World Tour de Cuisine
(World Tour of Cuisine)
"It was really nice of your father to invite me along," Fern smiled, looking out the window as they entered the Metropolis city limits. "I don't think I've ever been here in a car before. I've been on buses for fieldtrips and the train with my mom, but never by car."
"It's a wonderful experience, Fern, and I'm happy to bring you along. Sue Ellen tells me you enjoy geography in school, but you always want to know more about the countries you learn about. This will be the perfect opportunity," Mr. Armstrong smiled, pulling into a parking deck next to a huge convention center.
"Over a hundred countries are featured here, and most have more than one entry. Just like here in the United States, every city has their own food identity, often more than that as more and more cultures influence the cuisine. There's a lecture on the subject that I'll be attending while we're here," Mrs. Armstrong smiled, pointing her husband to a good parking space. "I think you should stick with Sue Ellen though, Fern, and learn through touch and taste. You can learn the more formal things later."
"Everyone out!" Mr. Armstrong commanded in a jolly voice. Fern and Sue Ellen obeyed, and after a little bit of walking, they were inside a huge, open room filled with food stalls and too many smells to describe.
"Daddy, are you going to be with us?" Sue Ellen asked.
"No, no, darling. I think you're old enough to do this one on your own," he said, patting her shoulder. "Besides, I'm going to be with a few ambassador friends of mine attending lectures like your mother. If you need us for anything, you be sure to call or text us okay?"
"Okay," Sue Ellen nodded, watching him leave before turning back to Fern. "So, where do you want to start? The African foods are here, and those are Australian," Sue Ellen said excitedly. "Where should we start first?"
"Well, can we start with the Americas first?" Fern asked nervously.
"You're worried you won't like the food," Sue Ellen smiled. "I felt the same way at my first food festival. It didn't have an Americas section like this one does, and I didn't know what foods I had eaten in other countries to know what I liked and didn't like ahead of time. But that's the fun part. You're going to find foreign foods that you don't like. Look, there's an African fruit stand. Let me show you."
Fern followed as Sue Ellen approached the stall. The main worker was dressed in traditional African clothing and had a thick accent, but he spoke English fairly well. Sue Ellen asked for a sample of a large, stinky fruit near Fern's side of the stall. The man immediately told her the fruit wasn't exactly African, but Sue Ellen didn't mind. The samples were placed in plastic cups, and a moment later, Sue Ellen and Fern were walking away.
"This is durian. It's Asian, I think, but some of the stalls have other fruits because they couldn't bring their own home delicacies. It's very stink and has a distinct taste," Sue Ellen said, taking her sample from the cup and beginning to eat the food.
"I don't know about this," Fern murmured, staring at the stinky fruit. Then, she decided just to go for it, just moments after Sue Ellen spat out her sample into the plastic cup and tossed it to the side.
"I've never liked it, but it's always good to try," Sue Ellen smiled, watching as Fern's face changed. "Wait, you like it?"
"It's weird, but it's pretty interesting. I wonder what it tastes like cooked," Fern smiled.
"Well, everyone is different, but I know we can get some cooked durian. Do you still want to start with the Americas?" Sue Ellen asked. Fern shook her head, "Let's go to the Asian section first."
The girls weaved between the foods of Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe before even attempting to cross to the American area of the room. While Fern and Sue Ellen both encountered foods they immediately had to spit out from disgust, they also found a lot of world foods that had them wanting more. Some of the shop operators gave them a second or third sample, but even more gave them pamphlets for local restaurants that served the food the same way. In the end, they had a long list of foods they greatly enjoyed and the "bad" foods were all but forgotten.
"So, did you have fun?" Mr. Armstrong asked as the group returned to the car.
"Very much so," Fern nodded. "How often do these food fairs happen?"
"This one only happens once every five years, but-"
"Five years?!" Fern exclaimed.
Mr. Armstrong chuckled, "But there are plenty more between now and then. Sue Ellen, you'll have to invite her along to some of them. And I see you got some pamphlets and menus from some of the shops. Any suggestions for dinner?"
"We're stuffed," the girls said together.
"Hmm, a place with good desserts then," Mrs. Armstrong smiled, grabbing Sue Ellen's bag and flipping through a few of the pamphlets. "I hear the Sugar Bowl in Elwood City offers international-style desserts alongside typical American cuisine. Would you girls like some Mexican fried ice cream while we work on some burgers and milkshakes?"
"We might have room by then," Sue Ellen nodded, patting her stomach. Fern felt the same way, and she couldn't help but smile as she watched Metropolis fade away behind them.
Theme 042: Fun at the Fair
To complete the themes yourself, I have the list posted on my profile. The list is for any type of fan fiction (one-shot, drabble, etc.) and any fandom. Challenge yourself in other ways to make it more fun, and enjoy!