Budget Indian Travelers Paris’ Eiffel Tower now has a winery installed inside the tower to produce the first vintage wine with an Eiffel Tower label on the bottle. The said winery will be next to the restaurant La Winerie Parisienne. This is likely to be a historic event in the recent Parisian history and at the Eiffel Tower, when wine for the first time is being aged, fermented, and bottled inside the tower. Continue reading “Eiffel Tower in Paris to make its own wine by 2020 : All details here”

Budget Indian Travelers in India, festivals are incomplete without food. And when it comes to elaborate meals, one name that always pops up is ‘Sadhya’. Sadhya is basically the term coined for the feast that is a part of the 10th day of the annual harvest festival Onam, which is also called ‘Onam Sadhya’. It is a feast of Kerala origin and of importance to all Malayalis, consisting of a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes usually served on a banana leaf in Kerala, India. Sadhya means banquet in Malayalam. While the feast is known for its flavours and varieties of dishes, it also highlights the benefit of some traditional eating practices that have health benefits as well. Continue reading “Onam Sadhya : The grand feast of Kerala, India on the eve Of Onam”

Budget Indian Travelers I know you crave for vegan food when you go Switzerland but it’s difficult to find. But, Haus Hiltl, the oldest continuously running vegan restaurant in the world, is a Zurich attraction that no vegetarian should miss. It has been recognised by the Guinness World Records for the same. Haus Hiltl has a legacy that started in 1898, and is now run by the fourth generation of the Hiltl family. Continue reading “Know about world’s oldest vegan restaurant in Zurich : All details here”

Budget Indian Travelers compared to some other European destinations, Brussels tends to keep a low profile when it comes to culinary prowess. There is, however, an abundance of great food and drink to be had in this Belgian city. Meander the cobblestone alleys and browse the myriad shops surrounding Grand Place, because, within minutes, the aroma of waffles wafting through the air will surely arouse your appetite. Continue reading “Waffles in Brussels : Where can you find the best Waffles in Brussels”

Planning a romantic break to France’s capital city? The French are famous for their gastronomy, and Paris is a foodie wonderland. Between casual strolls along the Seine and stops to enjoy the many cultural offerings, make sure you indulge in some of the city’s most delicious cuisine. For anyone visiting Paris, there is a lot of eating to be done, and you don’t want to miss out on something that France does best in all the world. Budget Indian Travelers trying to narrow down the must-eat foods in Paris to five, is like trying to choose a favorite child or, in my case, a favorite bite of chocolate. Look, they’re all my favorite. Continue reading “What to eat in Paris : Top 5 Foods to eat in Paris France”

On this New years eve u guys are planning to party. And partying is incomplete without wine. So, Budget Indian Travelers brings you one of the best wines in the world, and the most interesting thing this wine is sweet not bitter in taste.

Everything you need to know about this sun-dried wine born each year from the legendary “coils”. While looking for old books from the first travellers in Greece, one can find the “Ils de la Grece ” (Greek Islands) (1853) by Louis Lacroix, who, arriving in Santorini, wrote amongst others: “.. No dessert wine can be compared to the white Santorini Vinsanto. It is produced by grape, which is placed in the house terraces, displayed in the sun for 15 days before it goes to the wine-press. After one year it becomes an exceptional sweet wine that surpases the best Monemvasies (the sweet wines from Monemvasia) of the Archipelagos…”

Vinsanto – which due to the sake of age rightfully has the primacy among the island’ s wines – is considered as the holdover of Passos the raisin wine of ancient times, that held prominence in feasts and the Aegean island were famous for its production. I might as well brag that it continues the winemaking tradition that Isiodos is describing, according to which grapes were exposed to the sun for 10 days and for 5 more days they were drying in the shade.

The theories about the Vinsanto ‘s name origin differ: Others consider that it is an abbreviation of the word “vino santo” which means ‘holy wine’ and others that comes from the phrase “vino di Santorini” which means ‘wine of Santorini’. Whichever theory is right, the fact that the sweet wine of Santorini was and will be sought after in world markets does not change. Its biggest market, though, is still Russia, where it is used in the sacrament of the Holy Communion. Holy Wine, indeed!

Traditionally, houses in Santorini, made white and red Vinsanto, based on the grapes they hap in their vineyards – Assyrtiko, Aidani, Mandilari, Voudomato… However, only the white has the right to be called Wine with Designation of Origin. For its production mature grapes from Assyrtiko, Aidani, Athiri but some minor, native varieties like the Katsano, Gaidouri and Platani as well.

After about 10 days under the hot august sun, grapes are heated so much that the water evaporates, increasing the concentration of sugars and the delicious juicy berries are left as black raisins. For the production of 1 liter of Vinsanto, 5-6 kilos of grapes are needed, instead of the 1.5 kg that is usually required to produce any other white wine.

The vinsanto was originally a soft orange colour with golden highlights. In its deep maturity, it acquired a brown-red, deep and velvety color. Its scents lure you into orchards with lemon flowers, in spice markets nad in wooden cupboards where old housewives used to store sweets and cookies that smelled vanilla. It’s a wine with a unique aromatic and savory complexity with excellent structure and savory course.

 

 

As we all know food is the biggest usp of travelling. And Bengalis are big time food admirers.Nothing can come between food and Bengalis!

The way to a Bengali’s heart is truly through the stomach. Bengalis are pretty famous for eating literally with their hands. And why not! True Bengali food cannot be relished with spoons and forks. With a variety of dishes from rice to lentils to fish (with the bones), it becomes quite difficult to eat only with the help of spoons and forks. If a Bong does not lick each of his fingers after a meal it is to be understood that he has not truly enjoyed the food.

A ‘Bong’ foodie, born and brought up in the city of joy, in a traditional Bengali family, who can know better than me the joys of a delectable Bengali dish? From childhood my taste buds have been titillated by various Bengali dishes prepared by the best cook, my mother. Unfortunately for my mother, her son-in-law is not a lover of fish, but that doesn’t stop her from displaying the magic of her hands to her ‘jamai.’

Coming from the heart of a true Bengali, today Budget Indian Travelers brings  top 6 bengali dishes that are most famous…

1. Rosogollas or Rasgullas

Rasgulla is a dessert made primarily from a type of cottage cheese known as chhena, dough and sugar syrup.Rasgullas are typically served at festivals or other social occasions.

2. Ilish Maach bhapa (Hilsa fish)

In West Bengal, there is no substitute for ‘Ilish Maach’. Any preparation with Ilish becomes Bengal delicacy. This dish is a gravy prepared with mustard seeds paste and usually served with rice. This dish is a little tangy in flavour. A preparation of Ilish usually doesn’t require much of spices as the aroma of the fish itself is enough to make the dish exquisite.

3. Luchi Aloor Dum

This combination is a classic Bengali breakfast. Luchi is a deep-fried flatbread made of bleached wheat flour and aloor dum is nothing but dum aloo. With guests at home, traditional Bengali families love to serve this combo for breakfast, though they are also prepared for lunch and dinner. This dish revives fond memories of my maternal uncle’s place as my grandmother never failed to prepare it for breakfast during our stay.

4. Daab Chingri

Relish the exquisite taste of authentic Bengali seafood. Sensational shrimps are mixed with heart-warming masalas and cooked wrapped in tender coconut. This aromatic delicacy will get you hooked forever.

5. Misti dahi

Mitha Dahi is a popular dessert in the states of West Bengal and Odisha. It is prepared by boiling milk until it is slightly thickened, sweetening it with sugar, either guda/gura (brown sugar) or khajuri guda/gura (date molasses), and allowing the milk to ferment overnight. Earthenware is always used as the container for making Mitha Dahi because the gradual evaporation of water through its porous walls not only further thickens the yoghurt, but also produces the right temperature for the growth of the culture.

6. Alu Posto

This Aloo Posto is a classic example of how just a few ingredients can yield a creamy spiced potato dish. A staple in Bengali households and one of my all time favorite recipes. … The key to cooking this dish is giving the poppy seeds enough time to soak in warm water. It will ensure they grind to a fine paste.

 

Every beer lover for sure knows the best beer in the world is found in Brussels in Belgium.Today Budget Indian Travelers brings you all the details of this Belgium beer. Belgium such a geographically small country, Belgium sports quite an impressive number of beer styles – and delicious ones at that! Belgian beers are primarily ales (as opposed to lagers) with a heavy emphasis on malts and a lot of fruity yeast flavors. What’s your favorite style?

• Belgian White or Witbier – These cloudy pale beers are brewed with some unmalted wheat along with the regular malted barley, giving this beer its characteristic wheaty flavor and thick creamy texture. They are traditionally flavored with coriander and orange peel and have a very low bitterness. Try the Allagash White from Allagash Brewing, Blue Moon Belgian White, or Blanche de Chambly from Unibroue Brewing.

• Lambics – Bring on the funk! This style of beer is “spontaneously fermented,” meaning that the wort is open to the air, allowing any local yeasts and bacterias to take up residence in the beer (like sourdough bread). The result is a range of flavors ranging from very sour to candy-sweet to barnyard-like. But don’t knock it until you try it! There are three main kinds of lambics that you’ll actually see outside of Belgium (there are some American brewers starting to experiment with these styles, but we’ll talk about them more when we get to the American beer guide):

Straight Lambic – This is the real stuff, straight from the barrel! Try Cantillon Iris.

Fruit Lambic – For this style, a healthy amount of whole fruit gets added to the brew. Cherry, peach, and raspberry are most common. Try Lindemans Framboise or Kriek.

Gueuze – This combines some young and some old (aged) lambic to achieve a more balanced and controlled flavor, and then the beer is usually aged for another year. Try Lindemans Gueuze and Cantillon Gueuze.

• Saisons or Farmhouse Ales –This beer has a distinctive fruity character with a slight tang similar to lambics, but no where near as pervasive. Many breweries also add herbs and spices to compliment the flavors. Try Hennepin from Brewery Ommegang, Bam Biere from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, and Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale from Smuttynose Brewing.

• Dubbels – These are dark amber-brown beers with a lot of rich, roasted malt flavors. They can be somewhat spicy and with fruity characteristics. Try Ommegang Abbey Ale from Brewery Ommegang, Chimay Premiere (Red) from Chimay, and Abbey Belgian Style Ale from New Belgium Brewing.

• Tripels – Brewed with triple the typical malts, these are big dense beers. They’re usually golden in color with notes of spice, fruit, and honey, and are often a bit more bitter than typical of Belgian ales to balance out all the malts. Try La Fin du Monde from Unibroue, Golden Monkey from Victory Brewing, and Curieux from Allagash Brewing.

• Quadrupel – Inspired by the dubbel and tripel styles, quads are an emerging style in the US. They’re usually deep reddish-brown in color with a robust malty flavor profile and upwards of 10% alcohol by volume. Try Three Philosophers from Brewery Ommegang, Blasphemy from Weyerbacher Brewing, and The Reverend from Avery Brewing.