Local cuisine from around the world

Part of any trip abroad is sampling the local cuisine. However, without a little pre-trip preparation, this can sometimes feel like you have been entered as a contestent on "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here". In an effort to assist, please find a sample of countries and their traditional dishes that you can expect when travelling there.

Chile
Chile has a wide variety of foods, including seafood, beef, fresh fruit, and vegetables. A traditional Chilean meal is pastel de choclo, a "pie" made with corn, vegetables, chicken, and beef. This dish is usually served with ensalada chilena (Chilean salad).

Brazil
Rice, black beans, and manioc (a root vegetable like a potato) are the main foods for many Brazilians. The national dish is feijoada, a thick stew of black beans and pieces of pork and other meats. It is usually served with orange salad, white rice, farofa (ground manioc), and couve (kale), a dark green leafy vegetable that is diced and cooked until slightly crispy.

Egypt
Egypt has a variety of national dishes. Ful (pronounced "fool," bean paste), tahini (sesame paste), koushari (lentils, macaroni, rice, and chickpeas), aish baladi (a pita-like bread), kofta (spicy, minced lamb), and kebab (grilled lamb pieces) are the most popular.

Peru
The Peruvian cuisine largely consists of spicy dishes that originated as a blend of Spanish and indigenous foods. Such dishes are often referred to as Criolla, or Creole. Aji (chili) is the most popular spice in Peru and is used in a variety of ways to give food extra flavor. Aside from spices, however, potatoes, rice, beans, fish, and various grains are essential staples (foods eaten nearly everyday) in the Peruvian diet.

Morocco
Morocco, unlike most other African countries, produces all the food it needs to feed its people. Its many home-grown fruits and vegetables include oranges, melons, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, and potatoes. Five more native products that are especially important in Moroccan cooking are lemons, olives, figs, dates, and almonds. Located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the country is rich in fish and seafood. Beef is not plentiful, so meals are usually built around lamb or poultry.

Sweden
Traditional Swedish home cooking (called husmanskost) is simple in comparison with other European cuisines, but it is anything but ordinary. Husmanskost, once referring to tasteless porridge and other gruel, has come to represent savory stews, roasts, and various seafood.
The ultimate in husmanskost is the Swedish smörgåsbord (SMUR-gawssboord), which is a number of small hot and cold dishes served buffet-style. The literal meaning of the word is "bread and butter table." The term has become world famous, representing a collection of various foods, presented all at once. The traditional Swedish smörgåsbord commonly includes herring (fish); smoked eel; roast beef; jellied fish; boiled potatoes; lingonsylt (LING-onnseelt; lingonberry jam); Janssons frestelse (YAHN-sons FREH-stehl-seh; "Jansson's temptation"), a layered potato dish containing onions and cream, topped with anchovies (fish); and köttbulla (CHURT-boolar; Swedish meatballs), which have also won worldwide acclaim. It is easy to see why the literal meaning of smörgåsbord, "bread and butter table," does the feast little justice.

Thailand
Rice is the main dietary staple of Thailand. Thais eat two kinds of rice: the standard white kind and glutinous, or sticky, rice. Sticky rice rolled into a ball is the main rice eaten in northeastern Thailand. It is also used in desserts throughout the country. Rice is eaten at almost every meal and also made into flour used in noodles, dumplings, and desserts. Most main dishes use beef, chicken, pork, or seafood, but the Thais also eat vegetarian dishes.

Vietnam
Plain rice (com trang) is at the center of the Vietnamese diet. Steamed rice is part of almost every meal. The Vietnamese prefer long-grain white rice, as opposed to the short-grain rice more common in Chinese cooking. Rice is also transformed into other common ingredients such as rice wine, rice vinegar, rice noodles, and rice paper wrappers for spring rolls.
Rice is also used to make noodles. There are four main types of rice noodles used in Vietnamese cooking. Banh pho are the wide white noodles used in the quintessential Vietnamese soup, pho. Bun noodles (also called rice vermicelli) look like long white strings when cooked. Banh hoi are a thinner version of bun noodles. In addition, there are dried glass, or cellophane, noodles (mien or bun tao) made from mung bean starch.

Don’t forget your holiday insurance!
If you are taking a trip in the near future, make sure you buy travel insurance before you go. Holidaysafe.co.uk travel insurance offers cover for a family for 7 days in Europe from just £13.70* and Worldwide from just £28.76^. You can get a quote and instant cover by going online to http://www.holidaysafe.co.uk/.
* Includes Insurance Premium Tax is based on 2 adults aged under 35 and 2 children aged under 17 taking out a ‘standard’ single trip travel insurance policy for 7 days in Europe.
^Includes Insurance Premium Tax is based on 2 adults aged under 35 and 2 children aged under 17 taking out a ‘standard’ single trip travel insurance policy for 7 days in Europe.
Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press (December 2008) and are subject to change.

Source: http://www.foodbycountry.com

EHIC replaces the E111 - Important information

Useful information on the European Health Insurance Card, which replaced the E111:

An EHIC entitles you to free, or reduced-cost, medical treatment, if you become ill, or have an accident, while you're visiting Europe. From 2005, the EHIC card replaced the E111 form which is no longer valid..
If you're travelling to mainland Europe, and you haven't got an EHIC, you should apply for one before you go. Make sure that you allow enough time for your card to arrive before you travel. The delivery times vary, depending on how you apply.

How many cards do I need to apply for?

Every family member needs to have their own EHIC.
You can apply for all your family's cards at the same time. As well as your own EHIC, you can get cards for:

• your spouse, or partner, and
• any children up to the age of 16 (or 19 if they are in full-time education).

When you apply, for each person, you will need:

• their first names and surname (family name),
• date of birth, and
• NHS number, or national insurance (NI) number.

Who is eligible for an EHIC?

If you're a UK national (citizen) who normally lives in the UK, an EHIC entitles you to free, or reduced-cost, medical treatment when you're visiting Europe. However, it's not valid if:

• you're going to live in Europe, or
• getting medical treatment is the main purpose of your trip.

Some non-UK nationals living in the UK can also apply for an EHIC. However, there are some restrictions, depending on your nationality. For example, EHICs for some non-UK nationals are not valid in Switzerland.

How long is the EHIC valid for?The EHIC lasts for five years. When your EHIC expires, you can renew it:

• using the online form,
• by phone - call 0845 605 0707,
• or by post

Where is the EHIC valid?

The EHIC is valid when you visit a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. EEA countries include:

• all countries in the European Union (EU),
• Iceland,
• Liechtenstein, and
• Norway.

Although it's not a member of the EEA, or the EU, Switzerland has an EHIC agreement with the EU.

What treatment does the EHIC cover?

The EHIC entitles you to state-provided medical treatment only. Private treatment is not usually covered.
If you need treatment due to an accident, or illness, it will be provided free, or at a reduced cost. However, some treatment that is free under the NHS in the UK will not necessarily be free in other countries. You may have to make a contribution to the cost of your care, but this can usually be covered by private travel insurance.
The EHIC covers treatment for chronic diseases, or existing illnesses. If you're pregnant, it also covers routine maternity care while you're away.

The EHIC does not cover going to an EEA country, or Switzerland, specifically to get medical treatment, or to have a baby.

Remember that even with an EHIC, it's still advisable to take out full travel insurance in order to ensure that you're covered for all eventualities.

You can get your EHIC card online, by clicking here

Don’t forget your holiday insurance!

If you are taking a trip in the near future, make sure you take out holiday insurance before you go. Holidaysafe.co.uk travel insurance offers cover for a family for 7 days in Europe from just £13.70*. You can get a quote and instant cover by going online to http://www.holidaysafe.co.uk/.
* Includes Insurance Premium Tax is based on 2 adults aged under 35 and 2 children aged under 17 taking out a ‘standard’ single trip travel insurance policy for 7 days in Europe. Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press (December 2008) and are subject to change.

ESTA - Electronic System for Travel Authorisation

Visitors to the USA may be aware that they have changed their entry procedures. The original paper based I-94 system has been updated and replaced by the introduction of ESTA-(Electronic System for Travel Authorisation). Online completion of ESTA is now mandatory for all Visa Waiver Programme travellers to the USA.

This new system has been mandated by US Government legislation, following 9/11 and is very much based on a similar system called ETA that has been working successfully in Australia for some years.

ESTA applications should be submitted as soon as travel arrangements are made. It is recommended that the application is submitted at least 72 hours before departure, however the system will accommodate last minute travel. You can apply directly from the ESTA site by clicking here.

Once the online application has been completed and, assuming it is satisfactory, the system will normally respond with an approval very quickly. Travellers should make a note of the ESTA approval number in case they need to access their application later – such as updating a travel itinerary. Some applications may take up to 72 hours to approve whilst data is checked. Currently there is no charge for an ESTA application and no more information is sought than has been required under the I-94W system.

Each family member travelling is required to complete an ESTA application and third party entry of data into ESTA is permitted – whether a relative or not. However the third party must be completely certain as to the accuracy of such entries. Any inaccuracies will be taken up with the applicant - NOT the third party and the applicant remains totally responsible for their own records.

Updating ESTA data for repeat visits within the 2 year ESTA duration is recommended but is not mandatory. I.e. Upon entry into the USA, the Customs and Border Protection Officer may ask additional questions if a traveller’s current itinerary differs from information submitted in the ESTA application. Updating ESTA with new arrival and first night’s stay data could save time at the point of entry and result in fewer questions.

Don’t forget your holiday insurance!
If you are taking a trip in the near future, make sure you take out holiday insurance before you go. Holidaysafe.co.uk travel insurance offers cover for a family for 14 days in the USA from just £36.05*. You can get a quote and instant cover by going online to http://www.holidaysafe.co.uk/.

*Prices are correct at time of going to press (January 2009) and are subject to change. Prices are based on 2 adults under 35 years old and 2 children under 18 years old travelling for a 14 day period to the USA.