GETTING TO KNOW THE BEEHIVE STATE ONE SIP AND BITE AT A TIME

It's not just the landmarks that offer the best insights into a place and its culture. It's the food. Through Funeral fries and green Jell-O, I flew back home with a deeper appreciation of Salt Lake City and its people that will stay with me and my palate for years to come! -

- LAI S. REYES

Did you bring your IDs with you?" asks our (food) tour guide Ray Mucillo, as we walk past Petunia the Pig, the bronze sculpture, on our way to Tony Caputo's Market and Deli. "Here in Utah, everyone is required to present an identification card in places that serve alcohol."

Utah has very strict liquor laws. For one, liquor stores are state-run. Just so you get the drift, a majority of Utah officials setting the state's liquor laws are from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, who are taught to abstain from alcohol. Second, liquor stores are closed on Sundays, and state and federal holidays. Third, depending on the city you're in, you can't get wine/spirits at grocery stores.

The good news is, the state's (drinking) rules are always evolving. If you're planning for a short trip, it's always a good idea to review what is allowed, what is forbidden so you don't miss out on Utah's shot culture.

We are at Uffens Marketplace, a year-round marketplace in the heart of Salt Lake City. Delta Airlines, Visit Salt Lake and Utah Tourism Office invited The Philippine STAR and two other Korean journalists for a familiarization trip to the Beehive State. Salt Lake City is Delta's hub for the Rocky Mountain region of the United States.

And what better way to learn about a place's culture than through food! Uffens Marketplace looks like an old warehouse with booths/shops for artists and crafters. Located just north of Pioneer Park at 336 West Broadway (300 South), it's a beautiful and interesting urban venue which reminds me of Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market, which I got to explore two years ago.

If Pike's has Rachel the Pig, Uffens has Petunia as its official mascot. Petunia is a giant, metal piggy bank whose donations support art and music in the market.