Instant Noodles around the World 8 - Korean Udon

Eating instant noodle too much is not good for you because most of the time the noodle has been deep fried. But what about eating something that has not been deep fried? Yes, udon. It's a type of wheat-flour noodle that is very chewy and very thick. All these years I have never seen any type of thick udon sold in its dried form. Yes, you can buy udon in its dried form as well, but the noodles are not going to be as thick as those sold in...

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The Netherlands - Kwark Taart

During the introduction week, my mentor brought us to the supermarket and told us about Kwark Taart. It's something like mousse cake, but different. The other day, my friend mistakenly bought kwark taart instead of yogurt and she said she loved it. Last week I decided to try it out: "Because a day without pudding is a day wasted." After reading those words, I started to get confused. A pudding and a mousse cake have totally different...

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The Netherlands - Rijste Pap

From experience, I know rijst means rice in Dutch. I went to the supermarket last week and stopped at the yogurt section. As adventurous as usual, I tried the weirdest option available on the shelf: rijste pap. Rijste pap literally translates as rice porridge. Growing up as a Chinese by blood and Indonesian by nationality, the rice porridge I know is savory. Since this product was in the same section as yogurt, I figure that this rice porridge...

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Instant Noodles Around the World 7 - MAMA

This time, it's from Thailand. When I was in high school, my Thai friend told me of this brand. My first MAMA instant noodle was Tom Yum Flavour (the clear soup version, not the creamy one). The flavor was absolutely wonderful, and the spices kicks you in. I could even say that I like the tom yum soup from MAMA much better than in those in Thai restaurants. The less authentic ones, of course.  I decided to try the Shrimp Creamy...

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The Netherlands - Fire Drill

It's unfair to say that this kind of fire drill occurs in all part of the Netherlands, but at least it was like this in Wageningen University this year. At 10:00 AM I was sitting comfortably in front of a public computer in Forum (the name of the building where the Student Services Center is), and my friend casually approached me to "ask for the time" (he was kidding; he just wanted to say hi). I turned to him, and then I suddenly saw this thick...

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The Netherlands - Raw Herring

Not sure if it's a traditional Dutch food but raw herring apparently is a delicacy in the Netherlands. My first raw herring experience was in Den Haag, close to the beach (it's always good to have fresh seafood near the beach area, right?) I'm a big fan of sushi and sashimi, so I wasn't too scared to try this. In fact, I was looking forward to eating it. I put the herring on a piece of toasted bread, and then topped it with raw diced onions...

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Instant Noodle Around the World 6 - Exported Products

As mentioned in my previous posts, I am now in the Netherlands pursuing my MSc degree in Food Technology. Before I came to the Netherlands, I was told that it is very easy to find Indonesian goods in the Netherlands, including our beloved instant noodles. I went to an Asian groceries in Ede called Asian Toko (sounds a little funny to me because toko means shop in Indonesian and I'm supposed to be in a foreign country and they don't...

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The Netherlands - McDonald's

When I travel to another country, the last thing I want to eat is anything from McDonald's. Why? Because the menu is pretty much standardized around the country. Sometimes you will see unique menus that are only available in certain countries, for example Shaka Shaka (mini doughnut balls) in Japan and yam pie (instead of apple pie) in China. I wasn't able to find McD in Wageningen (where my current campus is). I thought there would be one because...

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The Netherlands - Chocomel

I was told by a friend of mine that Chocomel is actually the best chocolate milk brand in the Netherlands. It's so famous that if you order a hot chocolate at restaurants you might actually be drinking a warmed up Chocomel. And actually, they like to put a large serving of whipped cream on top. Yes, chocolate, milk, sugar, more sugar, and whip cream. Highly not recommended for the diabetics. It is very creamy and smooth, and it...

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The Netherlands - Den Haag

Also known as The Hague, Den Haag is the center of governance in the Netherlands. To be honest, I had not heard of this place before I met a new friend of mine who spent 3 years completing her bachelor's in Den Haag.  It was a 2-day 1-night trip (thankfully it wasn't extended to 3-day 2-night one). Don't get me wrong: Den Haag is a beautiful place, but it's not a very big city where you have to spend three full days to explore. Train...

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