Vegemite: some of us actually like the stuff you know. You have to be given it in water when you are a baby and it sort of grows on you I guess. A bit like eating grits for breakfast or perhaps a dill pickle with cheesecake at the Carnegie Cafe in NYC. Or even those people who actually liked eating dripping on bread - nrmally they were from the UK. To each their own.

You knew I was just teasing you a little right?

Indeed I do know that it can be well-liked--I had a boss from Australia who did manage to convert one co-worker to Vegemite. My understanding is it is best on hot buttered toast in a very thin layer. I remember at the Australian Open one year they kept making people take a bite--by which time I'm guessing the toast was a bit cold. I think it was Mal Washington who actually liked it (can't remember for sure).

See, I don't understand grits either, but I'm not from the south. And I don't understand white bread on a plate underneath barbecue in the Midwest--it gets all goopy and gummy. But people love them both!

Vegemite and grits - yikes, I don't get either one, although my southern mother loves her grits. Or beans on toast - I've tried it, but the beans weren't even heated - what's that about?

When I visit NZ or OZ I regularly bring back huge tubs of Vegemite for an Aussie friend living in the US. The man is lost without his Vegemite. His American wife admits that Vegemite makes good gravy and I'll just have to take her word on that.

I've found that pumpkin soup is also very popular in OZ and NZ. At first I thought this was weird, never having heard of pumpkin soup. To me, pumpkins were for pie at Thanksgiving(yuk) and for carving at Halloween.

Turns out I really like pumpkin soup, especially if it's on the spicy side.

That's what travel is all about right? Sampling the dill pickle and cheesecake (never heard of that one) choking down a spoonful of grits or trying to work up the courage to try some of that nasty looking poi.

Happy eating.

The pumpkin soup recipe I use is French, so I don't think our lot can lay claim to it. As for Vegemite, I can take it or leave it, but interestingly my China-resident daughters told me that their (Chinese) flatmate has become addicted to the stuff - she eats it by the spoonful, so they've had to hide their shrinking supply from her.

I don't mind grits, although it's* a bit bland - in fact I prefer it* to oatmeal porridge, which I loathe. I also hate popcorn, which makes me very sorry that Australia adopted the American practice of selling containers of the stuff at the movies - I practically gag at the smell when I go to the flicks these days. Yesterday we went to see "Tristram Shandy" and I found myself sitting behind a Generation-Y moron who was working his way through what looked like a 2-litre container of popcorn while simultaneously sending and receiving text messages. He finally desisted when I said to my wife in a stage whisper (to her mortification) "Look! Look what he's DOING!!"

Sorry, got carried away there.

* Is "grits" a singular or plural noun?

Now I'm stumped. I think grits has to be singular but I just may have to look it up. I don't know how easy it would be to get just one grit!

I loved all the pumpkin varieties I ran into in Australia in market stands. And it did seem that we ran into a lot of pumpkin either roasted, in soups, etc on the table. It was great!

I agree Melnq8, one of my favorite things about travel is trying foods I've not run into before. I may not always love them or crave them later, but I'm usually willing to give it a shot!

LizF, have we strayed too far from your original post! I apoligize if we have!

No apology necessary as this is just what the forum should be about - discussion and learning a little bit here and there. If there is a bit of digression then that is all the better I think. Cannot stand those people who feel that one should only answer questions. We have had a lot of nice recipe ideas from Neil over the years and others who have made good suggestions. Might not be travel but at least it makes it worthwhile looking in on the site once in a while.
I agree that travel and tasting the food of the area is one of my passions too ( especially tasting the food) an I have had some wonderful experiences and terrible ones too like the time on my first trip to Hong Kong I insisted eating in a Chinese restaurant where the locals went - hubby was more sensible. They still had those spitoons under the tables which were uses frequently and the best of the dreadful menu was braised ducks feet....... those dirty toenails still linger in my thoughts.
I still eat Chinese food but probably am more choosey as to where I go for it. If you are on a diet a walk down the night markets looking at the offerings of pigs uterus and other such delights is enough to convince you that a carrot for dinner will be just fine!

There goes my appetite.

Neil - According to my dictionary of the American Language, grits is a plural noun. The defination of grits for those who might be interested follows:

"Wheat or corn ground more coarsely than for flour or meal; esp (South) fine hominy."

Thanks, Melnq8. Not sure if I'll be visiting grits country again, but it's one more bit of trivia to store away.

Liz's meal reminded me of an item on a Hanoi menu listed simply as "fried bowels in grease". I'm sure it tasted better than it sounds. Back to Southern food - aren't chitterlings ("chitlins&quot pigs' innards?

Chitlins or chitterlings, yep, fried pig intestines. Nope, haven't quite brought myself to try, although since I have tried haggis I should perhaps not be so fussy.

It's part of a tradition of "using every bit of the pig." And when you are poor, you can't afford to waste anything.

I found this site--a chitlin festival! Who knew?

http://www.chitlinstrut.com/chitlins.htm

Now that LizF has said I can stray a bit, might I also add that in addition to trying differnet food during travel, I also love wandering the aisles of grocery stores when traveling?

Anyone else? My husband thinks I'm nuts.

Righto Neil, chitlins are pigs' guts - small intestines to be exact. Then you've got your gizzards, the cooked entrails of poultry, and let's not forget our bovine friends who donate their stomachs for tripe.

Where I come from in the western US, we're known more for our Rocky Mountain Oysters. Where on earth would landlocked states get oysters, you ask? From bulls of course - their testicles to be exact.

With all these temptations, it's no wonder I'm a quasi vegetarian.

So do I Toucan, its fascinating. That's how I ended up buying tins of cat food for lunch in Spain, the packaging was attractive and not kept in pet section as it is in supermarkets here.

Toucan2 -

I spend more time than I care to admit in grocery stores when I travel. We usually pick up breakfast and picnic supplies the minute we land. I also like to bring food items home as gifts (such as Leatherwood honey and Tim-Tams from Australia).

These days we also take home quite a bit of food from our travels. That's because "home" is on a remote camp on the island of Sumatera where Western food is extremely hard to come by, so we stock up at every opportunity.

Our souvenirs from a recent trip to W.A. included a cooler full of Brownes yogurt and Margaret River cheeses.

Weird, but true.

ooooooooooooo Tim Tams!

Where is Margaret River? It was mentioned above in reference to wines, and now you mention cheeses? Do I need to haul out my map of Australia?

Toucan:

You aren't weird. When I moved to the US I was so fascinated by the products on American shelves. The products looked the same, but with different names.

I can only imagine going to a non-English country and browsing the market. I'd probably take my camera along.

That being said, when I return to the US from Australia I usually have one suitcase dedicated to Aussie food. Dessicated coconut, chocolate, cake mixes, pumpkin soup..mmm!

Melnq8, I'm a committed carnivore, mostly I don't find offal too awful, even enjoy tripe (Italian style) now and again, but Rocky Mountain oysters would give even me pause. A bit too close to the bone for a bloke, maybe. We're planning to be in that neck of the woods in a couple of months, so I thank you for the heads-up. As we'll also be travelling in BC and Alberta I'm wondering if your cousins north of the border share this taste?

Toucan, Margaret River is a wine region south of Perth, Western Australia. Originally made its reputation with nice crisp whites and now produce some excellent reds too. You can hardly go wrong with a MR wine, at least in my experience.

Neil -

I suspect our Canadian neighbors would be appalled by our "cowboy caviar", but never having been further north than Montana I can't say for sure. Rocky Mountain oysters are often found on menus in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado and Kansas.

You might find this an interesting read as it includes a recipe for making these "oysters" at home:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Histo...yMtnOyster.htm

Where exactly one locates two pounds of calf testicles is beyond me, although I have to admit I've never sought them out.

Toucan -

In addition to all those fabulous wines, Margaret River produces some nice cheese, yogurt, olives, olive oils and vinegars, chocolate, unique breads, fresh berries and mandarins.

The Margaret River Cheese Company makes a really nice baked ricotta and a delcious farmhouse cheese with chilli.

We just got back from W.A. on Friday and all this talk of food reminds me that I need to get busy writing my trip report, which will mention a lot of that fabulous MR food and wine.

Melnq8 ... just look for a couple of steers with their legs crossed

Now there's a thought, Bokhara!

Emilid, just wondering if you've run across any foods in the US that you might miss when you return to Australia...