Q&A time!

A friend wrote me an email recently, asking some very interesting questions. I decided to share some of the questions and answers with everyone on the blog...

1.) What is the experience of grocery shopping like in Bangladesh?

Much like the same at home - except that the stores are smaller...less selection than we're used to from the mega marts. And different things available from local producers. There's usually one whole aisle dedicated to spices, and they are sold in bulk bags vs. little jars of seasonings. Usually there is a guy that follows you around to help you take things off the shelf or find things. In the produce section, you take what you want and the produce helper guy weighs it and bags it in a paper sack for you.

2.) Have you picked up the language?

I'm taking Bangla lessons. There's a former peace corp volunteer that went native (he married a Bangladeshi girl) and he's teaching us twice a week, when we can make it. I'm learning some words - enough to ask for water (panni) or say yes (gee) or no (nah)...go left (bamme chalo) or go right (danne chalo) or good (bhalo). Haha - enough to be dangerous I guess. I know some numbers too. The sentence structure in Bangla is very simple. Noun (like I, you, he, she) adverb verb. I'm picking up japanese too from my co-worker. =) Kengyo Bachi (sp?) = Fish Bowl. Which is what it feels like sometimes when you're driving and people stop to stare at you.

stuck in traffic...

Leaving a tea estate this weekend in Srimangal - it's not so bad when kids are oggling at you.

3.) What is the craziest piece of fruit or veggie that you have been exposed via your new culinary exploration?

Hmmmmm...nothing too crazy yet. Well - I do have some things that I tried in Srimangal this weekend. I'll post pictures on the blog. One looked like rosehips sort of - it was a seed surrounded by red fleshy petals that were closed tightly around the seed. We saw a bunch of these drying on the side of the road and one girl and I tried it. It tasted tangy, but very refreshing. Very similar to rhubarb in flavor and texture. I also tried a fresh pan (sounds like paan) leaf (betel leaf). Lots of people have it with tobacco, betel nut and chalk (which creates this weird red color in your mouth). But just the pan leaf tasted sort of like pepperoni - without the meaty flavor. It's a weird description, but everyone who tasted it with me agreed to my analysis of it. It left a tingly feeling on the outer front tip and sides of my tongue and I had to spit the leaf out because it was a little acidic feeling. When you swallow - it sort of hits the back of your throat like you've sucked in a cigarette without a filter...same aftertaste too.

PAN leaf (sounds like paan) - Betel Leaf

Pan is a parasitic plant that grows on trees - it's the vine wrapping itself around the tree trunk.Jackfruit - I've had dried jackfruit before...but never fresh and I've never seen it on the tree before! I didn't eat this because it wasn't ripe yet...but I thought it made for a great shot. Here's a close up and then a further shot of a more mature fruit.