fandomtownies | Community Center Class: Gourmet Foods Around the World

Entry tags:

Community Center Class: Gourmet Foods Around the World

"Hello and good evening," Hannibal said to whoever showed up. He was dressed in a light linen jacket and slacks and a button-up shirt, no tie in sight. "I thought we would start simply, in case anybody wasn't familiar with the local food. And by local, I mean Maryland outside of Fandom. That means quite a bit of seafood and meat, for a start. We'll be visiting Nick's Fish House for dinner this evening."

He brought them through to an unassuming shack on the water. Anyone who had still thought this was Hannibal's typical sort of place would hopefully be disabused of that notion now.

"As I said, seafood is extremely important to the local cuisine. As are fried foods. You will find both in abundance here. The seafood is extremely fresh; mussels, oysters, fish, and shrimp are all prevalent, and crab is a signature dish. I understand this place also has a number of very good cocktails."

He led them in and to the table that had been reserved for them. "If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I'll order several things for the table, and you may order anything additional you care for. The primary local language is the same as Fandom's, so you should have few difficulties."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, fresh fish and seafood! Seivarden had missed that, and knowing Hannibal, she expected this to be good. Or at least as good as it could be around here.

She was here for the food, not so much for learning about Earth. Having very limited cooking skills herself meant she was longing for a dinner that wasn't takeaway or something she had managed to heat in the microwave.

"Marvelous looking place," Jenkins observed dryly nearby. "What do you suppose is the beach version of 'hillbilly' called?"

Seivarden had no idea what 'hillbilly' was, but she caught the tone of Jenkins' voice.

"I'm not from this planet," Seivarden said. "I'll be happy if it's better than the island."

They hadn't met, had they?

"Seivarden Vendaai. A pleasure."

"Jenkins," he said with a nod and a slight bow in return. "Likewise. Not a fan of our own local cuisine, I take it."

He rather enjoyed the baked goods at JGOB, but hadn't really branched out further than that.

"It's not terrible, but I'm getting tired of it," Seivarden said. "The tea though. I still have to give the staff instructions, or they'll make it with paper bags."

"A purist, are you?" Jenkins said. "I prefer unbagged myself, though I admit it's mostly out of habit. The process of making a proper cup of tea is often as soothing as the tea itself."

"I quite agree," Seivarden said with a nod. So, one more apart from Hannibal and herself who appreciated tea.

"Is it tea popular where you're from?"

"Oh, quite. Though I myself did not try it until I was fully grown." It'd taken awhile for tea to make it to Britain, after all. "It's somewhat less popular where I lived before coming to Fandom, but my supply jasmine tea in particular was always quite popular with visitors." Such as the Eastern dragons, who were very fussy and tended to threaten to destroy everything if they didn't get what they wanted. "And yourself? I imagine it must be, to have developed such strong opinions on the matter."

"The Radchaai are known for our tea," Seivarden said with a smile. "Jasmine tea? Like the flowers?"

"That's right. It's a tradition in many cultures where I'm from to add flowers or fruits to tea, adding delicate variations to the aroma and flavor. I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with the Radchaai, though interestingly enough, 'chai' is the term for tea in a number of languages. I don't suppose you were able to bring any of your own tea along when you came to Fandom?"

Probably not, considering the depth of feeling Seivarden had developed towards the tea generally available for purchase.

"No, sadly," Seivarden said. "But I've found that you can actually get good tea here, if you stay away from the cheap ones. Do you agree?"

"We sometimes do add flowers too, and other flavours, but most people prefer tea without that. I don't mind though, it can be a nice change, if the quality is good."

"You certainly have to look harder for the good varieties," Jenkins said. "But it can be quite worth the hunt. If you'd like to stop by the Magic Box one day, perhaps we can share a cup, and you can see if my own meets with your expectations."

"I'm sure it does," Seivarden said, finding it easy to slip into polite conversation when talking about tea. She meant what she said, though.

"Thank you for the invitation. Is there an day in particular that suits you?"

"Well now. On Tuesdays a boy from the school watches the shop," Jenkins said, thinking aloud. "I tend to spend my time more in the back, working on experiments, but I do try to make it out front regularly. . . . Perhaps Thursdays?"

Seivarden should probably stay away on Tuesdays.

"I'm rarely busy on Thursdays."

Rarely meaning never.

Re: Look around, listen to the speech

livingartifact - 2018-05-15 17:18 (UTC) - Expand

Hannibal chuckled. "A 'beach bum', I believe. Don't worry - the food is extremely fresh and highly rated, though I can't speak for the ambiance. I didn't want to scare everybody off the first week, and I doubted they would all have suits."

Modern American clothing was lamentably casual at times.

"Beach bum," Jenkins repeated. "I don't think that's quite it, but I suppose it will do in a pinch."

"A 'surfer dude'?" Hannibal suggested. "I'm afraid that's the only other applicable term I can think of, although surfing isn't terribly popular in this area."

"It doesn't carry quite the same entrenched economic implications of the term 'hillbilly'," Jenkins pointed out. "Though I suppose the coastal regions have generally been more the domain of the wealthy."

"Or at least not of the culturally and economically marginalized," Hannibal agreed. "Too many cities rely upon the water. It does however mean that there are an abundance of cuisines relying upon seafood."

"Well, certainly. It's a readily available in coastal areas, as you say, and it provides a few nutrients that are much more difficult to obtain, sticking to land-based foods."

Did you have any idea how many people had goiters in the Middle Ages, Hannibal?

Hannibal only had a little academic knowledge of that and not first-hand experience, thankfully.

He nodded. "And yet today's food is still quite different from, say, Japanese cuisine, or Scandinavian. And not only due to the differences in local ingredients. I find it all quite fascinating."

"I should think the Mid-Atlantic has rather less pickling," Jenkins observed. "To what do you attribute the regional differences, then, Doctor?"

Hannibal shrugged. "Environmental differences are certainly a part, along with the differences in accompanying foods and flavorings that go with that. Cultural norms and practices, a base in a nomadic or a more sedentary lifestyle. There are any number of interacting and complex determinants."

Hannibal nodded, somewhat surprised to see Seivarden in this class, but he would take that as a mark of at least some progress on her part.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only