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Must have culinary items to buy in each port


Mel&Ken

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Hello everyone,

 

We have just booked an Eastern Med cruise for Sept.2013 on the new Reflection. We'll be in Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Istanbul, Ephesus and Naples.

 

In Europe last year I was excited to bring home items from each country that I could use for cooking - i loaded up with saffron and paprika in Spain, olive oil, meats, cheeses and chestnut honey in Italy, mustards and spices in France.

 

Thinking ahead to this trip I am wondering what local treasures I should be on the hunt for. Immediately I think of oregano and honey in Greece, pistashios and spices in Turkey...lemoncello and maybe preserved lemons in Naples.

 

What am I missing?

 

Thanks in advance....Melissa

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I know what you should not buy is any pre-packaged Turkish Delight candy. Oh my goodness, it was awful. I've heard the fresh stuff at bazaars is OK but anything sole pre-packaged in a box is a waste of money and tastes absolutely awful. Very disappointed to have bought boxes for co-workers... so glad to have opened one ahead of time because I would not have wanted them to touch it. Ugh.

 

In one of the countries we visited (Greece?) I bought some local pasta for mere pennies.. (mere Euros!). Very inexpensive and a nice reminder.

.

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I have no suggestions, since I haven't gone yet, but I love the idea! We're doing a very similar itinerary, so am interested to hear what responses you get.

 

Chestnut honey sounds very intriguing - is that something commonly found in Italy, or did you have to search it out? Did you get it at any specific place?

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Saffy12......

 

We had an anti pasta tray in a restaurant called Cavour 313 (Rome) and it had the most amazing honey on it. With us speaking very little Italian and our server very little English, he was able to explain it was chestnut honey or miele di castagno.

 

It's created by bees who live and eat the nectar of nothing but chestnut trees and it was the most flavourful honey I have ever had.

 

We first saw it for sale at a quaint little shop in Orvietto and bought 20 tiny jars as souviniers for co-workers. We also found a honey store not far from the Trevi Fountain and again found it in a grocery store. Had we not eaten it I would never have known it existed....thus this thread!

 

Hopefully people share what local treasures they have found.

 

On a side note, this also reminds me of our lunch in Madrid - we had a cheese tray and one cheese in particular was delicious. I was attempting to ask our server what it was and he was trying to explain it to me when he gave me the "just a minute" finger motion. He returned to the table a few minutes later with the actual label from the cheese wheel itself and gave it to me to take home.

 

It was my first taste of manchego cheese and its now one of my favs. I drove my husband crazy the rest of the trip smelling this label every now and then as it smelled delicious.

 

Don't be afraid to ask if you like something...people are excited to share their local goodies. ;)

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Great thread!

 

Suggestions for the Carribean, anyone? :)

--Rum cakes from the Caymans.

--Jamaica: real jerk spice(s), Blue Mtn coffee, Appleton Rum

--Cozumel/Costa Maya--pure vanilla extract (make sure the label states "contains no coumarin" which is an artificial additive that can cause liver and kidney damage.) The stuff at Los Cinco Soles is par for the course and was not expensive last I'd heard--their website store offers a 500ml "pint" for around $26 USD, but I think the onsite price will be much lower. Get a lot, give it to friends as gifts.

--Belize: Belikan beer, although this may be available in some states.

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I second the Blue Mountain Coffee in Jamaica and add white-over proof rum

 

 

Haven't been yet, but I heard Cashew Wine in Belize too.

 

Good idea for a thread! BF loves to cook so I will keep checking back for suggestions!

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In Greece, try to get olive wood spoons or olive wood salad set. These are really workhorses in the kitchen. I have a whole drawer with them that I pick up each visit and save and savor for cooking with - they last forever. Love the Greek honey and you can get it in small cans that make transporting easier. Also, look for different salts. I got some in France that was fabulous and some in Barcelona too.

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Will you be on a private tour on Santorini or one of the ship's? If you are in control I can dig up the name of a small market that our guide took us to where we purchased sun-dried tomato sauce and some other local foodie treasures. I believe it was Anna's. It was off the beaten path and one that a large bus probably would not include in their itinerary. I did bring back some Oregano from Santorini but it wasn't as easy to find as I expected.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Belize Cashew wine is EXCELLENT! Delcious & Powerful! We always come home with as much as possible! :D (Also their coffee, and lovely things from inlaid woods, such as rolling pins...)

 

 

I second the Blue Mountain Coffee in Jamaica and add white-over proof rum

 

 

Haven't been yet, but I heard Cashew Wine in Belize too.

 

Good idea for a thread! BF loves to cook so I will keep checking back for suggestions!

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Caribbean:

Cashew Wine from Belize is Excellent!!! (So is their coffee).

Locally made Jerk sauces in Jamaica were a must-buy for us...

We always bring back the local coffee, hot pepper sauces, spices, condiments, and local alcohol- not just different rums- even if it comes in a plastic bottle (Costa Rica)! (I have become VERY good at packing glass in our suitcases: first I double-bagged each bottle in plastic bags, then wrap them in our clothing and/or towels- the trick is that the suitcase must be packed as tight as a drum and the bottles must not bang into each other. We came back from Israel & Italy with over 36 glass bottles of foods, oil, honey, spices and wine in our suitcase and nothing was broken! Everyone has a skill: hubby is a chef- my skill is apparently packing glass in our clothes. LOL :rolleyes:)

Mexico has an "aphrodesiac" liquer with a nice, gentle licorice taste: Xtabentun

We LOVED the jars of colorful mixed wildly wonderfully hot peppers we got in Cartagena, Columbia- and also their coffee... Fun to get coffee in each port and then do a "tasting" when you get home to compare them... fun to do that with the hot peppers and booze, too. :D LOL

 

For our upcoming Carib trip I heard we Must get All Things Nutmeg in Grenada... and Must eat a "cutter" (flying fish sandwich) in Barbados and buy the "green seasoning" in the market!

Also heard we Must go to the Castries Food & Craft Market in St. Lucia as it's #3 in the world!

---------------------------------------------------------------

Great thread!

 

Suggestions for the Carribean, anyone? :)

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Italy: Yes, definitely the chestnut honey- and there are other Amazing honeys, such as Milleflore (1000 flower) honey... wonderful with pecorino cheese and walnuts and a slice of ripe pear! :D Try to taste several and buy the ones you've never heard of! (You can get the things you already know about back in the USA!)

Italy: Balsamic vinegars, olive oils, & wines from small places that you Can't get back in the USA... Truffles, truffle oil, etc.; anything you can find with Italian truffles... Italy's truffles (white and black) are some of The best- if you have a chance to eat pasta with a truffle sauce DO IT! (I tell people who've never eaten truffles that it's lilke eating dirt- but in a Really Really Delicious Way. :rolleyes: LOL) Also jars of small round peppers (pepperoncini) stuffed with local anchovies or tuna... I got jars of a wild boar pasta sauce that I wish I'd filled my suitcase with, too- I dream about this stuff! :D Local wines, spirits, and liquers you've never heard of before are always fun... And if you have the chance to do a cooking/market class in any port Do It! We try to do that whenever we travel and it's always been wonderful! Lose 10 lbs before you go & then Enjoy Yourself! :D

 

------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello everyone,

 

We have just booked an Eastern Med cruise for Sept.2013 on the new Reflection. We'll be in Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Istanbul, Ephesus and Naples.

 

In Europe last year I was excited to bring home items from each country that I could use for cooking - i loaded up with saffron and paprika in Spain, olive oil, meats, cheeses and chestnut honey in Italy, mustards and spices in France.

 

Thinking ahead to this trip I am wondering what local treasures I should be on the hunt for. Immediately I think of oregano and honey in Greece, pistashios and spices in Turkey...lemoncello and maybe preserved lemons in Naples.

 

What am I missing?

 

Thanks in advance....Melissa

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Marmite? :D Nasty as I personally find it, I have been Repeatedly Informed that it is THE National Food of both Australia & NZ, & that no meal is complete without it... :rolleyes: :D

 

I've yet to get to the Pacific... We did some Serious eating/drinking/cooking/shopping through Vietnam, Korea, & Japan in 2008, however; we left with 2 small roll-ons and came back w/2 additional jumbo suitcases packed like drums; we literally had them wrapped in plastic in the airport so they wouldn't burst at the seams. (I also came back 25 lbs heavier, with a whole new wardrobe of Fat Clothes, and have been trying to lose it ever since... LOL)

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Marmite? :D Nasty as I personally find it, I have been Repeatedly Informed that it is THE National Food of both Australia & NZ, & that no meal is complete without it... :rolleyes: :D

 

Got the name wrong. Vegemite is the national food at least of Australia. Marmite is British. Both taste the same to me but I've never done a side-by-side tasting.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hopefully (Delta Frequent Flyer Miles 'willing' ... lol), we hope to do an SA trip that will embark/disembark in one of these ports in which we hope to stay an extra 2-3 days.

 

Thank you for your responses!!

 

M/M Moreu

Longwood, Fl

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Hello everyone,

 

We have just booked an Eastern Med cruise for Sept.2013 on the new Reflection. We'll be in Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Istanbul, Ephesus and Naples.

 

In Europe last year I was excited to bring home items from each country that I could use for cooking - i loaded up with saffron and paprika in Spain, olive oil, meats, cheeses and chestnut honey in Italy, mustards and spices in France.

 

Thinking ahead to this trip I am wondering what local treasures I should be on the hunt for. Immediately I think of oregano and honey in Greece, pistashios and spices in Turkey...lemoncello and maybe preserved lemons in Naples.

 

What am I missing?

 

Thanks in advance....Melissa

 

At the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul I recommend both spices and Turkish delight. We got Iranian saffron, meat spices, Turkish coffee, sumac, and HONEY Turkish delight for ourselves and SUGAR Turkish delight for co-workers. Both were good. Pick it out and have them box it for you fresh. You can sample and pick out what you like, but the pistachio is my favorite. There were lots of nougat candies with nuts or other baklava type things to buy. I wish I'd bought twice as much Iranian saffron, though, because it was the best saffron I've ever seen and was pretty cheap for what it was. It's SOLID RED THREADS and is usually kept behind the counter INSIDE the store- don't confuse it with the Turkish saffron in the heaps outside. That's not real saffron at all. Have a shop owner explain all this and do a water test to show you how good it is if you're unsure.

 

We also bought limoncello in Sorrento. Yummy!

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  • 2 weeks later...

We bought truffle oil and aged Balsamic vinegar in Italy. In Spain there were fantastic olives stuffed with tuna. And the manchego cheese is to die for. From Greece , I brought home a can of dolmades ( vine leaves stuffed with rice.) From France look for terrines with aramagnac.

From Bermuda, we have brought back some really good British marmalade, and hot sauces. Pure vanilla from either Mexico or Barbados is excellent. And from Grenada, nutmeg and allspice are musts.

When we stopped int he Azores last fall on a TA we brought back some cheddar cheese and a semisoft cheese covered in ash which was vey good.

In almost any European country the grocery stores carry tubes of tomato paste which I have used for years since discovering it. It is so convenient and now I am able to find it here in some specialty stores.

Nikki

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We are (G-d willing) going to be in Chile in December to do a sponsored wine trail/foodie trip- and we've never been there, so any cool stuff about Chile, and what to eat/drink/buy/see/do, will be DEEPLY appreciated! :D

 

 

I know the holiday season is busy, busy, busy; but, when you have the time, would you please my husband and myself with any foodie info. you think would help us. We cruise Rio to Valpariso and hope to spend a couple of extra days in Santiago. TIA

 

Dolores

RDMOREU at AOL dot COM

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I am in the process of doing a truly stupid amount of research on Chile as I have to book our tours ASAP...

 

We are definitely going to book cooking/foodie-wine tours with www.cookingclasseschile.com in Valparaiso- they have one-day ones, as well as a "foodie week"; they've emailed with me and sound great- they've given me Lots of great info, too. :) They have great blog and other online reviews.

 

There is a LOT of chile wine info on the web if you Google "wine tours Chile" (Google "chile food", too - lots of stuff comes up about classic dishes) & check TripAdvisor; Santiago Adventures is one company I've been inn touch with that has great-sounding wine tours; www.winetravelchile.com (Karen Gilchrist) is one wine tour co. I've been emailing with; they have fab sounding day tours to the many different wine areas. www.uncorked.cl is another wine tour company I've been in contact with that sounds great. Also www.enaturchile.com. I also found

www.enotourchile.com which has a "Santiago Wine Bar Route" tour that sounds fun... Some of the wine trip companies (Liz Casky, Robertson) were Insanely expensive- like $1000/day- and attitudinal when I contacted them (the "if you have have to ask the price you can't afford us" attitude :eek:, which in this day and age is Nuts- we are in the hospitality business ourselves, so I don't say this lightly); but there are many others that are a lot less and VERY nice; I am still in the process of researching and contacting...

Some of the winery areas seem near enough south of Santiago (1.5 - 2 hours) that it seems lilke you can take the train to them (there is basically one train line, which runs south from Santiago all the way to Chilan (4.5 hours away); there used to be a fab sounding "Wine Train" but it went out with the earthquake and isn't running :(), but the issue is getting reservations at the wineries... we are going to try to get reservations in advance and go by train on at least one day, but we are going to take several tours, too- but we have 13 days.

 

From everything I've read, you really MUST have reservations at the wineries, so my advice is: if you have only one day, book one of the good wine tours that includes a fab gourmet lunch at the winery...

 

I also bought the Frommers Chile guide book, which, even though it was published in 2011 seems quite good, & has lots of "DIY" winery tour info. I also got the "Culture Shock! Chile" book, so I can learn something before we go. LOL I have been informed that Chile is the 2nd most expensive country in SA, and the prices I'm getting for the most part seem pretty close to those here in the USA; interestingly, www.bedandbreakfast.com has a lot of B&Bs in Chile listed, and many were very reasonable! Rightnow our plan is to have a few days in Santiago & do the wine areas in that region, and then rent a car and drive up north to the Atacama desert, then to Valparaiso for the foodie/cooking/wine tours there, and then drive south, hoping to see the penguins! :D (Yes, we need a month, not 13 days. We also need to win Lotto. LOL)

 

I've also learned we must drink Pisco Sours & bring home Picso... :cool: :D

 

Have fun!

 

 

 

I know the holiday season is busy, busy, busy; but, when you have the time, would you please my husband and myself with any foodie info. you think would help us. We cruise Rio to Valpariso and hope to spend a couple of extra days in Santiago. TIA

 

Dolores

RDMOREU at AOL dot COM

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