Unusual dishes: Fish head pie and the notorious ‘devil’s dung’
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This week’s travel news features fish head pie, ‘devil’s dung,’ mummified crocodiles, and Toadzilla, the infamous cane toad. Plus, we’re eager to hear your wildest and most outrageous travel tales.
Share your most thrilling travel adventures
We’ve all had trips that didn’t go as planned. Maybe you had a motorbike crash that sent you home with stitches but also life lessons. Perhaps you were robbed, swindled, or even beaten, yet still had the best summer ever.
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We want to hear your most thrilling travel stories with happy endings—those where you lived to tell the tale and now have a great story to share. Send us a brief summary via email, and you could see it featured as a Dinogo story ([email protected]).
Innovative cuisine
If you happen to get even a tiny bit of hing, the pungent Indian spice, on your hands, the overpowering smell will stick around no matter how many times you wash. This is why it's often called 'devil’s dung.' However, aficionados of this wild fennel-based spice claim it’s a key flavor that beautifully bridges the gap between garlic and onion.
In the coastal village of Mousehole in Cornwall, the whimsical-sounding Stargazy Pie takes a dark turn when you realize its star ingredient is fish heads, bulging eyes staring upwards from their flaky pastry crust. It's said to taste like a 'custard of ocean flavors.'
At Copenhagen’s renowned Noma, some of the most avant-garde dishes have included reindeer brain custard and fermented rice ice cream with oyster caramel. As one of the world's top restaurants, Noma will close its doors to diners next year, only to reemerge in 2025 as a 'food innovation lab' named Noma 3.0.
The wild world of cuisine
Mohe, China’s northernmost city near the Russian border, set a record for its coldest day ever on January 22, plunging to a bone-chilling -63.4°F (-53°C). East Asia is in the grip of an intense cold wave, and experts are warning that such extreme weather is becoming the ‘new norm.’ Meanwhile, farther southeast in New Zealand, Auckland’s airport was flooded after torrential rains hit the city on Friday.
California has recently faced wild rainstorms that wreaked havoc across the state, with some of its famous parks and forests still closed due to the damage. Notable closures include Los Padres National Forest and El Capitán State Beach. On a brighter note, Arizona’s Grand Canyon is welcoming visitors back to Havasu Falls after three years of closure.
A gigantic cane toad, possibly the largest on record, was discovered in northeastern Australia. Weighing in at a solid six pounds with no extra fat to speak of, this muscular amphibian has earned the nickname 'Toadzilla.'
In Texas, a massive and rare American eel – a full four feet of it – recently washed up on a beach. For a glimpse of this eerie find, check out the footage that looks like it came straight out of a 'Tremors' movie.
The treasures of Egypt
One ancient Egyptian mummy’s ‘golden boy’ is even more valuable than originally thought. Computer scans have digitally 'unwrapped' the remains of a 2,300-year-old teenage boy, revealing 49 stunning amulets adorning his body. The boy’s remains were first discovered in a southern Egyptian cemetery in 1916, but his treasures are only now being fully appreciated.
Humans weren’t the only ones to undergo the mummification process in ancient Egypt. In 2019, archaeologists uncovered 2,000-year-old mummified crocodiles near Aswan. Watch the video to see the five ancient reptiles, believed to belong to two distinct species.
After a two-year joint investigation between US and Egyptian authorities, Egypt has successfully recovered a 500-kilogram ancient sarcophagus lid, known as the 'Green Sarcophagus,' which had been looted and smuggled to the United States in recent years.
European islands where you can truly escape the world
Poet W. B. Yeats, feeling homesick in London, dreamed of escaping to a remote island cabin in Ireland where he could 'find peace, for peace comes dropping slow.' While Yeats didn’t have access to our guide of the best European islands for solitude, you can read it here and plan your own escape.
Bring Your Own Bottle
Gone are the days of wrapping a bottle of local liquor in a T-shirt, praying it doesn’t shatter before you get home. The VinGardeValise Grande suitcase now comes with 12 foam inserts designed to securely hold bottles of any shape, ensuring your purchases stay safe and sound. Our partners at Dinogo Underscored, a trusted product review and recommendation guide owned by Dinogo, put it to the test.
In case you missed it
Lunar New Year festivities are in full swing! Check out our illustrated guide to the most popular traditions.
Next, discover your zodiac predictions for the Year of the Rabbit.
Fans of Disney’s Splash Mountain are snapping up all the memorabilia they can find.
This includes plastic cups, Ziploc bags, and even suspiciously sourced 'Splash Mountain water.'
There’s a unique Alpine hotel where an international border runs right through its rooms.
Guests can experience sleeping in both France and Switzerland at the same time.
Top image: The Cornish delicacy Stargazy Pie (Anabel Dean).
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