicious, healthy, and can be combined with many other ingredients.

The philatelic album is created into a limited run printing of 300 pcs. equipped with the block of 4 postage stamps and the First Day Cover of the issue, having the “first day” postmark clearly imprinted in gold foiling. Both products are numbered in black from 001 to 300.

Angola - Fruits and Vegetables 1998

Date of Issue: 4 October 1998

Various Angolan Vegetables & Fruits:
100,000 Kwanzas Reajustados - 4 Mangoes.
100,000k Kwanzas Reajustados - Squash Siced in Half.
120,000k Kwanzas Reajustados - Ears of Corn.
120,000k Kwanzas Reajustados - Green Beans.
140,000k Kwanzas Reajustados - Fruit with Red Seeds Sliced in Half.
140,000k Kwanzas Reajustados - Sliced Bananas.

Angola - Traditional Foods 2015

Palestine - Dates 2017

Date of Issue: 25 August 2017
Perforations: 14

Palm Tree & Dates:
150 Palestine Mils - Mejhool Dates
200 Palestine Mils - Berhi Dates
500 Palestine Mils - Hayani Dates

Laos - Traditional Foods 2007

Date of Issue: 30 December 2007

2000 Lao Kip - Sticky Rice Cooked in Bamboo Tube

5500 Lao Kip - Green Papaya Salad

7500 Lao Kip - Grilled Chicken

2000 Lao Kip - Sticky Rice Cooked in Bamboo Tube

Khao Lam Rice in Bamboo

Lao rice dishes can be spicy, salty, or sweet. Do not miss the chance to try the latter in one of its many variations.

Lao people adore rice. This will become quite clear once you explore the incredible amount of dishes made with rice. Rice with meat or rice soup will not surprise people from western countries, but rice desserts deserve some special attention.

When the cool season starts in November, Khao Lam appears in markets and at every festival. This is a sticky rice which is prepared in a bamboo tube with coconut milk and beans and plugged with coconut husk or banana leaves. When you buy this delicacy, you unwrap the bamboo cover and get a thick stick of sweet rice.

If you arrive in Laos at the end of the cool season in March, you will also find another variation of sweet sticky rice topped with slices of mango and coconut cream. Those who like experimental food should try such dish with durian.

This dish is popular as well in the neighbouring countries—Cambodia and Thailand, but each has its ​special ways of preparation.

5500 Lao Kip - Green Papaya Salad

Tum Mak Hoong - Laos Style Papaya Salad

Tum Mak Hoong is a popular Lao dish that is fast becoming well known around the world for its unique spiciness and flavor. The term “tum” in Laos means to “smash and mix” which is why it is prepared in a Laos Style Mortar and Pestle.

Tum Mak Hoong - Laos Style Papaya Salad Directions:

Peel the green outer layer of the papaya with a potato peeler. Shred the flesh of the papaya. Although you can use a grater, the traditional way is to place the papaya on a flat surface and cut into the flesh at about 1/8 inch intervals, then cut the papaya horizontally also at 1/8 inch intervals creating long thin shreds.

Combine garlic, chilies, salt, sugar, shrimp paste, and crab paste into mortar and pestle and grind until all the ingredients are well combined.

Add into the mortar the shredded papaya, snake beans, and carrots, and then add the fish sauce, cherry tomatoes, and lime. Mix and gentle grind all the ingredients to combine until the papaya starts to become darker in color.

Add the cherry tomatoes, adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Recipe Notes:
Shrimp and crab paste, and fish sauce can be found at most mainstream supermarkets in the Asian food section, otherwise at any Asian food store.

7500 Lao Kip - Grilled Chicken
Laotian grilled chicken called ping gai is a lovely recipe to represent the flavors of Lao. It doesn’t take long at all to whip up the marinade. You should let it develop the flavors with the chicken for a minimum of two hours, but overnight is best if you have the time. Of course serve it along side some sticky rice, and a green papaya salad, for a delicious meal. Enjoy!

Instructions
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl.
Add in the chicken legs and coat well
Pour everything into a ziploc or air tight container and refrigerate for a minimum or two
hours or overnight.
Heat your grill to medium high heat and grill until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
Serve with a little cilantro to garnish and of course some sticky rice.
Enjoy...

Bhutan - Foods of Bhutan 2015

Bosnia Herzegovina (Croatia Post) - EUROPA, Gastronomy 2005

Date of Issue: 05 April 2005
Design: Miro Raguž and Stjepan Barbarić 
Stamp Size: 48.28 x 29.82 mm 
Printing: Zrinski d.d. Čakovec 
Paper: White paper, 102 g, gummed 
Perforation: 14

Traditional Meal
The simplicity of preparation but also the spice of taste characterize the food prepared in Herzegovinian households. Sometimes it was difficult to imagine a worker's meal in a field without meat dried on the smoke and sheep or cow's cheese. Today, this ordinary pastry meal becomes a prized appetite in many restaurants. The voice of the taste of the smoked ham of Herceg-Hague is already beyond the borders of Herzegovina. Homemade cheeses, prepared in a special way in a sheep's cheese, are valued and expensive traditional delicacies. Also, in the vineyards of Herzegovina, often guests would be served with meat or apricots of cheese and grapes to which white wine would be sown. The lovers of traditional gastronomy in Herzegovina have many reasons why the Herzegovinian ham is of special taste or why cheese from the mill is unique. For Herzegovinian prosciutto they say that special skills are needed to prepare. The correct position of the dryer, exposure to cold winter wind, the proper choice of wood that is stored in the drying room and proper storage are part of the traditional instructions for preparation. Today, meals, which were an integral part of daily diet in Herzegovina, served in modest wooden pots symbolize the old way of life and find a place in better restaurants. Croatian Post d.o.o. Mostar has issued an airstrip with two commemorative stamps in the sutisku, a small 4-page print, a first-day envelope and a maximum map.

Uzbekistan - National Cuisine 2017

UZBEK PLOV:
Varieties, Myths and Legends 
Dishes similar to plov made of rice, meat, onions and carrots may be found all over the world but, however delicious, they are not the real thing. To taste this genuine wonder of eastern cuisine you have to go to Uzbekistan, where delicious aromas abound and wonderful recipes have been developed and perfected over the centuries. Uzbek plov is famous, a favorite of tourists, and chefs vie to prove their recipe is the best.

Plov is known and loved throughout Central Asia, but it is Uzbekistan where it originates and where the best varieties are to be found. Here plov accompanies momentous events from birth to holidays, anniversaries, weddings, family reunions and wakes.

This may seem repetitive, but in fact it is not: there are over sixty different plov recipes in Uzbek cuisine. In every area it is cooked in a special way, and an experienced gourmet would easily recognize the origins of a given plov, whether Samarqand, Fergana, Tashkent, Kashkadarya,Bukhara or Khorezm. Plov also differs according to the occasion: a wedding plov is the most magnificent, a holiday plov a bit less exotic, and there is even an everyday plov. These vary both in cooking technique and ingredients: plov is usually made with mutton, but it is sometimes replaced with kazi (horse meat sausage), sheep tail fat, chicken, pheasant or quail. Sometimes even the rice is replaced by buckwheat, wheat, mung beans or even vermicelli. Most types of plov include a similar set of ingredients: mutton, rice, carrots and spices, and the classic technique involves three main stages: the preparation of zirvak (liquid plov base), the adding of the rice and the final cooking.

How old is plov? The first references to a dish of rice and meat date back to the 10th and 11th centuries. Chronicles mention that plov was served as the main dish at weddings and important holidays. At that time it was only the rich that could afford it, for others it was an option only on feast days, or not at all. From then on plov was valued not only as delicious holiday fare, but also for its healing properties: it helped restore strength and resolve after heavy labor or battle.

No wonder Tamerlane included plov in his army’s rations. It is said that while planning an assault on Ankara he was grappling with several seemingly contradictory factors: a large army, long distances, fast movement, swift attack and transportation of supplies.

One of his advisors told him about a wonderfully delicious and nourishing dish, instructing:

“Take a big iron bowl. It should be old and well-used. Add meat from a ram that is not too young and not too old, some of the best rice, young carrots and the bitter onions that sting as strong as an Emir’s sword.
Cook it all until Allah himself smells the aroma, and the cook falls unconscious, overwhelmed by the taste of this divine dish”.
The legend says that even a small bowl of plov gave Tamerlane’s warriors strength for several days. It became the main food of his army and helped it to countless victories.

There are also sources which indicate that plov was known to the soldiers of Alexander the Great.

Another legend tells how the name “Palov osh”, or plov, came about. Once upon a time the ruler Of Bukhara’s son fell in love with the daughter of a poor craftsman. Sadly, local laws prohibited such a marriage. The Prince lost his sleep and appetite, but no one around him could understand what was happening. After a while the boy became so exhausted that his relatives took him to Avicenna, but the Prince would not divulge his worries because he thought there could be no cure. Avicenna decided to identify the reason for the patient’s anxiety by his pulse. He called a person who knew Bukhara and its people well, and asked him to start naming all the city districts one after another. When one district was announced, the Prince’s pulse went up. The great physician noticed this and askedhim to start naming the dwellers of that district. As soon as the girl’s name was pronounced, the boy’s pulse rose so high that there could be no more doubt. Avicenna prescribed treatment: the Prince should eat “palov osh” at least weekly until his strengthis fully recovered, and then marry his love. Perhaps this is the reason why plov is a mustat wedding feasts. So the name “palov osh” is in fact an acronym for its components: p - piyoz (onion), a - ayoz (carrot), l - lakhm (meat), о - olio (fat), v - vet (salt), о - ob (water), sh - shali (rice).

This is not just a beautiful legend. Plovis indeed made of these ingredients. In timerecipes have changed and been refined, and more ingredients added: raisins, peas,pepper,barberry, quince, garlic, apricots and manyother products and spices. Plov is usually served on big ceramic or porcelain plates. Pieces of meat are placed on top of the rice, as are garlic or quince, if used. Centuries ago it was served to each person separately on flat round breads, and to this day many people eat it with their hands, like their ancestors. Plov is always accompanied by salads made of fresh or marinated vegetables - tomatoes, cucumbers, radish, and fiuits and herbs such as pomegranate, dill or basil. Salads not only provide vitamins, but are essential to aid digestion of the plov, which is usually quite heavy. Green tea is also a must..

Plov is a treat for true gourmets, especially men, and tradition dictates that only men can cook a genuine holiday plov. It is the pinnacle of Uzbek cuisine and cooking skills - Uzbek chefs say that if you have mastered plov, any other dish will be easy.


UZBEK SAMOSA (SAMSA):
Samosa (also spelled samsa, somsa, samoosa, sambosak, sambusa, singada, samuza, somasi, somas) is an Uzbek food consisting of flaky pasties with various fillings, both served at ceremonies and eaten in an everyday life. Samosa may have different shapes and forms and be cooked in a multiplicity of ways.

Today’s samosa is usually filled with meat (mutton, chicken or beef), vegetables (pumpkin, potato or onion), mushrooms, eggs, peas, herbs or even sweet substances. However, as in most of the Uzbek dishes, it is the spices, such as zira(zra, kumin), black and red hot pepper, and sesame (covering samosa on the top), that make the taste of the pasties really unique.

In the former times samosa was cooked only in a tandir oven (a Central Asian clay oven, also spelled tandyr, tandoor), on coals. Samosa baked in a tandir has specific taste and flavour and is filled with small pieces of meat, onion and some amount of fat from a sheep’s tail. Nowadays, some sorts of samosa are cooked in gas or electric ovens, which is faster and more convenient and, at the same time, makes samosa retain its original qualities.

The Uzbek cuisine also includes sweet sorts of samosa filled with fruit jams. On the top the sweet samosa is covered with sugar or sesame seeds. The sweet samosa is usually served with tea.

Samosa is normally made of classic or yeast flaky dough.

The same ingredients are used for almost all sorts of samosa: flour, water and salt. There are recipes with melted fat added. You can either use ready-made flaky dough or prepare it yourself.

The filling for samosa should contain a large portion of onion, which will make the pasties juicy.

How to cook samsa depends on which form you have chosen for it: round,triangular or square. Roll out the flaky dough to a thickness of 2 mm and cut into rounds or squares 10 cm by 10 cm in size. Put the prepared filling and a piece of fat from a sheep’s tail in the middle, join the edges and put on an oiled baking tray with the seams down. When samosa is baked in a tandir oven, the bottom side of the pasty is wetted with salt water.

Before putting the pasties in the oven, smear them with egg yolk and cover with sesame seeds. The cooking time depends on the filling: if it is vegetables (pumpkin or potatoes), bake the pasties for10-15 minutes, while samosa with meat requires more time - 30-40 minutes.