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8
Understanding
peasant cuisine
More tips & insights
continued
The language barrier
It would be nice to know how to
speak the local tongue in each region of the world, but since there are five
thousand ethnic groups with populations of at least one million that have their
own dialects, there is no way for anyone to master all of them.
Although I speak English (the best all around language for international travel) and "survival"
French, German, and Spanish, I'm still literally at a loss for words in many
parts of the world.
Even if I mastered Mandarin, I still would not be able to
converse with the majority of the people in China - they speak different dialects.
How to overcome the
Tower of Babel predicament
Obviously the best solution - short of learning the dialect - is to bring along
someone who can translate for you.
If that is not possible, tote along a good
dictionary and phrase book, complete with a pronunciation guide.
Also carry with
you various letters of introduction that explain in the local dialect your goals
and motives.
Body language
You'll also have to rely on body language, the means of communication that has
been used since the days of Herodotus, Marco Polo, and other early explorers.
The more you travel to exotic lands, the more adept you become at this nonverbal
skill. I'm always amazed at how much a seasoned traveler can say with simple
gestures and heartfelt smiles.
Click
Page 1 - Contents
Page 2 - What is a peasant?
Page 3 - Culinary heritage
Page 4 - Cultural & psychological
Page 5 - More tips & insights
Page 6 - More tips & insights
Page 7 - More tips & insights
Page 8 - More tips & insights
to be savvy about
about peasant cuisine

13 famous peasant cuisine recipes
Candid guide to 26 world cuisines

