Photography by Samantha Demangate Words by Matt Dursum Spending a day in the markets of Cusco, Perú is what I’ve always wanted. I’m at my happiest in a market. The warm conversations with strangers and merchants, the colors, smells, sounds, they swoon me. In Cusco Peru, getting lost in the markets is a rite of passage for anyone interested in the region’s food and culture. Cusco is a city steeped in history. It was home…
Words by Matt Dursum Like many national dishes, Brazil’s Feijoada comes from humble roots. In this hearty stew, beans, spices, and various cuts of pork, sometimes including the scraps like pork knuckle and pork ear, are cooked down to perfection. Feijoada is divinely flavorful and reflects the complex and sometimes painful history and cultural diversity of Brazil. Almost immediately after arriving in Brazil, I treated myself to an endless helping of the rich bean stew.…
Get out your gourd. Yerba Mate is the South American tea that deserves all its praise Words by Matt Dursum If you’ve traveled to South America, you’ve likely seen people of all ages walking around with gourds or egg-shaped ceramic cups with a straw and a large thermos of water. This is the omnipresent mate culture of South America, a tea drinking practice that puts other tea-obsessed places like England and Japan to shame. Yerba…
Words and photos by Matt Dursum For one year, my girlfriend and I have been successfully living in Latin America. We started part one of this journey into butchering our way through Spanish fluency and getting our careers as newbie journalists off the ground in Mexico. Part two started in Chile. We have since moved slowly through the continent’s southern stretches of coastline, forest, and mountains. Out of all the delectable food we’ve eaten along…
Words and Photos by Matt Dursum In Argentina’s Misiones Province lies the magnetizing Iguazu Falls, one of the world’s great natural landmarks. Situated within a vast 660 square miles of protected Atlantic Forest habitat, the falls are a remarkable center for biodiversity. The home base for visitors to the Argentine side of the falls is the small town of Puerto Iguazu. Often overshadowed by its UNESCO recognized neighbor, this small community contains a story of…