All around the world, we're fixated on foods that remind us of the good old days, of growing up. In Iceland, the nasty “rotten shark,” though avoided most of the year, is trotted out in its full ammoniac glory in February for a nostalgic eating binge that celebrates national foods. In Hong Kong, I've been feted with bird's nest soup — which has the opposite problem, practically no flavor. “Why do you serve this?” I always ask my generous Cantonese hosts. [...]
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