The savor of the last two years lingers on our lips.  We have eaten countless meals at street stalls, restaurants, cafes, cooking classes, and homes in 19 countries but no meal has been the same as any other.  This post collects the most memorable tastes of our travels and we hope that you enjoy this (mostly) salivating journey through the world, as seen by our cameras and remembered by our stomachs.

The effervescence coating our tongues and minds from our first champagne and beer toast to our round-the-world trip.  Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia.

Impossibly light, flaky, and sweet roti canai with vanilla ice cream that we tracked down on three different nights, claiming that we had "photography issues" and needed to take better pictures.  Mamak, Sydney, Australia.

The weeks spent in small towns in Australia where we ate EVERY SINGLE meal with french fries (even my lasagna came with fries), and our relief at finally finding fresh fruit.  Port Douglas farmers' market, Port Douglas, Australia.

The explosion of strawberry and flowers in the dry 2009 Rose of Virginia wine, which continues to be the best rose we have ever tasted.  Charles Melton vineyards, Barossa Valley, Australia.

The creamy, oniony, and healthy mujadara we made with our own hands while camping through New Zealand, a much needed respite after a month eating restaurant food.  Our kitchen.

The fact that we were too exhausted from flipping over our kayak in the frigid Milford Sound to photograph the best meal we had in New Zealand, including a beetroot cream cheese, a basil pesto, and a white bean hummus served with wheat bread on a rustic plank, roasted and stuffed red peppers, and venison with roasted portobello mushrooms.  Redcliff Inn, Te Anau, New Zealand.

The sinful smoothness from eating a blue cheese souffle under a deep blue New Zealand sky with fields of vineyards at our feet.  Wairau River vineyard, Marlborough region, New Zealand.

The wormy appearance and texture of the delicate whitebait, which tasted somewhere between crab and a white fish, and is much sought after in New Zealand.  Cafe de Paris, Hokitika, New Zealand.

Learning how to make sweet kozhakattai (coconut dumplings) from my grandmother, the woman in whose kitchen I first learned to appreciate food.  Patti's house, Chennai, India.

Sharing a meal of vegetarian fare, bananas, and bamboo with our elephant friends --- and, yes, they ate way more than we did.  Patara Elephant Farm, Chiang Mai, Thailand.  

Realizing that the rice paper wrappers we use to make simple spring rolls take months of toil in rice fields and hours of back-breaking labor over a fast-spinning stove in Southeast Asia.  Rice fields, Sukhothai, Thailand; rice paper wrapper visit, Battambang, Thailand; spring rolls made in our kitchen.

The joy of purposeful charity as we watched Cambodian street children make and serve us amok, a stew of coconut, fish, and curry, as training for future jobs in the hospitality industry.  Romdeng and Friends, restaurants run by Mith Samlanh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Introducing our traveling friends to the best vegetarian restaurant we have ever tried; their mushroom and eggplant dips were akin to the nectar of gods.  Chamkar, Siem Reap, Cambodia. (sorry, no picture here)

Awakening to the power and beauty of tofu, boiled and served with soy sauce, served as cold yuba (tofu skin), grilled with miso paste, flecked with vegetables, or any of the other innumerable ways it may be served.  All over Kyoto, Japan.

Discovering that though okonomiyaki --- a light pancake filled with cabbage, cheese, meat, barbeque sauce, and mayonnaise --- may sound disgusting, it is actually one of the most delicious food finds in this world.  Okonomiyaki joints, Hiroshima, Japan.

 

Eating the best sushi ever in a bar with laminated countertops and stools that could fit no more than 20 people at any given time, right outside the Tokyo Fish Market.  Tokyo Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan.

Indulging in a kaiseki dinner, the ultimate Japanese meal, at a traditional ryokan after spending the day relaxing in mineral baths.  Kamesei Ryokan, Chikuma City, Japan.

 Adjusting to the sweet and squishy world of Japanese desserts.  All over Japan.

Ordering four items that appeared to be vegetarian in order to find one Korean vegetarian dish because vegetarianism simply does not exist in South Korea.  Busan and Seoul, South Korean.

Our ninth anniversary meal: an amazingly delicious Pizza Hut pizza, with a crust ringed by cheese and sweet potato puree, found in a South Korean subway station after five exhausting hours spent on a bus.  Seoul, South Korea.

. . . keep reading the taste of two years after the jump

View of Christchurch flowers last year

"Sydney?," the gap-toothed, sun-blistered Kiwi asked me as he loaded his taxi with our luggage.  "Too bad.  Nothin's better there.  Not enough fresh air."  He shook his head, regretting our departure from New Zealand, convinced that nowhere could be more beautiful than the Land of the Long White Cloud. 

A random point where we stopped driving, got out of the car, and ogled

When we planned our trip to New Zealand 18 months ago, we knew it would be beautiful; after all, like nearly every other living being on the planet, we had seen Lord of the Rings.  We expected green fields, cliffs, and rollicking ocean waves.  We knew there would be sheep and we knew there would be adventure sports. 

Moeraki boulders

We did not account for the pride of New Zealanders in their country. 

Christchurch last year

Last month, as you know, Christchurch suffered a devastating earthquake and, quick to action, Kiwi travel bloggers organized Blog4NZ, a community project intending to highlight travel bloggers' favorite spots, activities, adventures, and food of New Zealand to encourage tourism to that country.  Since I heard about this project, the words foremost in my thoughts have been the pride in which New Zealanders place in their country.

Another spot where we stopped by the side of the road and took pictures

We heard over and over again while we were there, "It's a little country.  But, it's the best."  We sat patiently through many a speech about the glory of the All Blacks.  We listened to Kiwis complain about water (yes, water) everywhere else in the world, because their water tastes the best of anywhere, they said.  (Actually, on that point, we don't disagree with them.  Their water is really darn good because it is pure and mountain-fed.)

Yellow-eyed penguin

That pride is apparent everywhere but, most notably, in the tourism industry itself.  New Zealand's tourism industry is a reflection of the respect and inventiveness Kiwis share for their country. 

. . . keep reading the pride of new zealand: blog4nz after the jump

A tree in Christchurch

World politics and events matter more to us when the tragedies and situations occur in the world that we have personally experienced rather than the world we visit through the media.  Though our sympathies lie with any victim of a tragedy, when we have been in that place, we care more deeply.  Last year, for example, when the riots hit Bangkok, we obsessively watched the news reports because we had been there just months before, had friends in the city, and cared about what happened to the wonderful Thai people.

When the earthquakes hit Christchurch last week, we were shocked and then saddened.  We spent several days in Christchurch last year before we drove through the awesomeness that is the South Island of New Zealand.  I never put up the pictures we took of the city because I was too distracted by the gorgeous photos we took of Milford Sound, Fox Glacier, and my canyon swinging adventure.  When we visited, Christchurch was in the first blush of spring . . . people sat in the many parks that wove through the city and we played with a little cockapoo at one of the bridges.  The tree above was a riot of colors amidst the Victorian buildings and churches in the city area. 

Today, hundreds of people are still missing or confirmed dead and pictures like those from last week's Big Picture reveal the devastation caused by the massive earthquakes.  Buildings have been smashed to the ground and trees like these were uprooted and strewn about the roadways.  Our thoughts are with the people of Christchurch as they recover from this tragedy.

. . . keep reading weekly photo: a tree in christchurch after the jump

"I can't do it."  I hunched over, hugging my arms around my chest, as my lungs called wearily for air.  We were on the Key Summit hike in Milford Sound and my respiratory system felt the combination of a fast ascent on an uphill climb and the pollen blowing from the spring wildflowers that dotted the lush ferns and trees.  As we sat on a log, debating whether we should continue, a backpack laden Kiwi stopped by us.  “Keep going.  You have another 45 minutes to the top and the sky is clear.”

We stood in the center of a circle of snow-capped mountains and wondered if we had wandered into an eternal place.  The lake reflected white peaks that jutted into the snowy clouds that drifted through the deep blue sky.  The perspiration on my forehead grew cold from the glacial winds but my heart rate did not slow until Patrick turned to me and smiled.  “Breathtaking,” he said.

This post has been entered into the June Grantourismo and HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition.