Argentina

Our timing to study Argentina was fantastic, as we just spent almost an entire month watching the 2022 Men's World Cup where Argentina (and Messi!) emerged victorious!

Video List

• Geography Now!  Argentina
• Provinces of Argentina Explained (Geography Now!) - a little long, but interesting
• 10 Best Places to Visit in Argentina - we liked this one but watched it at 1.25 speed because it is a little slow
• The Animated History of Argentina - a bit long, but very informative
• Why is Argentina's Currency so Crazy? - pretty interesting information and discussion on the inflation in Argentina and the impact is has on everyday life / good for discussion on economics with the kids
• Argentina 101 - 31 Tips You Need to Know - great practical travel tips for going to Buenos Aires that offer some good insight to the culture

For our food experience, I found a place that makes Argentinian empanadas called Fat Tummy Empanadas, so we went to check it out.  It was delicious!  We started off with a single empanada each, but they were so delicious that most of us went back for a second.  Our favorites were the traditional beef (ground beef with chopped up kalamata olives), the rajas con queso (poblano peppers with cheese and corn), and the Argentinian-style chorizo with eggs.  We also had the beef and potatoes and spicy chicken, which were also good.  At the end we brought home some of the sweet empanadas to bake and have as dessert.  We tried the dulce de leche (like a caramel filling), guava and cream cheese, apple, and pineapple.  Surprisingly, we liked the savory empanadas much more than the sweet ones, and later we found out that in Argentina, they don't really serve sweet ones anyway.

L to R: apple, dulce de leche, and guava & cream cheese

Antigua & Barbuda

Next up are the islands of Antigua & Barbuda.  There are so many islands in the Caribbean Sea with amazing history and culture that we were excited to learn about them.  They are not that far (relatively) from where we live, but we don't hear about them very often, so this was a great opportunity.

Antigua is the southernmost island and the most populated (97% of total population).  There are very few people who live on Barbuda (~1,634), all of whom had to be completely evacuated in 2017 due to Hurricane Irma, but most residents have since returned.

 

Video List

• Geography Now!  Antigua and Barbuda
• Geography More!  Andorra, Angola, and Antigua & Barbuda - start at 3:11 for the Antigua & Barbuda section
• A Super Quick History of Antigua (and Barbuda)
• Antigua & Barbuda: Travel Guide and General Info
• Caribbean Explained (Geography Now!) - great to get a good overview of the entire region and how the island nations there differ from one another and their relationships
• Antigua Vacation Travel Guide | Expedia - not a lot of new info, but really gorgeous and professional videography that shows off the nation's beauty
• What to Eat and Do in Antigua | Caribbean Travel Vlog - we actually didn't get a chance to see this one yet, as it is quite long, but it looks like the perfect video to visit the island vicariously

In looking for a way to experience Antigua & Barbuda cuisine, I checked around locally to see if there were any specialty restaurants that could help.  There are a number of Caribbean and specifically Jamaican places, but I did some research online about traditionally Antiguan dishes and couldn't find anyplace that included those in the menu.

Next I tried to find some way to order and ship some Antiguan black pineapple, known as being the sweetest pineapple in the world.  They are only grown in Antigua and are delicate enough that they cannot be transported and so rarely ever leave the island.  I found this to be very true, as I couldn't find it anywhere, even in candied, canned, or preserved form.

By this time, we needed to move on to our next country study, so I settled for ordering tamarind balls from Amazon for us to try.  While these are from Jamaica, it is said that they are an incredibly popular snack in Antigua & Barbuda.

I thought they were delicious, a wonderful combination of sweet and sour.  Our family was divided pretty evenly on who liked them and who didn't finish theirs.  😅

Angola

 Angola is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world (after Brazil) and is the seventh-largest country in Africa.  There is a small part of the country that is not connected to the rest: Cabinda.  It is along the Atlantic Coast just north of the main body of the country and accounts for an estimated 60% of Angola's oil production.

Video List

• Geography Now! Angola
• Geography More!  Angola
• 10 Best Places to Visit in Angola
• Why did Cuba Intervene in Angola? - animated video that gives a good overview of the civil war in Angola
• Angola: 10 Interesting Facts You Didn't Know
• Major ethnic groups in Angola - helpful in getting a better idea of the many different groups of people that live in Angola
• A Travel Tour of Angola - a European newsgroup reports on a tour of the different areas of Angola
• Traditional Foods of Angola - the computer voice used for narration is a little off-putting, but it is informative with good photos of the food and a description of the ingredients

For our food experience, I found a recipe for Muamba De Galinha (or Muamba Chicken), referred to in some places as Angola's national dish.  I had a lot of the ingredients already on hand or easily obtainable at my local grocery store but needed to special order red palm oil to make the dish.  It had a rich, nutty smell when heated up that added a lot to the dish, so I'm glad I made the effort to get some!

We served it over rice, and our whole family enjoyed it!