The protests calling for racial justice are the reason why more and more people from different backgrounds are interested in Black History Tours during their travels to Austin, Texas.

Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas. It’s one of the most populous and rapidly growing cities in North America. It’s also one of the most visited places in the United States and arguably the most visited urban area in Texas with an estimated 30 million tourists.

Black History Tours Are Growing in Popularity

Travelers from all over the country and the world come to Austin for its excellent music, delicious food, and astounding swimming holes. Up to now, Black History Tours were less of a draw to the city’s visitors. But this trend is slowly changing as tourists are starting to show an interest in the state’s history of slavery and segregation. And Javier Wallace is prepared to tell people these lesser-known stories.

Wallace’s family has been living in the Austin area for two centuries and he shares his personal history in his two-hour tour in the city’s East Side. During his excursion, tourists can learn about the area’s 19-century economy which was powered by plantations where his ancestors and others were enslaved. He also tells about the city’s policies of segregation and how Black families were forced to live in a Negro District during the late 1920s.

Even the Buildings Have a Darker Side

One important stop on Black History Tours is the Texas State Capitol. The building is located in the heart of the city and was constructed during the 1880s by Black prisoners. He masterfully links the structure’s history to topics such as convict labor, policing of Black communities, mass incarceration, and even the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

The tour offers travelers the opportunity to learn the area’s history from a different perspective. It clearly shows how African-Americans in Austin walk daily by buildings and areas that remind them of historical injustices.

Japan’s Shiga Prefecture is famous for one local delicacy. Any sushi restaurant in this region serves a special dish, ‘Funazushi’. But this is not a delight for delicate taste buds. Funazushi is the fermented predecessor of modern sushi. This is made with one extremely fermented local fish, named ‘Nigorobuna’, which is a type of Japanese carp. This traditional food is one of the oldest forms of sushi and is considered the stinkiest sushi in the world.

Where to Find it?

Funazushi can be available anywhere in Japan. But traditionally it is prepared only from Nigorobuna, which can only be found in the Lake Biwa, located in the Shiga region. A well-aged Nigorobuna fish is worth a heavy price. So, some Funazushi can be expensive, and in general, this dish is considered a luxury among both tourists and locals.

How to Prepare?

The entire process of making Funazushi can take 1-3 years. After being packed in salt, the fish is left in a wooden barrel for at least a year. Then it’s dugout and processed through further fermentation. For this, the dug-out fish is first mixed with rice, then again packed away. This time for another two to three years. During this process, the fish’s stint in the salt starts to mix with the rice. As result, the flesh begins to rot and the insides start to get soften. The final taste can closely resemble an extremely tangy cheese. Some have gone the extra length to compare its taste and aroma with ammonia.

Originally Funazushi used to be prepared for rice farmers. But today, this sushi is enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. But ordering the dish is challenging enough itself. Only those who are open to having an exclusive culinary experience can admire the straight-on-face funky flavor of Funazushi.