Taste of Christmas Festival - London

One of the best experiences I had during my trip in London was visiting the Taste of Christmas festival (Thanks cousins for the amazing surprise!)

If you've ever been to Taste of Dubai, it's pretty much the same branding but the experience is on a totally new level. The concept is the same in which different vendors and companies have their own stalls set up with their products (such as cheese, olive oil, meat, wine, chocolate, etc) where visitors can taste and purchase. This was one of the best parts about this experience, the fact that you can actually taste everything for free. It not only made the night much more enjoyable (for me and my appetite) but it definitely allowed you to get an idea of what you could potentially be purchasing on a wider scale.

Here's my picture diary & some little facts I picked up... Enjoy!

Chutney's, mustard & preserves - Tracklements

Blue cheese - Cornish Cheese Company

This was actually the best blue cheese I have ever tried. My cousins agree too. Not too strong but still flavorful. Not surprised this is award winning cheese - definitely my first time trying a cheese that's won an award :)

Black garlic (heat-aged garlic)

This was another first for me. The taste was quite similar to licorice with a very faint distant essence of garlic. If you ate this with your eyes closed, I don't think you would believe it's garlic.

Rustic French Bread

 

Different types of goat cheese & brie 

Did you know that brie is better when it's more yellow? I didn't! I've always had white brie from the supermarket and it seems as though I've been missing out...

Italian goods from Sicily

I picked up two types of Pecorino cheese from here - one with walnuts and one with truffle. I actually can never say no to truffle anything - truffle oil, cheese, sauce, pasta, etc. Speaking of truffle, I got the chance to feast on some very fancy truffle at a different market in London called the Borough gourmet food market - definitely a must-see if you're ever in London.

 

Live cooking show of holiday turkey

Gluten & butter free chocolates - The Chocolatier

Chocolate with 23ct gold leaf - The Chocolatier

This chocolate snapped above was interesting. Once I saw that it was written created for Arabian Royalty, I immediately asked the vendor what the story behind it was. She informed me that this particular chocolate made with gold leaves was created for the Saudi Prince as he requested a low calorie chocolate without compromising on taste and the gold leaves - well he is a Prince isn't he? I was intrigued, I then asked what his name was and she answered Ahmed. The other vendor working behind this business then came in on the conversation as he heard us and uttered "Yes, this chocolate was specifically made for the Abu Dhabi Foreign Minister". At this point, I thought things were sounding fishy and I replied informing them that Abu Dhabi is not part of Saudi Arabia and they just nodded so I decided to leave it at that :)

Hope you enjoyed my picture diary. It was such a great experience and I would highly recommend this to anyone in London during the holiday season. Have you guys ever been to Taste of Xmas?

Here's a little snap of my cousins and I at the festival!

left-right: Joanne, Dalia, Yasmin, Me

Ripe - Organic Farmer's Market!

I went to my first farmer's market visit in Dubai - so exciting! I've been to a couple in Europe during travelling but haven't had a chance to check the ones that are in Dubai. Ripe is an organic farmer's market at Dubai garden center which carries fresh and local produce.

Here's my picture diary to take you along...

Walking in to hear beautiful music by the saxophone player made the mood very much chilled and also fun!

Is there anything honestly better than the smell of freshly baked bread? You definitely know I sampled that rye bread. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm! I always find that bread with a lot more bite and crust has so much more character.

Organic and locally made beef & chicken sausages. 

They also carried a certain type of Australian dried meat called "Biltong" (shown in picture of the drying process). The texture is like beef jerky but the taste is almost like a bresaola that's been dried for much longer. If that makes sense :)

Fresh fish caught from the morning!

Seasonal vegetables and fruits. The beetroot on the right was so colorful and clean that my Dad actually uttered out the word "Beefroot" instead of beetroot when trying to call my attention to it! Haha.

Mini bananas (always just so cute) and assorted fruits and nibbles.

Vibrant green greens!

My Dad and I were so inspired after seeing these that we headed back inside the garden center afterwards and picked up Oregano and Basil seeds. So excited to start growing them!

Local fresh herb pot plants - that fresh mint smell was so enticing!

 

And a little something sweet to finish off your shopping. Selection included marble cake, crumble cake and brownies!

If you haven't checked out the Ripe farmer's market or any in Dubai for that matter, definitely give it a try. Even if you're not a foodie or into local/organic produce, it's a different experience and there's also a restaurant inside overlooking the garden center. After browsing on the Ripe's website, I am definitely eyeing that zucchini and cheese tart recipe! 

I will be checking out what other farmer's markets Dubai has to offer soon so stay tuned!

Love,

Mina