Travel + Leisure Global Bazaar

Thanks to a lucky giveaway from Blondie and Brownie and Green & Blacks chocolate, A-Tooch scored some free tickets to a brand new event in NYC last weekend. There was not a whole lot of information around for the T&L magazine Global Bazaar, and the event was a pleasant surprise filled with food, drinks and all kinds of international goodies.

We entered the Park Avenue Armory (a super cool venue) and were greeted by the party people from Barbados, mahi mahi and a rum drink. Plenty of rum to follow, of course. I can’t hide from my favorite liquor.

Well if Barbados knows how to party, Canada knows how to cook. Out of the many countries represented Canada put on by far the best display of food sampling — Prince Edward Island oysters, birch syrup and this awesome Niagara duck breast with an ice wine, peachy corn sauce and hints of bacon and cream. So savoury and amazing.

I did not discriminate mixing sweet, savoury and booze (it’s own category, naturally) throughout the afternoon. We hopped on over to the Green + Blacks booth and I completed a quiz for my chocolate tasting profile. The result? White Chocolate, Maya Gold and Toffee. All very different but each tasty in its own way. The white chocolate was not overly creamy and sweet, which is the main issue I have with this variety. A hint of vanilla gave it a nice touch.

To make sure my tasting profile was accurate, of course, I dug into some of the other samples out there.

Throughout the afternoon the space was filled with groups performing authentic dances from regions like Fiji, Singapore and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Totally entertaining. Other foods we tasted – some of which were totally new to my palate – included: kaya toast from Singapore; samosas from India; biscoff cookies from Belgium; and these yummy mini beef empanadas from the Caribbean.