Eden Eats: San Diego

Eden is ready to see whom she can meet and what she can eat as she travels the globe via food in San Diego.

Savoring San Diego

Eden has 24 hours to taste the flavors of the world in San Diego.

Sweet Eats

San Diego is known for its beautiful weather, sandy beaches and Mexican food (Mexico shares a 15-mile border with San Diego. Immigrants make up one-fourth of the city's 1.3 million residents, and the city boasts over 100 different neighborhoods.

Lunch in Laos

Some 40,000 Laotian Americans call San Diego home. This city is where you'll find the first Laotian Buddhist Temple in the United States.

Laos New Year's Festival

During this exciting annual festival, Eden samples some traditional Laotian street food and culture.

Grub and Garb

Eden always tries to fully immerse herself in other cultures; here she decks herself out in this traditional Laotian dress.

Asia Café

Robert (on the right), the owner of a popular Laotian cafe, tells Eden that he loves to dance to Michael Jackson songs while he cooks.

Nam Khao

This fried-rice dish is made with Som Moo, pork sausage that has been fermented for three days.

Get the Recipe: Nam Khao

Next up: Norway

For dinner, Eden heads to a 112-year-old Norwegian supper club that hosts 300 members.

Norwegian Noshes

Karin is the head cook for the Norwegian fraternal organization whose membership is open to anyone with an interest in traditional Norwegian culture.

Farikal

This lamb-and-cabbage stew is served with lefse, a flatbread made with potatoes, flour milk and salt.

Get the Recipe: Farikal (Lamb in Cabbage)

Tasting Turkey

At 10:30 pm, Eden arrives at Sultan Kebab and Baklava for Turkish coffee and pastry to keep herself fueled through the night.

Caffeine and Sugar Buzz

San Diego's first Turkish bakery and restaurant serves up 12 different varieties of baklava, a sweet dessert made with phyllo dough and pistachios.

Baklava

Baklava was considered a food for the rich until the mid-19th century.

Get the Recipe: Baklava

More Baklava

Turkey is the world's biggest producer of pistachios, followed by Iran and the United States.

Even More Baklava

The baklava is made with sheep's butter, which has less water than cow's butter, so it doesn't cause the pastry to rise as much.

Feasting in the Philippines

San Diego is home to the second-largest Filipino community in the country.

Filipino Feeding

At 1 am, Eden heads to Conching's Cafe, a late-night hot spot. "Conching" is the nickname of the owner, Consuelo.

Pancit Palabok (aka Pancit Lug-Lug)

This comfort food is made with shrimp heads that are blended into a gravy. The sauce is mixed into noodles and topped with hard-boiled eggs.

Get the Recipe: Pancit Palabok (Pancit Lug-Lug)

A Moveable Mexico

Less than five miles outside Tijuana the Mexican sweetshop Dulceria El Ranchero welcomes its customers.

Smoothie Operator

Eden samples a chamango, the sweetshop's blended fruit drink topped with sweet-and-sour plums.

Chamango Con Ciruelas Enmieladas

The smoothie is the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and sour because it's made with fresh mango, tart tamarind pulp, apricot pulp (chamoy) and one-half gallon of both fresh lemon juice and dried chiles.