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Ragù alla Bolognese Recipe – Bolognese Sauce. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Ragu alla Bolognese Recipe for a Traditional Bolognese Sauce from Northern Italy

This ragu alla Bolognese recipe is based on the traditional recipe for the classic meat sauce from Bologna in Emilia Romagna, Northern Italy, which is used for both pasta and lasagne. Follow my exacting ingredient list and cooking directions and the result will be a perfect ragù alla Bolognese.

Our ragu alla Bolognese recipe makes the rich and very moreish pasta sauce from the city of Bologna in the region of Emilia Romagna in Northern Italy that is known all over the world as the hearty, meaty sauce on ‘spaghetti bolognese’. (Worth noting: in Bologna, they actually use tagliatelle not spaghetti.) This ragu alla Bolognese recipe is used for both tagliatelle all Bolognese and lasagne alla Bolognese.

It’s a recipe I go to when we’re in need of comfort food. And, by the look of things, so do you, probably as a result of the sub zero temperatures and snowstorms that our European and North American readers are experiencing, and the coming of autumn in the southern hemisphere. Our comfort food recipes have been the most visited here in recent weeks and we thank you. This ragu alla Bolognese recipe will also warm you up.

Ragu alla Bolognese is one of the most misinterpreted dishes dishes in the world. While a carbonara sauce recipe is often abused with the introduction of cream, ragu alla Bolognese has all sorts of crimes committed against this staple of the Italian cuisine cannon.

With carbonara the authentic/inauthentic lines are pretty well drawn. Definitely no to cream, but a grumbling okay to using pancetta if you can’t get guanciale. Problem solved. But when it comes to ragu alla Bolognese, the universality of the dish and its localised interpretations leaves us with a collection of recipes that is the Italian cuisine’s version of Chinese whispers.

Here’s how to make the traditional ragu alla Bolognese recipe from Bologna that’s used for both a tagliatelle all Bolognese and a lasagne alla Bolognese, both of which begin with a classic Bolognese sauce.

Ragu alla Bolognese Recipe – How to Make a Classic Bolognese Sauce

The original Bolognese sauce starts with beef skirt steak, pancetta, equal amounts of carrot, celery and onion, tomato paste, milk, dry wine and seasoning, according to the Accademia Italiana della Cucina.

It ends with a 400 grams tin of Spaghetti Bolognese on a supermarket shelf in England, the USA or Australia – including a whole tomato in each tin to add insult to injury.

I’ve even noted a recipe for Thai Red Curry ‘Bolognese’ that makes me lose faith in humanity. So how did we get here?

Firstly, let me say that no two home cooks in Bologna even make their ragù alla Bolognese to the same recipe. Tomatoes, chicken livers, pancetta, or pork mince alongside ground beef are just the beginnings of a post-lunch argument over the dish in Italy.

When writing and photographing a series of travel guidebooks in Italy over a decade ago, my ice-breaking, small talk question when photographing and interviewing chefs was “does the recipe for ragù alla Bolognese have milk in it?”

The response from any chef north of Florence was “yes, of course!” while every chef south of Rome exclaimed “what?!” and as well as some other choice words that I recalled from working with Italian males from Calabria in Australia.

With the series of recipes of what we make as ‘comfort food’ ragù alla Bolognese is one of my favourites. I started off with this recipe after eating sublime versions of this ragù in Bologna many years ago.

Mario Batali (yes, I know he’s persona non grata these days) was the only chef I could find who had a ragu alla Bolognese recipe that tasted anywhere near as good as the ragu alla Bolognese we savoured at the restaurants revered for it in Bologna. But the chef had several recipes floating around that differed in the use of tomatoes and the order of adding ingredients.

After cooking to a couple of dozen ragu alla Bolognese recipes in the years since our time in Italy and taste testing with Lara – who never complained once – I came to my own conclusions as to which ragu alla Bolognese recipe suited our taste and, just as importantly, had the richness, depth of flavour and texture of the classic Bolognese sauce that what we remembered from our time in Bologna.

Tips to Making This Ragu alla Bolognese Recipe

Here’s how I ended up with what we consider to be our favourite ragu alla Bolognese for use with both pasta and lasagne.

Beef, Pork, Pancetta, and Chicken Livers?

Yes to beef, pork and pancetta, but chicken livers always tended to weigh the dish down a little. If you get the ragù browned enough before adding the milk there’s plenty of depth of flavour. Regardless of how you manage your ratios of beef to pork (and I believe you need both), I would suggest having at least 40% pork in some form in the sauce.

Garlic and Herbs

It should not be contentious that a little garlic is added to the sauce, but it is. I’m firmly in the camp that garlic is fine as long as it’s added after the vegetable mix and not allowed to burn. I don’t mind if it’s left out. As for herbs, oregano, basil and parsley have no place in this sauce. And no, not even for decoration.

Tomatoes and Tomato Paste

I’ve gone back and forth over the use of tomatoes, but never the use of tomato paste in a classic Bolognese sauce. The paste adds a richness and depth to the sauce, particularly when cooked out in the ragù.

Tinned tomatoes, in my opinion, are used to pad out the sauce as a simpatico ingredient that won’t offend – quite common in restaurants where they’re trying to stretch the sauce out. For me, the ragù is sweeter and looses a little depth with even a 400 gram tin of even the best Italian tomatoes.

However, here’s a caveat that I must confess to: if we’re making lasagne with ragù Bolognese the next day, I’ll sometimes add volume to the ragu with a tin of tomatoes that’s combined and cooked out with the ragù.

But for a beautiful tagliatelle with ragù alla Bolognese, no tinned tomatoes. If you want to use more tomatoes, try a Neapolitan ragù.

Milk or no Milk?

Milk or no milk in a ragu alla Bolognese recipe is much discussed. Definitely milk. Once the mince and the vegetables are browned sufficiently, there’s a chance that pieces that have ‘catched’ (a nice term for slightly burnt bits that stuck to the bottom of the pan) will leave a bitter element to the dish.

It was explained to me by chefs in Italy countless times that the addition of milk helped ‘smooth’ out the flavours of the ragù and tenderise the meat. As someone who is obsessed with cooking the ragù out until quite browned (see below), I can confirm that the milk definitely does take a little bitterness out the sauce, but I’m still not sure about the tenderising aspect.

Ragù alla Bolognese Recipe – Bolognese Sauce – before and after. Copyright © 2018 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Wine and Stock?

Yes and yes. I’m a firm believer in adding a glass of dry red wine from the region (try Sangiovese or Barbera) to this classic Bolognese sauce after the milk. As I’m not using a dark brodo (stock), I prefer red rather than white wine. Regardless, it should be dry wine, not sweet or frizzante.

The stock is necessary if you’re not cooking the ragù with tinned tomatoes and its associated juices. I prefer a light chicken stock because if you’ve browned the meat as above, you’re not going to need a dark beef stock to finish the sauce.

Lid on, Lid off and Cooking Times?

This doesn’t get mentioned enough – or at all – in ragu alla Bolognese recipes. Lid on for the first half of cooking marries the flavours and doesn’t let the sauce dry out. Shifting the lid during the second half of cooking reduces the sauce without – hopefully – having to add too much extra stock. So for me it’s 1 1/2 hours lid on, and 1 1/2 hours lid off. It’s that simple.

Notes on Cooking Pasta

Whenever I have made this ragu alla Bolognese recipe or any pasta recipe for that matter for a dinner party, almost every time a guest will come into the kitchen and ask “how did you stop the pasta from sticking together?” Firstly, I don’t use oil. Do not waste good olive oil in pasta water.

Secondly, use one litre of water per 100 grams of dried pasta. Pasta water should be “salty as the sea”, as the Italians like to say, so 3 tbsp salt for four servings. You need the water on a rolling boil before you put the pasta in.

Once the pasta is in, start your timer and stir the pasta for the first couple of minutes. Place the lid back on to get the water back up to a boil, then put the lid off slightly to help stop the pasta boiling over.

Take the pasta out of the pot one minute before the packet time, so if the packet says 8 minutes, turn off the heat and remove at 7 minutes. The reason for this is that the pasta will still be cooking in the sauce, so when it hits the table that extra minute of cooking time will result in perfect pasta.

Depending on the pasta type you can use tongs or a ‘spider’ to remove the pasta. Dump your pasta into the ragu Bolognese sauce, which you should have over a medium heat. Never take a whole pot of pasta and strain it over a sink. We want pasta water on the pasta. Once the pasta is all in, stir the pasta well through the sauce.

Whenever I see a photo of ‘spaghetti Bolognese’ with the sauce sitting on top of pasta that’s clearly been drained and strained, I die a little inside. The spaghetti will be cold because you’ve had to plate it individually first and chances of getting a good mix of sauce and pasta on a flat plate that’s already full is gone.

This ragu alla Bolognese recipe makes a classic Bolognese sauce for a hearty, rustic dish. It ain’t meant to be pretty, just tasty. Mix the pasta with the sauce and serve it on warm plates or bowls. Your fellow diners at the table will thank you.

More Ragu alla Bolognese Recipes in Our Favourite Italian Cookbooks

La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy by The Italian Academy of Cuisine

Classic Food of Northern Italy by Anna Del Conte

Italian Cuisine, A Cultural History, Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History by Alberto Capatti

The Oxford Companion to Italian Food by Gillian Riley

Delizia! The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food by John Dickie

Ragu alla Bolognese Recipe for a Classic Bolognese Sauce

Ragù alla Bolognese Recipe – Bolognese Sauce. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Ragù alla Bolognese Recipe – Bolognese Sauce

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This ragù alla Bolognese recipe is based on the traditional recipe for this classic meat sauce from Bologna used for both pasta and lasagne. With an exacting ingredient list and cooking directions, this will result in the perfect ragù alla Bolognese.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 739kcal
Author: Terence Carter

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 250 grams brown onions chopped finely
  • 250 grams celery stalks chopped finely
  • 250 grams carrot chopped finely
  • 5 garlic cloves sliced finely
  • 500 grams veal minced
  • 500 grams pork minced
  • 250 grams beef minced
  • 125 grams pancetta sliced finely
  • ½ cup milk full cream
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 cups chicken stock

Instructions

  • Before you start, get the mince up to room temperature.
  • In heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, add the pancetta and cook until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • Add the olive oil and butter to the fat over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and sweat down until the vegetables are translucent.
  • In the meantime, combine the two portions of mince together in a large bowl. Add a little olive oil and, using your very clean hands, combine the mince.
  • Add the garlic to the vegetables and stir for one minute to combine. Do not let the garlic burn or it will make the finished ragù bitter.
  • Add the pork and beef mix and stir into vegetables. Brown over medium-high heat, stirring to keep meat from sticking together. This should take 15 to 20 minutes, so be patient, it’s worth it.
  • Once the ragù is browned, add the tomato paste and work into the ragù until the paste ad really deepened in colour. Add the pancetta back into the ragù.
  • Add the milk and simmer while stirring until the milk is reduced, around 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the wine and stir until evaporated.
  • Add the stock, bring to a boil and then lower the heat as low as you can go.
  • Put the lid on the pot and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
  • Remove the lid slightly and simmer for another 1 1/2 hours, moving the lid every 15 minutes until fully off. If the ragù is starting to dry out add some more stock or water, just enough so that you can see liquid bubbling around the ragù.
  • The final ragù should have a film of oil around the pieces of mince. It should bubble around the sauce. If not, add more stock.
  • Season to taste and serve with 500 grams fresh tagliatelle or 400 grams dried egg tagliatelle. For a larger serving, try 600 grams fresh tagliatelle or 500 grams dried tagliatelle.
  • As a guide, we use 150 grams ragù per person for a small serve and up to 180 grams per person for the larger size.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 739kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 644mg | Fiber: 8g

Are you a ragù alla Bolognese lover? Do you have a favourite ragu alla Bolognese recipe for this classic Bolognese sauce? Milk or no milk? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

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About Terence Carter

Terence Carter is an editorial food and travel photographer and infrequent travel writer with a love of photographing people, places and plates of food. After living in the Middle East for a dozen years, he settled in South-East Asia a dozen years ago with his wife, travel and food writer and sometime magazine editor Lara Dunston.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kerry says

    May 15, 2018 at 6:07 pm

    Finally a ragu recipe that weighs the ingredients in grams rather than ‘two carrots, two ribs of celery’. And that tip on the timing of the ‘lid on, lid off’ for the sauce is great. Mine turned out fantastic, but I had to resist the urge to add the tomato paste and milk (milk! who knew) before the meat had really browned off. Great recipe, well worth the time and effort!5 stars

  2. Terence Carter says

    May 15, 2018 at 6:11 pm

    Hey Kerry, thank you. Yeah ingredients lists that say ‘one onion’ and so on are a pet peeve of mine. Glad it turned out well.

  3. Julie Smith says

    July 4, 2018 at 4:23 am

    Thank you for your recipe, I was wondering when to put the pancetta back in?

  4. Terence Carter says

    July 4, 2018 at 10:12 am

    Hi Julie,
    Oops, thanks for picking that up. After the tomato paste is worked into the ragù add the pancetta.
    I’ve amended the recipe to add that step.
    Thanks again,
    T

  5. Barnaby J Blundell says

    May 5, 2019 at 5:33 pm

    for years I couldn’t understand why my Bolognese always had a slight burnt taste, even after I stared using the new non asbestos heat pads to reduce the lowest gas setting even further, so I cook it on ultra low for 3-4 hours. This sauce came out spot on, rich, huge depth of flavor, the milk makes a huge difference in reducing that slightburnt taste. Also, I used to only brown the mince until it was just cooked, still pinkish. But spending the extra time to really brown out the mince and veg first, makes such a difference. Amazing. Thanks ever so much Terrence. Regards barnaby

  6. Terence Carter says

    May 6, 2019 at 8:50 am

    Greetings Barnaby, Thanks for trying the recipe. It is hard to not move on to the next step of the recipe when the mince has a little colour, but it has to have a lot of colour. Happy cooking.

  7. Shirley M says

    May 28, 2020 at 5:16 pm

    Hi Terrence, I have been making your ragu since you first posted the recipe and I was reminded of that yesterday when your lasagna recipe arrived in my In Box. Coincidentally I made the ragu yesterday and we had leftovers so I made the lasagna today and it was just amazing. I never leave comments on sites but I really wanted to thank you as these really are the best. No leftovers unfortunately but as the weather is starting to get cold here I can see us having this every other week over the coming winter. Thank you again.5 stars

  8. Terence Carter says

    May 28, 2020 at 5:26 pm

    Greetings Shirley, so glad you’ve been making the recipe. Double the batch next time and get the kids to chop up the vegetables!
    Cheers,
    T

  9. Tim Smith says

    November 1, 2021 at 11:57 am

    This was well worth the effort! Making lasagne with the leftover ragu. Thanks for the detailed explanation and answering some of the questions that come up whenever bolognese recipes are mentioned on Facebook!5 stars

  10. Lara Dunston says

    November 1, 2021 at 12:06 pm

    Hi Tim, so pleased to hear this! If you enjoyed this, you’re going to love Terence’s lasagne. Thank you so much for taking the time to drop by and leave a message. Much appreciated. Enjoy!

  11. Barnaby says

    July 25, 2022 at 4:36 pm

    As others have said, this does take time but is well worth the effort to make a big batch. Everyone loved it so much I thought I would not have enough sauce leftover for lasagna – which also turned out brilliantly!
    Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

  12. Terence Carter says

    July 25, 2022 at 5:52 pm

    Ha! You can always pad the sauce out with some tinned tomatoes – particularly as the price of meat has gone up everywhere recently.
    Glad it worked out for you and thanks for the comment, Barnaby!

  13. Evan says

    October 25, 2022 at 2:15 pm

    Terrence, this is not only a great recipe that sticks to the traditional method, but you explan everything so well. Even if the family prefer lasagna the first night – I tell them it will be even better tomorrow!5 stars

  14. Lara Dunston says

    October 25, 2022 at 2:56 pm

    Thank you, Evan, on behalf of Terence, that’s what we love to hear! Appreciate you stopping by to leave a comment :)

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About Grantourismo

Lara and Terence are an Australian-born, Southeast Asia-based travel and food writers and photographers who have authored scores of guidebooks, produced countless travel and food stories, are currently developing cookbooks and guidebooks, and host culinary tours and writing and photography retreats in Southeast Asia.
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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
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This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

#recipe #recipes #vietnamesefood #cambodianfood #asianfood #southeastasianfood #ricenoodles #rice #noodlebowl #meatballs #igfood #igfoodie #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #writingacookbook #writingacambodiancookbook #patreon #patreoncreator #grantourismo
It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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