The southern most state of India, Kerala is also known as God’s own country. Anyone who has ever set foot in this gorgeously lush green land of backwaters, coconut trees and the sea would know why it is so fondly called the most beautiful state of India. A very popular destination with the both Indian and non Indian tourists, Kerala is famous for its Ayurvedic Retreat centers and magnificent beaches.

I share a special connection with Kerala and perhaps that is why I just absolutely love everything about it; the culture, the history, the scenic beauty, the people and of course the cuisine! The cuisine of Kerala is distinctly vibrant due the lavish use of exotic spices like cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, peppercorns, long pepper, black cumin and the quintessential kudampuli (a dried fruit similar to tamarind). Hey, it is not known as the spice capital of India for nothing. A wide variety of premium quality spices and produced and exported to the whole world from Kerala.

The state is blessed with the bounty of the sea and the locals know how to make the best of it. I ate the most lip smacking delicious fish curry flavored with chillies, coconut milk and kudampuli in Cochin. Anotther Kerala speciality which I aboslutely love is Appam – a melt in your mouth soft spongy slightly sweetish pancake with a thick center made out of rice flour. Hot appams with egg curry make the most delectable lunch! If you are into exploring exotic destinations that offer the best of cuisine, I would highly recommend adding this coastal paradise to your gastronomic adventures!

Oh, and how can I not mention the dangeroulsy addictive snack – banana chips! These chips are made with fresh green plantain that is sliced and deep fried in coconut oil. These crunchy bites are so delicious that you will forget your diet but the calories are totally worth pleasing your tastebuds!

Anyone who has been to or is from China knows that Chinese food in China is nothing like the Chinese food in the US. In fact, I don’t recall seeing fried rice which is so popular in US in any of the traditional restaurants. My trip to China began in the capital city of Beijing. They say that “there are two things you must do in Beijing, to eat the Beijing Roast duck and to see the ten thousands miles long Great wall. So writing about Beijing Culinary Travel cannot be complete without the mention of Peking Duck. My friend Bill Zhang took me to Quan Ju De – a restaurant famous for its Peking Duck. But before I could give into the fatty pleasures of the roast duck, I had to learn a little about this Beijing delicacy.

Peking duck begins with a duck that must be the white Beijing variety of superior quality – the “Forced- Feeding Duck,” which is about three kilogram when killed. When roasting the duck, compressed air is injected into the duck between its skin and flesh to make the skin glossy and shiny. By using less smoky hard fuel- fruit tree branches, pear, peach or date tree branch for instance, as firewood, the duck has a fruity flavor and rich and red in color. The serving and eating manner of the Beijing Duck is also unique. The chef presents you the whole duck before taking it away for slicing. One duck may produce about 120 very thin slices, each containing both meat and skin. The duck slices are brought back to the table with some thin pancakes, green onion or shallot, sweet soybean paste, fresh cucumber, garlic paste and sugar sometimes. Here is how you devour the duck: take a piece of the pancake in one hand, then put 3 or 4 slices of the duck onto the pancake with each of the above mentioned vegetable and seasoning. Do not forget the soybean paste in particular. Finally wrap up the pancake into a roll and eat it.