We asked a local to show us how to chew betel nut, enjoyed and spat out by people everywhere in Papua New Guinea. The experience was little more intense than we expected.

The Highlands of PNG is the farming heartland of the country, where produce is grown and flown to the coastal zones.

Here’s a quick look at how Highlanders grow and prepare their food.

As a developing country, Papua New Guinea has its share of social problems. But here, no one ever goes hungry.

Street food in PNG is depressingly bland, reminding visitors that the country was colonized by the British. You can find grilled beef sausages whose flavour and texture make you think of unspeakable offals. A popular snack is bread flour: a deep-fried ball of dough with a bread centre.

Some folks steam them, which is a shame, a kayak instructor at Abel Tasman National Park told me. When you have mussels fresh off the rocks, you have to respect their fresh ocean flavours.

You grill them in their own juices.

Read the recipe here.

Travel guidebooks are great, but nothing beats locals for tips on great food for little cash. The smart traveler wants to know where the locals hang, not where the tourism bureau has promotional partnerships.
We were lucky to know a lot of people in Vancouver, long-time residents, who told us the best places to go. We [...]

There were no naked people at Vancouver’s Wreck Beach, but there was a greying hippie feeding seagulls and a friendly bearded fella named Cloud.

This would have to suffice as a taste of this naturist mecca, where in the summer, thousands gather wearing nothing but a smile.

We happened on this notorious beach by chance: the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia was charging $14 a person, a few notches above the limits of reason for budget travelers.

Bob Blumer is a madman, and therefore, my favourite TV chef. So when we were invited to an event promoting BC tourism with him as host, we had no choice but to go.

Cartagena is a city that seduces you from every angle and through all the senses, and food is no exception. Here is a recipe for one of Cartagena’s tastiest street treats.