You know, sometimes it's all about the little things. Like Pho.
Growing up in Yellowknife, there weren't a lot of opportunities to experience exotic cuisines. As a little kid, I remember a couple of Chinese places, and of course the ubiquitous pizza/Italian joints, but it took a long time for the more "exotic" foods to make it up there. By the time I left, a large Mexican chain had made its way into town (it didn't stay long...and I believe it was turned into a Sushi joint after the chain left town), and the city's restaurants were exploring Thai and Vietnamese thanks to the increasing populations of both ethnic groups.
Even so, my Dad's palate is somewhat comfortable in the Meat 'n' Potatoes world, so it's not like there were a lot of opportunities to expand my culinary horizons.
So, that's the world I grew up in. I had no idea if I would like Pho or Vietnamese cuisine in general because I had never had it. Same goes for Thai, Sushi/Japanese, Tapas, Swiss, French, Indian, Quebecois, and so on. I was well into adulthood before I started trying some of these cuisines, and indeed, only in the last five years have I really opened up to new foods. I'm still testing the waters with a lot of foods, given that I have certain restrictions (if it comes from the water, it ought to fucking well stay there), but I'm finding out all the neato spices and herbs that other cultures use to make beef, chicken and pork even more delicious.
If I could tell young Fancy one thing about food, I would tell her that there are indeed flavours besides salt and besides yucky black pepper.
Pho...
...Wish you were here.
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