GREEN PEARLS® – curated for sustainable impact
What can we do in everyday life and when traveling to live more sustainable? What does sustainability aim at? Consequences of climate change? Where and how are t-shirts produced? And why is Juist car free? These questions take center stage at the children university, which…
The Italian Dolomites are for sure well known to every mountain lover. Who has not seen the impressive pictures of the Drei Zinnen or the gorgeous view from the Seiser Alm to the Langkofel-Gruppe? In addition clear mountain lakes reflecting mountains and pines wait to…
To get to know Thailand from another perspective – namely its green side – is what we aim at in our blog. Also if Thailand is one of the most popular destinations in South-East Asia, you can find many opportunities to travel off the beaten tracks making unique experiences. Today we take you to the less known region of Loei in the Northern part of Thailand.
By a total of 127 national parks in Thailand only one handful is really known. Phu Kradueng belongs to those less visited, though its nature is especially impressive and diverse: from the high plateau to bamboo and pinewoods to waterfalls and blossoming meadows. On walks in the park you meet elephant, dogs, squirrels, all sort of birds and the rare species of tortoise Tao Poo Loo. The park is spread over more than 348 km2 – enough space for hiking far away of the bustle. A special highlight in the park is the sunrise over the Pha Nok Aen cliff and the sundown at the Pha Lom Sak cliff. Also in the Phu Kradueng national park you will find the mountain Phu Ho that is often compared to the Japanese Fuji. A real must for all nature lovers.
As if you have landed in the film set of Jurassic park – this is how you will feel every now and then in the park Suan There Pha Ngam. The weirdly and arbitrarily towering limestone rocks together with the gigantic trees almost look primeval. Exploring the park by feet definitively is a special experience: Some of the walks will lead you to platforms from which you can spot the formations from above. With some imagination you can maybe guess the names of the rocks, which are chosen accurately, for example, “tortoise”, “dinosaur” or “elephant”. Other paths bring you right into the limestone caves hollowed out by the water over millions of years.
If you love (authentic) Thai food as much as me, you should plan a short stay in the small town Chiang Khan. It lies in the Northern part of the region, only separated from the neighboring country Laos by the Mekong. On the weekend the town comes alive: then on every corner you can find food stands and street side barbecues – perfect to get to know the variety of the Thai kitchen apart from Pad Thai! Also worth an excursion is the Mekong rapid Keaeng Khut Khan only a few kilometers from Chiang Khan, which is a real eye-catcher in particularly in the dry season. Then the river water writhes around multicolored, flatly polished rocks.
If you travel to Loei in June, you should by no means miss the three-day-long Bun Phawet festival in the town of the same name. This year the “mind festival” takes place from the 16th to the 18th of June. While on the first day the people ask for the protection of the spirits of the nearby Mun River and take part in Buddhist ceremonies on the third day, the real highlight takes place on the second day: the colorful Phi Ta Khon parade. The locals dress up and dance through the streets up to the temple Wat Phon Chai. The masks are carved with love to the detail from the wood of coconut palms and rice shells and are brightly painted. A little bit creepy, but at the same time also very impressive.
Do you remember? Some time ago, we addressed the problem of “overtourism” in a blog post. When entire regions suffer from the burden of tourism, we need new concepts and approaches. Community-based tourism is one of these approaches, ensuring that everyone involved benefits from tourism:…
The beautiful Bavarian district Berchtesgadener Land, the mountaineering village Ramsau and the Instagram star Königsee: there are many reasons for a visit to this lovely area in the southeast of Bavaria. A special highlight is Berghotel Rehlegg, a pioneer in sustainable tourism and more than…
“A dish about one ingredient (onion) across all its lives, inside an ocean of umami.” – Aggeliki Charami
Ageliki Charami, the executive chef at the Paradiso Pure.Living vegan hotel, LA VIMEA and the OMNIA plant-based restaurant, has a penchant for Asian and Japanese cooking techniques, as well as umami flavour. This vegan recipe, which she shared with us, is the most elaborate one on our blog so far and is perfect for special occasions. The noodle dough, which is coloured with a little turmeric, is the easiest part.
The onion-umami filling, on the other hand, requires a trip to a Japanese speciality store. The flavour of the caramelised onion is enhanced by kombu (seaweed), shiro miso (Japanese seasoning paste), umeboshi (fermented Japanese fruit) and rice wine.
Sustainability fact: seaweed is considered the vegetable of the future. It grows without the need for freshwater or fertiliser, and it absorbs huge amounts of CO₂. However, importing it from Japan undermines its environmental sustainability due to the long shipping distances involved. A more climate-friendly alternative is to source seaweed (kelp) from Europe, for example from France or the Baltic Sea.
But the dish is far from finished yet . As we work our way through the recipe, we’ll make our own rosemary oil (it’s easier than it sounds!) and prepare three different onion toppings for more experienced cooks, as well as a seaweed bisque and a lemon potato cream. We’ll then “dab” these onto the dish before serving.
By the way, this is what Aggeliki says about the recipe:
“This recipe is really simple. I created it so that you can easily make it at home, without needing any special restaurant equipment or complicated techniques.”
Well then! Go for it and surprise your guests (or just your favorite person) with this special dish. We hope it turns out great, and enjoy your meal!
PS: If you would like to tell your guests about the creator of this dish when you serve it, take a look at the interview with Aggeliki Charmi here.
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