Minority cultures are often hidden in plain sight. Here a Muslim Thai woman serves up Indian-style roti—which is delicious—on the streets of Chiang Mai. Thai Muslims make up anywhere between 1-5% of the total population of an almost entirely Buddhist country.
Chai in the Mountains: Meusisha, Dagestan
Few foreigners would have reason to find the village of Meusisha. It is tucked into the midlands of the Dakhadayevsky region of central Dagestan. There’s about a four mile stretch of tire-shredding dirt and rock road to reach it. And it’s beautiful. The quiet gardens and orchards spread out along the convex wall at a valley’s end. They look down on terraced farmland below and mountains in the distance. The hospitality was warm and the food delicious! And quite distinct.