Celebrated just after the spring equinox, the Songkran Festival is essentially a three-day water fight that takes place in the streets of every city in the country, from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. Locals use buckets filled with water and water guns to drench each other, which they believe to be spiritually purifying and a sign of respect and well-wishes. The act of being soaked in water washes away bad luck, cleanses any misfortune and grief from the past, and blesses one with hopes of good things to come in the year ahead.  

The word songkran comes from the Sanskrit saṃkrānti, meaning an astrological shift that signifies change. The celebration started small when locals collected the water that had been poured over statues of Buddha. They believed the water that cleansed the statues would also cleanse them. Before the practice was as widespread as it is now, the recycled water was simply trickled over the shoulders of village elders and select family members. Today, revelers buy super soaker–style water guns from street stalls for massive water fights, but the meaning of the holiday remains. 

People will visit Buddhist monasteries with offerings for the monks as an act of merit-making. They ask for forgiveness for their missteps in the year past and make resolutions for the year to come. During the water fights, celebrants smear clay on each other’s faces, mirroring the practice of monks blessing objects with chalk, as they wish one another a happy new year, or sa wat dee pi mai. 

illustration by @boccaccinimeadows

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To celebrate the blossoming of the country’s national flower, people across the country attend sakura matsuri, festivals where they celebrate the thousands-year-old tradition of hanami, eating and drinking beneath the flowering trees. At night, couples often dine beneath the trees, a romantic after-dark version of hanami, referred to as yozakura.

While the festival is meant to celebrate the arrival of spring, an old Japanese proverb, hana yori dango (“dumplings rather than flowers”) teases that the real allure of the celebration is the food and drinks rather than the trees themselves. 

Dumplings aren’t the only food at hanami celebrations. Yakiniku, or grilled meats, fish, and vegetables, are also often part of hanami. Onigiri, a portable snack of rice filled with vegetables or meat, is often eaten as well. Many people dye the rice pink in honor of the sakura trees. 

illustration by @boccaccinimeadows

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Large, lively markets, or souks, such as the one in the city of Marrakech, are a maze of stalls lined with barrels filled with dried fruits, marinated olives, and mountains of spices—colorful showcases of the essential ingredients of Moroccan cuisine. Spices like cinnamon, cumin, saffron, turmeric, and paprika made their way to the country centuries ago, thanks to North Africa’s location on the trade route linking the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. 

Spicy heat, sweetness, herbaceousness, and brininess are the characteristic flavors of the Moroccan table. Heat often comes from harissa, a North African condiment made with chiles, garlic, olive oil, and spices like cumin and coriander, while ingredients like dried apricots, honey, and dates typically deliver sweet flavors. Fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, marjoram, and mint brighten rich stews; salty preserved lemons and olives balance the heavy spices, and orange and rose flower waters impart a floral note to everything from rice dishes to desserts. The star of the Moroccan spice cabinet, is ras el hanout, a mix of at least 10 spices and often many more. The most commonly used ones are cardamom, cumin, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, ginger, chile, coriander, black peppercorn, sweet and hot paprika, fenugreek, and turmeric. 

Couscous, a tiny semolina-based pasta, is the best-known grain staple of the Moroccan diet, but rice and bulgur are also popular. Fresh vegetables, yogurt, and olive oil play important roles in every traditional Moroccan meal. Bread, primarily made from regular wheat or durum wheat (semolina) and either baked in an oven or cooked in a pan over a fire, also appears at every meal. Flatbreads, both leavened and unleavened, and baguettes are made fresh daily and often stand in as utensils for eating soups and saucy dishes. 

Celebrating the wide range of North African flavors we have some favorite recipes: Chicken Tagine with Currants, Spinach, and Artichokes is a twist on a classic Moroccan dish that marries two popular sweet, spicy, and briny flavors of the local table. Our North African Chicken Stew with Chickpeas, Carrots, and Chermoula highlights the central role of fresh herbs and vegetables, and Musakhan Chicken Wraps with Pickled Carrots and Yogurt Sauce showcase the Arab influence on the region’s kitchens. 

Illustration by @boccaccinimeadows

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Now that you’re fully caffeinated, make a beeline to the waterfront and spend the afternoon in the legendary Pike Place Market. Wander through the century-old sprawling marketplace where you’ll pass by elaborate displays of locally-caught seafood for sale, watch cheese being made at Beecher’s cheese shop, and sample everything from lavender jam to chocolate pasta from local artisans. The market’s recent expansion has added nearly 50 more vendors, so there’s always something new to discover.

Filling buckets with berries is a summertime ritual for locals, and there are over a dozen farms just outside of Seattle that grow a variety of berries. At Graymarsh Farms you can pick up to six different types of berries, including boysenberries and blueberries, seven days a week during the summer. 

Finish the day at the Ballard Locks, a historic passageway that allows hundreds of spawning salmon to swim up a ladder through the locks from saltwater to freshwater. Throughout the summer and into late fall you can watch four types of fish migrate from above sea level or through an underground observation room. The Pacific Northwest is known for its abundant wild salmon population, and a visit to the Ballard Locks is a behind-the-scenes look at how the state has worked to maintain a sustainable and healthy ecosystem for the fish.

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The greater Buffalo Niagara region has become a craft beverage mecca and is home to over 100 local producers. Discover breweries, vineyards, small-batch distilleries, and even cideries, where the state’s famous apples are pressed into service. Many, including BlackBird Cider Works (8503 Lower Lake Rd., Barker, NY 14012), Niagara Country’s sole hard cider producer, have tasting rooms. 

Any serious food lover or fan of 1970s American culture will want to make a pilgrimage to Moosewood (215 N Cayuga St., Ithaca, NY 14850), about a 2-hour drive south of Buffalo. The 40-year-old icon was named one of the 20 most influential restaurants of the 20th Century by Bon Appétit magazine, and the New York Times listed the restaurant’s first cookbook (there are now 15 Moosewood cookbooks) as one of the top ten best-selling cookbooks of all time. 

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When the first Spaniards arrived in Galveston in 1528, led by a guy named Cabeza de Vaca (Mr. Cow Head, to you), they were met by the Karankawas, indigenous hunter-gatherers who ate a whole lot of foraged plants, local shellfish, and all the turkeys, rabbits, and deer they could kill. 

Cabeza De Vaca, a castaway who washed up naked on the beach, didn’t contribute much to the established fare, but later ships from the Old World brought chickens and horses, and other livestock, as well as rice and treasures from the spice trade, including cumin, cinnamon, and peppercorns. These new ingredients sparked an evolution in the local diet, as cooks in the Rio Grande region combined them with foods native to the Americas, such as tomatoes, corn, and chile peppers. 

Of course, food is never just what we eat. Look deep enough and you’ll find there’s a portion of politics on every plate. In 1821, Spain got the boot and the region officially became a part of Mexico. Twenty-four years later, Texas declared statehood. These swift-moving cultural shifts, aided by the expansion of the railroads and the industrialization of food production, had an impact, too, as they brought new ingredients to the pot. Today, Tex-Mex continues to define itself, as evidenced by crisp-shelled tacos, fully loaded nachos, and blue margaritas. 

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• In Lexington County in the western part of the state, you’ll find “Piedmont-style” barbecue made from wood-smoked pork shoulder with a ketchup and vinegar-based sauce. One of the best places to find the authentic Piedmont-style is at Lexington Barbecue (100 Smokehouse Lane, Lexington, NC 27295) where the pork shoulder is smoked over oak for 12 hours. 
• In the eastern region of North Carolina, whole hogs are cooked over wood and charcoal, then the meat is chopped and served with the crackling-crisp skin and a sauce of cider vinegar and chile flakes. You can watch it happen in the open kitchen at The Pit in Raleigh (328 W Davie St, Raleigh, NC 27601). 
• If you want to go deep into the state’s barbecue tradition, strike out on the North Carolina Barbecue Historic Trail. Developed by the North Carolina Barbecue Society, this self-directed tour includes two dozen stops that have been chosen as “the best” to represent the styles of barbecue across the state. In order to qualify for the list, the pork must be cooked over charcoal or wood-burning pits, the pitmasters must make their own sauce, and the pit must be at least 15 years old. There can only be two pits per town on the list, which means that you can cross the state and find NCBS-approved barbecue just about anywhere. Hit up the recommended Richard’s Bar-B-Q (522 N Main St, Salisbury, NC 28144) in Salisbury where they’ve been serving hand-chopped Eastern-style barbecue pork since 1935, and get a plate of Western-style pulled pork at Switzerland Café (9440 NC-226A, Marion, NC 28752) in Little Switzerland where the NCBS says the hickory-smoked pork is “as tender as a mother’s love.” 

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Cajun vs. Creole: What’s the difference? 
Many of New Orleans’s best-known dishes can be traced back to either the Creoles (descendants of any race of the settlers in colonial La Louisiana), and the Cajuns (French Canadian immigrants). And since there are often both Creole and Cajun versions of the same dish, the differences are sometimes difficult to discern. 

Creole cooking is typically more refined, while Cajun food is a rustic affair. Because Creoles were more affluent, they tend to use more ingredients along with a generous amount of butter and cream. Creole food also draws from a broader range of influences including Italian, African, Portuguese, German, and Spanish. Cajun dishes tend to be simpler and more heavily seasoned, not to be confused with spicy. Both Creole and Cajun dishes are built on what is called the holy trinity, a base of sauteed bell peppers, onions, and celery. 

You’ll find more oysters, crab, and shrimp in distinctly Creole dishes like shrimp rémoulade and oyster po’ boys, while foods like boudin sausage and boiled crawfish are staples in the Cajun diet. Try Creole gumbo with blue crab, oysters, and Gulf shrimp at the legendary Antoine’s (513 Royal St., New Orleans), and a Cajun crawfish boil with all of the fixins’ at Cajun Seafood (1479 N. Claiborne Ave., New Orleans).

Classic Cocktails
New Orleans’ legendary cocktail scene dates to the 19th century, when the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street became the place to drink for people like Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, and—later—Frank Sinatra. Navigating the city’s raucous nightlife can be daunting. Rather than go it alone, opt for the Drink & Learn Cocktail Tour through the French Quarter, where you’ll get a taste of classic local cocktails, visit historic landmarks like the St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest of its kind in the U.S., and drink in some of the city’s cultural history. 

A New Wave of Immigrants 
In the final years of the Vietnam War, an influx of immigrants from Southeast Asia settled in New Orleans, where the proximity to the Gulf and hot, humid climate made them feel at home. Today around 14,000 Vietnamese live in the city, and have done what immigrants do, opened restaurants and markets and made their food a part of the regional cuisine. Thanks to their influence, it’s now easy to find authentic Vietnamese food all across the city. Grab spring rolls and a bowl of pho at Pho Tau Bay (1565 Tulane Ave, New Orleans) or a banh mi on housemade Vietnamese French bread at Dong Phuong Bakery (14207 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans).

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Parlez-vous Google?

Avoid some of the mysteries that go along with foreign travel with Google Translate. A new feature allows you to point your phone’s camera at text and have it instantly translated. Google Translate is especially helpful for reading menus and deciphering directions.
Free
4 ½ -star user rating
Requires iOS 9.1 or later
Compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android.
Apple or Android

Eat like a local

Like a more curated version of Yelp, The Infatuation collects restaurant reviews from trusted critics, instead of crowdsourcing opinions from sometimes less-than-credible sources. The to-the-point reviews and 10-point rating system help you locate delicious bites in over 17 destinations, both in the United States and abroad, including Cape Town, Mexico City, and Barcelona.  
Free
5-star user rating
Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android. 
Apple or Android 

Stay in touch

We all start our trips with the best of intentions of sending postcards home. Now TouchNote makes it easy to send cards from wherever you are in the world. All you do is open the app, snap a picture, write a message, and include an address. The team at TouchNote handles the rest, printing and then mailing your customized postcards to your family and friends. 
Free
4 ½-star user rating
Requires iOS 9.0 or later
Compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android.
Apple or Android

Don’t forget to eat your vegetables

This international restaurant guide is every traveling vegetarian and vegan’s best friend. Finding meat-free eats in Portland, Oregon, is easy. It’s more of a challenge in Taiwan or Paraguay. Happy Cow has been compiling a list of restaurants with vegetarian and vegan options since 1999, which means they have a huge collection to offer. You can view and organize restaurants through the Happy Cow app before you begin your trip. 
Free on Android, $3.99 on Apple devices.
4 ½-star user rating
Requires iOS 8.0 or later
Compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android.
Apple or Android

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Chiles
Chiles are the cornerstone of Santa Fe cooking and are found in enchiladas, chiles rellenos, and red and green chile sauces on the menu at nearly every restaurant here, all made with the region’s native green chiles. In late summer, the air in the city is thick with smoke from the state’s beloved Hatch chiles roasting in wire drums in parking lots all across the city, filling the air with their irresistible aroma. These chiles grow several hours south of Santa Fe in Hatch, a hot and dry village, and must be grown in that region to be labeled as such. Hatch chiles have a short season which means that both locals and tourists alike stock up on roasted chiles when they’re available. New Mexicans will even freeze their freshly roasted chiles for year-round use. During Labor Day weekend every year, the Hatch Valley Chile Festival attracts crowds to the small town for a taste of the season’s bounty with chile eating contests and famous chile recipes.

Wine  
It was more than 400 years ago that Spanish priests planted grapes here to make communion wine and started what is the oldest wine-growing region in the United States. Hot days, cool nights, and dry weather offer excellent growing conditions for grapes, including cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, and chardonnay, to name a few. The state is home to over 40 wineries and produces over half a million gallons of wine every year. Head 30 minutes south of Santa Fe to Casa Abril Vineyards & Winery (1 Cam Abril, Algodones, NM 87001), the largest vineyard in Northern New Mexico, for a taste of their Spanish-style tempranillos and malbecs. 

Farmers’ Market  
In 1968 the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market (1607 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe, NM) was born when a small group of local farmers began selling produce out of the back of their trucks. Nearly 50 years later, the market has grown to become one of the oldest and largest in the country, showcasing the high mountain desert harvest year-round. More than 150 farmers sell everything from fruits and vegetables to nursery plants and freshly baked breads. Stop in on a Saturday morning for fresh or roasted green chiles and locally-made jams and goat milk cheeses. 

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