Top 10 after 10

Did you know that you only need four different colours to colour-in a map of the world? That blows my mind!

---

One marks completing 10, 25, 50 and 100 ParkRuns with a round of applause and an obligatory purchase of a t-shirt; I’m marking my 10th, 25th, 50th and 100th countries with some reflection on the experience so far.

I’ve exceeded my aim of making a singular dish from every country and have dined on 22 different soups, stews, desserts, bakes, nibbles and stir-fries. I’ve been guilty of cheating the system and using Amazon Prime to source some exotic ingredients, but I’ve also explored local international shops that I wouldn’t otherwise have ventured into…as well as thoroughly enjoying any excuse to spend money in my local delis and wine shop!

I’ve made dinner for 13 of my friends and, if we include everybody at Kaylee’s hen, Lo and Rich’s leaving do and the “international nibbles” day at work, I’ve shared my cooking with as many as 40 people, most of whom had never before eaten, or even heard of, what I fed them.

My absolute favourite part of this mission is when I taste something that’s completely unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before. It brings me so much joy to have those moments of utterly perplexing my taste buds for a bite or two before they’re able to notify my gustatory cortex that they’re having a great time. The sklandrausis were a particular head f**k!

---

My top 10 so far:

#10 Botswana

#9 Tonga

#8 São Tomé and Príncipe

#7 Lesotho

#6 Paraguay

#5 Cape Verde

#4 North Korea

#3 South Africa

#2 Latvia

#1 China (obviously)

---

Only 189 to go! If I continue at my current rate, I should have cooked and eaten my way around the world by the end of 2035…I better crack on!

Catch you in Uganda!

#jencookstheworld