Matador Network's Blog, page 704
February 10, 2021
Travelzoo beach resort deals 2021
We hope you love the spaces and stays we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay, and listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.
We all deserve to get away after this winter. It’s even possible to do so affordably. As more people get vaccinated and warmer weather returns to northern climates, both international and domestic travel deals are popping up through Travelzoo. The most exciting thing about these deals is their flexibility. Travelzoo lets you take advantage of the incredible deals now while they’re still available — before they sell out — and confirm your travel dates later once you feel comfortable with getting away. As a bonus, most deals are fully refundable. These are their most exciting beach vacation getaways available right now.
1. St. Lucia: Eco-resort cottage stay with breakfast through April 30
Photo: Travelzoo
Price: $297 per night
Travel by: April 30, 2021
Fully refundable: Yes
If you’re able to go soon, this eco-resort is a prime spot for relaxation and rejuvenation. Picture yourself in a rustic cottage surrounded by tropical forest, lush green mountains rising in the background. That’s what you’ll find through Travelzoo’s deal in St. Lucia, more specifically at the Fond Doux Plantation Resort. Here, you’re right in the middle of an eco-friendly and fully operational cocoa plantation where you’ll enjoy farm-to-table meals prepared daily and swims in the on-site pool, as well as easy access to the surrounding hills for hiking and gazing out over the ocean. Rarely do romance and adventure come together so well. If you need to get away to the islands in the next couple of months, this is your chance.
2. Hawaii: The perfect four-night Waikiki getaway through December 18
Photo: Travelzoo
Price: $649 for two people, four nights
Travel by: December 18, 2021
Fully refundable: Yes
Waikiki is among the most popular destinations in Hawaii for one reason — because it’s incredible. The casual island vibes of O’ahu blend with upscale comfort and world-class dining here at Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel. Nearby are many of the island’s top restaurants, along with world-class golf, snorkeling and diving, and surfing. Waikiki is Hawaiian opulence at its finest, and this Travelzoo deal guarantees you a Premiere Ocean Front Room for two and a one-day car rental with free valet parking. After 2020, nothing sounds better.
3. Puerto Rico: Three-night getaway for two with breakfast through November
Photo: Travelzoo
Price: $699
Travel by: November 2, 2021
Fully refundable: Yes
No passport is necessary to visit the luxurious and romantic Royal Sonesta San Juan resort, and at $699 through Travelzoo, you’re saving 20 percent off the full rate for two people. This resort is unique because it offers the best of San Juan’s urban nightlife and culture, and the relaxing beach vibes that you want out of a Caribbean vacation. (It’s also a quick taxi ride from the airport; no car rental necessary.) For dinner, dine beachside at the on-site restaurant or order takeout from one of the nearby staples like Ceviche House or Costa Azul Wine & Lounge and enjoy on your private balcony.
4. Florida Keys: Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club through June
Photo: Travelzoo
Price: $119 and up
Travel by: June 30, 2021
Fully refundable: Yes
This banging Travelzoo deal on Florida’s Boot Key is another off-continent, no-passport getaway. It’s as good of a deal as you’ll find on the Florida Keys at $119 and up per night with a waived parking fee and guaranteed water views from your room. Rooms sleep a pair in bed and have a pull-out sleeper couch, ideal for the family or another couple, making this a prime opportunity to take turns signaling to each other from the lighthouse while the other pair flies by on a jet ski. Okay, so the resort’s Lighthouse Restaurant isn’t actually going to let you signal to your friends from top of the tower, but you get the picture — it’s the Keys, the best place to channel to your inner sailor.
5. Antigua: Adults-only five-night getaway through December 11
Photo: Travelzoo
Price: $1,599 for two people (save $900)
Fully refundable: Yes
Antigua’s Pineapple Beach Club channels the best parts of the all-inclusive experience — the bottomless drinks, expansive buffets, and adventure-powered excursions — while ditching the pretense that everything has to be “family-friendly.” This deal through Travelzoo is adults-only and the type of spot where you can relax in a casual setting and channel the time back when life was mellow and days involved little more than sipping coconuts and deciding which pool to dive into first. (That is how it was in the long-long ago, isn’t it?) The resort itself is stunning, stretching along turquoise waters perfect for snorkeling, swimming, and kayaking, and it serves diverse cuisine ranging from international spreads to local Caribbean specialties. It’s also just up the road from Devil’s Bridge National Park, where more water and land adventures await.
Editor’s note: One more thing. We all want to get away right now, even if not through a full-on package. If you just need the flights and can handle the rest on your own, check out this Travelzoo deal to fly to St. Lucia for just over $300 per person, valid on multiple airlines through November. 
The post You can actually book your sunny island vacation now and choose dates later appeared first on Matador Network.
Auspicious Lunar New Year foods
The Lunar New Year is one of the most joyous celebrations in East Asia. Around 1.5 billion people celebrate by exchanging little red envelopes, lighting firecrackers, and, of course, sharing decadent meals. Like many other Lunar New Year traditions, the celebratory cuisine is entrenched in symbolism and superstition, as both a dish’s name and how it is prepared can have auspicious insinuations. In 2021, the Lunar New Year begins February 12. Try these lucky eight dishes to welcome a prosperous new year.
1. Nian gao
Photo: Sutiwat Jutiamornloes/Shutterstock
Nian gao is a dense, gooey glutinous rice cake. It’s a classic example of a Lunar New Year food that has its fortuitous symbolism derived from its homophone. Nian means both sticky and year, and gao can be both a confection or “to grow or be tall.” So nian gao means both “sticky cake” and “year growth.”
The metaphorical growth can include personal wealth, career advancements, or even a growing child’s height. The glutinous rice flour in these treats make them delectably dense and chewy, like something between mochi and a blondie, and different regions have their own variations. Nian gao can be studded with sweet red beans, chestnuts, or Chinese dates. In some cases, they’re lightly fried to give the edges a slight crisp.
2. Fa gao
Photo: liu yu shan/Shutterstock
Fa gao are deliciously sweet, airy little steamed rice buns. Like nian gao, fa gao also has an auspicious homophone. Fa in Mandarin means to rise or expand, since the dough leavens into a luscious little poof, and it’s also a metaphor for growing in prosperity. Fa gao are usually made with rice flour, giving them a delicate sweetness and a spongy texture. They can be colored tan with Chinese dates, but for the Lunar New Year they’re often crowned with a red dot — the lucky color of the new year.
3. Spring rolls
Photo: Boontoom Sae-Kor/Shutterstock
Spring rolls are a mainstay appetizer in many Chinese restaurants. The dish likely originated from before the Tang dynasty (618-907). The “spring dish” was originally a layer of vegetables presented on top of a thin pancake to welcome the arrival of spring. During the 14th century, these became a small bundle of ground meat and veggies that were popular among both imperial elites and the common classes. Today, spring rolls are eaten to bring in the new season and because the golden fried outside resembles gold bars. Fillings for spring rolls vary regionally but usually contain chicken or pork, cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts.
4. Dumplings
Photo: Jade Y/Shutterstock
Dumplings are a staple in northern Chinese cuisine, but around the Lunar New Year, they become especially pertinent. Dumplings are supposed to look like silver ingots, so eating dumplings are considered to bring wealth and prosperity. The more you eat, the better. The Mandarin word for dumplings, jiaozi, also sounds like exchanging the old for the new, and it’s therefore symbolic of the new year. Dumplings come in an array of different fillings, but during the new year avoid eating dumplings with pickled veggies as they foretell a difficult future. Rather, opt for dumplings with cabbage or radishes for radiant skin and good cheer. Some households will also hide a special thread or a gold coin in the dumplings. Whoever gets the lucky thread will be blessed with a long life, and the gold coin signifies good fortune.
5. Whole fish
Photo: XIE WENHUI/Shutterstock
Whole fish is one of the most auspicious foods of the Lunar New Year, and fish make appearances at more than just the dinner table. The word for fish, yu, also sounds like “surplus” or “extra,” so fish have become a common symbol for wealth and abundance. You’ll find depictions of fish in Lunar New Year decorations, and gifting a whole fish can be a fortuitous present for the new year. The whole fish is also a symbol for family togetherness.
Carp or catfish are usually served for Lunar New Year’s Eve, and they can be steamed, braised, or boiled with ginger, vinegar, and soy sauce. For extra good luck, serve the fish head facing your guest of honor. Some households also save half the fish for the next day to represent wealth and abundance flowing into the next year.
6. Longevity noodles
Photo: Boontoom Sae-Kor/Shutterstock
Long noodle strands, metaphorically speaking, represent a long life. The longer the noodle, the longer the life, so haute cuisinieres may prepare a dish out of a single long noodle. Generally speaking though, longevity noodles can refer to any above-average-length noodle. There’s no specific recipe for these, but longevity noodles are usually relatively thin (think one size up from a ramen noodle) and stir-fried with chicken, mushrooms, or greens. For a fun game you can try eating the noodles without biting down on and incising them with your teeth. Instead, try slurping them up Lady and the Tramp style. Birthdays are also a good time for longevity noodles.
7. Eight treasure rice pudding
Photo: jieyu16/Shutterstock
Eight treasure rice pudding is a dazzling confection of sweet sticky rice layered with red bean paste and decorated with eight different “jewels.” These eight treasures are an assemblage of dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. According to Chinese superstition, the number eight, ba, sounds like fa, which means prosperous. Some think that the dish stems from ancient origins to honor eight legendary warriors, while another theory posits the dish was created in the 19th century to impress the Qing Dynasty dowager empress. Eight treasure rice pudding is usually made with dried goji berries, jujubes, lotus seeds, or wintermelon, but if those ingredients aren’t available, the dish can be improvised with whatever is on hand.
8. Tangyuan
Photo: samatha/Shutterstock
Tangyuan, sometimes known as yuanxiao, is a dish of squishy little mochi-like balls filled with red bean paste, black sesame paste, or crushed peanuts that are served in a broth flavored with osmanthus, ginger, or a sake-like fermented rice pudding.
According to one folk legend, a young girl named Yuanxiao was taken from her home at a young age to cook for the imperial court. She desperately missed her family, and a kind court minister happened upon her weeping. He promised he’d try to reunite Yuanxiao with her family, and in doing so, he impersonated a soothsayer and spread the rumor that the God of Fire would rain down on the capital with a blazing inferno on the 15th day of the lunar calendar. In order to appease him, the people had to set off firecrackers and decorate with red lanterns. Additionally, the Fire God’s favorite food was tangyuan, which should be prepared as an offering. Yuanxiao’s family was invited to the capital to partake in the festivities, and the adorable little baubles have symbolized family togetherness ever since. This dish is usually eaten during the Lantern Festival, the final day of festivities of the Lunar New Year.
The post 8 traditional foods to try for an auspicious Lunar New Year appeared first on Matador Network.
Top airbnbs in Las Vegas
We hope you love the spaces and stays we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay, and listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.
Hotel rooms in Las Vegas are expensive. Even when they’re not expensive, once you tack on the nearly ubiquitous “resort fee” (an unavoidable upcharge for shit that’s already included with the hotel, like “access” to the gym and pool, which can run up to a whopping extra $40 per night) and, heaven help you if you rent a car, the also now nearly ubiquitous daily parking fee, a room that might have only been $100 per night has now soared well beyond twice that. And good luck finding a decent room for $100 night on a weekend, or during peak tourist season, or when there is a conference in town, or a fight, or a major concert, or a holiday, or…well, you get the idea.
Thankfully the sharing economy has taken off here as an alternative to the casino tourist-gouging. There are many kinds of spaces available in a wide range of price points — just as you can get a private room in a shared home 10 minutes off the Strip, so can you get a private two-story penthouse suite overlooking the Strip. These are some of our favorite finds.
1. A penthouse studio suite at Palms Place (one of many)
One thing you’ll notice from looking up listings on Airbnb is that there are a lot of listings inside the Palms Place. The second tower at the Palms Casino Resort is a mix of almost identical suites for rent and condos to own. Apparently, everyone in Las Vegas bought a condo here at some point, and they all have them listed on Airbnb. You’ll have a lot to choose from, but we cherry-picked a few extra-special standouts. (But again, they’re all nearly identical.) This one is very clean and looks exactly like the hotel version of the room but with colorful throw pillows. Bonus: A stay at the Palms puts you pretty much as close as you can be to the Strip without actually being on the Strip.
2. A luxury studio suite inside the Vdara
You can stay in a room at the Vdara, or you can stay in someone’s luxury studio suite at the Vdara, complete with views of the Vdara’s pool deck and the rest of the sparkling City Center development. A word, though: Vdara tends to have some of the cheapest rates on the Strip (likely because it is a non-gaming resort without much draw of its own outside of the wonderful spa), so do your due diligence before paying some dude more than $400/night to stay somewhere that might only cost $150, once you total up all the fees associated with each option.
3. A mid-mod-style apartment inside a hip DTLV high-rise
If you want to know what all the DTLV hype is about, stay in this comfortable-yet-stylish apartment inside The Ogden, one of a handful of high-rise buildings located in Downtown Las Vegas where all the Vegas cool kids live, work, and play. (No joke: they all work for Zappos and never leave these few blocks that comprise the core of downtown.)
4. A big, beautiful, bright white house
Photo: Airbnb
Not big on that high-rise life? Minimalists will love this large, two-bedroom home that is, frankly, way too pure and white and untarnished for a Vegas rental, where you’ll enjoy a private pool and yard, all within a 15-minute Uber ride to the Strip.
5. A mid-century home in a historic neighborhood
Photo: Airbnb
Yes, Vegas has historic neighborhoods! And while some of the homes are in states of disrepair, many worshippers of mid-century modern have sniffed these gems out and snapped them up. This beautifully remodeled home is located in the historic Scotch Eighty neighborhood and has an enormous pool and patio area.
6. A huge home with a huge pool
Photo: Airbnb
As advertised, this is a big, comfy home with a huge pool. Yes, huge.
7. A luxury penthouse at the Palms Palace
Photo: Airbnb
This one is not identical to all the other Palms Place listings — this one is a fully equipped studio penthouse with views looking out at and down upon the lights and action of the city. It’s quite possible that nowhere else in Vegas can you stay up this high in a luxury property at such a low price — so take advantage of this spot while it’s available.
8. Super-cute home with a super host
This place has a minimalist style but with lots of pops of happy colors and high-end finishes. The host is also fully licensed for short-term rentals, which is, alas, not a guarantee with everyone (and the City of Las Vegas, being owned by the casino industry and all, is working to pass stricter legislation overseeing home shares and short-term rentals).
9. A very nice, clean home close to downtown with a nice pool
Affordable and conveniently located for people who want to do more downtown things than Strip things, this place has a great kitchen, living room with fireplace, and pool area — nothing over-the-top but still stylish and comfortable, and certainly good for groups (just not the “Vegas, woooooo” kind).
10. A 2-bedroom Vdara penthouse
While $600-ish a night might not be “affordable” by a lot of people’s standards, just look at what you’re getting! In a nutshell: seriously stunning 270-degree views of the Strip from the 45th floor. DAYUM.
11. A huge one-bedroom condo at the Palms Place
Photo: Airbnb
We’ve already highlighted a studio and a massive penthouse at the Palms Place; this one is right in the middle, a 1,500-square-foot one-bedroom condo with beautiful furnishings and equally beautiful views of the Strip and surrounding mountains from your two private balconies.
12. A pad that’s all about the pool party
Photo: Airbnb
It’s got a covered cabana, a palapa, and a giant pool, as well as two separate yards (the other, non-pool yard features a covered patio with gas grill). The house has four spacious bedrooms, and while the space isn’t as pristinely modern as some of the others here, it is still very clean and comfortable. And really, this place is all about that pool.
13. 6,000 square feet of awesome
Okay, we haven’t included a ton of baller listings here, so now is the time: this here is a 6,000-square-foot luxury home that sits on half an acre of lush landscaping with an exterior that’s all Spanish colonial and an interior that’s ultra-modern. The pool has waterfalls. The two master bedrooms are each as big as some people’s whole homes. The place is over-the-top. You could have a wedding here.
A version of this article was previously published on September 19, 2017, and was updated on February 10, 2021, with more information.
More like thisTrip PlanningThe 7 coolest neighborhoods in Las Vegas: Where to stay, eat, and partyThe post 13 epic Airbnbs in Las Vegas for every budget appeared first on Matador Network.
February 9, 2021
‘Schitt’s Creek’ pop-up in Chicago
Netflix’s popular Schitt’s Creek show might have completed its last season in April 2020, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave the Rosebud Motel behind forever. Starting February 12, a new pop-up experience called Schitt Happens is launching at Replay Lincoln Park, an arcade bar in Chicago. The pop-up will include a new food and drink menu straight from Café Tropical, photo ops with Moira’s Wig Wall and the Schitt’s Creek sign, themed trivia, and local vendors in a replica of Rose Apothecary.
As far as food and drinks are concerned, you needn’t worry. A statement for the event organizers explains that there will be “themed food and cocktail menu items, including Moira’s favorite Ahn-chiladas, where the secret is folding the cheese; Lovebird Wings, chicken, not actual lovebirds; Lover’s Messy Sloppy Joe Eat-A-Thon; Café Tropical Mozzarella Sticks, not made with raw milk; Rosebud Cinnamon Buns, fresh from the motel lobby; and Schitt Fries, better than Elmdale fries.”
For $20 per person you get a one-hour reservation and two drinks.You must be at least 21 years old to enter. COVID-19 safety measures will be in place for the safety of guests and staff.
The pop-up will run from February 12 to April 1, 2021. While it may seem like you have plenty of time to visit, reservations are likely to disappear fast, so make sure to grab one while you can.
The post Chicago is getting an immersive ‘Schitt’s Creek’ pop-up experience appeared first on Matador Network.
Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil, travel
Brazil is a country that keeps on surprising us with its natural wonders. It doesn’t just have lush rainforest, island-dotted archipelagos, beach towns, and the world’s largest tropical wetland. Brazil is also home to the largest dune field on the continent, a vast expanse of pale sand knolls that, for half the year, contain tens of thousands of lakes — some a piercing blue, others a vibrant green. Despite its stunning beauty, Lençóis Maranhenses still receives relatively few tourists compared to locations in Brazil’s southern regions. It’s a place where you could lose yourself in a landscape that looks like it belongs on another planet.
How the dunes formed
Photo: MMPOP/Shutterstock
Lençóis Maranhenses literally translates to “sheets of Maranhão,” Maranhão being the northeastern Brazilian state where the dunes are located. The “sheets” part comes from the fact that, seen from above, the dunescape looks like a huge crumpled bed sheet.
Measuring 350 square miles, the dune-filled expanse is formed by a particular accumulation of sand brought in on westerly ocean currents. The sand sediments are composed of up to 95 percent quartz (silica), meaning they are very loose and light. The strong seasonal winds here mean the sands are continuously moving and shifting. In high winds, the dunes can move up to four inches a day.
Over thousands of years, strong winds have blown the sands inwards as far as 30 miles. Despite, at first glance, looking like a desert — with sand as far as the eye can see and not much vegetation — the Lençóis Maranhenses area is anything but. While deserts by definition get fewer than 10 inches of annual rain, this area gets nearly 50 inches of rain, mostly in the first half of the year.
So much rain falls between February and May that fresh water can get up to 15 feet deep. The humidity during these rainy months keeps the dunes from moving much, allowing nearly 40,000 lakes to form — although the exact number varies by year. The dunes are part of a larger area that encompasses the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. Beyond the dunes, the park, established in 1981 and measuring 600 square miles, also contains beaches and mangrove wetlands that are home to dozens of species of reptiles and migratory birds.
Exploring the dunes
Photo: T photography/Shutterstock
No roads run through the park, so the best way to get an overview of the dunes is via a ride on 4×4 vehicles especially outfitted for the sand and lakes, including with snorkels. You can book excursions through local guides such as Miratur Viagens. Other options for exploring include by horse or ATVs.
Another incredible way to visit the park is on a multi-day trekking tour where you sleep in tents in the park. In fact, you may even start walking before dawn to avoid the hottest hours of the day. Given that you are literally two degrees south of the equator, you will appreciate a break from the intense sun. You are far from cities here, so the stars can be quite spectacular; on the other hand, when the moon is full over the pale sand, it feels like you could read a book under the moonlight.
You can go with an international company like Amazon Adventures or find one of many local operators based in the town of Barreirinhas. No matter what, be sure to take a guide with you rather than trekking on their own: The vastness of the dunes can be disorienting and travelers have been known to get lost there. No matter how you walk, apply copious sunscreen and bring plenty of water. Also, paradoxically, you may find that the easiest way to work your way across the dunes is actually barefoot. Despite the relentless sun overhead, at the right time of year the continuous winds blow off the top, hot layer of sand — leaving the dunes perfectly walkable without shoes.
Getting out on the water
Photo: Caio Pederneiras/Shutterstock
When the water level is high, you can also swim in the clear lakes. A nice way to do so is to slide or run down the dune right into the refreshing, sometimes rather warm, water. Surprisingly, several of the lakes have fish. Sometimes it’s because they interconnect with other lakes, but it can also happen because of a species of fish that lies dormant below the sand during the dry season. There’s freshwater below the dunes — a source of well water for local villagers — which creates a nice muddy home for the dormant fish.
Also, at the south end of the dunes lies the Rio Preguiça, or Sloth River, named after the slow-moving mammals native to the region, which winds its way alongside mangrove swamps. You can rent kayaks or paddleboards to explore the river in the nearby fishing village of Atins, dotted with coconut palms. Beyond all of the unexpected fish in the lagoons, the national park is also a part-time home to a variety of migratory birds. You’ll see slider turtles and sea turtles, and while kayaking through the mangroves you may spot alligators as well.
In recent years, Atins has seen the arrival of kite surfers from around the world. Given the consistent winds from June through to January, the area has become one of the most popular places on the continent for kitesurfing. Beginner and expert kiters can practice on calm lagoons that appear when the tide goes out, at the rivermouth, or out on the ocean itself. Plenty of kiteboarding schools and rental shops have popped up in Atins.
When to go and where to stay
Photo: Caio Pederneiras/Shutterstock
After the rains begin to dry in June, the water level on the lakes slowly begins to diminish, and by November, only two lakes are left: the Lagoa do Peixe (Fish Lake) and the Lagoa da Esperança (Lake of Hope). The winds start to pick up in July, eventually reaching over 40 mph. May to September is the best window to visit the park, with June, July, and August being the optimal months — in terms of cooler weather, less rain, and still plenty of water in the lakes.
Flights arrive into the city of São Luis from other Brazilian cities and even from the US. From there you can take a very small prop plane to Barreirinhas or just take the four-hour drive.
The best way to reach the park is to get to São Luís, a former colonial city about four hours from Lençóis Maranhenses. If you are staying in Barreirinhas, your accommodations can arrange a pickup from the São Luis airport.
Barreirinhas, located on the south side of the Preguiça River, is a convenient hub as several tours depart from there, and there are many hotel options. For more rustic charm in less developed locations, you could consider the villages of Atins — on the south side of the park and across the river from Barreirinhas — or Santo Amaro on the north side of the park. If you plan on trekking across the park, Atins or Santo Amaro might be good options, as guides often lead the treks from one village to the other.
The post Brazil is full of stunning beauty, but Lençóis Maranhenses is next level appeared first on Matador Network.
Eiffel Tower gilded for Olympics
The Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world, but now it’s getting a makeover that might make tourists do a double-take. The tower’s distinctive brownish color is about to be replaced by an eye-catching golden hue, just in time for the 2024 Olympic Games hosted in Paris.
In the Eiffel Tower’s most extensive renovation in 130 years, all previous 19 coats of paint are being removed and the surface will be painted a new shade of gold — the same “yellow-brown” shade that engineer Gustave Eiffel himself envisioned for the tower.
Patrick Branco Ruivo, the CEO of the company operating the tower, said, “It’s going to give the Eiffel Tower a bit more of a gold hue than the color that we’re used to seeing, in time for the Olympic Games.”
It’s believed that Eiffel chose the golden hue because he wanted the tower to reflect the yellowish limestone architecture of the surrounding city. Now, it will be perfectly in keeping with the golden Olympic medals.
The work to renovate the tower began in 2019 and is expected to be completed by 2022. The cost of the monumental paint job is estimated at over $60 million. Upon its presentation in the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, the Eiffel Tower was painted red.
The post The Eiffel Tower will be painted gold for the 2024 Olympics Games appeared first on Matador Network.
Curry dishes from Africa
The one uniting factor in the many cuisines that pepper Africa is diversity: Spices, ingredients, and cooking techniques vary so much from region to region that trying to identify one singular African cuisine impossibly flattens the range of dishes prepared from North Africa to the continent’s most southern tip.
African curries are the perfect example. In Morocco and Tunisia, a slow-cooked stew is prepared in a tagine, while on Kenya’s coast chicken simmers in a creamy coconut sauce. South African curries (which, conversely, never incorporate coconut) are probably the best known on the continent and have strong ties to apartheid, colonialism, immigration, and slavery.
These connections are perhaps what makes the story of African curries so compelling. European colonialism introduced new ethnic groups to the continent (who were often laborers or enslaved people) who brought with them family recipes, memories of the flavors from home, and even seeds tucked into the pockets of their clothes.
In her book, Curry: A Global History, food historian Colleen Sen writes, “An important event in the history of curry is the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire … To replace the freed slaves, the British brought in more than a million indentured laborers from the Indian subcontinent to work on plantations in the West Indies, South Africa, Malaysia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and Fiji.”
South Africa wasn’t the only country to gain Indian communities in the wake of British colonial industry. Sen writes that from 1896 to 1901, around 300,000 laborers arrived in Uganda and Kenya from India to work on a railroad connecting the two countries. Many stayed and started families, and though they were eventually pushed out during various regime changes, some eventually returned to open restaurants and grocery stores.
However, people in Africa might have been eating curry-like dishes long far before Indian migrants ever set foot on the continent. According to Sen, Arab traders and travelers passing through East Africa in the 14th century witnessed locals eating a dish of either chicken, fish, or vegetables served over rice and bananas cooked in milk, accompanied by pickled lemons and chilies.
No matter the exact origin of curry in Africa, there’s no doubt that this dish has an intricate history on the continent — and it’s as delicious as the stories behind it are complex. These are eight curries from Africa to know.
1. Cape Malay curry
Photo: Fanfo/Shutterstock
You can’t begin to understand African curry without first mentioning South Africa. Kerries, as they are sometimes known, come in two distinct styles, the first of which is Cape Malay curry (more on the second later). Its origins can be traced back to the Dutch East India Company. In the 1600s, the company set up an outpost on the Cape of Good Hope. It brought in enslaved people from Indonesia, Madagascar, and India, who collectively formed what is now known as the Cape Malay ethnic group.
Cape Malay curries — which include dishes like bedie, a tomato-based stew-like dish with mutton, breyani (how biryani is spelled in the region), and bobotie (made with spiced minced meat) — almost always incorporate turmeric, cumin, coriander, and masala curry powder. Cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon are sometimes added as well. Dried fruit like raisins and apricots are common garnishes, and roti is the most popular accompaniment. In a nod to the Cape Malay peoples’ Indonesian roots, these curries are sometimes served with sambals (Indonesian chili paste).
2. Cari poissonThis dish is a prime example of the way different cultures fuse in African curry. Cari poisson (fish curry) has a French name and Indian roots. A beloved recipe among home cooks in Mauritius, this coconut curry is seasoned with standard spices you’ll find in many other African curries, including coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Some versions are spiced with chilies and tamarind paste; others are served with eggplant. Indo-Mauritians are one of the largest ethnic groups in Mauritius. They’re the descendants of indentured laborers brought to the island by British colonists to work in sugarcane fields. France took control of Mauritius in 1715 and ruled until the country ceded control of the island to the British in 1814. The island achieved independence in 1968.
3. Durban curry
Photo: Sunshine Seeds/Shutterstock
The origins of Durban curry can be traced all the way back to the indentured servants who were brought to South Africa by the British to work on sugar plantations. In an essay for Vice, Ishay Govender, a curry historian and the author of Curry: Stories & Recipes across South Africa, writes, “This curry tells of adaptation to the terrain and available ingredients.”
Indian laborers in this land that was new to them found themselves enduring “living in conditions akin to slavery,” but they nevertheless “clung onto their religions and their food culture,” stashing seeds from home in their pockets and creating a rice substitute from maize. The first shops set up for Indian laborers to sell vegetables and spices from home appeared in 1861, perhaps the predecessors to the restaurants that began serving a Durban curry dish called bunny chow in the 1930s.
As Govendar points out, so many restaurants claim credit for creating bunny chow that its true origins are shrouded in mystery. What is known, Govendar writes, is that “South Africa’s oppressive racial segregation laws under apartheid strictly prohibited the mixing of races in public spaces and the sale of food to blacks by Indians and others.” These restaurants surreptitiously sold their curries from a to-go window in a hollowed-out loaf of bread to make it easy to transport. Other theories speculate that restaurants simply replicated a home meal they saw Indian laborers, who needed a convenient way to take lunch to work, make. The name “bunny chow” might refer to the masterminds behind the dish — bania is the term for the Indian merchant caste.
Today, Durban, South Africa, is home to 800,000 Indian people, and Durban curry and bunny chow remain iconic and beloved dishes throughout the country. The dish, which usually incorporates chunks of fish, potatoes, or lamb, is characterized by its searingly spicy flavor, oily texture, and deep rich red color.
4. Curried potatoesBefore the dictator Idi Amin expelled all people of Asian descent from Uganda in 1972, there were about 80,000 people of Indian or Pakistani descent living in the country. Their presence might be behind the inspiration for this dish, which incorporates typical curry spices like coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon. The potatoes get a spike of heat from chili peppers and are served in a thick tomato-based sauce and topped with cilantro.
5. Kuku paka
Photo: AS Food studio/Shutterstock
This dish is ubiquitous in Mombasa, a coastal city in southeast Kenya. It’s made with chicken simmered in a rich coconut-milk-based sauce. Seasoned with cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garlic, this curry gets a zing of freshness from lemon or lime juice. Sometimes also known as kuku na nazi, the dish is also popular in Uganda and Tanzania, where there are large communities of Indian migrants. For instance, Gujarati traders once controlled most of the commerce in Zanzibar, an autonomous region within Tanzania.
6. Mtuzi wa SamakiTanzania’s history of Indian immigration appears again in this coconut fish curry, which actually originated in Zanzibar. Sometimes called a “crossroads of trade,” merchants from the Indian state of Gujarat once controlled the region and still have a strong presence there. To prepare mtuzi wa samaki, fish fillets are cooked in a coconut milk-based broth, seasoned with garam masala, garlic, and tamarind paste. Sen writes that in Zanzibar, curries are often accompanied by bananas, rice, pickles, and chapati (an East African bread).
7. Tajine2h>
Photo: Curioso.Photography/Shutterstock
Tajines, which are named for the ceramic dish in which they are cooked, are arguably closer to a stew than a curry, but they have a place on this list. A curry is defined as a “dish of vegetables, onions, meat or fish” that’s cooked in a sauce; seasoned with spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, and fresh or dried chilies; and eaten with rice. Going by that definition alone, this Morrocan dish shares many similarities with other African curries: It’s seasoned with garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, and turmeric. Chicken, lamb, and beef are all common in both tajine and curry dishes, and vegetables, usually carrots or tomatoes, are cooked in a broth until thickened and coating the rest of the ingredients. One big difference is that tajine is not served over rice or couscous, whereas curry is usually always served with rice. Tajine might not be a traditional curry, but it shares some distinct characteristics with Indian-inspired dishes.
8. Caril de caranguejoThis crab curry from Mozambique is a marriage of Arab, Portuguese, and Indian flavors and cuisines. Arab traders introduced Mozambique to ingredients like garlic and onions. Centuries later, in 1502, the Portuguese colonized Mozambique, exerting a strong influence over the country’s cuisine: Not only did the Portuguese introduce citrus fruit, tomatoes, and chilis to Mozambique, but they also popularized a lunchtime meal called almoco, during which carils — or curries — are an especially popular dish. Carils like this one often incorporate seafood and are served with mango achar (pickled mangoes). According to Sen, fish and shellfish curries are often also seasoned with peri peri, the iconic pepper sauce created by Portuguese colonialists who popularized it in Mozambique, Angola, and South Africa especially.
The post 8 spicy, savory, and hearty curries from all over Africa appeared first on Matador Network.
Winter phenomena in Yosemite
Every winter, around the second week of February, the setting sun backlights Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall at just the right angle to appear as though lava, rather than water, cascades down the 176-foot rockface. This phenomenon is known as the “firefall.” Lasting roughly two weeks, the miracle of nature coaxes thousands of visitors out of hibernation and into the park each year, drawing as many as 2,000 spectators on a single day in 2019.
Peak season in Yosemite otherwise falls in summer, with the masses descending on the park between Memorial and Labor Day. With the exception of the firefall crowd, a relative lack of visitors is among the most convincing reasons to plan a winter trip. Seeing the landscapes that earn the park its renown all snowy is another — of which Horsetail Fall is just one.
From ethereal cold-weather phenomena to the best of the winter wildlife, the following sights prove there’s no place like Yosemite between December and February, far away from the firefall mob and everyone else unwilling to brave the cold.
Frazil ice
Photo: Yosemite National Park/YouTube
When ice crystals form on below-freezing yet still-flowing water, such as when mist from Yosemite Falls crystalizes and floats down Yosemite Creek and into the Merced River, the result is known as frazil ice, and it’s one of the most magical phenomena a person can witness in the park. It’s also one of the most ephemeral, according to Tony McDaniel, the communications manager for the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau.
Frazil ice can occur any time of year, depending on the temperature and conditions. While it’s never a guarantee, late winter through spring provides the best chance of seeing this icy, lava-like slurry flow through the valley. Early morning visits, before 9:00 AM, also increase your odds of experiencing frazil ice — since the phenomenon depends on overnight lows.
If you’re in the park during the colder months, start your days in Lower Yosemite Fall above Yosemite Creek for the highest likelihood of a slushy show. Frazil ice has also been observed from Bridalveil and Ribbon Falls, Sentinel and Salmon Creek, Royal Arches Cascade, and elsewhere in Yosemite Valley. Even if you wake up early and there’s no frazil ice in sight, expect to enjoy some of the quietest, stillest, and most spectacular winter views, practically to yourself.
The snow cone
Photo: Yosemite National Park/Facebook
Landmarks like Half Dome and El Capitan look undeniably good in winter white. That said, no place in the park is as striking post-snowfall as Upper Yosemite Falls thanks to the giant snow pile that collects at its base. This phenomenon is known as the snow cone, so named because it looks like a frozen treat flipped upside down, and it can get to be hundreds of feet tall.
Unlike frazil ice, McDaniel assures, the Yosemite Falls snow cone is likely to be visible on any given winter visit. This mammoth mound of frozen mist, fallen ice, and fresh snow is easy to see from Upper Yosemite Falls, though you may be able to catch a glimpse from lower Yosemite Falls. (Either way, avoid the middle cascades as a viewing base.)
On occasion, visitors will even hear thick sheets of ice scrape off the granite walls of Yosemite Falls as the sun begins to warm its icy coat, sending a thundering crash through the valley as ice plummets thousands of feet to the base of the falls. Have no fear if you do; that only means the snow cone below will be that much more epic.
Frozen waterfalls
Photo: Dean Pennala/Shutterstock
Both the snow cone and frazil ice depend on Yosemite’s falls freezing to some degree, but sometimes, entire waterfalls ice over in winter. Silver Strand, one of the park’s most overlooked falls, often makes that list, a fact that intrepid climbers have caught onto.
To see Silver Strand Falls in all its frozen glory, position yourself at the lightly trafficked Tunnel View overlook. This also happens to be one of McDaniel’s most highly recommended winter viewpoints, no matter the state of the falls. From Tunnel View, he notes, you can see all the way down Yosemite Valley, admiring the snow-covered upper elevations and what’s left of the greenery down below, all in one epic panorama.
Bald eagle sightings
Photo: Brian A Wolf/Shutterstock
Winter in Yosemite is wildlife-spotting season. As visitor numbers dwindle, the native fauna is emboldened to take back its territory, meaning more frequent and intimate sightings for those who do visit. Of particular note, says McDaniel, are bald eagles.
Both bald and golden eagles call Yosemite home. Bald eagles are rare, but winter is your best bet for seeing them roost as they tend to leave the park in the warmer months to spend them in colder climates. Stick to lower elevations near bodies of water in Yosemite Valley, such as around the Merced River, if you’re eager to see eagles. Sightings have also been noted around Hetch Hetchy, Bower Cave in Mariposa County, and Blackhawk Lake in Madera County.
Throughout the park, keep an eye out for bird species like Stellar jays, Western bluebirds, woodpeckers, chickadees, and red-shouldered hawks. Other year-round wildlife that’s likely to be more brazen in the face of thinner crowds includes mule deer, coyotes, mountain lions, and red foxes. Also worth noting is that the park’s bighorn sheep, which stick to the tallest peaks during summer, tend to come down to lower elevations during winter to avoid the harsh weather.
Frosted sequoias
Photo: Matthew Connolly/Shutterstock
Yosemite plays host to three giant sequoia groves: Mariposa, Tuolumne, and Merced. The natural skyscrapers that have been growing here for as many as 3,000 years, reaching heights up to 200 feet, are always astonishing, but there’s something special about seeing their reddish hues accentuated by bright white snow. While this is not so much a natural phenomenon as it is an annual occurrence, it is pretty phenomenal, says McDaniel, who notes that these groves also make for some of the best snowshoeing in Yosemite. (Note that Mariposa Grove is currently closed while Tuolumne and Merced are open to the public.)
Where the best winter walks are concerned, McDaniel has one more suggestion: the 12-mile Valley Loop Trail, which looks out on El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, Sentinel Rock, Three Brothers, and Yosemite Falls, among other park favorites. Budget roughly six hours or longer to complete the loop as the terrain can be tricky — and slippery — during winter.
The post Yosemite’s firefall isn’t the only winter phenomenon worth visiting for appeared first on Matador Network.
The most iconic dish to try on CNY
For most Chinese families, jiaozi, or Chinese dumplings, are as essential to the Chinese New Year as roast turkeys are to Americans on Thanksgiving. In the modern era, most Chinese families prepare platters of jiaozi as part of their celebrations, but the tradition can likely be traced back to the imperial court of the Ming Dynasty.
“People get up early on new year’s day […] drink herbal liqueur, and eat dumplings,” wrote a once-powerful eunuch in his memoir. “A coin was sometimes hidden in a dumpling as a lucky token.”
These days, dumplings are often a late-night food on Chinese New Year’s Eve. When the new year’s countdown approaches, one member of the party pops into the kitchen, and comes back with a plate of steaming dumplings for everyone to share.
To simply describe dumplings as a Chinese New Year specialty that symbolizes fortune and prosperity is to underplay the snack’s popularity. Dumplings are actually eaten throughout the year across the country. Ubiquitous as they are, these crescent shaped pouches are by no means quick to make.
In my family, dumpling making, or “dumpling wrapping” as it’s called in Chinese, has always been a joyous weekend project. My mom sometimes forgoes store-bought wrappers and kneads the dough by hand herself. My dad, the better cook, prepares the filling. He cuts vegetables into fine strands, folds them into the ground meat, adds a generous amount of ginger and scallion, and stirs the mixture vigorously. According to Chinese tradition, you should always stir in one direction, so that the meaty filling has a pleasing texture. As a kid, I was only allowed to participate in wrapping the dumplings, which is a less messy process. I was told to scoop the right amount of meat filling into a wrapper, and pinch the edge to seal. My parents themselves, however, have never mastered the craft of shaping the pouch into symmetric crescents and seal them with neat, scalloped pleats. But both seemed to have fun making those irregular-shaped dumplings, which somehow managed to never fall apart in the boiling pot.
Maybe because of the joviality of the long cooking process, dumplings are often associated with family. It is not uncommon for retired parents to make a big batch of dumplings and store them in the freezer for when their grown-up children visit from a far away city. Colleges and companies like to organize dumpling wrapping events for freshman students or new hires, as a team bonding activity. I myself have participated in a few similar events when I was in college, and these days I still reminisce to my best friend how when we first met, I watched in amazement as she pleated the seams of the dumpling wrappers into extremely intricate patterns, something no one in my family has ever been able to do.
Though their preparation can be time consuming, that doesn’t mean dumplings are an artisanal food, fancified and fetishized as homemade pasta. When the Chinese government rolled out a series of economic reforms in the 1990s that encouraged private enterprises, it didn’t take long before factories began to churn out this homespun dish on assembly lines. Packaged frozen dumplings appeared in supermarkets. Today they are the Chinese food equivalent of boxed mac and cheese. Huge dumpling chain restaurants expanded nationwide, attracting large crowds with standardized recipes and affordable prices.
Despite these changes in the accessibility of pre-made dumplings, small dumpling restaurants still managed to survive. My mom often took me to a small eatery after weekend cram school (a special institution designed to prepare students for high school and college entry exams). Tucked inside an old residential neighborhood encircled by luxury malls and office buildings, the eatery was nothing more than a dilapidated shack built of corrugated tin wall. The dumplings, nevertheless, were excellent. Four flavors were available, celery, chive, cabbage, and “shepherd’s purse,” a wild vegetable. For ten yuan ($1.2), my mom and I would share two servings and be happily satisfied.
It’s easy to find Chinese dumplings in America, even in non-Chinese businesses. They are sold at Trader Joe’s, and are popular appetizers in Japanese or Korean restaurants. For us millennial expats used to working through the festival season, dumplings have become an inseparable link to the festivities on the other side of the earth. A friend of mine, who works at an accounting firm in New York, recently told me that Chinese New Year for her means “cooking supermarket bought frozen dumplings.” The celebration usually falls on an especially busy time at work, but a plate of dumplings is enough to make my friend less guilty for skipping most of the festivities.
Maybe this is exactly why people eat dumplings during Chinese New Year. It’s nourishing, delicious, and unpretentious. Just like home. Nothing to fuss about, but always there when you need it.
The post On Chinese New Year, dumplings symbolize home and family appeared first on Matador Network.
Cathay Pacific no masks
In case there was ever any doubt that first-class airline passengers live in an entirely different world than those in economy, Cathay Pacific is really driving the point home. The Hong Kong-based airline has required all passengers to wear face masks since May, but now, according to Executive Traveller, it’s exempting first- and business-class passengers from the requirement when they have their seats reclined to a fully flat position.
The airline argues that the high enclosures around its business-class seats and first-class suites, and the extra personal space afforded by the seats, creates enough distance between travelers that face masks aren’t necessary.
A Cathay Pacific spokesperson confirmed the new regulation and said, “seats in first and business class are more spacious with partitions, and passengers are exempted [from wearing masks] when lying flat for sleep,” also noting that the plane’s filtration system is “capable of filtering 99.9999% of dust particles, including virus and bacteria.”
The exemption is a rather transparent attempt to draw more customers to the airline during this difficult time for the travel industry, particularly when it comes to booking more expensive seats.
The post Cathay Pacific lifts mask requirements for first- and business-class passengers appeared first on Matador Network.
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