Can you guess which one is brinza, goat cheese, and which one is lard?

Read more about how the two are related after the jump …
Ian, our Senior Programme Executive and self-professed Eastern Europe fan, tells us about some of his favorite food memories from Moldova.

“A Moldovan favourite I remember was when we sat down to the table and there were lots of plates of sliced tomato, cucumber, gherkins etc. etc. I dug in eagerly to what I thought was a piece of fine Moldovan goat cheese, Brinza. As I put it on my piece of bread and bit into it, it seemed a bit strange until I realised that it was a slice of fat which I found difficult to stomach until I washed it down with a glass of vodka. I tried to speak to the mother in my host family who was a Doctor who specialised in heart disease and find out how she could promote healthy eating on the one hand and then lay out some slices of pure fat. She explained it was good for me and to get on and eat it.

Another delicacy well loved is jellied meat which personally I feel to be the food of the devil. I struggled through a piece to be polite at Christmas dinner only to pay the price of my politeness seeing another large piece appearing in front of me. Thinking about it makes me feel ill even now fourteen years later.”

One of my favorite food memories was having a seat mate on a bus across Turkey buy me a kebab at a bus stop in the middle of the country. I tried it and it didn’t taste like the chicken or lamb I was used to. It turns out that it was lamb offal or intestines. But I put on a happy face for my new friend who was so happy that I was eating it.

As many seasoned travelers will tell you, one of the most important parts of traveling and making friends overseas is trying new and usually “different” foods along the way. While the ubiquitous hamburger has made it to most places around the world, the best way to break the ice in a new country is to try the local cuisine with some new friends, whether it be eating street food or attending a fancy banquet. Your stomach might not always thank you but the acceptance of the locals more than makes up for it.

I recently emailed our staff, a very well traveled bunch, and asked them what some of the most interesting/different foods they have had on their travels. Not only did they get back to me quickly but they came back with replies of stuff I didn’t even know were edible. I have grouped their replies by world region and the first installment will be Africa. As always, please feel free to post a comment about the most interesting food you have had while on the road.

Tom, Vice President of the North American Office, enjoyed grass cutter in Ghana. Don’t be fooled by the name which sounds somewhat cow like. You can actually see in the photo above. It is actually just a big rat.

Faye, a Program Advisor at our Headquarters in the UK, reports that when she was a volunteer in Ghana she had fish eyes. Whether she enjoyed it or not is another question!

The cuisine of Eastern Europe will follow tomorrow. So be sure to check back!

We would like to wish our man Down-Under, Will, and all our Australian volunteers, past and present, a happy Australian Day! Are you doing anything special to celebrate?

As of today, January 23rd, Americans flying into Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean will need valid passports to reenter the US. This is a big change as U.S. citizens could previously travel to neighboring countries with only a driver’s license or birth certificate.

One unfortunate statistic is that only one forth of Americans hold valid passports, so if you don’t have one already go out and get one! No matter what your nationality is, a passport is crucial to travel abroad, volunteer with us and to become a global citizen. Get one early and travel often!

If you don’t have one and cannot find information about the application process, please do not hesitate to contact us and we can point you in the right direction.