Kosmos

Culture, travel, fashion and culinary delights: the Kosmos pages of Lufthansa Magazin bring you interesting and useful tidbits from around the world

Über Geschmack lässt sich nicht streiten? Oh, doch! Stinkende Früchte, vergammelte Fische – auf diese Delikatessen schwören nur echte Lokalpatrioten — © Cristóbal Schmal

Delicacies

CULTURE CLASH

So there’s no arguing with taste? Oh, yes there is! Only died-in-the-wool fans swear by delicacies such as smelly
fruit and rotten fish

Southeast asia
Durian has been banned in hotels and on airplanes and trains. Nevertheless, the evil-smelling fruit is considered a delicacy in Southeast Asia. What does it taste like? Walnuts, onions and vanilla.

Scandinavia
Surströmming has also been banned by some airlines. The Swedish specialty smells like rotten fish, and that’s exactly what it is: herring that has fermented for several months in brine.

Thailand
In Northern Thailand they sell little balls that look deceptively like falafel but are actually buffalo droppings in which dung beetles have laid their larvae. Yum, yum!

Mr. Know It All

DIY

Done your Christmas shopping yet? Buying online is always an option, but the more personal alternative would be to attend one of these courses and make your own gifts.

Heart note

Put an end to classic perfume bottles under the Christmas tree! A perfume is a far more thoughtful gift if you create it especially for the person you love, for instance at the Musée du Parfum in Paris.

musee-parfum-paris.fragonard.com

Eastern art

There’s a timeless beauty to kanjis, calligraphic designs using Japanese characters. Learn the craft at a kanji workshop given by a shodō master in Tokyo.

tokyocalligraphyclass.com

The healthy hipster

Fermented foods and drinks are all the rage, and you can make them yourself at Ferment Works of
Applegate near Portland, Oregon – or online.

ferment.works

Bowl of soup

Culture clash

The world in a bowl of soup: Some soups are revered as miracle cures, others are shrouded in mystery and legend.

Heavenly grub

Borscht is the classic beet soup of Slavic Christmas parties and funerals. At the latter, the soul of the deceased is said to ascend to heaven with the steam. Speaking of heaven: While in orbit, cosmonauts can even eat borscht from a tube.

Fiery potage

Ancient dish? Not exactly. City dwellers across the world happily tuck into their pho, but the Vietnamese rice-noodle soup was only invented around 100 years ago. Rumor has it that the name comes from pot-au-feu, the classic French beef stew.

Wonder worker

Chicken soup is universally held to be good for a cold, but scientists claim that Japan’s miso is the real wonder soup. It eases stomach and menopausal complaints, and possibly even helps prevent cancer. Here’s a New Year’s recipe: miso with sweet mochi rice cakes.

Caracas, Venezuela

Wheels to worship

In Caracas at Christmas, city streets are blocked off so that people can safely inline skate to mass. How the tradition began is something of a mystery, but it has to be the most athletic way of getting to church.

One who lives sees much. One who travels sees more

Arab proverb

Header Navigation

Boomtown Baku

Gourmet to go

Waterside welcome

Good looks, green soul

Gastrocity Gothenburg

Culture, travel, fashion and culinary delights: the Kosmos pages of Lufthansa Magazin bring you interesting and useful tidbits from around the world

CULTURE CLASH

DIY

Culture clash

Wheels to worship