People have been dining outdoors since sunrise, however, each and every outdoor meal doesn’t have a picnic. The concept of dining in an herbal environment as a social occasion dates back to at least the Middle Ages, when the teams of hunters of rich Nobles drank beer and reveled in roast meats between flocks. Upper-class Victorians were crazy for picnics, with tables and crockery placed on the lawn through the servants. The vintage Victorian cookbook, Ms. Beeton’s family administration eBook, included a recommended menu for a “picnic for 20 people” with lobster, veal cakes, 4 types of cakes and a gallon of strawberries. Picnics were simplified with the onset of the automotive era, when a hike and picnic were high-end entertainment for a Saturday.
Without going out of style, picnics now have a prime moment. Concerns about the Covid-19 have made al fresco dining a safer option for socialization, and many restaurants have little or no seat inside anyway. slow down the trend: Radiators are already rare, suggesting that other people are making plans to go out to dinner for as long as they last. Restaurants are also joining the party, and many offer “picnic packages” to take away. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone even introduced a Los Angeles Pop-Up restaurant called picnic society, with prefabricated food baskets, blankets and small takeaway tables.
For your own picnic, get inspired by those picnic traditions from around the world.
In Hong Kong (where I live), picnics take the form of barbecues on the beach. Hungry crews hit local beaches or seaside parks early to hang up public grills and picnic benches. Array Then they went to the local market for the charcoal, long grill forks, plates and utensils. Many retail establishments on the beach offer coolers of grilled food: fish balls, bird wings, corn, squid, small fish, mushrooms, and more. The rest of the day is spent grilling and eating, avoiding swimming or taking a walk when the abdomen is too full, and then resuming at the first pang of hunger.
You can reflect the environment yourself in any home or grill: use charcoal to get the ultimate original flavor. Finish with Hong Kong’s fried fish dessert, a slice of thick toast toasted and topped with honey or condensed milk.
In the UK, a classic picnic includes “many other foods that can be savored cold, as there is clearly no way to heat up the food while dining out,” says Tom Shingler, editor-in-chief of Great British Chefs. Think of sandwiches, Scotch eggs, quiches, pastries, bean or potato salads. It’s a bit like a small buffet, all appreciated on a blanket laid out on the floor.
If you’re not sure what a Scottish egg is, there are several other recipes on the Great British Chefs website (Spoiler: it’s a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, breaded and fried).
To be even more British, invest in a croquet game: the iconic picnic game has been popular in the UK since at least the 19th century.
France’s countless farmers markets and grocery outlets make picnics easy.
“The traditions of picnics in Paris are simple,” says Shaheen Peerbhai, pastry chef and the Paris Picnic Club cookbook. Martin or the Seine with friends.
Classic picnic sandwiches come with ham and butter (ham and butter on a baguette), paté-cornichon (pasta and pickles), and pan bagnat (hard-boiled eggs, vegetables, tuna, and olive oil on country bread) . The Epicurious recipe has several versions of the last one, adding this catch, along with tuna, anchovies and parsley.
A French picnic also requires a set of classic lawns: from pétanque to Italian pétanque. You can buy a smooth game online.
The summer heat makes lunchtime picnics in India less attractive, Peerbhai says. Many keep their meals outdoors during the coolest hours of the day.
“Growing up in Mumbai, a kind of picnic going to the beach at night and enjoying the corn cob and coconut water as you watch the sunset,” Peerbhai says.
Chowpatty Beach in Mumbai is known for its chaat vendors (salted sandwiches), such as pav vada (a fried potato patty on a bun) and pani puri (ball-shaped cookies stuffed with chutney, chickpeas, spicy tamarind water and other ingredients, to eat in a sweet and sour bite for singles). If you’re not near the west coast of India, Dassana’s Veg Recipes food blog will explain how to make your own pani puri.
The Northern Territory of Australia hosts an official picnic party every single Monday in August, historically held with a picnic along the Adelaide River. Many citizens take advantage of the long weekend to attend Harts Range races, a horse race and a rodeo inside. that have been going on for over 70 years.
To picnic like an Australian, fill your esky (fridge) with tucker (food) and stubbies (beer bottles). For dessert, make a slice of stale chocolate or caramel (slices are what Americans might call “bars” – baked desserts that can be cut into squares, with a crushed cookie base). The Great Australian Bake Off (the anti-European edition of the beloved British show) offers some of the most productive slice recipes of its competitors online.
Argentines are famous for their yerba mate, a type of tea that is regularly drunk in a pumpkin cup with a special steel straw that squeezes the leaves in bulk. Even a short getaway to the park requires a hot water thermos in case you need a summer break; Points of sale even sell travel bags and picnic games. Traditionally, matte cups and straws are shared with friends and family, Covid-19 has put an end to this ritual.
“The maximum type of classic picnic in Argentina would be to take mate in a park or in a square,” explains Buenos Aires gastronomic blogger Allie Lazar. “This usually took place last afternoon for ‘snack’, lunch after lunch and before dinner. The matte is accompanied by a kind of invoices. »
In Japan, cherry blossom season is a serious matter, when delicate pink sakura flowers bloom, from March and spreading north to May, all flock to enjoy hanami (cherry blossom watching) in local parks. very quiet, that is not the case: the Hanami are an opportunity to eat, drink and have fun late at night. Many depachika (department store food halls) sell prefabricated hanami bentos, picnic boxes filled with rice, fish, pickles, tofu and other delicacies.
For a cherry blossom flavor (less genuine trees), visit a Japanese sakuramochi market, sticky rice dough balls stuffed with sweet red bean paste and wrapped in cherry blossom leaves. Or make your own: The Japanese food blog Just One Cookbook offers a recipe.
The picnic has been a popular pastime in Turkey since the beginning of the Ottoman Empire, when, according to the Hurriyet Daily News, “almost all public green spaces were used as picnics. “
Today, finding a picnic spot in Turkey is easy, thanks to the many piknik yeri (public picnic areas). But arranging the picnic, you need a logistics expert. An authentic Turkish picnic takes place throughout the day, with blankets or carpets. scattered on the floor to host a dinner filled with flatbreds, salads, sauces, meatballs and more. You eat, you play, you make tea. Then you start again until nightfall. A circle of relatives can even bring a portable mangal (grill) for hot, smoky skewers.
Kuru kufte are a type of meatball commonly served at picnics, as they are delicious and cold. Try the recipe on the Seasonal Cook in Turkey blog.
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Emily Matchar is a publishing house founded in Hong Kong and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His paintings have been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Republic, The Washington Post and other publications. This is Homeward Bound: Why Women Are Adopting The New Domesticity.