TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Food Pictures: Eating Black Bugs from Vietnam and More

The strangest food I've eaten were black bugs in the highlands of Vietnam. We had toured the farm that raised the creatures in baskets, and the highlight of the tour was tasting the deep fried bugs. They looked like cockroaches. Even with the red tomato wedges adorning the plate they looked disgusting. But we were in a group and there was some competition as to who could or couldn't eat the bugs. I did.

To be perfectly honest with you, the single bug I tried was fried to a crunchy crisp and had no particular taste. I did not keep it long in my mouth either but swallowed it as quickly as I could.

It's interesting to consider how different peoples from around the world handle food.

The French and Vietnamese are meticulous about food preparation and presentation. In fact, when we participated in a cooking class in Vietnam as part of our tour, I was puzzled at the complicated wrapping of some dishes, just for eye-appeal. Also in Vietnam, the fried fish propped up on little pedestals was very dramatic, although it did nothing to my husband who kept turning the head away from his view.

One of my favorite dishes is the Mexican Chiles En Nogada, which is stuffed chiles with walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds on top. Because pomegranates are seasonal, this dish is not always available, so it's a real treat to have this.

The pastries in France and the lokum sweets in Turkey are favorites of mine - but oh my goodness, they are high-caloric.

Take a look at some pictures which I've taken in Vietnam, Turkey, Mexico, Vietnam, Philippines, India, and the U.S. I love the color of the food, and the drama in the presentation. The colorful spices in India and Turkey are something to behold.