Traditionally, carnival celebrations showcase rich and often sweet culinary specialities. The aim is to stock up on as many calories as possible before Lent. A brief overview.

Over the course of almost a century of colonisation between 1862 and 1954, the French had a strong influence on Vietnamese cuisine.

Chocolate is the delicious result of the transformation of cocoa beans found in the fruit of the cacao tree. Chocolate has its origins in the sacred world of the Mayans and, before becoming a confectionery product, was consumed as a drink offering a host of benefits.

A string of islands in the Pacific Ocean, with their blue lagoons and fine sandy beaches under palm trees, the Polynesian islands offer a South Sea paradise. Their name comes from Greek and means "many islands", one of the three regions that make up Oceania and include the Samoa Islands, Tonga and French Polynesia and thus Tahiti and Bora-Bora.

The region is known for its Ankole longhorn cattle, but during my last visit five years ago I had insisted on cooking pork belly for 25 guests. I must have done something right because upon our arrival this time, Auntie Miriam instructed me to prepare pork for dinner the following day.