While shoveling handfuls of popcorn into your mouth during a captivating movie, a question may cross your mind — can I grow my own popcorn?

Sure, you can go to any grocery store and buy a bag of popcorn seeds for a few bucks, but where’s the fun in that? Although it’s more effort than a quick trip to the store, growing your own popcorn is an incredibly rewarding experience.

Besides everyone’s favorite benefit (devouring copious amounts of your own delicious snack), homegrown popcorn has more flavor. The different varieties are far more exciting in color and taste than regular popcorn.

Step 1: Make sure it’s popcorn.

Not every kind of corn can be popped. Spending months growing an entire crop, only to find out the corn is unpoppable, is bound to put you off popcorn forever — so make sure the variety you plant is the right one. Regular popcorn is easy to find, but the thrill of growing your own popcorn lies in the numerous varieties you won’t find instore.

Dakota Black Popcorn: A beautiful deep purple/black color with a slightly nutty taste. The black kernels may make the popcorn look burnt, but don’t let it fool you — it’s extremely tasty.

Strawberry Popcorn: Named for its ears that look like large strawberries, this corn is a smaller plant but packs big flavor. The rich red color adds brightness to the garden and kitchen. Be warned: once you eat strawberry popcorn, no other store-bought popcorn can compare.

Glass Gem Popcorn: When this surreal phenomenon circled the internet a few years ago, it was almost impossible to believe it was natural. Each kernel has a glossy color that forms a collection of gems — hence the name. Its primary use is popcorn, creating a bowl of colorful kernels in a sea of white.

Step 2: Plant

To grow popcorn, the seeds should be fertile. Some lucky gardeners have found success using seeds from the grocery store, but the processing treatments the seeds receive often prevent germination, and some kernels may be too old to sprout. Buying from a nursery or seed company is the safest option.

The crop should be planted from late winter to early summer for effective growth. Soak the seeds in warm water for 12 hours before planting in a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Water often until the corn is ready to harvest. When the plants reach knee-height, pack extra soil around the stalks for support.

Step 3: Harvest

In approximately 100 days (depending on the variety of popcorn), the corn will be ready to harvest. The kernels need to be dried out before cooking — leave on the stalks to dry out in the sun. Ensure the kernels are completely dried before removing as excessive moisture makes it difficult to cook.

In areas with high rainfall, it may be hard to dry the corn on the stalk fully. Instead, dry the corn in the oven. Preheat the oven to 150°, and once the corn is in, turn the heat down to the lowest setting. After 5 hours, turn the heat off and leave to cool in the oven overnight. All that’s left is to enjoy!

Step 4: Cook

Cooking popcorn on the stove can be a tricky battle between chewing on dry seeds or coughing through black popcorn ash. For perfect popcorn every time, heating is key.

Heat oil in a pot on medium-high heat and throw 3 kernels in. Once those 3 kernels have popped, add the rest of the popcorn, put the lid on, and remove from the heat for 30 seconds to allow the new kernels to come to the same temperature.

Return to the heat and continuously shake gently until you hear a few seconds between each pop. Take off the heat and enjoy the fruits of your labor — making the short journey from your garden to the couch for movie night.

In a fast-paced world controlled by screens, we tend to turn to nature for solace from technology. The calming character of the outdoors, known to humans for centuries, has recently developed into a new area of study — therapeutic horticulture.

Horticulture has been used for over 4000 years to promote calmness, but official studies into the mental benefits of gardening began in the 19th century. Since then, greater research suggests gardens are not just good-looking; they can be beneficial to our physical and mental wellbeing.

The science behind therapeutic horticulture

The Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association (CHTA) defines Horticultural Therapy as “a formal practice that uses plants, horticultural activities, and the garden landscape to promote well-being for its participants.”

Studies published in Paediatric Rehabilitation suggest mental health and wellbeing can be improved through horticultural therapy — “views of nature have positive, psychological responses, physiological impacts (lower blood pressure, reduced muscle tension), and a reduced need for medical treatment”.

Garden soil alone is beneficial to wellbeing — all you need to do is breath, play, or dig in the dirt. A study found a bacterium in soil, Mycobacterium vaccae, has the potential to improve the immune system, lower stress, and improve brain activity.

While therapeutic horticulture aims to assist those with cognitive or physical challenges through a connection to nature, the benefits gained from the practices of horticultural therapy apply to all ages and abilities.

Improving mental and physical health

Physically, gardening is a great way to stay fit and active. Whether you have a large lawn to mow or a small herb garden to tend — the act of gardening can improve fine motor skills, balance, and endurance.

Studies have also demonstrated countless mental benefits. These include improved memory, increased attention, a sense of responsibility, stress relief, and improved self-esteem.

However, the act of gardening is only one aspect of therapeutic horticulture — gardens themselves can also have healing effects.

The elements of a therapeutic garden

Therapeutic gardens are designed with the visitor in mind. Each area is created to facilitate interaction and engage the senses to allow for a complete immersion in nature.

Accessibility is a priority — encouraging easy gardening and physical interaction with the plants. A visitor or the gardener themselves should be able to see or study, touch, smell, and even taste the plants while hearing the nature around them.

Universal accessibility for all ages and simplicity in design is vital, providing a comfortable environment for convenience and enjoyment. This includes avoiding hazardous chemicals (especially in cases where taste is included in the sensory experience) and providing shade and protective structures for both people and plants.

The purpose is equally focussed on the plants and how one can experience them.

How to grow your own therapeutic garden

By designing, building, and maintaining a therapeutic garden in your outdoor space (or indoors if space is a premium), your garden will become an experience for visitors of all ages.

Design

The first step towards a therapeutic garden is the design. Consider each of the five senses and how you can combine plants and features to include sensory stimulation.

Bright colors, a variety of shapes and heights in plants, and unique focal points can make the garden visually stimulating.

For touch, textures are important (soft leaves, crunchy bark, running water), as are pathways and raised beds to easily reach all the plants.

Smell and taste can often go hand in hand by incorporating fragrant herbs, fruits, or edible flowers in the design.

Sound is more difficult to incorporate through plants, but objects can be used instead. A water feature adds a soothing sound of running water, a bird feeder brings bright, chirping birds, and a variety of flowers invite the buzz of bees.

It is important to combine various senses with each design choice and aim to make the garden an activity in itself.

Plant

When building your garden, remember its purpose and your participation in the process. The physical and mental benefits largely stem from the act of gardening, so it is vital to take your time and enjoy every moment.

Once your design has been executed, the benefits continue through maintenance of the garden — creating new experiences with each season and replanting cut-offs to continue growth.

Enjoy

While the gardening part of the process is important, it is also beneficial to enjoy the fruits of your labor. A therapeutic garden is an avenue to de-stress after a long day or spend time with family. It keeps you physically active and can encourage healthy food choices.

There is also the option of sharing your garden with others (an important part of therapeutic horticulture is social interaction). Being present and attentive in the space allows you to reap the extensive benefits of nature in your own backyard.

Planting a therapeutic garden is not a one-day project. It’s a continuous commitment. But, it’s a commitment that can help you, your family, and others you welcome to it.

It’s no secret: people love to travel. Of the thousands of bucket list items, traveling the world and challenging your comfort zone accounts for most of them. Not only is it a revered activity, scientists say it can also alter your personality — for the better.

These changes are not instant — you’re not going to be a new person after one weekend getaway. But extended travel periods, where you immerse yourself in a different place and culture, can have positive effects on openness, emotional stability, and a host of other important traits. Scientists have backed these positive personality impacts and made our travel bug ten times worse in the process.

Gain a unique perspective

Extended travel opens you to a world of other perspectives — literally. We tend to settle into a place and stay comfortable, forgetting that more exists outside our finite bubble. When we step outside that bubble, it has positive effects on how we see the world — and our personality in the process.

In a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Openness was one of the ‘Big Five’ personality traits measured. The researchers — Julia Zimmermann and Franz Neye — tracked personality changes in a group of students that studied abroad, comparing the results to a control group of students who remained at home. The ‘Openness’ trait increased in students abroad, especially in those who expanded their social networks globally.

Meeting new people, understanding cultures, and generally immersing yourself in a new place confronts preconceived notions of the world. Embarking on adventures helps formulate a more well-rounded, unique vision of the world. You gain a better understanding of yourself, your life, and how different people live theirs. Scientists say these factors all contribute to making you a more imaginative, curious, and open-minded thinker.

Face your fears

Openness to experience accompanies increased spontaneity. Travel throws you out of your comfort zone, with no reprieve but to embrace the chaos and enjoy it. Travel disasters are inevitable — anyone else been stuck in an airport with lost luggage? But each time you overcome a challenge, the next one becomes a little bit easier.

Fear stops us from fully experiencing what the world has to offer. When you travel, you are forced to face your fears and adapt to these situations. Once you’ve done it a couple of times, openness to experience becomes a habit, and eventually a new personality trait. As they say — practice makes perfect.

Become a social butterfly

Travel can be an introvert’s worst nightmare. You are forced to interact with people you’ve never met, often in a language you don’t understand. The success of your trip relies on it. But social interaction abroad doesn’t have to be hard, and research shows it will make you a better communicator overall.

Whether it’s asking for directions or recommendations for a local eating hotspot, you are bound to be communicating with strangers often. You’ll get more practice in a country with a different language than yours, as you are forced to communicate through body language. Studies show these skills improve the ‘Agreeableness’ trait. You get along better with others, come off as friendlier, and become more optimistic. Who knows — you may even pick up a new language too.

When you travel solo, you’re also bound to meet people and get some practice making friends. In fact, the study found making friends and forming international relationships was the greatest influence on personality changes. This impacts your confidence and can help you improve your relationships at home.

Improve your creativity

Another paper, published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, studied the impacts of living abroad on creativity. The findings suggest the cultural experiences gained from travel have a positive impact on creativity and imagination. The change was only found in people with lived travel experiences, not in the people who merely learned about a culture before completing the study.

Creativity improves when we witness the practices of other cultures firsthand and understand the subtle differences in how people live their lives. Challenging preconceived ideas and adjusting accordingly is a hallmark of creativity. This is a strong argument for embracing the culture of your host country fully when you travel, not just seeing it through the eyes of a tourist.

Improve emotional stability

Another ‘Big Five’ personality measure improved in the study is Emotional Stability (also referred to as Neuroticism, or Emotional Instability). Travel is inherently unpredictable, and problems are bound to arise. Dealing with these challenges improves our emotional stability and makes us more adaptable to change.

Travelers are less likely to give up on things that don’t work the first time. Instead of being discouraged, they embrace the challenge and are willing to look at a problem from all sides before tackling it.

People with high Emotional Stability are stress-tolerant, less likely to view a tough situation as threatening or impossible, and less likely to experience persistent worries or anxiety. Of all the improved personality traits, Emotional Stability can have the biggest positive impact on your life — improving health, wellbeing, and relationships.

If you were looking for an excuse to take that backpacking trip across the country or spend a year abroad, there’s no better excuse than becoming a better person. Have you started packing yet?

The art of the French cheek kiss

Remember that horrifying moment when you met someone new and went to give them a hug, while they went for a handshake?

And you both switched awkwardly and landed in some hug-hand amalgamation?

And then you thought about it for several years as you lay awake at night in nauseating embarrassment?

I’ve discovered the French version of that. Only, it's much worse.

I arrived in Bessèges — a minuscule town in the South of France where neighbors share homegrown vegetables and the mayor stops by for tea and a chat — to visit my Uncle. I went to catch up, visit his new restaurant, and meet his new partner.

I hugged my Uncle hello as I arrived, as South Africans (and many others) do. He turned to introduce his partner and, without thinking, I moved to hug him too.

The familiarity of family clouded my cultural judgment. I charged, arms forth, and immediately realized I had made a mistake.

He froze — somehow limp and stiff simultaneously. He had tried to put his arm on my shoulder for the typical cheek kiss greeting, but it got trapped under my arm, leaving him unable to escape. Rather than stepping back, I instinctively hugged tighter.

After releasing him from his nightmare (and mine), I slinked so far into my body I could have turned inside out.

We said nothing. Even fewer words were shared throughout the night as the humiliating encounter played on a loop in my mind.

In a record mere minutes, I desecrated French culture and tradition. I later learned — through a lengthy explanation from my Uncle — that the cheek kiss was a cumbersome, heavily debated, and all-together unavoidable greeting. It is called “faire la bise” and understanding the right way to do it in which part of the country is a Herculean task.

Nevertheless, I set out to demystify the process and ensure my tragic mistake would never happen again.

Mastering the art of “la bise”

Who makes the cut?

You’re not going to kiss every second person in the street hello and goodbye. Unless you’re friends, of course.

There are criteria for who la bise applies to — if everyone was treated to a four-kiss greeting, the French wouldn’t get anything done. It is normally reserved for friends, family, and on occasion, acquaintances. Anyone outside that bracket will be satisfied with a handshake, or a simple bonjour and a wave from a safe distance.

Hugs are off-limits (in case you didn’t already gather from my horrifying faux pas above). In France, hugs are considered intimate. Almost all the French words or phrases used to refer to hugs have romantic connotations. Not ideal for a first meeting — or a second for that matter.

How many kisses?

The unfortunate reality is, there is no right number. It is a matter of intense debate and (even for French people) — confusion. Depending on the region you live in, the appropriate number of kisses can range from one to five, or more.

Studies and surveys have attempted to settle this debate by separating the most common number of kisses by region. The website combiendebises.free.fr has a handy color-coded map gathered from user feedback.

The overall winner is two kisses. In most regions, two either wins, is a close second, or is the next highest majority. One is rare, dominating in only two regions, while three is the norm in some Southern parts. In the north and center, some regions favor four, although the contest between two and four is stiff. Stick to two and you should be safe.

The other option is to follow the lead of the person you are greeting. They are French after all and will probably have a better grasp of the custom.

Which side first?

Another matter of debate: which side should you start with? A mix up here could result in an extremely intimate encounter — more so than the dreaded hug.

The country is divided in two on this one. Residents of the lower South prefer the left, and those in the North say right. The only certainty is which side to end with — three kisses starting left, or two starting right, will both finish on the left side. Not practical in mastering la bise, but an interesting coincidence.

Luckily for tourists, the French are expert navigators of this confusing terrain and will adjust to your blunders accordingly. If all else fails, go for the right and hope for the best.

If there is any concrete lesson from my experience — do not hug in France. Ever. (Unless, by some crazy coincidence, you also have a French-South African uncle). Embrace the local culture and ‘faire la bise’. It may be uncomfortable for you, but a hug will be just as uncomfortable for them.

Indoor gardeners (or devoted plant parents as we call ourselves) are on the rise. The hobby-boom of 2020 welcomed many new members to the indoor gardening family, and the addictive nature of plant collecting is sure to keep that trend steady for years to come.

New siblings in the family — or old ones looking for another fix — are always out for a new plant to add to the collection. This list is a mix of some less common options, plus some classic favourites that absolutely cannot be missed in 2020.

*Disclaimer: Everyone and their grandma has a Monstera or a Pothos, so I left them off this list. #MonsteraMonday lovers, please don’t come for me.

10. Fittonia — Nerve Plant

This compact houseplant is named for its trademark deep veins and contrasting colours. It requires filtered sunlight/part shade and high humidity, making them one of the fussier indoor plants — but well worth the work.

They may not look like much, but their size and humidity requirements check every box for indoor terrariums. Grab a glass and get planting.

9. Phlebodium aureum — Blue-star Fern

This fern’s unusual blue-green leaves and low-light requirements are a popular choice among fern enthusiasts. Its fronds mimic outstretched hands that may comfort a lonely houseplant lover, when there’s no one else around.

It grows well in dim areas (bathrooms or bedrooms) but does need some minimal upkeep to create a high humidity environment. Leave a spray bottle near the pot and mist once a day, or place it in the shower for a regular steam.

8. Dracaena

Often confused for a palm tree, this plant has a tropical aesthetic and long lifespan when well taken care of. Place in high light areas — direct sunlight if you have it — and water every 4–5 days in summer, twice a month in winter.

They bring an exotic look to living rooms — combine with a hammock and you have a home beach holiday (without the sand in your shoes).

7. Bromeliad

Another tropical plant bringing an exotic touch to your interior design is the Bromeliad. Some are short-lived, but are luckily relatively low maintenance — medium to bright light and watering once a week.

The kaleidoscope of colours to choose from turn this ordinary houseplant into a collector’s item. Beware — it can be addictive.

6. Peperomia — Radiator Plant

People have fallen in love with Peperomias for their variety of ornamental leaves in every strange shape, texture, and colour imaginable. They are also slow-growing and low maintenance, tolerating a bit of neglect from houseplant beginners.

Peperomias are the choice for budding houseplant collectors, with an eye for style.

5. Asplenium nidus — Bird’s Nest Fern

The dramatic Bird’s Nest Fern has long textured leaves for a stunning indoor feature. It was my first houseplant and lasted a solid four years — even surviving my plant murdering period.

Like other ferns, mist regularly or place in a steamy bathroom. Avoid watering the centre of the plant to prevent rotting. In its natural rainforest environment, it’s a perfect pairing with Bromeliads and Orchids.

4. Anthurium

Anthuriums, a popular 70s plant now back in fashion, are grown for their flower spathes — the colourful waxy modified leaf that makes it instantly identifiable. They also tolerate varying conditions but grow most successfully in bright indirect sunlight.

The iconic red anthurium is a must-have, along with my personal favorite “Watermelon Obake” — a combination of hot pink and lime green.

3. Zamioculcas zamiifolia — ZZ Plant

Possibly the most Instagram-worthy houseplant on the list comes in at number 3, the ZZ Plant — and for good reason. This plant is drought-tolerant, can survive low light conditions, and can withstand a fair bit of neglect. Trust me, I know from experience.

It is also resistant to many diseases and insects. Use this plant to join the #houseplantsofinstagram family. Maybe you’ll become a houseplant influencer?

2. Ficus Lyrata — Fiddle Leaf Fig

You cannot stop by a nursey without seeing the insanely popular Fiddle Leaf Fig. Like the Monstera, it's everywhere. However, it retains it’s number 2 spot for one reason: this houseplant can grow into a towering tree feature to amaze any indoor gardeners and their guests.

Nicknamed for the fiddle shape of the massive leaves, this ficus needs bright filtered light, regular watering, and a repotting every once in a while to promote growth. For a more structured look, opt for another member of the Ficus family — Ficus elastica (Rubber Plant).

Honourable mentions:

Calathea

Alocasia

1. Sansevieria — Snake Plant

Snake Plants tend to divide houseplant lovers for their tough appearance, but they are number 1 on this list for good reason — they are almost impossible to kill.

Sansevieria’s can handle varying light conditions and go without water for several weeks. They are also easy to propagate and come with striking variegations and leaf shapes to fit modern, edgy interiors.

For beginner indoor gardeners, this number 1 on my list should be yours too.

Thousands of avid travellers (myself included) were heard cheering in unison and frantically Googling their next getaway when our President announced travel restrictions would be lifted. However, some (again, myself included) remain sceptical of travelling during a pandemic.

Any step outside your door involves a risk, but there are measures you can take to satisfy your wanderlust and stay safe at the same time.

Go off-grid

Bustling cities make for an action-packed holiday, but during a pandemic, not a safe one. Take the weekend to recharge in nature instead. In remote areas, the risk of encountering other people is lower, and you can soak in the countless health benefits of being outdoors. For five months, escaping the chaos of city life was only achievable in our imaginations. Now, we have the change to step out of our imaginations, and into reality.

We are inundated with destinations to experience the remote outdoors. From mountains, to deserts, to beaches — there is a secluded spot for every traveller.

Take the road less travelled

Flights are open in many places, and airlines have scrambled to convince travellers it is safe to fly again. Temperature screening, mandatory mask-wearing, and strict sanitizing measures are a new part of the already-laborious air travel process, lowering the risk of transmission dramatically. Regardless, you may not want to be crammed in a flying metal tube with 100 other people right now (I don’t blame you). Luckily, the classic road trip is here to save the day.

Scenic roads are as much a travelling spectacle as the destinations they lead to. Driving may take a little longer than a flight, but views of the open road are significantly better than views of the back of a seat. Keep in mind: every stop you make equals interacting with others and increasing the risks of transmission. Try to stay within one petrol tank’s distance from home, and save the snack run for later.

Be selective with your accommodation

Hotels and resorts have also put safety measures in place to reduce risk to visitors. But, like the introvert’s guidelines say — avoid other people at all costs. Your biggest risk is contact, and limiting it is like Mission Impossible when you’re staying in a ten-storey hotel.

Opt for accommodation choices that expose you to as few people as possible — small lodges, individual chalets, or camping and caravan parks. You’ll be supporting the small businesses that desperately need the guests while simultaneously keeping yourself safe. It’s a win-win.

Choosing Activities

The destination, and how you get there, is not the only consideration. What you fill your time with is equally important. A vital part of travel is exploration — if that involves lingering in public spaces all day (as in most big cities), you are at greater risk, guaranteeing a more stressful holiday.

Hiking, visiting secluded beaches, or any outdoor activity trumps a crowded, enclosed space on a regular day — during a pandemic that is increased dramatically. They also, conveniently, cost less money. Save the big city trip, and your budget, by spending your days outdoors.

Remember the basics

These are good measures to limit your risk, but won’t be successful without the basics drilled into our heads this year. It’s probably echoing in your ear already, but here it is again, just to be safe:

· Wash your hands frequently

· Wear a mask

· Don’t touch your face

· Practise social distancing

With these tips in mind: go forth, fellow travellers, and enjoy your much needed and well-deserved holiday. Your travel bug, and the tourism industry, will thank you for it.

Fellow sushi-obsessors will understand the struggle. My level of love for sushi comes nowhere close to the amount of money in my purse. My taste buds scream yes. My bank account says no.

In my perpetual quest to find sushi on a dime (that won’t give me food poisoning), I put together this easy salad for a quick lunch. No, it is not sushi. Its blasphemy. But it’s also the closest I’ve come to an authentic sushi taste using what I normally have on hand while keeping my budget relatively unharmed.

The Base

Regular white rice lacks the vinegary zing of sushi rice and has a cooking time unsuitable for a thrown-together lunch in a hurry. Plus, this is still a salad no matter how much I pretend it’s sushi, so I opted for sliced cabbage as a base. It adds substance and provides the satisfying crunch of a classic salad.

The Fillings

The recurring characters — cucumber and avocado — are a must-have in my book. The cucumber adds an indispensable freshness, lightening what would otherwise be a heavy meal. The avocado (shout out to my fellow millennials) contrasts that freshness and the cabbage crunch with a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

I chose one final addition absent from authentic sushi — rocket. Let’s be honest: cabbage is tasty but can be boring. An extra crunch with a peppery bite was missing, and the rocket filled the position perfectly.

I used a julienne peeler to do the time-consuming cucumber chopping work, but you’re welcome to julienne by hand if you’re feeling fancy. Throw on a handful of rocket, and cube the avocado to use later.

The Star

Salmon? Seared tuna? Perhaps a tempura prawn? Ain’t nobody got money for that. I’ve glanced at the fresh seafood aisle in my supermarket once, maybe twice in my lifetime. A budget lunch is certainly not going to take me there for a third. I improvised with the most versatile protein around — chicken.

I know. Chicken and sushi do not belong in the same sentence, let alone the same recipe. However, if there is one protein I always have on hand, it’s chicken. In a dismal attempt to emulate a tempura prawn (and to take away the shame of using chicken in a quintessentially fishy dish), I chose crumbed chicken breast. Bake in the oven, slice, and place on the layer of the rocket.

The Toppings

This is where the previous horrors redeem themselves. I may not splurge on a fresh Tuna, or make the trip to catch one myself, but I do know the value of kewpie mayo. It is the most expensive item in the recipe, but an essential extravagance. Without kewpie mayo, this would just be a chicken-inspired salad or a salad-inspired salad. Boring.

Another integral component is pickled ginger (gari). Traditionally, gari is used as a palette cleanser, but we’re throwing it all together in this salad. Store-bought versions may be costly, but you can always pickle the ginger yourself. Gari completes the sushi inspiration, especially for those who can’t call a sushi meal complete without it (guilty).

Finally, I sprinkled over some sesame seeds and added a few dollops of sweet chili sauce. Personal preference and totally optional.

This is a regular salad recipe, dressed up in a ‘sushi’ salad costume. However, it gives me my sushi fix without breaking the bank and leaving me horribly in debt. Try it and see if you agree.

Sushi-inspired Salad Recipe

· 1 Handful cabbage, sliced

· 1/3 Cucumber, julienne

· 1 Handful rocket

· 1 crumbed chicken breast, baked

· Half an avocado, cubed

· Kewpie mayo

· Pickled ginger

· Sesame seeds

· Sweet chili sauce

· Optional soy sauce to serve

Instructions

1. Lay the cabbage first, covering the bottom of the plate.

2. Add the cucumber and rocket.

3. Slice the cooked chicken and lay on top of the cucumber-rocket base.

4. Cover the chicken with a layer of avocado and pickled ginger.

5. Add kewpie mayo and a few drops of sweet chili sauce.

6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

7. Serve with a small bowl of soy sauce and chopsticks.

Sushi-Inspired Salad on a Budget was originally published in The CookBook for all on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

A French croissant for breakfast, an American hamburger for lunch, and a Chinese fortune cookie for dessert.

A healthy meal plan? No.

A historically accurate one? Also no.

Many foods are guilty of ‘culinary appropriation’ — masquerading as inventions or specialties of a cuisine, despite originating somewhere else. Even the apple pie, resting in the cliched phrase ‘as American as apple pie’, is not American at all. It’s hard to distinguish food origin fact from legend, but when it comes to these three foods, the facts say they haven’t always been the cultural staples they are today.

The Fortune Cookie

Fortune cookies are served in Chinese restaurants globally, but you would be hard-pressed to find any in the one place you would expect — China. Fortune cookies are absent from Chinese food history, and China today, because they actually originated in Japan.

The crispy cookies’ journey from Japan to your take-out bag is a chaotic one, involving a court case, World War II, and the first fortune cookie machine. But let’s start at the beginning.

Yasuko Nakamachi, a researcher in Japan, spent six years combing through evidence to pinpoint the true origin of the fortune cookie. Nakamachi found an illustration from a 19th-century storybook titled Moshiogusa Kinsei Kidan, in which a character grills tsujiura senbei — “fortune crackers”. Tsujiura senbei was larger than the modern fortune cookie and battered with sesame and miso, but still contained the crucial paper fortune that popularized the dessert.

It’s still not clear how the cookie made the journey across the ocean from Japan to the US. Two people claimed to have served the first fortune cookie in America, resulting in a heated debate and unusually, a court case. San Francisco’s Court of Historical Review mediated the 1983 dispute between Makoto Hagiwara, who allegedly served the first fortune cookie at a San Francisco tea garden in the 1890s, and David Jung, who claimed he invented the cookie in Los Angeles in 1918. Hagiwara, and San Francisco by proxy, won the judgment. The first cookie served may be a mystery, but the sudden association with Chinese-American restaurants is even more bizarre. That’s thanks to a completely unrelated event — World War II.

The switch from Japanese to Chinese ownership probably occurred in the 1940s. Chinese manufacturers took over production during World War II when Japanese-American internment forced bakeries to close. This shift entrenched the fortune cookie as a Chinese-American restaurant staple, despite its absence in China.

Fortune cookies were not always as widespread, or cheap, as they are today. A 1960s invention by Edward Louie catapulted them to mainstream popularity — the automatic fortune cookie machine. The machine ramped up production and standardized the process previously done by hand. Fortune cookie production has more than quadrupled from the 1950s to today — from 250 million per year to over 1 billion in the US alone.

The next time you win the lotto using your fortune cookie lucky numbers, you have the Japanese, World War II, and the late Edward Louie to thank.

The Hamburger

The hamburger is an American icon synonymous with globalization, capitalism, and American exceptionalism. Too bad it’s not actually American. Or German, as you may have heard. Today’s hamburger — minced beef sandwiched between a bun –is an amalgamation of global influences, beginning in Ancient Rome.

Historians believe the first hamburger could be at least 10 000 years old — the time humans first domesticated cattle. According to the author of The World is Your Burger: A Cultural History David Michaels, evidence of the first hamburger-like meal hails from 1st century Rome. Isicia Omentata contained minced meat, garum, caroenum (a Roman liquid sweetener), pine nuts, and the classic salt and pepper.

Evidence of hamburger history reemerges in the 13th century, this time in the Mongolian Empire. Ghengis Khan is known for many things — the hamburger not one of them — but he may deserve some credit here. Some historians believe riders in Khan’s army traveled with pieces of meat under their saddles and ate them raw after a day of tenderizing.

For the next few hundred years, the story gets murky. The Mongols may have brought the dish to Russia (becoming steak tartare), or it may have spread through trade across the Baltic Sea, or both. Whichever the avenue, it arrived in the port city of Hamburg, Germany in the 18th century and developed into the ‘Hamburg steak’.

German immigration to the United States, sparked by political revolutions in 1848, brought German culture with it. Hamburg steaks popped up in restaurants across the US, fueled by the simultaneous invention of meat grinders. People have some serious beef (excuse the pun) over who produced the first burger in America, with claims coming from New York, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Connecticut.

Condiments and a few toppings were thrown in throughout the 20th century, producing today’s hero of the fast-food industry. Wherever it originated, the hamburger has nevertheless become synonymous with American culture.

The Croissant

A humble street café. A view of the Eiffel Tower. The remnants of a half-eaten croissant. It’s a Parisian dream that may not be so Parisian after all.

The flaky staple of French breakfasts was an import only 170 years ago. Credit goes to France’s neighbor Austria for introducing the now quintessentially French food.

Modern croissants were inspired by the kipfel, a crescent-shaped treat. This dish has an origin myth of its own — legend says it was invented to celebrate Austrian victory over the Ottomans, with the crescent shape mimicking the Ottoman flag. Official records date the dish back centuries earlier to 1227 when Viennese bakers presented it to Duke Leopold.

Another legend attributes the introduction of the kipfel in France to Marie Antoinette. Like most stories surrounding her life, there is little evidence to support the notion.

Author of A History of the Food of Paris Jim Chevallier argues the first croissant was produced in France in 1838 by Austrian entrepreneur August Zang. His Viennese bakery, located at 92 Rue Richelieu, lured Parisians from all over to sample the kipfel that would later become the croissant.

Using one crucial ingredient, the French transformed the kipfel to the croissant as we know it today. Puff pastry (which does indeed hail from France) produced the flaky delicacy now at the center of French breakfast tables. Although the Austrians are to thank for the inspiration of the croissant, the delicacy wouldn't be the same without puff pastry.

No matter the origin of these foods, they have cemented their place as staples of Chinese, American, and French cuisine. How’s that for food for thought?

It began six months after moving into my first apartment…

The excitement of leaving home had died down as I sat in a drab, carpeted lounge, longing for my childhood garden or a hint of something green that was not a vegetable.

After killing my boyfriend’s prized Venus flytrap by leaving it on the windowsill, closing the curtains, and promptly forgetting about it — I banned myself from houseplants in the interest of all plants everywhere.

Yet, after months in the same drab, carpeted lounge I knew something was missing. I did not realize what, until I strolled into my local garden center.

The words ‘SPECIAL!’ appeared next to a giant Bird’s Nest Fern.

The awakening had begun.

There was something about its majestic, apple-colored fronds (and the incredibly low price on the sticker) that told me I had to have it. My 5ft body dragged the pot to the till with determination, handing over the cash from my weekly coffee allowance, and lugged my new friend to my car.

Unfortunately, my excitement was short-lived.

The once-staunch fern absorbed the grey aura of its new home and drooped in despair, pondering its hopeless prospects. As the only sliver of green in a 2-mile radius, it was incongruous. The obvious solution one comes to when any new member of the family seems down (a plant, a pet, or possibly a child) rang in my head: he needs a friend.

I trotted down to the same garden center in the hopes of finding an equally cheap and sprightly indoor plant. What I found, however, was the shade plant section.

I called my mother (the family plant expert, despite her inability to keep even the hardiest of plants alive) and asked whether an Orange Jasmine tree would survive in my apartment.

I got a hard no. Like all children intent on defying their parents, I bought it anyway.

It found a home alongside it’s older sibling; the two proudly framing either side of the TV stand. My experience in houseplant shopping was complete. Or so I thought…

Buying your first houseplant is a rush, especially when it is miraculously still alive after 24 hours in your care. It becomes a game — collecting, decorating, keeping them alive. There is a pang of excitement when you find a plant on special, even though you already have five at home. The rise of the ‘jungle aesthetic’ at the same time as my first plant shopping trip certainly didn’t help soften the blow of my new-found addiction.

Plants. Not even once.

I went from two houseplants in that first year to over 40 and counting (including another Monstera Deliciosa and Philodendron selloum this past weekend). Once I realized I was no longer a plant murderer, I was unstoppable.

My journey began with a Bird’s Nest Fern (RIP) and an Orange Jasmine that is still going strong (take that, mom). Plants have since cost me a lot more money, a lot more space in my new apartment, and a few more plant funerals.

It has also brought me nothing but happiness, accomplishment, and incredibly clean air that is much appreciated in a big city.

I am proudly, and undoubtedly, a houseplant addict.

Breakfast in France is not large. It may as well be a snack.

Classic French breakfasts include pastries, breads, cereals, coffee or tea, and juice — usually only one of those things.

This is a stark contrast to breakfast as I know it: a giant pile of any food guaranteed to raise your cholesterol.

While I did not expect a full farmhouse when I sat down at a small Café in Paris, I hoped a large breakfast was not off the table. As I fanned through the menu, the last item answered my call — “Full English Breakfast”.

What followed was, I can only imagine, the greatest eye roll in history from the chef in the kitchen. After all, who orders an English Breakfast in France?

I received sallow, leaky scrambled eggs that were clearly cooked in the microwave, three cherry tomatoes, a slice of pancetta, and a giant pile of iceberg lettuce. It seemed like an intensely personal form of revenge against terrible foreigners; a trap to lure ignorant tourists into paying €15 for microwaved eggs. I endured my meal while the locals around me scarfed down delicious pastries and breads that miraculously originated from the same kitchen.

Obviously, my experience is not universal. There must be at least one restaurant in France serving the deliciously greasy meal I was expecting. However, it reminded me of the importance of embracing local food when travelling and sticking to what your destination country does best.

Why you should be eating local when you travel

1. Eating local is the best form of cultural immersion

Cultural immersion is the most-cited reason for travel, and it is not hard to understand why. Experiencing local culture is what makes travelling an adventure; it provides a fresh perspective on the world. The best way to do that is through food.

Food is (inherently) an important part of daily life — the average person spends 32,098 hours eating in their lifetime. Its prevalence cements its place in a part of every cultural identity. Food reflects the lifestyle, history, and values of an entire group of people.

What would a Korean dinner table be without kimchi? Or Chinese cuisine without chopsticks? I could not imagine a South Africa without the quintessential Friday-night braai. It’s a cultural staple.

Food is a small, accessible window into centuries of culture. Explore the stories, traditions, and history of your destination by opening that window and embracing local food.

2. Eating local challenges your comfort zone

There is an element of the unknown, an adrenaline rush of the unexpected, in travelling. Why else would we do it?

However, tourists can quickly fall into the trap of choosing what is familiar over the unknown when it comes to food. There is a twinge of excitement when you recognise something in a foreign land (international biltong, anyone?). That excitement should not translate to travelling 2000 miles to eat the same dinner you would have on a regular Tuesday night.

I fully understand that there are risks involved in trying new things, but that risk is part of the fun. I can guarantee I will never eat a bowl of Mopani worms in Zimbabwe again, but I only know that because I had the courage to try.

3. Local food is (usually) fresher and tastier

It is impossible to beat the taste of a local dish made in its native country. Pasta in Italy, gyros in Greece — they are famous for a reason. You wouldn’t trust an armchair hypochondriac over a doctor who studied for years and the same should apply to food.

Sorting authentic cuisine from tourist pandering can be a challenge but getting it right will ensure an unforgettably delicious meal.

Local food, especially seasonal food, is usually fresher too. Vegetables and fruits inevitably lose their lustre when they spend weeks in a shipping container and frozen meats are never as good as the real thing. Rather opt for the local market down the road.

4. Eating local supports the community

The least you can do to for a town that welcomes you as a tourist is to support the local community. One of the best ways to do that is eating local.

The world of food has not escaped globalisation. In tourist hot-spots, demand for Western fast-food chains is high. These chains are squeezing out the authentic cuisine and sending money overseas.

It may be an easy solution, but no one really needs to know what international McDonalds tastes like. They are all the same anyway. To be a responsible tourist and give back to your host city, support local businesses by trying the local foods they serve.

By eating local, you are contributing to the preservation of traditional food culture and experiencing new dishes to share globally in the process.

5. Eating local can save money

Travellers are suckers for a good deal. We all know the importance of a budget when it comes to food and the pain of wracking up expenses with every meal.

In walks — local food! Eating local is one of the simplest ways to save money abroad.

Of course, this is not a guarantee. There are many high-end local restaurants that will cost you more than the plane ticket you arrived with. The key is to look for authentic places frequented by locals — street vendors, corner cafes and small restaurants. That way, you get the cultural experience of living like a local with the benefit of saving some cash.

There are always new discoveries to be made when travelling. Nowhere is that truer than in food. To avoid my experiences (the wrath of an angry chef and the taste of soggy microwaved eggs), do your best to embrace local foods. You won’t regret it.