u/Average_Guava

Just today I remembered a village in the Himalayas that I really loved. It was a deodar forest. It was about a 23 mile (38 kilometer) hike one way to get there.

It was so quiet, and smelled so good, and I have such good memories of camping there. There was a little waterfall you could use as a shower in summer. Even though I didn't go there often, just knowing it was there when I wanted to go was such a great thing

Another major part of my life was in the NE India lowlands where there were forests of huge bamboo. I loved it so much. I planted timber bamboo here at my house in the USA over 20 years ago, so I have some tall bamboo here. It's nice enough that I don't miss the bamboo forests as much.

I'm in the USA. We have different meanings of the word "barbecue" by region.

My mom, from Illinois, added barbecue sauce to some pork, and it was barbecue pork.

In some places it involves a lot more than a sauce.

I'm just curious how this word became contentious. Thanks in advance!

I'm fascinated with this. Mostly, I wonder why storytelling of historical events was not taken seriously by most scientists in the past.

Some Australian aboriginal people know from storytelling what hunting grounds there used to be, that are now under the ocean. Native Americans near Crater Lake here in Oregon have storytelling passed down generations that match what geologists now say happened.

I think these stories should be taken seriously, and it seems like they are being taken more seriously than they used to be.

I am the one with less knowledge here, and I appreciate any answers you have to this.

TIA

As I understand it, traditional diets are pretty much healthy diets by default; if a population is sustained for a long time, maybe centuries at least, their diet is healthy.

I was just thinking tonight, some places have pretty much the same weather all year. Others go from hot summers to cold winters, and a season much drier than another, and then there are Arctic climates.

I would be interested in any insights as to how diets evolved differently in places with more even climates vs places with more seasonal changes

Thanks in advance!

I have some fresh dill because I really want to taste it in a dish, but I don't know where to start. What would you recommend for an easy start to get the "feel" of it?

TIA

In one place I lived in India, near Hyderabad in south India, coconut rice was a common thing. I have great memories of that rice with their very spicy chicken curry.

I make coconut rice sometimes here in the USA, using canned coconut milk, jasmine rice and water.

Are you familiar with a similar rice preparation? And where are you? I'm wondering how widespread this is.

I love mints in general, but to me there's a big difference between spearmint and peppermint.

I'm just wondering if that's a common thing or if I'm an outlier.

If I'm cooking, it's almost always going to be spearmint.