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Almond milk is killing bees

The 2010s have been the decade that marked the rise of almond milk as an alternative to cow’s milk — but it turns out this low-calorie, vegan substitute isn’t as inherently good as it’s made out to be. According to an investigative report from The Guardian, the increasing demands of the California almond industry are placing an incredible amount of pressure on the beehives used to pollinate their orchards, resulting in the deaths of billions of honeybees.

Dennis Arp, a commercial beekeeper, makes half of his income from renting out his hives to pollinate almonds. Now, however, he’s losing over 30 percent of his bees each year.

And Arp isn’t alone. A survey of commercial beekeepers found that 50 billion honeybees were killed during the winter of 2018-19, i.e. more than one-third of the US commercial bee colonies.

This mortality rate is due partially to the nature of almond orchards — they are monoculture and lack the diversity that bees need to remain healthy — and to the fact that bees must wake up from their winter dormancy earlier than usual to begin almond pollination. But the biggest culprit is the amount of pesticides used on almonds, and the high concentration of bees during pollination in the almond grove, which facilitates the spread of diseases among them.

“Bees are exposed to all kinds of diseases in California,” said Arp. “There can be hundreds of thousands of hives from multiple beekeepers in one staging area. It is like letting your bees go into a singles bar and then they have unprotected sex.”

With almond milk sales in the US growing 250 percent over the past five years, the life of bees likely won’t get easier anytime soon. But consumers can make a statement by spending their hard-earned dollars in products that are “Bee Better” certified. This label guarantees that the product purchased benefits bees and bee-friendly farmers.


More like this: The surprisingly dark history of kefir, the fermented milk beverage of the Caucasus

The post Almond milk is responsible for the death of billions of bees appeared first on Matador Network.

Types of soy sauce from Asia

Soy sauce — the salty, brown, fermented condiment made from soybeans — made its debut in China and Korea more than 2,000 years ago. Since then, it has become one of the most popular and recognizable condiments on the planet. In restaurants around the country, from the most basic sushi joints to takeout Chinese restaurants, you’ll find different varieties of soy sauce in all sorts of vessels, from plastic packets to imported ceramic dishes.

Soy sauce is far from a monolith. Its color can range from dark brown to amber to translucent yellow. It can be funky, add a salty kick to your dish, or create a smooth balance to fish and stew, depending on the quality and the way it’s been fermented. Even the texture can vary, ranging from a thick syrup to a thinner, more watery consistency.

Though the production process and recipe for soy sauce varies from country to country, the fundamentals are the same: Cooked soybeans are combined with fungal cultures (called aspergillus oryzae) to promote fermentation, and are then mixed with a salt brine to preserve the mixture while it brews, traditionally in clay pots. During this process, enzymes from the mold break down the beans’ proteins, oils, and starches and transform each one into amino acids, fatty acids, and sugar.

Once the fermentation process has finished, the solid beans are pressed to extract the liquid. Mass produced brands of soy sauce like Kikkoman, for instance, are chemically induced to ferment faster, sometimes in as little as two days. Higher quality soy sauce, on the other hand, is left to ferment and age for years at a time in vats, jars, and sometimes even ice cold chambers.

All over Asia, from China to Indonesia to Vietnam to Sri Lanka, soy sauce is a popular dipping sauce, condiment, and indispensable seasoning. These are the types of soy sauce from around the world to know.

Japanese soy sauces

Photo: Ong.thanaong/Shutterstock

Buddhism is responsible for introducing soy sauce to Japan, where it became shoyu. Around the 13th century, monks from China settled in a coastal town called Yuasa and began brewing soy sauce. The Japanese people had their own ideas about how the soy sauce should taste, however: Soy sauce brewers implemented a 50/50 ratio of soybeans and wheat (traditional Chinese soy sauce was made with 100 percent soy, but modern iterations do contain a small amount of wheat), imbuing shoyu with a slightly sweet, fresh flavor and a thinner consistency.

The soybeans are cooked until soft and then mixed with roasted wheat. This mixture is combined with a special Japanese mold called koji, which catalyzes the fermentation process. It’s then all brewed in a salt brine, left to ferment, and aged (sometimes for six months, sometimes for many years) before being bottled.

There are five types of shoyu officially recognized by the Japanese Agricultural Standard. These fall into three grades, depending on quality: tokkyuu (special grade), ikkyuu (first grade), and hyoujun (standard grade). In addition to these, you might also encounter soy sauce with labels that include terms like nama-shoyu, soy sauce which has not been pasteurized; yuuki, soy sauce made with soybeans that haven’t been treated with chemicals (similar to organic); and marudaizu, soy sauce made with whole beans.

Koikuchi

The standard variety of Japanese soy sauce is sold by brands like Kikkoman and Yasama. It’s aged for six months before being bottled. This mildly salty and dark in color soy sauce is what you’re likely to find at your neighborhood Japanese restaurant. It’s an all-purpose soy sauce, equally good as a dip for gyoza as it is a marinade. Special reduced salt versions of koikuchi soy sauces are called genen.

Where to find it: Your local grocery store and online

Usukuchi

Usukuchi is richer in flavor, lighter in texture, and has a thin consistency. The primary feature of this soy sauce is that it’s much saltier than the standard koikuchi variety. It’s typically used sparingly due to its pungent flavor.

Where to find it: Asian speciality supermarkets and Amazon

Tamari

Originally a byproduct of miso, tamari differs greatly from typical Japanese soy sauce. It’s thicker and more viscose with a reddish-brown hue. It’s often used as a dipping sauce for sushi and sashimi, as well as a finishing sauce for teriyaki. Today, many brands of tamari are still made without wheat, making it popular among the gluten-free crowd. However, there might still be a trace of wheat in mass-produced tamari, so check the ingredients before buying.

Where to find it: Grocery stores like Target and Walmart

Saishikomi

Saishikomi means re-brewed, and the name says it all. The process involves making a regular batch of soy sauce using all the ingredients. Then a second batch is made, omitting salt and water so the mixture consists of just wheat and koji. The two batches are then combined, resulting in a sweet, thick sauce popular as a dipping sauce for sashimi. It’s the darkest in color of all the Japanese soy sauces and has a distinct umami flavor.

Where to find it: Speciality Asian markets or The Japanese Pantry

Shiro

The standout feature of this soy sauce is its color. Shiro is made with extra wheat like its sibling tamarin, and it’s fermented for only three months, giving it a translucent off-white or light yellow color (think dashi broth). The flavor is mild, refined, and slightly sweet. Shiro is a popular dipping sauce because it adds a touch of soy sauce flavor without discoloring the dish. It’s unlikely to be in stock at your local grocery store, so you might have to drop by a specialty Asian market if you want to try it.

Where to find it: Speciality Asian markets or MTC Kitchen

Jiàngyóu, or Chinese soy sauces

Photo: Rattiya Samakrat/Shutterstock

A paste fermented from soybeans first appeared in China in the second century. Called jiang, it was used first to pickle and preserve meat and vegetables, which were then served as side dishes. The first written reference to soy sauce doesn’t appear until the 13th-century Song Dynasty. By the 17th century, Dutch traders had begun exporting soy sauce around the world.

Known as zhiyou, jiàngyóu, or douyou depending on the dialect, Chinese soy sauce uses far less wheat than its Japanese counterpart. The best way to understanding the different varieties of Chinese soy sauce is to categorize them by color: light and dark. Light soy sauce is brewed, meaning that the soy sauce is fermented without additives, while the darker soy sauce is a blend that contains additives to sweeten the flavor.

Light soy sauce

Sometimes also known as “fresh” soy sauce, this variety is the most common in Chinese cuisine. It’s made from the first pressing of soybeans, and it tends to be lighter in color and saltier than its darker counterpart. Catonese recipes often call for light soy sauce, as it helps enhance the flavors of many dishes without discoloring the ingredients. Another version of light soy sauce is double fermented, resulting in a more complex flavor that lends itself well to a dipping sauce.

Dark soy sauce

What makes dark soy sauce stand out is that not only is it fermented longer than light soy sauces but also typically contain added sugar or molasses to create a thicker consistency and sweeter flavor. Dark soy sauce is used primarily during the cooking process, as it needs heat to help bring out its flavor.

Where to find it: Asian speciality supermarkets, Walmart, Amazon

Korean soy sauces

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Ganjang, as soy sauce is known in Korea, might have emerged independent of soy sauce in China. Some accounts suggest that Koreans were experimenting with fermented soybeans before their Chinese neighbors. Soy sauce has been produced in Korea for at least 2,000 years, and records indicate that it was served at a royal wedding in 693 CE.

Ganjang is a byproduct of doenjang (fermented soybean paste) production. Korean soy sauce is made entirely from salt, soy beans, and water — no wheat. Meju, dried bricks of soybeans, are fermented alongside salt in traditional pots called onggi. Once fermentation is complete, the resulting liquid becomes soy sauce while the leftover aged pieces of meju are mashed to become doenjang. These two sauces along with gochujang, fermented chili paste, are the foundational elements of Korean cuisine.

Guk-ganjang

The traditional Korean soy sauce, strictly a by-product of doenjang, is called guk-ganjang, meaning soup soy sauce. It’s intended specifically to season soups and stews. It has a pungent, salty flavor (since it ferments in a brine not supplemented by any other preservatives) that’s packed with umami. The light color of guk-ganjang also makes it ideal for soup because it doesn’t discolor broth.

Where to find it: Speciality Korean markets like Gochujar

Whe-ganjang

Adopted from Japan around 1886, whe-ganjang is not a byproduct of doenjang. It has a much darker color than soup soy sauce and is used throughout the cooking process as a marinade, to braise meat, and as a dipping sauce. There are two types whe-ganjang: Yanjo-ganjang is the higher quality variety and is naturally brewed and fermented using soybeans, wheat or rice, and mold in a factory for six months before being bottled. Jin-Ganjang (sometimes also known as honhap ganjang), on the other hand, is a mixture of yanjo-ganjang and chemically fermented soy sauce, which relies on hydrochloric acid solution to break down the proteins in the soybeans, allowing them to ferment faster. Korea also produces mat ganjang, which are soy sauces flavored with additives like apple, mushroom, or garlic.

Where to find it: Speciality Korean markets like H Mart

Indonesian kecap manis

Photo: Mohd Syis Zulkipli/Shutterstock

In Indonesia, soy sauce is known as kecap manis, or sweet soy sauce. Soy sauce probably arrived in Indonesia in the 19th-century, around the time that Chinese people began settling on Java, the country’s largest island. To accommodate the Indonesian predilection for sweetness, soy sauce brewers added palm sugar to the recipe. Its name stems from the Chinese word for sauce, koe chiap (which also happens to be the root word for American ketchup).

There are distinct differences in the flavor and viscosity of kecap manis than other soy sauces in East Asia. Kecap manis is closer to the consistency of syrup, with a rich dark brown color and salted caramel flavor that’s reminiscent of molasses. It’s a central ingredient in classic Indonesian dishes like nasi goreng (fried rice) and babi kecap (pork braised in sweet soy sauce). Its salty counterpart is called kecap asin, which is similar to Chinese and Japanese soy sauce.

Soy sauce is also a popular ingredient in nearby Malaysia, where it’s known as kicap.

Where to find it: Speciality Indonesian grocery stores like Indo Food Store or Amazon

Sri Lankan soy sauce

In Sri Lanka, dark soy sauce, sometimes called soya sauce, is a key ingredient in the country’s legendary street food staple, kottu roti. The dish is similar to stir-fry, consisting of shredded roti alongside chopped onions, cabbage, and carrots seasoned with chili and curry powder. The mixture is tossed together and heated up in a wok.

Where to find it: Grocery stores in Sri Lanka like Keells

Taiwanese soy sauce

Taiwan specializes in soy sauce brewed with black soy beans. Traditionally, black soybean sauce is made in a similar fashion to Korean soy sauce. The black beans are placed in trays, where aspergillus oryzae is allowed to grow freely. Once the mold has begun to develop, they’re mixed with salt and water (no wheat) and poured into large clay urns. The mixture is then left to ferment in direct sunlight for 180 days. It has a mellow flavor with a sweet aftertaste, and a rich dark color. Taiwan is the only country to produce this type of soy sauce.

Though soy sauce likely originally arrived in Taiwan in the 17th century, when many Chinese people immigrated to the country, it didn’t become widespread until the Japanese colonial era (from 1895–1945). Around 1941, soy sauce began being mass produced in Taiwan.

Where to find it: Speciality grocery stores like Fish and Soy

Thai soy sauces

Photo: OLOS/Shutterstock

Like its Chinese counterpart, Thai soy sauce can also be broken down into two categories: light and dark. However, there are some key differences between Chinese and Thai soy sauce. Added sugar leans the flavor profile of Thai soy sauce toward sweet rather than salty. These soy sauces are used to braise meat, as a dipping sauce, or to add color your dish.

See ew khao

Also called light soy sauce or white soy sauce, this is the most basic, all-purpose type of Thai soy sauce. It’s a staple in most pantries and frequently appears in Thai recipes. One version is called Mushroom Light Soy Sauce and can be used interchangeably with unflavored Thai light soy sauce. The consistency of see ew khao is thin, similar to a Japanese soy sauce.

Where to find it: Speciality Asian grocery stores or Amazon

See ew dahm

This dark soy sauce is slightly reminiscent of kecap manis — it’s viscous, and added palm sugar or molasses gives it a distinct sweet, rather than salty, flavor. Another version of dark soy sauce, called see ew wan is even sweeter, takes on syrupy texture, and is applied to noodle dishes like pad see ew and stir fries and can also be used as a dipping sauce. See ew wan is much less common than light soy sauce or even regular dark soy sauce.

Where to find it: Speciality Asian grocery stores or Amazon

Vietnamese soy sauce

The Vietnamese take on soy sauce is called nước tương (a version closer to Chinese-style soy sauce is known as xì dầu). Similar to soy sauces in Thailand and Indonesia, nước tương is thick in texture, but it also features a salty, slightly sour flavor. The production of soy sauce is slightly different in Vietnam than it is in the rest of Asia. Firstly, the soybeans are roasted before fermentation begins. And while most other soy sauces are pressed to extract the liquid from the solid beans after fermentation, Vietnamese soy sauce is , resulting in that thicker consistency. Nước tương is generally served as a condiment for vegetables. One especially famous variety called tuong ban is a caramel brown color and is only made in the North Vietnamese village of Ban.

Where to find it: Online grocery stores based overseas, such as Zing Asia

The post Every type of soy sauce around the world you need to try before you die appeared first on Matador Network.

Chocolate retailer child labor score

When you’re unwrapping a chocolate bar, you probably don’t want to stop and think about how that bar was made, where the chocolate comes from, and whether the process involved child labor. The unfortunate truth, however, is that much of the chocolate you consumed this holiday season was likely produced with child labor. Child labor is widespread across West Africa’s cocoa industry, and each year Green America creates a Chocolate Scorecard that rates major US chocolate companies on their efforts to distance themselves from child labor. This year, Green America is also highlighting the role of grocery stores and pharmacies in the same endeavor.

Retailers make billions of dollars from chocolate sales, so they also bear responsibility for promoting and selling these chocolate bars.

Photo:

The scorecard rates retailers on how effectively they address child labor and environmental issues linked to the production of cacao, and involvement in fair trade. The chart takes into account some of the largest retailers in the US, and the results are quite surprising.

CVS, one of the nation’s most popular pharmacies, scored lowest, faring poorly across all categories. Trader Joe’s and Walgreens didn’t fare much better. Aldi and Food Lion topped the list, scoring well across all categories.

You probably won’t be keeping this scorecard in your wallet and referencing it every time you make a chocolate purchase, but it’s useful to remember the next time you make a chocolate run.


More like this: 6 must-visit destinations for chocolate lovers

The post This scorecard reveals which retailers sell child-labor chocolate appeared first on Matador Network.

New resolutions helped by travel

New year, new me. Year after year, it’s the same old game for many of us: Draw out a long list of resolutions sometime between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, go at them feverishly for the first couple of weeks, and then decide, “Eh, maybe next year.” Of course, there are some people for whom New Year’s resolutions come easy. But for most, changing old habits and developing new ones takes hard work. It takes soul-searching; it takes practice; it takes a whole lot of dedication and discipline.

If there’s one thing that can help you keep your resolutions this year, it’s travel. Piling into your car and hitting the road (or plane, train, or boat) can challenge you, change you, and, yes, help you tick some goals off of your list. If you’re not convinced, keep reading to learn how travel can help you keep eight popular New Year’s resolutions.

1. Exercise more.

Photo: Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock

Anyone who’s ever taken a vacation knows that they involve a great deal of walking. Walking alone is fantastic exercise — and even better when you get to enjoy sights and attractions — but planning extra active vacations has never been easier. Usually, travel to outdoor destinations naturally involves hiking, skiing, swimming, climbing, or another active recreational activity that presents a physical challenge. If you prefer to travel to city destinations, though, you can still meet your exercise goals with no problem: Take advantage of the large infrastructure and walk or cycle instead of taking the bus, subway, or a taxi. Plus, with the rise of wellness destinations and health-focused retreats, it’s easy to find like-minded people to exercise with while on holiday, and having a buddy can make you more likely to stick to your routine.

2. Eat healthier.

Photo: Anna Ewa Bieniek/Shutterstock

Even if you’re the kind of traveler who treats every vacation as a free-for-all when it comes to food, traveling can actually help you stick to your New Year’s resolution to eat healthier. You can actually schedule entire trips around your healthy eating goals. Some examples: take local cooking classes that use fresh ingredients; spend a weekend at a wellness resort where food is much healthier than your standard hotel complimentary breakfast; retreat to a farm bed-and-breakfast where you can even pick your own food, like the Elm Tree Bed and Breakfast in British Columbia, Canada. Or, just focus on eating real food instead of processed food, even if that real food is a big plate of pasta in Italy.

This isn’t to say you can’t indulge in the local delicacies of wherever you’re going, but just know that there are boatloads of ways to experience healthier vacations without sacrificing delicious food.

3. Spend more time outdoors.

Photo: Skreidzeleu/Shutterstock

Spending more time outdoors is a tremendous New Year’s resolution. Science shows that connecting with nature can reduce stress and lower your risk of several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Plus, getting outside and seeing new sights can inspire creativity, help you reset and recharge, and make you happier.

Luckily, the world is home to legions of striking landscapes and no matter what you fancy, you can find a destination that suits you. The US alone has nearly 100 million acres of protected park land governed by the National Park Service, featuring everything from rugged coastlines to granite monoliths to ice-cold waterfalls flanked by white pines and red firs. Even in bustling big cities, you can dig your toes into the earth. In New York City, for example, Central and Prospect parks offer acres of greenery and ample opportunity for sighting wildlife, albeit small fauna. You don’t have to hike up a mountain to appreciate the outdoors — even just taking the time to pull over at scenic viewpoints can be a peaceful experience.

4. Spend more time with family.

Photo: 4 PM production/Shutterstock

The holiday season has the unique power to make people realize they should spend more time with the people they love. If you’ve been feeling as if you have missed out on important quality time with your family and have resolved to fix that, allow travel to serve as your vessel.

Family vacations have become sort of quintessential — piling six people into an SUV and shuffling to a tacky tourist destination is the epitome of modern family life. Of course, you needn’t travel to a tourist-crammed park or town if you don’t want to. Family ski trips, backcountry expeditions, and farm stays are all good options that kids, teens, and adults alike will love. While traveling with toddlers and planning multi-generational holiday trips are certainly not the easiest things, the long-lasting memories and strengthened family bonds will be well worth the effort.

5. Get out of your comfort zone.

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Few things push your comfort zone like traversing unknown roads, hiking to new elevations, trying a new sport, or frantically trying to secure accommodations when your original plans fall through and you’re in a foreign country. Traveling brings about the opportunity for a stockpile of learning experiences, so if you’ve resolved to get out of your comfort zone this year, a vacation may be just what you need.

When you’re willing to jostle the boundaries of your safe place, you evolve as a person, as a professional, as a creative, and as anything else you want to be. You may endure both intentional and unintentional challenges — intentional being things like signing up for a coast-to-coast bicycle race across the US and unintentional being things like getting stuck in snowfall while driving in wintry conditions for the first time. Deliberate or not, travel presents novelty, which the brain craves and requires for growth.

6. Unplug and stress less.

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As mentioned earlier, spending time in nature can help you destress and improve your mood. To amplify those benefits, travel to a location where you’re forced to unplug by way of nonexistent cell service.

Even just a day or two of disconnection can totally revitalize you. I’m living proof of this, as I live in the Los Angeles area and trek to Los Padres National Forest whenever possible to escape the haste and hecticness of city life — just a few hours without access to the internet makes me feel more centered and calm. If you plan on being out of service for more than a day, it’s a good idea to let your friends and family know. But after that, it’s all unplugging and destressing.

7. Declutter.

Photo: Maridav/Shutterstock

The popular #vanlife hashtag on social media has inspired a new wave of travelers who live with less. When your entire home is just 100 square feet, you’ve got to get rid of many belongings. If you already live in a van, camper, or another type of mobile home, you probably know this and have likely already adopted some forms of minimalism. If you’re new to the nomad life, however, you may be in for a big lesson on just how powerful travel is for decluttering. You might find that you don’t need 12 coffee mugs (even if they are all adorable); that your stack of magazines can be minimized to a handful of favorites; and that oftentimes you don’t really need those “just-in-case” items you throw in your bag.

If you aren’t ready to purchase your own van or camper, you can simply pick one up at the depot of a rental company and roll out on your vacation. This is a great way to see if vanlife is right for you before chucking change for a van of your own.

Travel can help you declutter in other ways, too. If you prefer to fly instead of drive, challenge yourself to fit everything you need for a trip into a carry-on only — or even a personal item, if you’re so inclined. Ditching the bag check will not only save you time but show you that you really can have more with less.

8. Take up a new hobby.

Photo: Daxiao Productions/Shutterstock

If you’ve been dying to try out a new activity and this resolution sits high up on your list for 2020, allow travel to be your personal assistant. Any time you travel, you’re faced with an array of new activities to try. Depending on where you go, said activities might be as simple as picking blueberries, as challenging as ice climbing, or as unique (and, quite frankly, peculiar) as extreme dog grooming. Hey, people like what they like.

So if 2020 is your year to take up a new hobby, consider planning a trip to a place that celebrates that activity. For example, if you want to learn how to surf, head out to California’s golden coast and spend a week along the Malibu coastline, where residents and vacationers alike surf day-in and day-out. If you want to learn to crochet, check out the very real world of crochet retreats, such as this one from Mountain Hollow Farm in Tazewell, Tennessee.

Experiencing an activity in a place where many others express enthusiasm over it can offer a lasting impression that inspires you to stick with the new hobby for the long-term.


More like this: The 25 places you need to travel in 2020

The post How travel can help you keep your 2020 New Year’s resolutions appeared first on Matador Network.

Soviet architecture of Bishkek

While nomadic communities of yurt-living, horse-riding sheep herders are still thriving in the most remote valleys of Kyrgyzstan, the capital city shows a different facet of this little-known nation. Built from scratch during the Soviet era, Bishkek is packed with a well-preserved collection of modernist concrete experiments. Although the country gained independence from the USSR in 1991, the ferro-concrete modernist buildings and architectural oddities that have characterized the Soviet era can still be admired today in all their brutal glory. Here are 14 of the most unique ones.

1. National History Museum (Former Lenin Museum)

Photo: Angelo Zinna

Marking the heart of the city, Bishkek’s State History Museum is a fine example of neo brutalist architecture. Formerly known as the Lenin Museum, the structure was far from welcome when construction began. Many local architects and planners were opposed to placing a museum dedicated to the Russian revolutionary in the middle of the city, but after accusing them of anti-communism, Moscow prevailed and started the project. A large statue of Lenin was standing in front of the entrance until 2003 when it was moved to a less-visible location behind the museum. Completed in 1984, the cubic white building hosts a large collection of socialist realist art, including bizarre murals. At the time of writing, the museum is closed for renovation, with the reopening date still unknown.

Where: Ala-Too Square

2. The Circus

Photo: Angelo Zinna

Built in 1976, the Bishkek Circus looks like a giant flying saucer that just landed in the northeastern part of the city. Before the Russian Revolution, acrobats, clowns, and stuntmen were mostly performing for the entertainment of the aristocracy, but after 1917, circuses were nationalized and made accessible to the general public. Buildings similar to this one — like the Kazakh State Circus in Almaty or the Kharkiv State Circus in Ukraine — started appearing in all the major cities of the USSR, playing an important role in the propagation of culture in Soviet times. This bright yellow and green specimen is no exception, although a decade ago it received an unusual amount of international attention for all the wrong reasons: In 2009, a brown bear killed the circus administrator during the rehearsal of the popular “ice-skating bears” show.

Where: 119 Jumabek Street

3. Wedding Palace

Photo: Angelo Zinna

The teachings of Karl Marx were pretty clear when it came to faith (“religion is the opiate of the masses!”), and the USSR was quick to decide churches had no place within its borders. Shutting down places of worship, however, didn’t mean that people could not have a grandiose palace to get married in. Together with museums of atheism, state-run wedding palaces started appearing in every major Soviet city. This 1987 marble-clad structure — with its sharp angles, tall windows, and futuristic shape — still hosts ceremonies today.

Where: 197 Yusup Abdrahmanov Street

4. Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts

Photo: Angelo Zinna

In the process of renovating the city in the 1970s, new spaces were devoted to both high and popular culture. The State Museum of Fine Arts, completed in 1974, was one of the three major cultural institutions, together with the Lenin and the Frunze museums that opened in that period. Its unpolished surfaces will satisfy fans of raw concrete structures. The Fine Art Museum is still active, displaying a large collection of paintings, sculptures, and rugs.

Where: 196 Yusup Abdrakhmanov Street

5. Ala-Too Square

Photo: Angelo Zinna

In 1926, the city changed its name from Pishpek to Frunze (until 1991 when it was renamed Bishkek) to honor Kyrgyzstan-born Bolshevik commander Mikhail Frunze. As Frunze was developing into a proper socialist city in the 1960s, Soviet urban planners agreed that it was missing one essential feature: a public square worthy of its name. The Old Square characterized by a statue of Marx and Engels had been used for official ceremonies, but the Usubaliev government (1961-1985) desired something grander.

Ala-Too square was one of the most ambitious projects that was undertaken at the time, changing radically the shape of the city. It was designed to overlook the Tien Shan mountains and include two new buildings, the Lenin Museum and the White House. Unfortunately there was an issue: It was too big and empty. It was impossible to fill during national celebrations, which did not reflect well on the government, and it was becoming the perfect space for protesters to gather and voice their political concerns. When Bakiyev became president in 2005, fountains, memorials, fences, and flowerbeds appeared on Ala-Too, making the square protest-proof.

Where: Ala-Too Square, Bishkek

6. White House

Photo: Angelo Zinna

Bishkek’s Presidential Palace, better known as the White House, sits steps away from the History Museum on Ala-Too square. Built in a neoclassical style inspired by Stalinist architecture between 1977 and 1984, it housed the Central Committee of the Communist Party. The recent history of this building is as dark as you’d expect such a dystopian structure to be. In both 2005 and 2010, it was the site of violent anti-government riots.

Where: 205 Chuy Avenue

7. Sports Palace

Photo: Angelo Zinna

The 1974 Sports Palace, with its oblique, angular shape offered a space for leisure in growing Frunze. In front of the complex is the massive statue of local hero Baatyr Kaba Uulu Kozhomkul, known in the national mythology for its impressive strength. The statue placed at the entrance of the palace portrays the man carrying a horse on its back.

Where: 77 Baityk Baatyra Street

8. Kyrgyz National Philharmonic

Photo: Angelo Zinna

The Kyrgyz National Philharmonic, officially named after local poet Toktogul Satylganov, is a 1,000-seat marble and concrete concert hall that fits aligns with Bishkek’s cityscape.

Where: 251 Chuy Avenue, Bishkek

9. Friendship Monument

Photo: Angelo Zinna

The white marble monument erected in 1974 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Kyrgyzstan’s “friendship” with Russia rises high towards the sky between the White House and the National History Museum. Before 1874, Kyrgyzstan was under the control of the Khanate of Kokand, but by the end of the 19th century, the Russian Empire had successfully occupied and annexed the territory. Four decades of Tsarist rule resulted in the 1916 Central Asian uprising, one of Kyrgyzstan’s bloodiest revolts still remembered 100 years later. Surrounding the two towering pylons is a ring of Kyrgyz and Russian people symbolicaly united forever.

Where: Panfilov Street

10. Textile Factory

Photo: Angelo Zinna

Murals and mosaics have played an important role in the development of Soviet culture since the 1930s. Monumentalist art decorating the walls of residential blocks, government buildings, and factories colored the cities of the 15 republics. Public artworks of this kind are often associated with propaganda because of their use of positive, inspiring messages meant to reinforce the communist ideology, but not all compositions are ideology-inspired. The mosaic in the picture is found at the entrance of a large textile factory on Jibek Jolu, one of the most trafficked streets in Bishkek. The writing at the top says, “Our work is for you, Motherland!”

Where: 362 Jibek Jolu Avenue

11. National Library

Photo: Angelo Zinna

The Kyrgyz National Library is among the more imposing buildings in central Bishkek. A National Library has existed in Kyrgyzstan since the summer of 1934; however, it was only in 1984 that it moved into the current building. The cultural institution was known as the Lenin Library until independence in 1991.

Where: 208 Usup Abdrahmanov Street

12. Ala-Too Movie Theater

Photo: Angelo Zinna

Another cultural landmark in the Kyrgyz capital is the Ala-Too Cinema, the oldest movie theater in Kyrgyzstan built in the early 1960s. While the concave facade still presents bas-relief Soviet sculptures, the cinema has recently been updated with recent technologies such as digital 3D projections.

Where: 187 Chuy Avenue

13. Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University

Photo: Angelo Zinna

Founded in 1993 and named after Boris Yeltsin, the first President of the Russian Federation, the Slavic University of Bishkek is the result of the continued cooperation between Russia and the Kyrgyz Republic after the fall of the USSR. The University opened after the Warsaw Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation was signed in 1992 and established itself in the 1986 building.

Where: 6 Chuy Ave

14. “Fathers of the Nation” Monument

Photo: Angelo Zinna

Built in 1995 by Turgunbay Sadykov as a tribute to some of the most prominent figures of Bishkek’s intelligentsia, the “Fathers of the Nation” monument originally included a series of life-size sculptures of artists, scientists, and politicians that have left a mark in the country’s history. The sculptures, however, started to mysteriously disappear shortly after the monument was uncovered — allegedly to be sold as scrap metal — so the artist decided to remove all the statues permanently and leave the metal, hammer-shaped structure as is.

Where: Turusbekova Street (behind the Philharmonic)


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New “America the Beautiful” quarter

Everyone remembers the 1999-2008 State Quarters Program and the frenzy to collect all 50. The US Mint is continuing that tradition by unveiling the latest designs in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, which will honor six amazing American locations on the tail side of the quarters. The program began in 2010 and will conclude in 2021, but these final six designs are generating some serious enthusiasm.

The first five designs will honor the National Park of American Samoa, Weir Farm National Historic Site, Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, and Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The sixth and final design will feature the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.

Photo: US Mint

Respectively, the tail side of the quarters will portray a Samoan fruit bat mother with her pup, an artist painting at Weir Farm, a red mangrove tree, a child planting a Norway spruce seedling, and a regal fritillary butterfly. The final quarter will depict a Tuskegee Airman preparing to join the fight during World War II.

Photo: US Mint

There’s a unique story and purpose behind each quarter, which is sure to make people scramble to add the new coins to their collection. For example, Richard Masters, who designed the American Samoa quarter, did so with the aim of promoting awareness of the species’ threatened status due to habitat loss and commercial hunting.


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Odorless MP Magic Socks review

Mrs. Anderson, my middle school gym teacher, used to stress the importance of changing your socks as much as possible.

“It’s the single best thing you can do for your personal hygiene,” she’d say.

I’m still not sure of the wisdom in telling a bunch of 12-and-13 year-olds that changing socks is more important to personal hygiene than showering, but it stuck with me nonetheless.

To this day I still change socks three to four times a day, and when packing for long trips taking 20 pairs of socks isn’t uncommon. Maybe this is why I always check bags.

So when a guy named Owen wrote to me about something called MP Magic Socks, which he said I could wear for six days without washing, it went against everything I’d ever known.

Saying you could wear socks for six days in a row and still not smell seemed a little like saying you could eat nothing but Doritos for six days and not gain weight. Maybe if you’re some kind of genetic freak you can pull it off, but for anyone else it’s a pipe dream up there with home ownership.

Apparently, the socks work by infusing the fabric with copper, silver, and zinc, which work in tandem to kill odor-causing bacteria. This is known as the oligodynamic effect, and without getting too science-y, it basically works a little like a home invasion where the copper ions break down the fence outside the bacteria — or cell wall — so the silver can get inside and wreak havoc. Despite silver being terrible for them, proteins inside bacteria are actually highly receptive to it and welcome it once inside, kind of like humans do with cigarettes or toxic exes.

Much like in those situations, it does not end well for the bacteria. With the bacteria effectively neutralized, the socks are left stink-free and fresh-smelling. They’re not too expensive either, though more than the average sock. Individual pairs of socks run for about $10, while a package of six classic crew socks costs $48.

Sold on the science of the socks, I thought I’d at least give them a try to see if no-smell socks were really a thing. After all, I’d been similarly skeptical about no-wash shirts, and that experiment worked out just fine.

Round 1: The tailgate

Photo: MP Magic Socks

If I was going to give Magic Socks a chance, I felt I should put them to the ultimate test first: An early-season college football tailgate. In Florida.

This was no ordinary tailgate but rather the season-opening game between the University of Florida and University of Miami, held in Orlando. Which meant instead of sitting around a tent and grilling burgers like I would at a home tailgate, the day was spent walking from parking lot to parking lot in midsummer central Florida, spilling light beer and ice luge shots all over the thin, ankle-cut athletic socks MP had sent me.

After the grueling tailgate, the game itself was four hours of standing, followed by an excessively long walk home when the game let out the same time as a Backstreet Boys concert and the city ran out of Ubers. Once I finally got home, I took my socks off, and they smelled like a midsummer Florida tailgate. The next morning, they had not improved.

“This is bullshit!” I said to one of my friends who’d come with me.

“Maybe they don’t guarantee against smells from day-old Coors Light,” he countered. Perhaps he had a point. When reading up on the oligodynamic effect, the study hadn’t mentioned anything about barley and hops.

Round Two: The cruise ship

I absolutely hate having to cram all my clothes into a carry-on, but sometimes it’s necessary — like when you’re sharing a tiny cruise ship cabin on a “Runaway to Paradise” cruise with Jon Bon Jovi.

Realizing socks accounted for roughly 20 percent of my packing space, I felt this might be an ideal time to give the Magic Socks another go. Despite having nice dinners scheduled every night, and full days walking around Mallorca and other ports, I packed only two pairs of socks: one pair of thicker athletic crew socks and a nice pair of dress socks emblazoned with yellow dolphins.

Each day I would spend traversing the still-sweltering Balearic Islands, hanging up my Magic Socks in my small cruise room. Not once did I return to anything resembling a locker room smell.

I wore the dress socks to dinner each night too. The first night, I was a little flattered when someone at my table caught the dolphin pattern and said, “Oh, nice socks!” Her reaction was not nearly as friendly when she spotted the same pattern the next night, or the night after, probably immediately branding me as “that guy who wears the same socks every day.”

Point is, while the dress socks may have smelled fresh after each night out, if you’re seeing the same people over and over maybe pick ones without cute dolphin patterns.

Round 3: At home

Photo: MP Magic Socks

Emboldened by my success using the socks to travel, I thought perhaps they’d work at home too, and maybe I could finally clear out the two drawers of socks taking up valuable space in my apartment. This worked well for a couple of days, as wearing socks for everyday stuff like grocery shopping, dinner, and Orangetheory had them working at their copper-and-silver-infused best.

This held true until I visited a friend who has multiple dogs. And if you know anything about people with multiple dogs, their lives are basically a giant cloud of dog hair. One evening of walking around their apartment later, and the Magic Socks were in desperate need of a washing. This wasn’t just true of dog hair either: wearing them around the house for a few days, the socks pick up all the dust, dirt, and other hair that lives on your floor, and can get a little grimey even if they don’t smell.

Again, the oligodynamic effect doesn’t really extend to dirt repulsion. So even if the socks smell fine, they may still need to be washed if you wear them excessively without shoes. What I’m saying is, maybe invest in some magic sandals too.

Round 4: The Amazon jungle

The final test for the Magic Socks seemed almost as difficult as the mid-August tailgate: a four-day cruise through the Peruvian Amazon. Now, granted, this was not an extended trek where I’d be using these socks to slog through Amazonian mud bogs. But still, each day involved plenty of humid hiking. And in the Amazon, you could have socks made out of chalk and they’d still never dry out.

The Amazon was perhaps the most encouraging test of all, where I used the athletic crew socks to hike each day, and though they never dried, they never smelled bad either. Since literally nothing I had in the Amazon was dry the entire trip, I barely even noticed. So it seemed the Magic Socks would be a good choice for backpacking trips, or the odd quest through the Amazon jungle.

So did the odorless socks change my perspective on sock-wearing? Kind of. They definitely backed up their claims, as aside from stale beer, the things never really got too stinky. But the Magic Socks also only win one of the many battles socks face in staying clean, so while they might not smell, they can still get covered in dirt, and stay wet in environments where it’s tough to dry.

I’ve found the dress socks massively helpful for trips where I’ll need multiple pairs over multiple days, as they don’t usually touch dirt and don’t get that wet. And the athletic socks are good if you’re only using them for sports and not, say, walking around an apartment covered in dog hair. Understanding those limitations, I’d happily send any middle schooler to Mrs. Anderson’s gym class for a week with only one pair of Magic Socks. But maybe we’d need to give her a short chemistry lesson first.


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What to do in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Wedged in the foothills of Mongolia’s sacred mountains, Ulaanbaatar might just be the biggest city you’ve never heard of. The economic, cultural, and political center of the country is home to 1.5 million citizens, about half of Mongolia’s total population. Geographically limited by the rugged landscape, UB (as the locals call it) continues to define itself as it literally grows up into a contemporary capital city. A modern skyline is rimmed by traditional ger (yurt) districts, and congested streets ultimately give way to vast open spaces. UB teeters between the rural and urban, historic and contemporary, simple and complex. It can easily fill several days on your travel itinerary, and here’s how you should fill them.

Take in the city lights and historic sites.

Photo: Stetiukha Kristina/Shutterstock

The heart of Ulaanbaatar is Sukhbaatar Square, a large plaza flanked by the city’s most important buildings, including the Parliament (aka Government House), Cultural Palace, National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Mongolia, and Stock Exchange. Huge statues of Mongolian heroes set an official tone, including namesake Damdin Sükhbaatar, who declared Mongolia’s independence from China in 1911. The ideal way to begin a trip to the city is to spend a morning walking through the square as it’s essentially a mini history lesson in itself.

Throughout the year, people gather in Sukhbaatar Square for events like state ceremonies, national holidays, and cultural displays. A national sport day, for example, showcases Mongolian athletic prowess in wrestling, boxing, football, and other sports. Should you be in town during a cultural festival, expect to see brightly costumed dancers and resonating throat singers, along with musicians playing horsehead fiddles, oversized drums, and other traditional instruments.

Despite some leftover Soviet-era architecture, significant recent development has created a respectable skyline of modern buildings. For exceptional views of the city, head to the 25th floor of the Best Western Premier Tuushin or to the top of the Khuvsgul Lake City Tower, both adjacent to Sukhbaatar Square. Just south on the opposite side of Peace Avenue, the chic Blue Sky Tower offers great views, especially from its Blue Sky Lounge.

Spend a day touring the National Museum and the Gandan Monastery.

Photo: saiko3p/Shutterstock

A short walk from Sukhbaatar Square is the National Museum of Mongolia, well worth its nominal entry fee to learn about generations of heroes and centuries of history, including a collection of some 57,000 objects. Permanent exhibits include prehistoric archeological findings, a full-sized traditional ger, and displays depicting the more recent socialist and democratic eras. Highlights include halls of colorful ethnic costumes, traditional musical instruments, and dinosaur relics from 70 million years ago.

Most Buddhist monasteries in the country were destroyed during the Communist regime with the exception of Gandan Monastery, the largest and most important in Mongolia. Its official name is Gandantegchinlen Khiid, meaning “Great Place of Complete Joy,” but no one will expect you to pronounce that title — Gandan Monastery will do just fine. Reopening in 1944 after being closed for several years, Gandan brought joy to Mongolia as the only functioning monastery at the time. It’s still fully functional and is home to several hundred monks, multiple temples and universities, and an impressive 87-foot-high golden statue. It is one of Mongolia’s most important tourist attractions and a place that nearly everyone you talk to in Mongolia will encourage you to visit.

Visit the world’s most unique department store.

Photo: EQRoy/Shutterstock

Another must-do in UB is the State Department Store whose motto is, aptly, “All needs are fulfilled.” Established in 1921, the exterior reflects the city’s dark Communist past while the interior is bright and modern. State is well worth a visit, whether seeking forgotten items, picking up Mongolian souvenirs, or looking for global name brands. There’s also some great people-watching to be had there.

Taking a bus from one end of Peace Avenue to the other will get you close to most attractions (purchase a bus card at a store or kiosk near the bus stop before boarding). It can be difficult to hail a taxi on the street and may be a good idea to pay the driver to wait when making a short stop. Official taxis can be arranged by hotel or restaurant staff. Since few taxi drivers speak English, it’s best to have the name and destination written in Mongolian for the driver. Traffic is heavy and can be gridlocked — plan ahead if on a schedule.

Rethink your knowledge of meat.

Photo: jelly talk/Shutterstock

On the culinary side, UB offers both local and international cuisine, so whether you are an adventurous eater or looking for the old standards, you’ll find good fare here. Meat is king in Mongolia, and near the city center there are many spots to dive into a good local meal. Most traditional dishes feature beef, goat, mutton, or horse; however, poultry, pork, and vegetarian dishes are offered at most urban establishments. Dumplings of various shapes and sizes are traditional and popular.

Among the best spots to try these meats is Khainag Grill, on top of the four-star Khuvsgul Lake Hotel in the Sukhbaatar District. The restaurant serves organic meats cooked on a grill right at your table. You’ll don an apron before you grill your own meat with options ranging from typical beef, pork, lamb, and goat to more uncommon animals like yak, camel, and reindeer. Choose one or get the chef’s taste, which includes four types of meat. Try a Mongolian beer or vodka with your meal, then hang out at the uber cool rooftop terrace surrounding one of only three helipads in the city.

Hot Pot restaurants are also popular in Ulaanbaatar, and they’re your best bet for value. Diners are served a hot broth into which they add noodles, raw meat, and vegetables that cook on the table over a burner. A popular location is the Bull Restaurant on the third floor of the Bluemon Center, northwest of the main city square.

For a unique casual dining experience, check out Black Burger Factory located near Sukhbaatar Square. Their black-bun burgers are more than a novelty — they’re so juicy that you can request a pair of black plastic gloves to wear while eating. The menu includes several burger choices with a diverse array of sauces and fresh vegetables.

Visit Route 22 Restaurant and Wine Lounge for date night, or a similar occasion where a touch of extravagance is needed. The menu features salmon, seabass, truffle risotto, salads, and pastas, though the charcuterie board is stunning and a meal in itself. An extensive wine list includes imports as well as domestic; however, when I tried to order a Mongolian wine, the waiter refused to serve even a sample, hinting that it’s best to stick to imports.

Getting here and staying a while

Photo: Sergey Bezgodov/Shutterstock

As noted by the many building cranes dotting the skyline, Ulaanbaatar is a city quite literally on the rise. After years of delay, a new international airport is slated to open in 2020, replacing (and assuming the name of) the current Chinggis Khaan International Airport. Tripling passenger capacity with daily flights arriving from China, Russia and South Korea, the new airport means you can get here from North America by connecting directly in those countries. For a reportedly more quaint experience, hop the Trans-Siberian railway from Moscow or Beijing, transferring to the Trans-Mongolian route that cuts the city from north to south.

Once you arrive, Ulaanbaatar offers a wide range of accommodations from hostels to five-star hotels. With most historical and cultural attractions located within a central walkable area, stay near Sukhbaatar Square to avoid the traffic that often stands the city still. Centrally located hotels like Best Western Premier Tuushin, Khuvsgul Lake Hotel, and Blue Sky Hotel and Tower feature modern rooms,contemporary bars and restaurants, and great service at a price point typically under $100 per night. Keep it even more affordable by staying in a hostel. The best options include UB Guesthouse & Hostel, Golden Gobi, Okay Hostel, and Town Yard Hostel.

To really dive into Mongolian culture, though, Mongol Nomadic Ger Camp, 34 miles from the city, offers the opportunity to sleep in a traditional nomadic hut with modern conveniences including electricity and internet access. You’ll experience a performance of the nomadic lifestyle, including traditional food and drink, games, throat singing, and music.


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The world’s first butter bar

Downing three flights of craft beers might not be considered the healthiest move, but that’s basically a low-calorie meal compared to an afternoon at this butter bar in Lyons, Colorado. Bella La Crema is the world’s first butter bar, and instead of beer flights, you’ll be enjoying flights of butter. Customers are provided with a hot baguette and four samples of compound butter, some savory and some sweet.

Photo: Bella La Crema

There are over 20 different flavors of artisanal butter to choose from, all made from scratch at the bar. Among the options are “French Countryside” butter with rosemary, garlic, thyme, and herbs; “Ode to Neruda,” made with paprika, garlic, onions, and lime; and “Holidays Bourbon,” with molasses, maple, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, orange, and (of course) bourbon.

Photo: Bella La Crema/Facebook

In addition to the flights, you can also sample the bar’s butters in the form of ice creams, buttered coffee, and freshly baked goods. There are also breakfast, lunch, and dinner options here, like grilled cheese, fresh croissants stuffed with herb-egg scramble, French toast, and more, in case you’re not just craving butter for your meal. The French onion soup is particularly popular.

Photo: Bella La Crema

The owner, Shauna Strecker, uses grass-fed, organic cream in all her butter, churns and cultures the butter herself, and grinds her own spices.


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Best affordable restaurants in Paris

It’s no secret Paris has good food. It’s also no secret that it’s quite easy to spend a lot of money enjoying that food. But eating in Paris doesn’t have to break the bank. The city famed for its celebrity chefs and Michelin stars can actually be an affordable food city if you know where and when to go.

Lunch, for example, is a great way to experience some of the higher-end restaurants Paris has to offer without spending your whole budget on one meal. Many Parisian bistros offer set menus of an appetizer, main course, and dessert for lunch that is less expensive than the dinner option. Outside of the fancier, name-brand restaurant options, there are traditional French spots, bakeries, and eateries serving food from around the world at an affordable price throughout the day.

Consider these eight affordable Paris restaurants as a starter guide to good, affordable eating in a city world-famous for its food.

1. Chez Gladines

Photo: Chez Gladines Les Halles/Facebook

The original location of this popular Basque restaurant offers charm and traditional food in the quaint Butte aux Cailles neighborhood of Paris. Bouillon Pigalle serves traditional French food (think onion soup and steak frites) with modern décor and a bustling atmosphere. A three-course meal here will cost around €20 ($22), leaving room in your budget for that extra verre du vin.

Where: 22 Boulevard de Clichy, 75018

4. Creperie Genia

Creperie Genia is possibly the best deal in Paris. This tiny creperie in Saint Michel offers crepes and paninis at unbeatable prices. The menu has different forumules, which include a panini or savory crepe, a sweet crepe, and a drink for €5 ($6). You can eat in the dining room upstairs or take your meal to go and sit on the banks of the Seine just under Notre Dame.

Where: 7 Rue de la Harpe, 75005

5. Pink Flamingo Pizza

Photo: Pink Flamingo Canal Saint-Martin/Facebook

If you find yourself craving pizza, especially on a sunny day, Pink Flamingo is the place to go. Located on the Canal Saint-Martin, this pizza spot will give you a pink balloon once you’ve ordered and then deliver your fresh pie to wherever you are sitting along the canal. The pizzas range from €10 to €15 ($11-17) with standard topping options, as well as some more adventurous toppings like hummus or smoked salmon. Whatever you choose, it makes for a memorable and delectable picnic.

Where: Various, with the popular canal location at 67 Rue Bichat, 75010

6. Naniwa-Ya

Although the French food in Paris is great, sometimes you need a break. Paris’s little Tokyo on Rue Saint-Anne provides just that with an assortment of Japanese restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores. Naniwa-Ya is a small, cozy restaurant that doesn’t look like much from the outside but offers delicious Japanese comfort food. The value is especially good at lunch when there are several set menus that include a bowl of noodle soup, a Donburi rice bowl, and a salad for €11 ($12). After 3:00 PM, the set menus are not available, but prices remain reasonable throughout the day.

Where: 11 Rue Sainte-Anne, 75001

7. Petit Lux

Photo: Le Petit Lux/Facebook

While there is no shortage of bakeries in Paris with baguette sandwiches, Petit Lux stands out. Located just a few minutes from the Luxembourg Gardens, it’s a great stop for a picnic. Each sandwich (options include tuna, chicken, veggie, or the Parisian classic ham and cheese) costs less than €5 ($6) and is perfectly crunchy and delicious. There are a few neighboring grocery stores (Franprix & Monop’) that have any additional picnic supplies you need like a bottle of wine. Come early as the sandwiches tend to sell out later into the afternoon.

Where: 29 Rue de Vaugirard, 75006

8. Le Baron Rouge

Le Baron Rouge, French for the red barrel, is a small, unpretentious wine bar. Order your glass, pitcher, or bottle of wine by bottle or directly from one of the barrels in the bar, and drink it along with a cheese and charcuterie platter. A glass of wine won’t cost you more than €5 ($6), bottles run anywhere from €10 to €25 ($11-28), and the cheese and meat plates vary from €7 to €15 ($8-17). Le Baron Rouge is especially popular on Sundays when locals gather around the barrels-turned-tables for a midday glass of wine as they take a break from their weekend shopping at the nearby Marché d’Aligre.

Where: 1 rue Théophile Roussel 75012


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