It’s time for Eat the World and we’re heading to French Polynesia. French Polynesia is a series of islands in the Pacific Ocean that includes Tahiti and Bora Bora. Interestingly enough, the surfing competition of the Paris summer Olympics is slated to take place in French Polynesia.
Not surprisingly, much of the fare in French Polynesia revolves around seafood, which is a hard pass from me…
…I know, I know. I just haven’t had “well prepared” fish, etc, etc. I’ll come back with the fact that I live in a landlocked state so “fresh” seafood is not so fresh and I will never be able to get over the smell of seafood..ew. But I digress.
With seafood off the table, it was time to get creative. As I was researching, I came across recipes that called for Tahitian Vanilla Beans. Since I use vanilla beans for my Homemade Vanilla Extract, I just happened to have Tahitian Vanilla Beans on hand!
The next thing to do was to choose a recipe. I found a couple cocktails, but ultimately, I wanted to make something family friendly, and landed on lemonade (Spud’s favorite).
I was nervous about messing with a classic, especially with Spud who is typically my harshest critic (good thing he’s cute!) I was upfront with the change I was making, and he was surprisingly open minded! He appreciated that different flavor profile, with the vanilla lending a light, almost floral note, though classic lemonade is still his favorite.
Check out all the wonderful French Polynesian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld.
- A Day in the Life on the Farm: Poisson Cru
- Culinary Cam: Dreaming of the Tropics with Chevrettes à la Vanille et Coco, Poisson Crû, and More
- Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Vanilla Bean Lemonade
- Sneha’s Recipe: Poulet Fafa
Vanilla Bean Lemonade
Adapted from Tahiti Tourism
Lemon Vanilla Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Zest from 1 lemon
1 Tahitian vanilla bean
Lemonade
Lemon Vanilla syrup (above)
1 cup lemon juice
2 quarts water
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely in the water. Cool slightly. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add them to the syrup. Then chop the pod. Add the pod pieces and lemon zest and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a lidded jar and refrigerate overnight to infuse the flavors.
Strain the solids out of the syrup. Pour the syrup, lemon juice, and water into a large pitcher. Stir and serve over ice.
Amy Eats the World in...
Thailand: Chicken Satay
Kenya: Crunchy N’Dizi
Sweden: Rodbetssallad med Getost (Grated Beet Salad with Goat Cheese)
New Zealand: Kiwi Burger
France: Fougasse (Provencal Flatbread)
Argentina: Chimichurri Sauce
Mexico (Halloween Special): Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead Bread)
India: Spiced Golden Milk
Poland: Chrusciki (Angel Wing Cookies)
Ethiopia: Buticha (Hummus)
England: Wizarding World of Harry Potter Leaky Cauldron-Style Mini Cottage Pie
Georgia: Lobiani (Bean-Stuffed Bread)
Mexico: Crispy Pork Carnitas
Cambodia: Loc Lac (Shredded Beef with Lime)
Israel: Chicken Albondigas (Chicken Meatballs)
Finland: Sima (Lemonade)
Puerto Rico: Arroz con Tocino (Rice with Bacon)
Egypt: Ghorayebah Cookies
Ukraine: Scuffles (Rohalyky) Cinnamon Crescent Rolls
Portugal: Bitoque (Steak & Eggs)
Germany (Christmas Special): Lebkuchenherzen (German "Gingerbread" Cookies)
Trinidad & Tobago: Trini Macaroni Pie
Iraq: T'bit (Slow Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice)
Fiji: Fijian Creamy Lentil Soup (Dhal)
Senegal: Cafe Touba (Senegalese Spiced Coffee)
Colombia: Cañón de Cerdo (Colombia-Style Pork Loin Roast)
Soul Food (United States): Oven-Baked Ribs with Cola BBQ Sauce
Bangladesh: Shemai (Sweet Vermicelli Pudding)
The Netherlands: Dutch Farmer’s Cheese Soup (Boerenkaas Soep)
Laos: Khao Piak Sen (Lao Chicken Noodle Soup)
Jamaica: Chicken & Pumpkin Soup
Vietnam: Vietnamese Chicken Porridge (Chao Ga)
Sudan: Red Lentil Soup (Sudanese Addas)
Luxembourg: Bouchée à la Reine (Vol-au-Vent)
Uruguay: Pasta Caruso
I am actually with you on that: if you are landlocked, stay away from seafood. At least that has always been my rule. But this lemonade looks delicious. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a refreshing drink!
ReplyDelete