Africa & Middle East - Gina’s Passport to Flavor

Gina's animated character sitting at a hand-painted wooden table in a sunlit Oaxacan market courtyard, holding a clay bowl of mole negro over turkey, looking awestruck

Oaxaca Stopped Me Dead in My Tracks

Posted on August 11, 2026August 11, 2026 by Choice1-3d

Gina lands in Oaxaca and falls completely apart over a single spoonful of mole negro — the darkest, most complex sauce she’s ever met in her life.

Gina's animated character wide-eyed and delighted in a sun-drenched Istanbul bakery, holding a warm golden slice of börek with steam rising from it

Istanbul Broke My Heart (With Pastry)

Posted on August 11, 2026August 11, 2026 by Choice1-3d

Gina lands in Istanbul thinking she knows what she’s getting into — and then a flaky, golden börek from a little neighborhood bakery makes her rethink everything she thought she knew about comfort food.