Living history with food

When tourist like you and I think of Florida, its beautiful beach would never fail to pop up into our minds. Inevitably, we would think that seafood is their main regional cuisine. 

But you are wrong...

Presenting you the Key Lime Pie

A trip to Florida will not be complete if you did not try this pie!So what makes this dessert so special to Florida? 

The main ingredient of this dessert is Key Lime

Not our usual lime. 

It is smaller than a golf ball with yellow-green skin. It only grow well in limited zones and the Keys are one of those places.

Key lime pies were first made in the Keys in the 1850s. No fresh milk and refrigeration was available in the Keys until the 1930 and there were very few cows on the Keys,  thus local cooks had to rely on canned sweetened condensed milk. 

The key lime tree, native to Malaysia was probably first arrived in the Florida Keys in the 1500s with the Spanish. Key lime used to grow all over Keys, until 1926 when a hurricane wiped out the key lime plantations in South Florida, growers replanted with Persian limes, which are easier to pick and to transport.

Key Lime Pie is officially Florida state pie. (1 July, 2006)

The traditional key lime pie filling contains key lime juice, sweetened, condensed milk, and egg yolks.

A funny thing happens when you combine lime juice and sweetened, condensed milk. It sort of "cooks" itself without any heat. Most importantly, the filling of authentic key lime pie is light yellow not green like this:

To commemorate the importance of its state cuisine, a Key Lime Pie Festival would be held yearly.

The recipe which I am going to attempt it now, and perhaps you too!

Living behind the dark side of the sun

Every state or country has something to hide, but masked themselves through media, tourism ads and books. This has brought up my interest towards "Spatial justice" regarding justice and democracy practices in Florida.

As multicultural as appeared, having a month that commemorates the African-Americans, yet there were many outcries and grudges by the Floridians due to racial injustice. Since 1976 death penalty regime was introduced, they have executed 84 people yet no white person has ever been executed for killing an African American! 

I cannot imagine how betrayed, outcast and unsafe the black community felt. Moreover, the issue of racial injustice was amplified by Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law; a law that encourages criminal act, increasing homicides of black people. 

The blacks were even disallowed to vote in election as they were "once a criminal". The significant criminal title given to the blacks, inability to cast a vote or hold office themselves, I call it injustice.

One of the most ridiculous thing I came across was that Florida criminalize homeless people, as a "solution" to its massive homeless crisis, cutting crime and draw in more businesses. 

The city spend $5 million to prohibit activities that homeless people do to survive, instead of giving them homes?  These people are being treated like trashes, to the extent that they are not even allowed to step into the city. 

Even though there are volunteering communities to sustain human dignity and fairness (which they can be fined), the power is still with the government to give them their rights to freedom.

Whenever I think of Florida, I would imagine its lovely weather, that Florida is beach filled paradise, family-oriented, good retirement location,  and it's Disney World. Now, I would be questioning myself  if Florida is still as amazing as i to think it was.

Florida, a modern state with an existing tribe? (Blogpost 1)

We know that Florida has a melting pot of diverse nationalities and cultures, mainly the Latin American and European. However during my holiday at Florida, I chanced upon a middle-aged women while chilling by the beach. Through her, I learnt that there is actually another group of population since the early establishment of Florida that lived till today. 

They are the Seminole of Florida, meaning "wild people" or "runaway." They were the descendants of just 300 Indians who escaped being slaves when the land of India was invaded by the French and British. While the Red Indians was forced to make the Black Indians and Africans slaves, only the Seminoles refused and escaped into the swamps of Florida.

As she told me how her ancestor helped their tribe to gain freedom, she started tearing and became very emotional. 

She shared how from 1739 to 1858, the Seminoles and other refugees waged three wars with the United States to finally gain their freedom out of slavery. Only in the late 19th century they began venturing out to trade. They lived through agriculture and selling crafts and improved their independence by adopting a legal form of government.

They currently visit schools and festivals across the state, performing traditional dance and music to share their history with non-Indians. 

It was amazing for me to know that the existence of the Seminole has impacted Florida today, such as the woman in Florida's flag and names of many Florida places that was taken from Seminole languages, both Creek and Miccosukee. 

After hearing such disconcerting yet surreal story about Seminole, a part of Florida's history, I am so glad to know that its culture and tribe still lived till today to share their stories to the rest of the world.

The lady whom i spoke to:

Getting to know Florida

Living up to is name as the Sunshine State, tourists and Floridian can almost assure themselves a perfect day full of sun under the pleasant tropical weather. This beauty is found on the peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, in the South eastern section of The United State.  

Summers are usually long, hot and humid; therefore its beaches are a popular place to keep cool. In terms of the Floridian, nothing is more symbolic than their Palm trees. Dotting the state's landscape, Palm tree seems to represent Florida and even included in the state flag.

Coming from Singapore, I find Florida's flag really beautiful and intricate in representing the state. On a white field with a red cross and the state seal, Florida's flag represents the land of sunshine, flowers, palm trees, rivers and lakes. The seal features a brilliant sun, a cabbage palmetto tree, a steamboat sailing and a Native American Seminole woman scattering flowers. 

Something which I found it interesting is that between 1868 and 1900, Florida's state flag used to be a white cloth with the state seal in the center. However, a red cross was added during the late 1890s so that the flag does not appear to be a white flag of truce or surrender when hanging still on a flagpole! 

Florida is made up of 341 cities, which I am sure most of you are familiar with their popular ones such as Miami and Orlando. Florida has the most coast line at roughly 1200 miles *Gasp*.

As a coastal and border state, Florida is greatly influence by its large Latin American and European population which affect the culture and even the architecture. I thought Floridians's first language would be English since they are part of The United States, but no! Instead, Spanish are widely used by the locals which really surprised me. Never expect that even language would be affected too.

If you are trying to settle down for a meal anywhere in Florida, you will find yourself surrounded by a blend of Spanish, Cuban, African and Caribbean cuisines. Foodie could easily dine in on food based on seafood recipes, plantains and fruits, and not to forget their famous alligator meat! (If you are up for the game).

Not to forget, Florida is home to the largest theme park in the world, Disney World! Tourist are draw to it perpetual sun and warm weather, as well as the endless beaches and amusement park. Aside from its beautiful beaches, other leisure activities that are popular in the state include hunting, surfing and hiking. 

These and much more could be experience in Florida, so stay on to this blog as my next post will show you the other side of this sunny state.

“To travel is to live” 

― Hans Christian Andersen, The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography

Hello to readers of Florida

Have you dreamt of going Florida with only the impression of its sunny beach and Disneyland? Then you are in the right place! I just came back from my two months holiday trip from Florida, also known as the sunshine state and it was definitely one of my best travelling experience. 

Therefore I have decided to create a blog to share what I have learnt and experienced during my trip in Florida. Keep reading and you will soon realize that it is more than just a place for amusement park and beaches!

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” 

― Gustave Flaubert