Despite the trials and tribulations of trying to find home cooking while living or traveling abroad, there seems to be one staple regardless of where you go: Chicken and Rice! I'm sure all of us (at least those of us from the US) have fond memories of Mom's recipe from the back of the Campbell's Soup can: 4-6 chicken breasts, 2 cups rice, 2 cans of cream of mushroom and voila!
Though it takes other forms elsewhere, chicken and rice seems to a constant and basic meal for most around the world. In Lagos, it was chicken and jollof rice (a spicy version made with red pepper paste accompanied by roasted chicken). Tasty even to those with Anglicanized taste buds that are primed for spice. In Singapore it is chicken and rice, a simpler milder form that is flavored with chicken fat rather than cream soup or peppers. According to our Filipina friend, chicken and rice is a basic and common dish in the Philippines. And of course we are all familiar with the sesame-flavored Chinese fried rice that is a standard accompaniment to various chicken dishes.
So if you are worried about how foreign cuisine will jive with whatever you personal culinary tastes may be, rest assure you can always find your chicken and rice. But still bring the Pepcid, just in case.
No comments:
Post a Comment