I’m writing this post on a train as I leave the light-studded apartment blocks of Tokyo behind me, on my way north to Narita airport. I am also leaving with fond memories of food, family, pottery and footbal. 

In all my thirty years I had never, until last week, set foot in any one of our Pacific Island nations.  To me it was a world undiscovered, a world which despite our geographic proximity and our close connections, I had spent little time contemplating.  Oh how quickly this all changed!

I love how a collection of words strung together in a certain order can paint such a vivid picture and stir such strong emotions.  Mushroom picking in the Swedish countryside…..to me those six words are full of romanticism; trees twisted and gnarled, like something from a fairytale, spongy moss underfoot, grazing Elk, wild flowers and [...]

Although my sister and I did eat a heck load of beans and rice on our two month journey around South and Central America, it was a culinary journey with a few stand out experiences.

Chao Long marked the end of my travels around China. In contrast to the bustling metropolis that is Beijing, Chao Long’s dusty roads lead to rice paddies and rivers, to thatched pergolas on the edge of orchards where we ate meals served straight from surrounding vegetable gardens and nearby rivers.

After having spent 2 weeks in rural China I was hesitant about travelling to Beijing, favouring instead the slow life to which I had (surprisingly quickly) grown accustomed.  A light summer rain fell as we first emerged from the underground onto the crowded streets of Beijing and instantly I sensed the heart and soul of [...]

Given that I have a love for tea which boarders on obsession, it is almost redundant to point out that the mere thought of travelling to a place which boasts tea as its main export was almost too much for me to fathom.  Long before I packed my bags and bid my farewells I had [...]

For years I had felt a compulsion to visit China, for what reason exactly I am unsure.  Certainly it is a country rich in history, in art and in culture, all things for which I have a fascination.  And of course from a culinary perspective China’s reputation for food which pushes the boundaries precedes itself.  [...]

The other day I opened my bright red diary and sifted through its sketch-filled pages searching for a recipe I knew I had scribbled down in haste, somewhere back when the days were longer and certainly warmer than they are now.  Instead of the recipe, I stumbled upon a bucket list (of sorts) and was [...]

Monday the 17th May was a day nervously and excitedly anticipated by everyone in the Our Kitchen team.  Due to the fact that we are spread over 2 sites (one in the South island, the other in the North) the team had yet to meet face-to-face, even after a year and a half of working [...]

This post is from a colleague of ours Balint who is our technical writer and a great home cook. Balint also helps out by proofreading most of our blog entries (and he will probably proof this intro as well!), he is too nice to use a red marker pen to show where we have erred [...]