Did you throw together the stuff you had on hand and amazedly found it good? Here’re some foods that never would have happened if someone hadn’t created them by mistake.

ICE CREAM CONE

Before the ice-cream cone (蛋卷筒), people ate ice-cream out of dishes. This changed in 1904. A vendor (摊贩) ran out of dishes to serve ice-cream. Luckily, another vendor was selling waffle (华夫饼). The quick-thinking vendor rolled his waffle into a cone. The ice-cream vendor filled it with ice-cream for his customers, who were deeply impressed by its flavor and got a second treat when they realized they could eat the cone with ice-cream.

POTATO CHIPS

It is the result of a complaint. In 1853, a man ordered fried potatoes at a restaurant. He sent them back to the kitchen because they weren’t crispy (松脆的) enough. The chef was so angry that he sliced the potatoes extremely thin, put lots of salt, and fried them Then they became a specialty.

TOFU

Tofu is made by fresh soya milk, and was accidentally invented in China 2,000 years ago, when a cook added seaweed to soya milk. Tofu is a great example of how messing up a recipe can create something unexpectedly good.

CHEESE PUFF

One day, an employee working in a company making animal feed watched workers pouring cornmeal (玉米粉) into the machine. It came out of the machine in ribbons. He took some of the ribbons home, added oil and flavors to them, and voila! Cheese puffs!

Every drink has a destination that defines it. In turn, these drinks become the local pride and develop their own distinctive personality. As you travel around, you’ll discover how every place has its own style.

Mint Tea — Morocco

Most Moroccan families have an additional fine tea service only for special occasions and visiting guests. Mint tea is simply hot water with dried peppermint, and much sugar. Be warned: sometimes the tea may make your cheeks hurt.

Gahwa — United Arab Emirates

Centuries ago, Arabians noticed their goats became very active after chewing coffee berries, and so made their own energy drink out of it, and thus gahwa — Arabic coffee — and the world’s first coffee culture was born. When you’re in the UAE, you’ll notice how important gahwa is for socialising, as it’s usually served at family gatherings and business meetings.

Tequila — Mexico

Mexico’s hero drink tequila has its roots in adventure, made from the hardy blue agave plant that grows in the red volcanic soils, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) site. If you find a worm in your bottle, be sure to send it back, as it’s likely not tequila but its low-quality cousin, mezcal.

Rakija — Croatia

In the Balkans, the locals begin their meals with a glass of rakija, which is confidence if ever we’ve seen it. Produced using primarily herbs, rakija is both the national drink and usually homemade. Rakija is traditionally used as a medicinal drink.

Coffee is an important part of Italian culture and since arriving here over six months ago, I have drunk a lot of it!

Of course, coffee is also very popular in the UK but coffee culture in Italy is a completely different story. In Italy, when you order a coffee in a café or bar, you are served with a tiny, bitter espresso. This is “normal coffee” for Italians and they are not so interested in the huge coffees that we drink in the UK. If you want more than one sip(小口)of coffee in Italy, lungo is a good choice. It is espresso with a little more water added, but still served in a small cup. In addition, while takeaway coffee is quite popular among Brits, it is not very common at all in Italy. Generally, Italians prefer to drink their tiny coffees while standing at the bar and, for many, this short break is an important part of their day.

Usually, breakfast in a bar in Italy includes a coffee and a pastry(酥皮糕点). I have been spoiled for choice with lovely cafés in the Italian town I’m living in. These cafés sell different kinds of mouth-watering pastries — either plain(无馅料的)or filled with cream, chocolate, etc. — as well as delicious coffee. Cappuccinos are very popular at breakfast time and, for me, a creamy cappuccino and a pastry with chocolate is the perfect way to start the day.

Finally, I have found that coffee in Italy is so much cheaper than coffee in the UK. Normally, an espresso or a macchiato (an espresso with a drop of milk) costs around a euro and a cappuccino about1.50!They are small, of course, but this means that in Italy it is possible to go out for coffee every day without breaking the bank.