I only spent about seven days in Amsterdam, but I loved it almost immediately. There was something about the canals, the tall narrow houses, the bicycles rushing past in every direction, and the easy mix of history and everyday life that felt completely different from anywhere I had been before.

The city had a personality all its own. It was beautiful without feeling polished, energetic without feeling frantic, and wonderfully comfortable with being a little unconventional.

And then there was the food.

I still remember how much I enjoyed discovering the city through its cafés, markets, bakeries, and street food. Some travel memories fade into a general impression over time, but food has a way of bringing a place back. A smell, a texture, or a familiar taste can suddenly put you right back on a cobbled street beside an Amsterdam canal.

For many visitors, one of the sweetest introductions to Dutch food culture is the stroopwafel.

“Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth, it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin.”

John Green, from 50 funny travel quotes

What Is a Stroopwafel?

A traditional stroopwafel is made from two thin, crisp waffle cookies joined by a layer of sweet syrup filling.

The name translates simply to syrup waffle, but that description doesn’t quite capture the experience of eating one.

The outside is lightly crisp, while the centre is soft, sticky, and rich with caramel-like flavour. When the waffle is fresh and warm, the syrup becomes wonderfully gooey. The combination is simple, comforting, and surprisingly hard to resist.

Stroopwafels originated in the Dutch city of Gouda, where bakers are believed to have begun making them in the late 18th or early 19th century. Early versions were likely made using bakery scraps and sweetened syrup, turning humble leftover ingredients into something that would eventually become one of the Netherlands’ best-known treats.

Today, you’ll find stroopwafels across the country, from grocery-store packages to freshly made versions served at markets and specialty shops.

The packaged ones can be lovely with coffee, but there’s something especially memorable about watching a stroopwafel being made and eating it while it’s still warm.

The Amsterdam Stroopwafel Experience

Food is always more interesting when you can see how it’s made.

A fresh stroopwafel begins with a small ball of dough pressed into a hot waffle iron. Once cooked, the thin waffle is carefully sliced into two layers. Warm syrup is spread across one half before the second layer is placed on top.

The whole process happens quickly, and the result is quite different from the stroopwafels many travelers may have tried from a supermarket package.

Fresh stroopwafels are softer, warmer, and more fragrant. The syrup stretches slightly as you take a bite, while the waffle still has enough crispness to keep the treat from becoming too heavy.

It’s easy to understand why visitors often seek out mellys stroopwafels while exploring central Amsterdam. A freshly made stroopwafel fits perfectly into a day of wandering beside the canals, browsing shops, and discovering the small details that give the city so much character.

It’s also an easy treat to enjoy while walking, although you may want to stop somewhere scenic and give it your full attention.

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Traditional Stroopwafels and Modern Flavours

The classic stroopwafel is usually filled with a buttery syrup flavoured with brown sugar, cinnamon, or caramel notes. It’s sweet, but the thin waffle layers keep it lighter than many pastries or cakes.

Modern stroopwafel shops have taken that traditional base and added a wide variety of toppings and flavours.

Depending on where you visit, you may find stroopwafels decorated with chocolate, nuts, cookie pieces, candies, or colourful toppings. Some are elaborate enough to feel like a full dessert, while others stay close to the familiar Dutch original.

I’m often drawn to the traditional version when trying a local food for the first time. It gives you a better sense of what made the treat popular in the first place. After that, though, trying a more playful flavour is part of the fun.

That mix of old and new feels especially appropriate in Amsterdam. The city holds onto its traditions while constantly finding creative ways to reinterpret them.

Finding the Best Stroopwafels in Amsterdam

You won’t have much trouble finding stroopwafels in Amsterdam. They appear in supermarkets, gift shops, bakeries, markets, and specialty stores throughout the city.

Quality and freshness can vary, though.

For the fullest experience, look for a shop where the waffles are made in front of you. Seeing the dough pressed, sliced, and filled gives you a much stronger connection to the food than simply picking up a sealed package.

Freshness matters because heat changes the texture of the syrup and waffle. A warm stroopwafel has a soft centre and a gently crisp edge, creating the contrast that makes the treat so satisfying.

Travelers searching for the best stroopwafels in amsterdam may also want to consider location. A central shop is easy to include between other Amsterdam sights, whether you’re spending the day visiting museums, walking through the canal district, or exploring the city’s shopping streets.

How the Dutch Enjoy Stroopwafels

One of the most popular ways to eat a stroopwafel is to place it over the top of a hot cup of coffee or tea.

The steam gently warms the waffle and softens the syrup inside. After a minute or two, the centre becomes gooey without making the outside completely soft.

To try it, choose a stroopwafel that’s slightly larger than the opening of your mug. Set it across the top, wait briefly, and then turn it over so both sides warm evenly.

It’s a small ritual, but a good one.

There’s something very European about slowing down for coffee and a sweet treat instead of treating both as fuel to consume while rushing somewhere else. Amsterdam’s cafés are perfect places to pause, watch the bicycles pass, and give your feet a break after walking along the canals.

Of course, a freshly made stroopwafel doesn’t need any help from a warm drink. It’s best eaten right away, while the filling is still soft from the iron.

Stroopwafels as a Taste of Amsterdam

Amsterdam has no shortage of famous sights. Visitors come for the Rijksmuseum, the Anne Frank House, canal cruises, historic neighbourhoods, and the city’s lively cultural scene.

Yet some of the travel moments that stay with us longest are much smaller.

They’re the moments when we sit beside a canal with something delicious in our hands. They’re the sounds of bicycles ringing their bells behind us, the smell of coffee drifting from a café, or the surprise of discovering a local food we hadn’t expected to love.

That’s what stroopwafels offer.

They’re inexpensive, easy to find, and deeply connected to Dutch food culture. You don’t need a reservation, a guide, or an elaborate plan. You simply need to find a good one, preferably fresh, and enjoy it.

For me, Amsterdam will always be connected to that first feeling of discovering how different and exciting the world could be. I was there for only a week, but the city’s unique vibe, beautiful streets, and memorable food stayed with me.

A warm stroopwafel may be a small part of an Amsterdam trip, but it captures something special about the city. It’s traditional, creative, welcoming, and just a little indulgent.

And sometimes, those small, sweet experiences are exactly what we remember most.

Snack enthusiasts, are you geared up for a TokyoTreat and Bokksu face-off?

Our family of four taste-testers embarked on a culinary journey through these two impressive Japanese snack subscription boxes. Both are significant challengers, offering an array of tantalizing treats, each sporting an attractive price tag, and both with the benefit of free worldwide shipping. Let the flavor battle commence!

We’ve talked before about TokyoTreat snack boxes, and what we enjoyed the most about them. Today we try another TokyoTreat box, and compare it to one of their competitors: Bokksu.

Get Tokyo Treat now.

Get ready globetrotters, foodies, and Japan enthusiasts, as we unpack a savory and sweet showdown between TokyoTreat and Bokksu, two titans of the Japanese snack subscription box world.

The pressing question of the day: which box of Japanese delicacies truly delivers the most authentic and delicious experience?

Sure, they both come with a palatable price point and the allure of free worldwide shipping – a definite nod of approval there!

But each comes with its unique blend of goodies, promising a different yet equally exciting venture into the realm of Japanese snacks.

So, fasten your seat belts and whet your appetites as we dive headfirst into this taste-off to see which box can truly transport your senses to the streets of Japan!

TokyoTreat vs Bokksu

Ever fantasized about a dusk-time ramble through Kyoto’s lantern-lit lanes or a mid-afternoon saunter through Hokkaido’s bustling markets, all while indulging in Japan’s intriguing munchies?

No matter if you’ve already wandered through Japan’s mesmerizing streets, dreamt about a culinary adventure on the island nation, or just have an insatiable curiosity for unique snacks, this review is your one-way ticket to a genuine Japanese taste-venture.

Cozy up and ready your palates, folks, because we’re about to delve into the TokyoTreat and Bokksu subscription boxes – your express ticket to Japan’s edible treasures!

We’ll talk about what both Japanese snack boxes do well, what they have in common, and what they do differently,

Let’s look at TokyoTreat and Bokksu and see which we liked better!

First impressions

Let’s embark on a gastronomic odyssey through Japan’s snack-scape with TokyoTreat and Bokksu!

Both boxes arrived on our doorstep in good condition, and on time.

The most obvious difference here is that TokyoTreat’s box is much larger!

Both boxes came with a helpful, and detailed, booklet describing the snacks, and talking about Japanese culture.

The Bokksu booklet had a section that taught a few Japanese words, which was a lot of fun.

The TokyoTreat booklet was 25 pages long, and packed full of interesting facts about Okinawa, photos and descriptions of each snack, and a contest. The book opened on the left hand side, like Japanese language books do, and I thought that was a neat detail. The theme for this box was Okinawa seaside snacks.

What’s in the Tokyo Treat box?

• 15 to 20 full size Japanese snacks
• 1,300g (2.86 lbs) or more in each Tokyo Treat box
• Tokyo Treat boxes include exclusive Japanese drinks, instant ramen, rare Japanese KitKat flavors, salty and crunchy chips or snacks, fun candy, plus cakes, cookies and breads.
• Each box includes a 24 page culture guide, with photos of the snacks, and a full description.

What’s in the Bokksu box?

Each Bokksu box comes with 22 Japanese snacks, candies, and tea

• Bokksu boxes include treats like mochi, senbei and cakes, with a mix of sweet and savory, a new tea pairing, and Bokksu exclusives made by local makers only for Bokksu
• a 24 page guide

The snacks

Both boxes were packed full of delicious snacks!

The larger TokyoTreat box was full of 20 full size snacks, Japanese drinks, instant ramen, rare Japanese KitKat flavors, salty and crunchy chips or snacks, fun candy, plus cakes, cookies and breads.

This is the third ToyoTreat box we’ve gotten, and all three have been equally full of great snacks.

The Bokksu box comes packed with 21 snacks, including tea, aligning the total count of delicacies in both boxes. However, the composition of these treats varies between the two.

The goodies from both boxes were fantastic and rocked my taste buds!

One of the first snacks we tried from TokyoTreat was the cookies and cream KitKats, and they were delicious, and definitely satisfied our sweet cravings.

Sure, I’ve still got a bunch of snacks to munch through, but let me tell you, both boxes have absolutely smashed it this month. They’re both killin’ the snack game, no doubt about it!

Get Tokyo Treat now.

See our full Tokyo Treat review here.

Bokksu snack boxes are geared to display Japanese culture and support small family-run businesses in Japan. They say they directly source their artisanal snacks from local snack makers in Japan, rather than using commercial snacks.

Bokksu’s boxes change each month, and focus on a theme that’s curated around Japanese holidays, festivals, and prefectures

Shipping is free on all subscriptions, and they ship to a long list of countries.

While the Bokksu snacks were delicious and unique, there are a couple of places where the Bokksu box doesn’t quite measure up.

First, the Bokksu box doesn’t include a Japanese drink, while TokyoTreat does.

Secondly, if you’re a fan of ramen, you’re out of luck with the Bokksu box, as our box didn’t include a ramen offering, but TokyoTreat did.

There’s even a recipe in the TokyoTreat box, outlining how to serve it with summer toppings like cucumber, ham, egg and special furikake on top.

TokyoTreat vs Bokksu – which is more affordable?

Bokksu lets you choose a 12 month, 6 month, 3 month, or monthly subscription.

• 12 months for $39.99/month
• 6 months for $43.99/month
• 3 months for $45.99/month
• 1 month for $49.99/month

TokyoTreat offers four subscription plans:

• 12 month plan for $32.50/month
• 6 month plan for $33.50/month
• 3 month plan for $35.50/month
• a monthly plan for $37.50/month

TokyoTreat definitely wins out for cost. They’re cheaper for all four subscriptions.

If you want the best value, TokyoTreat’s 12 month plan is only $32.50, while Bokksu will set you back $39.99 per month. If you just want to try a month-to-month subscription, ToyoTreat’s is just $37.50 for a month, while Bokksu is $49.99.

TokyoTreat vs Bokksu for vegetarians, food allergies, and dietary restrictions

What I really like about TokyoTreat is that there’s complete information on allergens in the box.

Since three of the four members of our family are vegetarian, I really appreciated that each snack item was marked as safe for vegetarians (or not) in the culture guide.

Bokksu also hits the mark here, with allergens and vegetarian friendly snacks clearly marked in the booklet.

Which is better – TokyoTreat or Bokksu?

TokyoTreat and Bokksu both offer high quality Japanese snack boxes, and I think most people would love either one. For me, the winner lies in the details, price, and size.

TokyoTreat is the clear winner in box size and price as well. On top of that, the TokyoTreat boxes are always fun, colorful and full of great snacks, and come with ramen and a drink, which Bokksu doesn’t offer.

From the moment the TokyoTreat box comes in the mail, to the moment each snack is done, I feel like we’ve been transported to Japan without ever leaving our home.

Get Tokyo Treat now.

It sometimes seems like there’s a gelato or ice cream store or a bakery around every corner. Especially in Europe. My sweet tooth loves Europe.

And they’re so good, and such an important part of experiencing the local culture, you just HAVE to try them, right?

After a few weeks on the road, though, it starts to show.

So we started a few simple rules: we have a salad with every meal (whenever we can), and we’ve embraced the power of the smoothie.

Because I’m a vegetarian, we’ve always been pretty health conscious, so we’ve tried everything in our smoothies from soy milk to almond and coconut milk, and really like the variety in flavors.

So, I was interested when Silk Canada reached out to us to try new Silk Creamy Cashew Milk.

The four of us got busy in the kitchen whipping up a few yummy smoothies made with cashew milk.

The Power of Purple Cashew Milk Smoothie

The kiddos love this smoothie because of the bright purple color, which comes from a whopping big bunch of fresh blueberries and blackberries.

Ingredients

2 cups Silk Creamy Cashew Milk

1 cup ice cubes

1 cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries

1/2 cup fresh (or frozen) blackberres

1 banana

Instructions

Add ingredients to blender, cover and mix.

Matcha Green Tea Cashew Milk Berry Smoothie

This is the smoothie for you if you’re looking for a mega dose of anti-oxidants.

Matcha green tea powder is said to have over a hundred times the antioxidants in regular green tea. It’s made from green tea leaves ground into a fine powder, and instead of seeping the leaves in water, you just use the entire ground-up leaf in powder form.

Matcha smells a lot like warm hay to me. It’s a bit of an acquired taste, with a slight bitter aftertaste. Matcha powder does contain caffeine, so you may want to keep this one for the grown ups.

Ingredients

1 tsp matcha green tea powder

1 large banana

2 large strawberries

1 cup Silk Creamy Cashew Milk

1/2 cup ice cubes

Instructions

Add ingredients to blender, cover and mix.

Silk Creamy Cashew Smoothie with Avocado

I haven’t tried this Silk Creamy Cashew Smoothie recipe from Silk Canada yet, but I’m really looking forward to trying the combination of cashew and avocado.

Ingredients

1 cup Silk Creamy Cashew Milk

1/2 banana, fresh or frozen

1/4 ripe avocado

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup ice

Instructions

Blend and enjoy.

More about Silk Creamy Cashew Milk

Silk Creamy Cashew has fewer calories than skim milk, but as much calcium as dairy milk with only 60 calories per serving.

Cashew milk is especially good in your creamier recipes, such as ice cream or mashed potatoes.

Silk Creamy Cashew is Non-Gmo Project Verified, gluten free, dairy free and soy free.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

There is something incredible about going to Southeast Asian countries.

Apart from their stunning landscapes, smiley local faces and beautiful UNESCO heritage sites you can explore, there is also the food – unique, flavored with various herbs and spices, healthy and extremely delicious! What is more, you can enjoy a great variety of Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese and Laotian dishes at a very affordable prices, so if you are a budget foodie, you will find these travel destinations your food paradise on Earth.

If you are not familiar with the local cuisine, let me introduce you to 10 cheap and delicious South-East Asian dishes you must try when there:

1. Vietnamese Pho.

Description: Pho is one of the most famous Vietnamese treats. It’s healthy, served hot with any kind of thin sliced meat of your choice (chicken, duck or beef) and flat rice noodles. If you are a big fan of veggies, you will simply fall in love with this soup as you can find plenty of fresh veggies there (sliced carrot, onion, parsley) and herbs such as chili peppers, mint, basil or bean. Pho can be found anywhere, from budget local restaurants to street vendors. Vietnamese often have it as a breakfast meal.

Price: 20.000 dong – 40.000 ($1 – $1.90)

2. Vietnamese Bugs.

Description: Although Thailand is the most famous country for eating bugs, worms, scorpions and snakes, Vietnamese locals are also adventurous eaters. They often indulge themselves in oily and nutritious fetal duck eggs or bugs.

Price: 8.000 dong ($0.28) per one scoop of bugs.

3. Vietnamese spring rolls (Cha Gio).

Description: 5.000 dong ($0.24) each.

Price: Vietnamese rolls are very crispy and oily, yet extremely yummy. They are usually stuffed with pork or shrimps, shredded carrots and mung bean noodles. You can have it as your snack on the go or a lunch or dinner meal.

4. Cambodian pineapple filled with fried rice and veggies.

Description: It does not only look charming and lovely, but it also tastes amazingly good. It will give you a boost of energy and make your day! The pineapple is usually filled with fried egg, rice and a mixture of local vegetables such as carrot, onion and green peas.

Price:$2 per dish, but it’s definitely too much for one person so you can share it with a fellow traveler and still have a room for a great Cambodian dessert for less than $1.

5. Cambodian fried rice with soy and chili sauce.

Description: Heart-shaped fried rice with egg is a very mild and simple dish served all over Cambodia (not always heart-shaped). You can either have it mild or hot if you add some chili sauce. You can also ask for more raw veggies such as tomatoes, cucumber or carrot.

Price: $2.

6. Laotian curry.

Description: Lao curry and sticky rice is what we found to be the most delicious dish in Don Det (4,000 Islands). It is a perfect meal for those who like spicy food, but not to the point of burning. The dish is definitely a great composition of onion, green beans and tomato sauce.

Price: $2.

7. Laotian egg with rice.

Description: There is nothing better than having a nice and refreshing egg and rice meal. Whether you feel like craving something simple, you can order one of these. If you want to be more adventurous, top it with some spicy sauce and prawns!

Price: 8,000 and 10,000 Kip ($1-$1.25)

8. Thai papaya salad.

Description: Papaya salad is an extremely refreshing meal. It is often served with sticky rice and grilled chicken, but it can also be eaten with fresh rice noodles. It is all about the amazing taste and smell of herbs and spices!

Price: $1 – $2.

9. Thai spring rolls.

Description: Thai spring rolls are usually vegetarian, but you can find them with meat too. Brimming with vegetables and lots of flavor, these spring rolls make a great appetizer! You should definitely add them to your must-east food list on your culinary journey in Bangkok for $10.

Price: A set of 3 big or 4 small costs $1.

10. Thai pancakes.

Description: Thai pancakes are one of the most popular street foods. Served with banana or mango poured with Nutella or peanut butter, one of these will definitely make your day sweet! It’s a great breakfast or snack idea when strolling down the streets of Bangkok. Be careful, though, you can also find another type of pancakes, which are tough and crispy and often served with meat.

Price: $1 per pancake.

As you can see, South-East Asia has a lot to offer in terms of food. If you are a travel foodie as us, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand will be your best friends! There is a great variety of lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and flavors. The dishes prepared by local vendors are stunning, with their affordable prices you can eat a lot and pay a little!

What’s your favorite South-East Asian meal so far? Have you ever tried to make one at home?

About our guest author:

Agness is a Polish tramp who has left her comfort zone in 2011 to travel the world on the cheap, spending less than $25 a day. Together with her best friend Cez, she shares her budget travel tips and adventures on eTramping.com. She is also a food lover, life enthusiast, yoga manic and photography passionate.

I’ve been reading fellow travel blogger Jodi Ettenberg’s wonderful Food Traveler’s Handbook, and it’s led me to think more and more about how food intertwines with our travels.

It’s really as simple as this: When the food is good, our travels are usually good, and when the food is bad, our travels are usually bad. And lately, in the warm climate of Southern Spain, the food has been very good.

We’ve spent the last month sandwiched between Andalusia’s green mountains and the Mediterranean. With the beautiful climate in Southern Spain comes an abundance of fresh, ripe, locally grown veggies and fruit. Since we cook most of our meals ourselves, all of this wonderful produce has made its way into hearty vegetable soups, salads and (one of our travel favorites) grilled vegetable sandwiches.

We first got the inspiration for these sandwiches from the interior of British Columbia, during a visit to the Tranquille Farm Fresh market last summer. The fresh produce and clean air of Southern Spain reminded us a lot of our time in the mountains in British Columbia, making Spain a perfect place to recreate these yummy grilled veggie sandwiches.

This is not a precise recipe, which is why it’s such a great meal for traveling. I usually make it with whatever vegetables are fresh and on hand, and use the local cheeses and breads we like most.

We generally eat these as is, however Charles loves his with a few strips of bacon for any of you non-vegetarians out there. For an extra protein boost, I love mine with strips of smoked tempeh – so good! You can pick your favorite protein from this handy guide to protein sources from Radical Strength.

We even love roasted carrots in this sandwich!

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 Zucchini
• 1 Eggplant
• 1 Onion
• 1 Red pepper (or capsicum, for those from the UK or Australia)
• 1 Yellow pepper (or capsicum, for those from the UK or Australia)
• 4 Lettuce leaves
• 1 Tomato
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 Tablesppons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 2 Fresh baguettes cut in half (to make four sandwiches) or 4 fresh buns
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 4 Slices Havarti (feel free to substitute Gouda, Cheddar, Edam or any other cheese)

Easy Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

• 3 Garlic cloves (whole)
• 4 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• A few drops of hot sauce (optional)

Preparation

• Wash vegetables and lettuce and pat dry.
• Slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices and set aside.
• Slice vegetables into half inch thick slices, brush with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Leave skin on garlic cloves and brush with oil.
• Cut baguette or buns in half lengthwise, and spread both sides lightly with butter.

Cooking

• Place vegetables (except for tomatoes) on hot grill. You can cook veggies on a BBQ, an open-faced grill, or even a hot frying pan, and they’ll turn out perfectly delicious.
• Cook until vegetables are tender. Toss with balsamic vinegar, if desired.
• Place baguette, butter side up, on grill and cook until warmed through.

Assembly

• Pop the skins off roasted cooked garlic cloves, and mash the garlic cloves into the mayonnaise with a fork. Add a few drops of hot sauce to season, if desired.
• Spread roasted garlic mayonnaise on both sides of baguette.
• Pile piping hot vegetables on the bottom half of the baguette.
• Cover with cheese. If you’d like the cheese to melt thoroughly, pop the sandwiches under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese.
• Place uncooked tomatoes and lettuce on top of cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!

Micki

To heck with that. I’m in it for the food. In the spirit of foodies everywhere, I present my five step plan to eating your way through a holiday in Crete.

Step 1. Tsikoudia

The Minoans made wine in Crete before 1600 BC. In well over 3,000 years, it seems the people of Crete have learned a lot.

Fragrant Cretan tsikoudia (which is also known locally as raki) is the national drink and made from the left-overs of wine production. It’s cheap, at about 50 cents a glass, and packs a punch, ranging from 30 to 90% alcohol. Tsikoudia is often made in small batches by one or two licensed brewers in each village, creating a great variety between villages. Sounds like the perfect excuse for a village tour.

Step 2. Appetizers (Mezes)

Greek appetizers are often served in tavernas. They range from simple dishes like local olives, fried eggplant, and fresh artichokes swimming in olive oil to more elaborate fare.

The most famous of Crete’s appetizers is likely dakos, made of chopped fresh tomatoes, sprinkled with mizithra cheese and oregano, and served on top of crispy paximadia bread.

Step 3. Cheese

Crete, like the rest of Greece, offers a dizzying variety for cheese lovers like me. Made of sheep’s milk, Gravieria resembles gruyère, and has a slightly sweet caramel flavor. To be truly authentic, graviera should be aged in the White Mountains for at least six months. Staka, a rich cheese made from sheep or goats cream and simmered with flour, is often used as a dip or poured over pilaf.

Step 4. Vegetarian Offerings

Crete’s restaurants often offer ofanas (orphans), meatless variations of many of the meat-based dishes so famous in Greece. Strict fasting rules from the Orthodox church meant that many Greeks used to go without dairy, fish, meat and poultry for long periods before Christmas and the Assumption of the Virgin in July.

Crete’s ofanas dolmades are stuffed with rice, mint, eggplant, zucchini, carrots and onions.

Step 5. Dessert

Crete’s desserts definitely tempt. Crete’s desserts range from patouda (a shortbread enclosing walnuts and almonds) to stafidota (almond-raisin cookies) or zournadakia (phyllo filled with nuts and honey). Lychnarakia (also called sweet kaltsounia) are deep fried pastries of lemon rind, honey, cinnamon and vanilla that are said to resemble tiny oil lamps. Christmas is celebrated with many special desserts, including the tempting melomakarona, spice cookies dipped in honey.

Even simple desserts like loukoumades, which resemble donut holes fried with olive oil and topped with nuts, cinnamon and honey, look decadent.

What’s next?

To work off all of that amazing food, I’ve heard there are at least a few (dozen) interesting things to do in Crete.

Viator has some great tours of Crete to get you started.

Crete’s a perfect place to explore ancient ruins.

Watch the fishing boats bobbing in the blue sea.

Check out the local wildlife.

Take a walk around the historic town of Heraklion and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.

When I’m done all that, it may just be time to visit one of Crete’s lovely tavernas again.

Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the multi-talented folks at other travel blogs.

A Mouthwatering Fruit Buffet

Migration Mark at Migrationology talks about his mouthwatering experience at a fruit buffet in Thailand. While this isn’t a recipe, his description of the luscious fresh fruit available in Thailand made me want to jump on a plane to Southeast Asia. Mark’s fruit buffet experience is something I can’t easily replicate everywhere, but it’s a great inspiration for hitting the exotic fruit section at our supermarket.

Coconut Curry

Jodi Ettenberg at Legal Nomads posted a yummy coconut curry recipe. While the recipe and photos are wonderful, what I like most is Jodi’s philosophy of food. Jodi says, “What fascinates me about cooking is both the way that different tastes mix and blend together, creating perfect matches from seemingly unrelated beginnings, and the history and trajectory of each ingredient in a meal.”

Vegetable Biryani

Justin P. Moore from Lotus Artichoke got my taste buds working overtime with his recipe for a vegetable biryani. He based his recipe on a biryani he tasted at a little corner stall in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, South India. Justin’s site is chock full of great vegan recipes.

Gin Passion Drink

A great drink can make for the perfect meal. Talon Windwalker from 1Kid1Dad has a great recipe for a Gin Passion. Talon uses passion fruit juice in this recipe, but I think this would work well with almost any tropical juice, including POG (pineapple, orange, and guava) from Hawaii.

Grandma Ople’s Apple Pie

All of these delicious vegetarian recipes wouldn’t be complete without a great dessert. Akila and Patrick from The Road Forks deliver big time with a truly decadent recipe for Grandma Ople’s Apple Pie. Check out the topping poured over the pie to make a delicious, crispy  crust. You may need a family of five to finish this deep-dish lattice topped wonder.

Hope you enjoyed these!

I love to get immersed in the countries I’m visiting. This means getting as far away from any English speaking folks or signs as I can.

As a vegetarian, this can be pretty tough. I break out a few words in Mandarin (or Thai, or Cantonese) and ask for something with no meat. I almost always end up with pork or fish, because most people assume vegetarian means only avoiding red meat. Vegetarian is a concept that just doesn’t translate well.

After seemingly countless meals trying to order vegetarian food, I was getting frustrated. And hungry.

And then I found the bakeries.

Beautiful cases of delicious rolls, breads and pastries. Perfect for a vegetarian, right? Charles, who’s not a vegetarian, sure wasn’t arguing. And it turns out that almost all of the countries across Southeast Asia share these wonderful bakeries.

So I’ve spent most of our travels eating my way through the bakeries of Southeast Asia. It’s been wonderful. It’s the perfect excuse to scarf down delicious buns with cotton candy like floss on top, savoury cheese buns and baked treats.

Not knowing the language really hasn’t mattered, since it’s usually easy to spot and avoid the meat.

I thought I had been doing well… until I found a sign like this in Hong Kong, a few months into our last trip to Asia.

Dammit. Yeah, you read that right. Pork floss. It seems all that delicious cotton candy type floss I had been enjoying was actually meat based.

Yep, that’s right:  I’m a vegetarian, and I’ve traveled the world unintentionally fueled by meat floss.

Now for anyone of Asian descent, this is probably not a revelation. But I grew up in rural Alberta, Canada. The most worldly thing in our spice rack was labelled oregano. Meat floss was definitely not on the menu.

More about Meat Floss

I may be the rare vegetarian able to tell you this from personal experience:  Meat floss is sweet like cotton candy, but salty at the same time. It looks a little like brown dryer lint, and dissolves in your mouth.

Wikipedia tells me that meat floss is made by stewing pork in sweet soy sauce until the meat falls apart. The muscle fibres are teased apart, and then it’s dried in the oven and a dry cooked in a large wok where flavors are added.

Sometimes it’s called rousong, meat floss, pork floss, meat wool (mmm…. meat wool… who wouldn’t want to eat that?). There are two common kinds of pork floss: pork sung (the lyrical kind?) and pork fu (I guess that’s the badass kind).

What crazy things have you eaten (intentionally or unintentionally) on the road? Let us know in the comments below – we’d love to hear about it.