Countless walks along Souk Al Arsa, in the arts area and souk Al Mureijah is a taste of the old Sharjah and old UAE.
Whenever I see these things I can’t help but chuckle. It’s a mix of Iranian, Indian, khaleeji Arab.
Check out the pictures. And write me your thoughts.
At the Reza Herbs shop we found some smoking swans.
And a princess of rice, called Nasrin who came all the way from India.
With just some small variations, the world really only has two ways to say tea.
Think about it the next time you have a steaming hot cup.
One is derived from the English “tea” or the Latin “te”, and the other is some version of “cha”, like “chay” in Persian, Urdu or Hindi.
But, did you know that both words came from China?
How they spread around the world is an example of globalization…
“Cha” spread across land routes such as the Silk Road, where the Persians until today have Zafrani Chay. A Steaming treat made from tea leaves, infused saffron and sugar.
Karak Chai is another delight- which is a boiled milky drink made from steamed tea leaves, cardamom, sugar and condensed milk. A favorite of India, Pakistan, and the Middle East; and translated as “Hard Tea.”
“Cha” even made its way to Tanzania and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa.
I was pleasantly surprised to have spicy masala tea at a spice farm while reuniting with my college friend in Tanzania.
The spice tea of Tanzania.
Waiting for a cup of Chai with Ruth (July 2015)
And the “Tea” leaves spread across the naval trade routes of the Dutch and the Portuguese in the 1700s-bringing the leaves to Europe to be celebrated.
A few cultures have also celebrated the novel leaves through ceremonies, such as the Japanese Tea Ceremony.
Other cultures also have meals around the drink- such as the Spanish Merianda, the Moroccan Gouter, and the English High Tea,
Last, but not least, you just learnt a new word in a few different languages.
Credits:
Alya. “Chai Karak: The Popular Drink That’s Rapidly Spreading in the Gulf.” Khaleejesque, 28 Aug. 2014, khaleejesque.com/2011/09/lifestyle/chai-karak-the-popular-drink-thats-rapidly-spreading-in-the-gulf/.
Sonnad, Nikhil. “Tea If by Sea, Cha If by Land: Why the World Only Has Two Words for Tea.” Quartz, Quartz, 11 Jan. 2018, qz.com/1176962/map-how-the-word-tea-spread-over-land-and-sea-to-conquer-the-world/.
Special Thanks to Chen-Yong Cher for the amazing topic, and Ruth Sabai for taking me on a spice tour in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Would you eat a sweet fried maple leaf?
Do you eat Maple Syrup?
Would you have it on pancakes?
I like mixing the syrup in my muffins. Said some Australians.
Some people drew it on their flags for 150 years. Canadians.
How about frying the leaves? Say What?
Would you eat salty sweet fried maple leaves? Say what?
At first glance, I thought, I’m not hearing this right, say WHAT?
But then, when I watched on, about how a lady in Japan made Maple leaf Tempura for 50 years, I was truly amazed.
From Hisakuni-Sen Do:
“As beautiful as they are, autumn leaves can become a huge headache when they fall everywhere in Japan, however, instead we turned this seasonal flood of garbage into a tasty treat by cleaning, salting and frying their maple leaves in slightly sweetened batter.”
Click on Great Big Story’s video:
https://www.facebook.com/greatbigstory/videos/1783338281968597/
Super inspiring!
Credits:
Great Big Story.” Great Big Story – When in Japan, Deep-Fry Some Maple…, http://www.facebook.com/greatbigstory/videos/1783338281968597/.
Photo Credits:
Hisakuni-Sen Do
Special thanks to Ali Mrad for introducing me to fried maple leaves. I will go to Osaka, Japan someday to try them.
Ready, Get set, Go! And Myra was off walking!
Is Tbilisi a place to explore on foot with a 16 month old who’s recently discovered her feet? HAHA!
I was starting to wonder why we left the stroller at the hotel…especially at the point when we were climbing uphill and every cat and bird Myra saw she wanted to chase, and some walls looked tasty enough to bite! Yes. You read right..800 year old walls must be taste-tested for endurance by a toddler.
Hi! Can we be friends? I’ll give you my cracker…by the Lover’s bridge. And a padlock.
A slightly unique bond was formed. Between Myra and a Georgian cat.
All they had left to do was to carve their names in a padlock and place it on the bridge. It was hard to separate them.
Next stop: Sulfuric Baths and the Legend of Tbilisi
After the Lover’s bridge, we were taken to view the reason why the city is called Tbilisi. The name derives from Tpili, which means hot springs.
An ancient Legend says that during a hunting trip of Georgian King Vakhtang, 2 birds fell in a hot spring and died. He was so impressed by these springs that he decided to build a city around them.
Then, off and uphill we went, castle-bound for these amazing views of the old city.
Tbilisi is built on hills, like many old cities- so viewpoints are charming, and photo opportunities at every angle stunning.
We were supposed to go all the way to the top to visit the Narikala castle..but neither of us had the energy to carry Myra.
Instead we went to the stunning Tbilisi cathedral of St George and the Virgin Mary.
The illumination was more stunning at night than day.
Tbilisi winter nights are long and days are short. The sun would set at 5 pm.
Myra, however thought the courtyard was way more fun. 
Enough photos! Now let me run around please.
Must-haves: back-pack because you may have to carry your baby through some walks, a harness or stroller, and essential items for your child.
Ohh, and really comfortable shoes.
Georgian food is a hidden gem to those yet to discover it. Fresh, unique combinations. Partly Russian, Central Asian, Iranian, European, Middle Eastern and proudly their own.
Supra: The feast meal a visitor is welcomed with. Don’t forget the wine. You can’t go to Georgia and not try the wine.
Amazing Pear soda is a must try and and fresh pomegranate juice for babies too.
Kho kho Khachapuri! Yes in Georgian to the best pizza-like bread one can ever eat. Countless varieties, but I prefer the Megrielian one best.
Try the Imeretian one too. It’s because some delicious Sulguni cheese that makes everything better.
88% of people in Georgia and Russia when asked to vote the food pizza versus khachapuri by CNN…voted Khachapuri over pizza.
Fire up the grill. Or carnivorous taste buds.
Shashlik & grilled meat of all kinds must be savored especially at Machakhela restaurant. It’s worth the wait.
If it’s busy, save 40 minutes wait to eat there.
Try the grilled peppers and the Achjka boats too.
Two trips are needed to this spot.
Don’t try to go on a diet in Georgia.
It brought out the foodie in me.
Left: Savoring an imeritian Khachapuri. Right (from up to down- Machakhela grills, Furnicular dips made of beets, spinach, red pepper, walnut and olives. Then last was the pelmeni dumplings with cream and of course, more Khachapuri but a different kind- my favorite, the megrelian!
Old is gold.
Khinkali and Pelmenis are stuffed dumplings of beef eaten with sour cream.
Best side dish for the dumplings was a Greek salad. It balances the meat out.
Retro on D. Gamarkeli in Pekini was my Tbilisi spot for a basket of pelmini dumplings.
Delicious and warm for a cold night!
Sorry, I still can’t tell the difference between khinkali and pelminis yet.
The first energy bars were made in Georgia.
Grape juice, walnuts, flour and cinnamon. Some muscle-man mixing and you have a “Churchkhela”
The stuff that kept people going on long journeys.
Churchkhelas are still made during New Years and Orthodox Christmas.
Making the first energy bars in the world by hand needs muscle.
Thank you Georgia for saving my days spent on the run…
Madloba & thank you Georgia again.
I learnt something new about food.
I learnt to love a new Cuisine.
I can relate to the fusion as I am a hybrid of cultures.
Credit:
“Tbilisi Sketches: Muscling Up Some Churchkhela.” Culinary Backstreets, 26 Dec. 2017, culinarybackstreets.com/cities-category/tbilisi/2017/tbilisi-sketches-8/
“Georgian Cuisine.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Jan. 2018, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_cuisine.
Photo credit:
Sahar Sharif, 2017.
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