What I miss?

Reissun aikana yleisin puheenaihe ruokapoydassa on useimmiten ollut se, mita kukin kaipaa omasta kotimaastaan. Matkan paalla ollessa on tullut kaipuu useita herkkuja kohtaan kotoa Suomesta, mutta myos tutustutta uusin kulinariinisiin herkkuihin, joita kaipaan jo nyt ja tiedan tulevani kaipaamaan Suomessa.

When you travel as a backpacker probably the most common subject at the dinner table is to talk about the things you miss from home. Also I have missed few treats from Finland during the travels. But also in the other hand I have got to know new dishes which I know I will be missing back home.

First meal in South East Asia and immediately four new great friends !

Breakfast set 2 in Malaysia with beautiful and people who I'll always remember

With these people we actually mostly just mocked each others - best time !

Ensinnakin thai-ruoka. Ennen matkaanlahtoa kasitykseni thai-ruoasta oli, etta siihen luultavasti kuuluu riisi. That's it. Reissun aikana kuitenkin tutustuin ihaniin curryihin kuten Red Curryyn ja Massaman curryyn, joista tuli omat ehdottomat suosikit. Puhumattakaan tulisesta papaya-salaatista Tom Sumista. Itseasiassa yllatin itseni oppimalla syomaan tulista ruokaa ja jossain kohtaa reissua ruoka ilman chilia oli kuin olisi syonyt vessapaperia - mautonta. Thaimaalaisen ruuan lisaksi kaipaan Malesiassa saamaani ihanaa intialaista ruokaa ja roti chanai -annosta. Kaiholla muistelen roti-ahkyjani, silla joskus tuli syotya rotia aamupalaksi, paivalliseksi ja illalliseksi. Thai-ruuat seka muiden maiden herkut useimmiten huuhdeltiin alas shakeilla, joista tuli toinen addiktio. Ananas-, appelsiini-, vesimeloni- seka ehdoton suosikki passionhedelmashake ja lista jatkuu loputtomiin. Vain mielikuvitus oli rajana.

First of all Thai food.  Before I left to travel I didn't have any idea what Thai food is more than rice. But now I'm a big fan of Massaman and Red Curry and the spicy papaya salad Tom Sum. Thai food is quite spicy and I actually surprised myself by getting used to spicy food and actually liking it. In some point food with out chili tasted like paper - nothing. I also miss the Indian food from Malaysia and specially roti canai -dish which was my favourite. Sometimes I ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner ! And still got bored with it. All the Thai and other countries treats were washed down with delicious fruit shakes. Pineapple, orange, watermelon and my absolute favourite passionfruit shake and the list could just continue. Only your imagination is the limit.

One of my favourites - Massaman curry with rice

Yummy yummy Indian food

Watermelon shake this time

And sometimes we drank some ..

... other kind of shakes too ..

 En myoskaan aiemmin osannut kuvitellakaan, kuinka monella eri tapaa banaania voidaan valmistaa. Tai etta lajikkeita loytyy useita erilaisia eri ruokalajeja varten. Esimerkiksi pienet ja makeat banaanit ovat taydellisia herkullisen pannukakun taytteeksi. Harvoin on pannukakku maistunut niin hyvalta kuin Koh Taon yossa, kun myyjapoika antoi meille yonalkaisille juhlijoille pannukakut ilmaiseksi. Pannukakku oli Thaimaan tapaan ihanan ohut ja valiin oli pilkottu ihanan makeita banaaninsiivuja ja paalle levitetty kondensoitua maitoa. Indonesiassa Gileilla taas guesthousimme nuoret pojat tekivat niin hyvia pannukakkuja aamupalaksi etten voinut uskoakaan. Kun taas Sanurin iltamarkkinoilta sain ihanimmat friteeratut banaanit. Banaanishakeja sain siella seka taalla ja Malesiassa maistoin paistettua banaania, joka maistui hieman perunalle. Tama keltainen pitkulainen herkku rikastutti usein myos aamiasmurojani makealla maullaan ja varillaan. Monipuolinen kaveri siis !

Like most people I usually eat my banana in the simple way: I just peel it and put in my mouth. But this treat can be eaten in so many different ways that I couldn't even imagine. Or that there would be so many different varietys for different dishes. For example the small and sweet ones are perfect for making bananapancakes. One of the best banana pancakes I had in Koh Tao when we came from partying and needed food. This lovely saleboy gave as pancakes for free and they were delicious ! In Indonesia and Gili island the boys from our guesthouse made so good pancakes I couldn't believe it. Whereas in Sanur I got the most delicious fried bananas from the night market. Banana shakes I got here and there and in MalaysiaI tried cooked banana which tasted like potato (!?). This small yellow treat delightet many times also my breakfast cereals. So is still someone saying banana is a boring fruit? 

Kate and her cute little banana shake !

Fried bananas not in Bali but in Thai market

Morning cereals and muesli with BANANA at Lao

Hedelmista lisaksi avocado on paatynyt nykyaan vakituiseksi vierailijaksi lautaselleni. Erityisesti taalla Down Underissa. Reissun paalla ihmettelin Katen hurmosta avocadoa kohtaan, mutta nyt ymmarran mista han puhui. Olen myos koukussa. Tuohon vihreaan, maultaan melkein mitaansanomattomaan, mutta silti makunystyroitani kutkuttavaan vihreaan hedelmaan, jonka kypsymista en koskaan malta odottaa. Toinen herkku, johon olen taalla Australiassa tutustunut ja herannyt on honey toast. Eli paahtoleipa hunajalla ja voilla. Kylla, olen petturi. Minun ei suomalaisena ikina tulisi sekoittaa makeaa hunajaa ja suolaisen herkun pohjaksi kuuluvaa paahtoleipaa toisiinsa. Vain hullut etela-eurooppalaiset tunkevat marmelaadia tai nutellaa voileipiinsa. Emme me suomalaiset, jotka tiedamme voileivan syvimman olemuksen. Mutta .. Kokeilkaa. Se on tosi hyvaa !

In addition of pineapple, banana etc. also avocado is a common fruit on my plate nowadays. Specially here in Australia. Actually in S-Asia I marveled Kate's passion towards avocados but now i understand what she was talking about. Now I am also addicted to that green and little plain tasting fruit which never gets ripened. Or I am just too hasty.  Another thing which i have learned to like here is honey toast. Butter and honey on toast. Yes, I am a betrayer. As a Finnish girl I should never mix sweet honey and toast. We Finns have used to but cheese or ham on our toast. We are not those crazy people like French and Spanish who put chocolate or jam on their toast. No no no .. But this time I will say go crazy and try my Finnish friends!

The best sandwiches in the world ! Or in Thailand .. @Bangkok

 Viimeisina uusina herkkuina mainitsen vanhat tutut, joiden olemassaolon olen tiedostanut jo Suomessa ollessani, mutta niiden herkullisuutta en tarpeeksi arvostanut. Muna ja suklaamaito. Ei siis yhdessa vaan (kanan)muna munakkaana ja suklaamaito kylmana herkkuna jalkiruuaksi tai muuten vain hyvana proteiinia tuovana virvokkeena lampiman paivan aikana. Historiani munapakkaamon kesatyontekijana neljana kesana melkein peratysten on aiheuttanut sen, etta en ole suuri kananmunan ystava ja en juurikaan ole pitanyt sen syomisesta. K-Aasiassa paikalliset kuitenkin valmistivat kananmunasta mahtavia ja herkullisia munakkaita, jonka jalkeen tama tytto on kaantanyt kelkkansa ! Suklaamaidon herkullisuus kavi luultavasti vain ilmi siksi, etta jaatelon sijaan useimmiten helpommin oli saatavilla suklaamaitoa. Pakkasten yllapito hellekeleissa on melko hintavaa. Itseasiassa paikalliset eivat paljoakaan jaateloa syoneet jalkiruuaksi vaan ennemminkin mita ihmeellisemman nakoisia ja varisia leivoksia kuin vain voit kuvitella. Useimmiten niiden varimaailma oli niin yltakyllainen, etten edes uskaltanut maistaa. Pelkasin vain, etta saan variaineista yliannostuksen.

The last "new" treats I mention are those which I have actually known before but I have found and fell for them after leaving Finland. Egg and chocolate milk. I haven't liked much eggs after I first time worked as summer jobber in egg packing factory. After four summers there I have lost totally my interest to eat eggs. But I found eggs again in S-Asia as the locals made delicious omelets and sometimes the egg just were the only vegetarian choice on the menu. It was also the same thing with chocolate milk. I love ice cream but mostly I just had to settle for the liquid version of milk and chocolate.Actually the ice cream isn't so popular dessert as the locals like to eat lot of different kind of cakes which are more colorful than 4-year-old kid's pyjamas. You can find cakes which are pink, green, orange, etc. Actually the colourful made me scare them as I thought I would just get colourant overdoze.

Ormm 'lovely' cakes ..

Man selling cakes at the market in Thailand

Entapa ne kotoa kaivatut herkut? Useimmiten suomalaiset vastaavat ensimmaisena ruisleipa ja HK:n sininen. Jalkimmainen sulkeutuu pois kohdallani kasvissyonnin vuoksi ja toinen tulee ihan hyvana kakkosena tai kolmosena listallani. Omaksi hammastyksekseni en ole kaivannut kyseista herkkua ja olen itseasiassa Australiassa saanut kaipaukseen hieman lohdutusta saksalaisesta Pumpernickel-leivasta, joka muistuttaa meidan herkkuamme.

But how about the treats I miss from home? Mostly we Finns miss our black rye bread and our own sausage HK's blue (hahah, sounds so strange in English). The later one I don't miss anyway as I'm a vegetarian but also I'm surprised that the rye bread isn't the thing I have missed most. As for example here you can buy the German Pumpernickel bread which is actually quite good substitute for our bread. 

This has nothing to do with HK sausage - just a nice food picture more ! @ Cambodia

Eniten olen kuitenkin kaivannut Suomen marjoja seka lempijogurttiani Bulgarian jogurttia (se, jossa on se hassu mamma kyljessa). Mustikat, vadelmat ja mansikat suoraan omilta konnuilta poimittuina (useimmiten aidin toimesta, koska itse olen maailman laiskin poimija).. Te ette tiedakaan, millaisia aarteita meidan metsissa tai puutarhoissa kasvaakaan ! Nama herkut yhdessa lempijogurttini kanssa ovat herkku, jota olen todella kaivannut. Josta paasenkin aiheeseen jogurtit, jotka Kaakkois-Aasiassa ovat oikeita sokeripommeja ja ilmeisesti luonnonjogurtti on sama asia kuin vaniljajogurtti. Olen siis kovasti kaivannut sita vanhaa mummoa jogurttipurkkini kyljessa ! Australiassa olen onneksi loytanyt aivan vastaavan tuotteen ja makunystyrani hyrraavat jalleen.

So mostly I have missed the Finnish berries and my favourite plain yoghurt. The berries here have different taste and I really miss the little treats from our Finnish forests. For example at Finland I usually have berries picked straight from the forest (thanks to my dear mom) and not those greenhouse ones. The taste is completely different. Those with my favourite yoghurt .. Which I have really missed as in Asia the people really like sweet stuff and the plain yoghurt reminded vanilla yoghurt we have in Finland. Luckily here after many tastings I found same kind of yoghurt ! Little detective did it again.

Malaysian "natural" yoghurt for breakfast

My new favorite yoghurt

Makunystyrani alkoivat myos hyrraamaan, kun soin pitkasta aikaa puuroa. Ostin paikallisesta marketista kaurahiutaleita, jotka valmistin taysmaidon kanssa ja sain aikaan ihanan lautasellisen sileaa puuroa. Maku ja sen pehmoinen koostumus melkein muistutti mielestani riisipuuroa, joten paatin lisata paalle hieman sokeria ja kanelia. Sanotaanko, etta kay korvikkeesta, mutta tatini tekeman aidon riispuuron rinnalle se ei kylla paase. Ei edes jalkopaahan. Makunystyroitani useimmiten hellin jaatelon kera, jota olen kylla matkan aikana paassyt nauttimaan useasti. Itseasiassa Singaporessa soin ehka elamani parasta pistaasijaateloa ikina ja Malesiassa loytamani herkku Magnumin suklaatryffelijaatelo melkein yltaa taydellisyyteen. Jokin siina perinteissa suomalaisessa jaatelossa kuitenkin on ja kaipaamaan sita. Vai onko se ehka se, etta olen tottunut nauttimaan sita ihanien ihmisten ymparoimana?

I also love porridge and in Finland we have so many different kind of porridges we like to eat. Oatmeal, rye, rice and barley etc. Here I bought some oats from the supermarket and made for myself a bowl of nice smooth milky porridge. The taste and the smooth texture reminded rice porridge which is traditional Christmas dish in Finland and which is my favourite. I actually eat it around the year - it's too good ! Usually you put cinnamon and sugar on the top and tried it with my oatmeal porridge but I have to say it wasn't same .. I just have to wait my aunt's delicious rice porridge. She's the master to do it. Other thing than porridge I love is ice cream (which I have mentioned few times ..). I've had delicious and perhaps the best pistacchio gelato in Singapore and I probably found my favourite ice cream in Malaysia (Magnum's Chocolate truffle) but still I miss the Finnish ice cream. There is something special .. Or is the something special that I have used to enjoy it with people ho are close and important to me?

So true !

Ice Cream in American style in Thailand

Ice cream and crepes in Bali

 Itseasiassa kun mietin, onko se sittenkaan se ruoka jota kaipaan? Vai onko se ne hetket ja ihmiset, joiden kanssa olen naiden herkkujen nauttimisen jakanut. Ruokaan liittyy paljon erilaisia aistimuksia: maut, hajut, tuntemukset seka kokemukset. Useimmiten ruokahetket jaat sinulle laheisten ja tarkeiden ihmisten kanssa ja sen vuoksi niihin liittyy myos paljon tarkeita muistoja. Esimerkiksi kanelin tuoksu tuo mieleeni jouluherkut ja lampimat muistot yhteisista hetkista perheen kanssa. Ei ehka ihme, etta usein kun kaipaan lohtua ja turvaa teen itselleni lautasellisen riisipuuroa kanelisokerin kera. Pitka matkani on nyt tuonut minulle uusia kanelinmakuisia muistoja. Tasta lahtien aina kun haistan intialaisen ruuan tuoksun, voin kuvitella itseni Kuala Lumpurin kaduille ja niihin hetkiin: hengailu kaupan ulkopuolella aamun pikkutunneille asti ja Le Villagen chillailuhetket. Kuullessani Frendit -sarjan pyorivan televisiossa, mieleeni palaavat rappion hetket Laosissa Vang Viengin ravintoloissa ja maukkaat aamupalat jaakahveineen. Nama aistimukset ja niiden mieleen tuomat muistot, pitavat monet tarkeat ja onnelliset hetket mielessani elavina ja maukkaina viela pitkaan. Ja useimmista onnellisista hetkista saan kiittaa kaikkia niita ihania ihmisia, joiden kanssa olen ne jakanut.

Actually when I think about it is it actually food what I miss? Or is it the moments and the people with whom I have shared these treats? Food isn't just piece of bread or bowl of porridge. There are smells, tastes, memories, experiences and feelings. Often you share your meal with people who are close and important to you like friends and family. That's why you may have lot of warm memories concerned with food. For example the smell of cinnamon conjures up Christmas treats and the warm memories of the happy moments with my family. I don't wonder why my comfort food is rice porridge with cinnamon sugar. Now I have new comforting moments from my long trip. Nowadays if i smell Indian food I go back to those happy days in Kuala Lumpur when we stayed out until dawn or chilled at the Le Village -hostel.  TV Show friends instead reminds me from the days in Laos and Vang Vieng. Hangover days after great parties and yummy breakfasts in the restaurants. These senses and the memories which they conjure up keep many important and happy moments alive and delicious in my heart and mind for long time. And most of them are thanks for the lovely people I have shared them with.

Kate's birthday dinner in Bangkok

Christmas dinner which I will always remember with great company !

And the delicious Christmas dessert ! Yum !

Dinner at Koh Lanta with Team Finland the others

Lunch with local youngsters in Khanom - perhaps one of the weirdest moments in my life !

Sometimes it's definitely the company - watermelon wouldn't have tasted so good without that girl

Markus and Kate "enjoying" dinner at Krabi

Vegetarian in a fish restaurant - and still got her tummy full ! And cheeks hurt after this night

Breakfast time in Thailand

Ihania ja maukkaita hetkia .. Mutta nyt on pakko paattaa tama blogiteksti ja .. Menna jaakaapille !

Lovely and delicious moments .. But now I must end this blog text and .. Go to the fridge !