Do you love food so much that you would literally travel… for food?
You’re not alone.
There’s nothing more exciting (and tasty!) than eating your way through a destination. And there’s no easier way to do it than on a food tour that uncovers a world of authentic culinary experiences – complete with local guide, bucket-list sites and small group of like-minded adventurers.
In honour of the above – Intrepid Travel’s range of Real Food Adventure trips – we’ve collated a definitive list of must-have foodie experiences all around the world. They’re a little different, they’re culturally immersive, oh, and they’re delicious. Obviously.
So, what are you waiting for? Get drooling… and get browsing the delectable food trips.
15. Tour Phnom Penh’s markets with a local chef
14. Sit down to a home-cooked meal (with vodka!) with a family in St Petersburg
13. Try the real KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) paired with maekju (Korean beer)
12. Learn all things coffee on a local Peruvian farmstay
11. Visit a tahini factory and learn how to make knafeh (a traditional Arab dessert)
10. Enjoy Iranian cooking at a local family’s home
9. Enjoy Vietnamese home-cooking with a local family in the Mekong Delta
8. Make pasta from scratch like a local in Italy
7. Explore the local farms and cooking of Rajasthan
6. Learn the art of khachapuri, Georgia’s irresistible cheese bread
5. Harvest your own spring onions to make Taiwan’s iconic scallion pancake
4. Sample port in… you guessed it… Porto
3. Browse a Sri Lankan fish market for the freshest seafood around
2. Dive into spicy Szechuan hotpot like a local
1. Take a taco (and tequila!) crawl in Mexico City
Born in London and based in Toronto, Bex is happiest anywhere she can connect with interesting people over good food. She’s passionate about sustainable travel and powerful storytelling, and her favourite cities are New York and Shanghai. Follow her adventures on Instagram @BexShapiro.
Intrepid Travel gets you off the tourist track and onto the road less traveled. With average group sizes of 10 people and itineraries in over 120 countries, their local-led trips are all about experiencing the world with sustainability and authenticity front of mind. Follow Intrepid Travel on Instagram @IntrepidTravel.
I’ve visited Rome twice before, so I’ve already experienced much of the city’s treasure trove of sights—though seeing mind-blowing ancient structures like the Colosseum never gets old. But for my third visit, I was determined to experience Rome like a local. My goal was to literally live out the classic phrase “when in Rome, do as the Romans do,” for over a week. So I based myself in the cuore (heart) of Rome’s centro storico at Hotel Rinascimento, where I could fully immerse myself in the culture and lifestyle of this timeless city.
To kick things off, I joined Perillo’s Learning Journeys’ immersive “Live Like a Roman” tour. Italy has a rich tradition of food and Rome is filled with some of the country’s best gastronomic delights, so eating and drinking is of a major part of the hands-on experience. On the itinerary was a Twilight Trastevere Food Tour, a cocktail crawl of Rome with local expert and influencer Maria Pasquale (a.k.a. Heart Rome), lunch at the Palazzo with the Italian countess Violante, and even a pizza- and gelato-making class. And, of course, in between activities I had plenty of opportunities to try every kind of Italian delicacy—from delectable supplì (fried risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella) to the city’s famed gelato—all on my own.
The following is a photo journey of some of my favorite dining and drinking experiences in Rome:
Da Enzo Trattoria, a busy Trastevere neighborhood restaurant frequented by both locals and in-the-know tourists, served up one of my favorite dishes of the trip: Pasta Amatriciana. Hungry Romans arrive in droves for lunch, as you can see here. I went on a weekday without a reservation and was fortunate snag a table after waiting only about 15 minutes.
An Italy fact I’d never known: Different types and shapes of pastas come from different regions of the country. Da Enzo Trattoria’s Pasta Amatriciana is a classic dish named for the Italian town of Amatrice with a spicy sauce based on guanciale (cured pork cheek). The cured meat has a taste similar to bacon–and is absolutely delicious.
At the counter stands Stefania Innocenti, the fourth-generation owner and baker behind Biscottificio Innocenti in Trastevere. At one point, as our group surrounded her while sampling a platter of delicious cookies, she almost seemed to tear up while talking to us. Our guide, Rishad Noorani from Eating Europe Tours, translated: “Seeing all you people enjoying my food just makes me so happy. I don’t do it for the money. I do it for this!”
Sipping an Aperol spritz while people-watching at a sidewalk cafe became my daily indulgence in Rome.
I learned to make Roman-style pizza via InRome Cooking classes–and I can’t wait to test out my new skills at home.
On the Trastevere Twilight Food Tour, we stopped at the Antica Caciara salumeria (delicatessen) to sample buttery porchetta washed down with beer. This old-school deli has been operated by the Polica family since 1900 and is a Trastevere institution.
During one magical afternoon, lunch was served up with one of the best views of Rome. This airy terrace tops Palazzo Taverna, the family house of chef and entertainer, Violante Guerrieri Gonzaga.
One of the most exciting nights out on the town was with Rome local expert Maria Pasquale, also known as Heart Rome. Here, Maria sips an experimental cocktail served in a tea cup at the boutique hotel DOM.
If you’re looking for nightlife away from the well-trodden tourist path, head across the river to Trastevere and follow the crowds–Trastevere locals party late into the night.
The Jerry Thomas Project, an intimate speakeasy that’s been named one of the 50 best bars in the world, capped off our tour. Reservations are a must and it’s worth it, I promise!
Interested in learning more about Tanveer’s journey?Read more about it on AFAR.com, the USTOA Blog, and check out Perillo’s Learning Journey Live Like A Roman itinerary.
Tanveer is a travel, hotel, and lifestyle photographer who has explored more than 50 countries. Some trips have led him to photograph luxury hotels on the Amalfi Coast or the Riviera Maya, while others have taken him on long treks in the Bhutanese Himalayas or in search of lemurs in Madagascar. Follow his ongoing travels on Instagram or check out his travel portfolio.
Food is truly the language that crosses all borders. Culinary experiences are an integral part of any trip, and for some it’s THE reason they globe trot. While the classic foodie countries like France and Italy are must-visit destinations, culinary-centric trips are available throughout the world.
USTOA members offer itineraries worldwide with hands-on culinary experiences and, of course, plenty to taste. Below is a “morsel” of what members have to offer travelers. But be warned…you might not want to take this virtual culinary world tour on an empty stomach!
Credit: Adventures by Disney
Travelers can start their foodie trek with a trip down the Rhine River through France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland with AmaWaterways for wine-focused tours and tastings at each port, or an adult-exclusive food and wine food cruise with Adventures by Disney.
Credit: Tauck
Want to linger in France a little longer? Join Europe Express* and save 10% on a trip with experiences like a dessert or chocolate class, or visit a family-owned farm in la Camargue for a farm-to-table banquet lunch a Tauck river cruise. Guests on Viking River Cruises can hunt for truffles for a homemade lunch during a stop on its river cruise from Bordeaux to Saint-Emillion.
Credit: VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations
Next travelers can head south to Italy, truly an epicurean’s treasure. Bike through Piedmont and discover the birthplace of Italy’s slow food movement with VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations. Or, learn to make pizza in Rome with Perillo’s Learning Journeys.
Credit: Intrepid Travel
Heading towards North Africa and the Middle East, a lesser known culinary adventure awaits on Alexander+Roberts’ trip to Morocco with experiences like a tour of the famous Essaouira Fish Market and a lunch of freshly caught fish and oysters from a lagoon in Oualidia. Intrepid Travel also offers guests an off-the-beaten-path look at food in Israel and Palestine as they break bread with the Druze folk in Buq’ata and taste wine in the Negev desert.
Credit: Avanti Destinations
India is up next on this foodie trip around the world to learn how to make Indian bread, or ‘chappati’, at a local family’s house with Pacific Delight Tours, or savor a vegetarian “satvik” meal in the sacred city of Varanasi with Cox & Kings. Next head to Thailand for adventures like dinner in a local night market famous for fried insects with Asia Answers, then a private sushi making lesson at a local home in Japan with Avanti Destinations*.
Credit: Goway Travel
For the dessert course of our culinary world tour, let’s head to the Americas beginning with an exotic pisco cocktail class in Peru with Goway Travel. Further north in San Francisco is Flavors & Murals of the Mission Tour with GOGO Worldwide Vacations, which combines a tasting tour of the trendiest parts of the city with its legendary murals and street art.
No matter your palette, USTOA members know that food unites us all. Want to start planning your next culinary adventure? Find your dream vacation here or visit https://ustoa.com/travel-agent-directory for a list of USTOA certified travel agents who can help.
*Please contact your local travel agent to book with this tour operator.
One of my favorite things to do when traveling to a new destination is to take a morning walk. My first-day plan is almost always the same: arrive, unpack, have a nice dinner, and go to bed early. Then, I’ll get up as the sun rises and start walking, without a specific agenda or address. I usually save the museums and palaces for later in the day. In the morning, everything is fresh and clean, the temperature is ideal, and it’s a good way to see local people go about their day. Plus, the light is beautiful.
My favorite place to go in the morning is the market—whether it’s a vegetable market, flower market or in the case of Essaouira, Morocco, the vibrant fish market on the port. Luckily, Alexander+Roberts had arranged for a walking tour of the city, so I was able to gain insights into what I was seeing and experiencing in addition to taking photographs.
The first thing you notice about Essaouira are the seagulls. They’re everywhere. “Seagull Airport,’” said my guide from Alexander+Roberts, Mr. Hicham, pointing to a small island across the port where thousands of gulls were roosting. The port was packed and the fishermen were so busy that they barely noticed our group snapping shots of their every move. Our group hopped over muddy puddles on the street, made way for large trucks to get through and covered our noses when the smell was fish was overwhelming. But we were in good spirits and didn’t mind going a little out of the comfort zone for the payoff of an amazing local experience.
Our visit coincided with the peak of sardine season. We saw dozens, maybe even hundreds, of small blue boats pulling in their catches and getting packed into trucks to be shipped to other parts of the country and abroad. The sardines are used for soups, stews or just grilled with salt. There were also eels, shrimp, crab, lobster, and dozens of types of fish. A row of blue painted food stalls at the entrance of the market displays the full selection and from there, you can handpick the seafood you want to eat and it’ll be cooked to your choice. I had seafood at each meal of my time in Essaouira, and didn’t mind it a bit. We had fish kebabs on skewers during our last meal at Il Mare, overlooking the Essaouira port we had just walked through. A bunch of us agreed it was perhaps the best meal of the trip so far, topped off with an unexpected and delightful chocolate cake.
I decided to come back to the port one more time, to capture it in the warm, late afternoon light. I watched a boat pull-in carrying some really big fish. It took several people to just load it from the boat to the small tuk-tuk-like vehicles with a truck bed in the back. Upon closer look, I realized they were carrying sharks. This time there were no tourists around, so the locals quickly recognized me snapping shots at the scene. I caught someone saying in Arabic that I was a “professional,” and the crowd parted so I could get a better view. Some of the young men even smiled for photos. It was a strange feeling because here was a thing these fishermen did every day, catch big fish like sharks from the sea and transport them in the bed of a truck, like it was no big deal at all. They did this in order to make a living, while I was the passing tourist taking photos. This is one of the reasons I love Morocco. You can visit the treasures in palaces and go shopping in the touristy souks — and you should — yet there’s still plenty of everyday life and culture to be experienced in other areas as well.
Tanveer is a travel, hotel, and lifestyle photographer who has explored more than 50 countries. Some trips have led him to photograph luxury hotels on the Amalfi Coast or the Riviera Maya, while others have taken him on long treks in the Bhutanese Himalayas or in search of lemurs in Madagascar. His wife, Kelly, a travel writer, often joins him on these adventures.
My first memory of international cuisine was when I was 12 years old. I’ll never forget going to a Chinese restaurant in Peoria, Illinois for the first time. It was darkly lit, with big round tables and little cups for tea. I was fascinated with these cups because they didn’t have handles – unconventional for my Midwest life. My dad ordered some dishes for our table; sweet and sour pork, wontons, egg foo young, and pork chow mien. I remember being that awkward age that hated eating anything that I didn’t know, but wanting to try new things. I had no idea how to use the chopsticks in front of me – they seemed as confusing and impossible as solving my Rubik’s Cube – but that was the first of many Chinese dinners I had in my hometown of Peoria. Chinese food reminds me of my childhood and exploration of new things, so when I landed in China for my 8 day trip with Wendy Wu Tours, I was excited for one thing – I wanted to eat!
Eating in China
Though China may seem daunting due to the language barriers, your local guide can lead you through all the tough decisions – like what to eat! They can help you order and work your way through the maze of menus. Most of the restaurants that we went into were gigantic, with big round tables and a lazy Susan in the middle for easy sharing. The menus tended to be the size of an old Sears Catalog and include pictures and English, which made things a little easier. These are great places to eat but it you want to throw caution to the wind and find some restaurants that are smaller and don’t have pictures or English menus, then just ask your guide and they’ll lead you deep into the alleys of China to eat. After all, travel is about going local and exploration of new things!
A super thick menu with pictures
Dumplings
I quickly learned that dumplings are a staple in Shanghai, little bites of flavorful goodness; but in Shanghai you get something extra in your dumpling – soup. I had my first soup dumpling at breakfast (yes, dumplings for breakfast). I was startled when I bit into what I thought was a normal dumpling and soup came out and subsequently went all over me! I pretty quickly learned that Shanghai dumplings need to be eaten with care. Shanghai is known for 2 main kinds of dumplings: Xiao Long Bao, a dumpling made of wheat dough that is steamed, and Sheng Jian Bao, made of a thicker dough first fried in a cast iron skillet and then steamed. Both are typically made of pork and have a gelatin soup inside that gets heated and liquefied when steamed. Dip them in a vinegar soy mixture and try to poke a hole in it first so that you can ‘drink’ out the soup or at least let it cool before you bite into it! My favorite way to eat them was with a straw.
Xiao Long Bao – or XLB as the cool kids refer to them!
Sheng Jian Bao – or SJB
In Xi’an we not only ate dumplings (jiaozi), we learned how to make them. Our teacher, Chef Jin, makes about 3,500 dumplings a night, which explains why her super power is to make dumplings lightning fast. Seriously, if you blink you’ll miss it and will all of a sudden have a butterfly shaped dumpling in front of you. Chef Jin works at the Shaanxi Sunshine Lido Grand Theatre (and in the time it took you to read that title, she made 4 dumplings). She makes dumplings every night for customers who come to the cultural theater show. Her dumplings are in the shape of butterflies, roses, swans, cabbages, and ducks. However, for teaching purposes she kept the shapes simple and slowed down long enough to show us how to roll out the dough, spread in the filling, and then form them into shapes. Mine didn’t turn out too shapely, which made me conclude that I’d rather eat them than make them.
Rolling out dumpling dough in Xi’an
Milk
In our quest for local food, our Shanghai guide took us for a traditional breakfast enjoyed by the fast paced business workers in Shanghai – warm, sweet soymilk and a fried breadstick. Yon Ho is a fast food chain that started as a street stall in Taiwan and now sells their soybean milk all over China. The drink sort of tastes like what’s left in the bottom of a cereal bowl once all the cereal is gone and immediately won me over! It was fun to be the only foreigners in the restaurant and watch a steady stream of young business professionals come in and eat before work. Sort of like the Chinese Starbucks – a cool (and tasty) view of daily life in Shanghai!
Warm soy milk and fried bread
Noodles
Have you ever heard a noodle? In Xi’an if you listen carefully you’ll hear why the Biangbiang noodle got its name. It is named after the sound of dough being thwacked on the chopping board so it can be stretched into one very long belt-like lasagna noodle. We stopped at a local food court inside the old city in Xi’an and saw the noodles being made and then slurped them down in a delicious broth mixture with soy, peppers, and scallions. And if you are wondering, in China it’s perfectly acceptable to slurp your noodles!
Biangbiang noodles in a soupy broth
My other favorite noodle was the Peking noodle dish found in Beijing. The noodles are long, cylinder shaped, and delicious. My favorite part was that the noodles, vegetables, and sauce were brought out in separate bowls and it was up to us to mix the three items together at the table…with chopsticks. Good luck…the taste is worth it!
Peking Noodles is a dish you need to put together yourself!
Peking Duck
It might look slightly unappetizing to have a whole duck brought out to your table, but trust me on this and say ‘yes’ to Peking Duck when in Beijing! The duck is best known for its breeding and roasting process; plus it was once the food of Emperors.
We went to Da Wan Ju, a small, local restaurant near the Wangfujing night market. Once the duck is carved by your table, you eat it in a pancake with scallions, cucumber and sweet bean sauce all rolled up like a taco. However, I’m not sure what I liked the most – the duck breast ‘taco’ or the crispy skin! For pure decadence, try dipping the crispy skin in sugar – the ultimate treat!
Carving Peking Duck at our table
Street Food
If you want to get a little bolder, then try the street food in China! Don’t get scared away by Beijing’s Wangfujing night market, which tends to cater to tourists more than locals. It’s a market with split personalities – it has a bunch of great traditional street food such as noodles, dumplings, and soups mixed with creepy crawlies on a stick. It’s definitely worth a visit to see how daring you are! I decided to try dessert there after our Peking Duck dinner, sweet sticky rice ‘pops’ on a stick were the perfect ending!
Luckily I was already full when we came across these delicacies!
Sticky rice pops – more my speed!
There are plenty of other street markets selling food all over China’s cities that are geared to locals and your guide can help you find. Our guide led us to the Chang li neighborhood in Shanghai to try some local street food. Nestled among retail stores, the market smelled of durian and was filled with businessmen and women stopping to get dinner on their way home from work. The food is cooked right in front of you and I suggest you just pick the stand with the biggest line! The other great thing about local street food is it’s cheap; I had a giant noodle and veggie dish for only $1.20 USD.
What About the Fortune Cookies?
If you are looking for those crispy sweet fortune cookies at the end of you meal in China, you’ll be waiting forever. In fact 90% of Chinese people don’t even know what they are. One of my biggest surprises was learning that fortune cookies aren’t really from China at all; they are from the United States, created in San Francisco.
The food in China was nothing like what I grew up eating at my family’s favorite Chinese restaurant in Peoria; instead it was infinitely better. And like most things in the world of travel, it’s even better when you can get out and explore the local scene, because it’s all about the journey.
Sherry Ott is a long term traveler, blogger and photographer without a home. She spent a year living in Vietnam, hiked the Annapurna Circuit, did cultural exchange programs in the Middle East, drove 10,000 miles from London to Mongolia, and walked across Spain on the Camino de Santiago. She seeks out adventurous opportunities to inspire people to overcome their fears and reap the benefits of travel. Hear more about her journey to China with Wendy Wu Tours at AFAR.com.
On my recent trip to Saxony, with Saxony Tourism and Avanti Destinations I was able to taste carefully prepared traditional German dishes with a Saxon twist. But beyond the great food, I loved the way many of the restaurants depict the region’s past and hold interesting stories, if you are willing to listen.
My first experience with Saxon food was the 1900 restaurant in Dresden. Decorated in 1930s memorabilia (to include a real size tramcar inside the restaurant) it offers delicious, and very sizable pork dishes and Saxon dumplings. Here I had the opportunity to sample quarkkäulchen, a type of potato and quark dumpling served with grated apples and cinnamon, an interesting and very delicious dessert.
Dining at Pulverturm
Another must-try in Dresden is the restaurant Pulverturm. The former gunpowder tower has been restored and decorated in a way that takes you back to medieval times. With an open kitchen, you can see the suckling pig, roasting on a spit, as soon as you enter. Another sumptuous desert I sampled was eierschecke, a confectionary specialty of Saxony. One thing to not miss out on is the famous funnel drinking, called “Dresdner Trichtertrinken”. It’s a green liqueur called “Cosel tear” which people drink after the meal. Cosel was the mistress of Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony. The drink is supposed to represent her tears upon Augustus’ death.
Eating at Schiller Garten
No trip to Dresden is complete without a visit to Schiller Garten, dating from the end of the 17th century, and situated at the foot of the King Albert Bridge, on the shores of the Elbe River. For a few euros you can choose half a chicken with fries and a freshly baked pretzel, or a pork knuckle as big as your head, and wash it down with refreshing beer. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, it feels like each sip is a meal on the tongue. It is probably the most local thing you can do in Dresden.
St. Jonathan
While visiting Görlitz a great place to eat is St. Jonathan. The interior is cozy and romantic, with high ceilings and gothic arches. The managing director of the restaurant had a very small part, as the Chef, in the Oscar nominated movie “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, filmed on the streets of Görlitz. It was interesting to hear him speak about his experience although he and the rest of the town are used to big movies being filmed in Görlitz. Here I tried, for the first time, red beet soup and delicious steak tartar. Who knew I would ever enjoy raw beef?
Panorama Tower
I loved Leipzig for the relaxed atmosphere and diverse food scene. Panorama restaurant at the top of Panorama Tower was a special treat. It’s a fine dining restaurant that takes Saxon food to a new level of sophistication in a romantic setting, on top of the city.
Auerbachs Kellar
A very interesting (and the second oldest restaurant) in Leipzig, is Auerbachs Keller, dating to at least the first half of the 15th century.
Saxon Potato Soup
We had lunch in the Goethe Keller, probably the most famous guestroom in Germany, decorated with semicircular paintings depicting images from Faust. Painted by Andreas Bretschneide in 1625, they are among the most important urban and cultural history exhibits in Leipzig. Beside Goethe, Johann Sebastian Bach and Richard Wagner dined here. Be prepared to have huge meals of traditional Saxon food. As a final Saxon treat try the potato soup with sausages served at many cafes in the center of Leipzig.
Lunch at Auerbachs Kellar
Reflecting on my trip, having made my taste buds happy with the many Saxon dishes, I will have to come back with family in tow.
Germany-based AFAR Magazine Ambassador Adriana Yampey, who has also lived in Romania, France, Italy, Belgium and the United States, dreams of seeing the world and documenting it through photos.
Follow her travelers on Adriana’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. You can hear more about her journey to Saxony at AFAR.com.
The ground was soft and wet with little puddles of muddy water mixed with fish guts, scales, blood and who knows what else. This wasn’t a good day to be wearing flip-flops. All of my senses were on high alert while traversing Bazurto Market. It was sensory overload and I felt like a kid in a candy store – bursting with excitement and attention deficit disorder every place I looked. However, instead of being excited about pixie sticks and gumballs, in a twisted way I was excited about piles of intestines and pig heads. It was a serious market, the kind where you get a glimpse into local food, eating culture, work habits, and traditions in an extremely ‘Bourdain Parts Unknown’ sort of way. This is the stuff that’s normally kept far away from most American’s eyesight, the stuff that happens before that lovely piece of prime rib or fish fillet ends up behind the glass in the grocery market case. And I absolutely loved it.
Crashing through the din of background salsa music was a loud pounding noise. I panned around until I found the source; a middle age woman with a hair bonnet had her arm raised in the air holding a wooden club ready for her downward motion. Bam! The club slams down onto the top of a knife driving it into the belly of a large fish. This motion was repeated over and over until the fish was scored into 1 inch strips. She suddenly put down the club and reached her arm, plastered in fish scales, across her body and grabbed a ½ bottle of open beer. In one swift fluid motion she picked up the beer and chugged the remainder of the bottle slamming the empty down on the table with the same force she used with the wooden club. She wiped her mouth with the back of her arm, picked up her instruments again and moved on to the next fish.
Fish Monger in Bazurto Market
I stood there speechless and giddy. This was the real Cartagena in front of me.
When I told Ruth, a local friend, that we were going to Bazurto Market she was immediately worried. She went through all of the normal warnings; watch out for pick pockets, don’t flash around your camera or cell phone, and be careful. However, I knew what this really meant was the market was a place where few tourists go, which actually made me more excited than fearful. I wasn’t too worried as we were going with locals, our guide Eduardo as well as Chef Javier as part of an experience offered by Avanti Destinations.
Chef Javier led us through the market greeting and hugging old friends, inspecting vegetables, talking to vendors, and pointing out various items that were new to us. The market was partially outdoor and partially enclosed. It was a maze of little alleys and tables. As you walked around and observed the people working there, you could tell the relationships ran deep. Vendors joked among their neighbors, and it was often a family affair as kids helped their fathers butcher and sell.
We started in the fish areas, but then moved further back into the main part of the market where the meat butchers were located. Men with giant bellies and even bigger smiles were outfitted in plastic aprons covered in blood, happily carving away on big wooden stumps. Warning: this section of the market isn’t for everyone but if you decide to wander through be prepared to see extremely raw visuals of animal parts. It was super to have Eduardo and Chef Javier with us to answer the inevitable questions of, “What is THAT? And what is it used for?” We learned of soups, and various other dishes I had never heard of before, nor did I know if I’d be brave enough to try them myself.
Next we found ourselves in the vegetable section of the market. You could tell the avocados were in season as there were carts and carts of them in various sizes. Chef Javier sorted through the stack to find the perfect one for our ceviche he was planning for us. After all of this walking around I was starting to get hungry.
Luckily for my stomach we finished up in the prepared food section of the market where large metal pots balanced on stands precariously filled to the brim with soup, rice, and seafood. Tables lined with newspaper had stacks of freshly fried fish on them. Eduardo saw me looking inquisitively at the various fried foods and soon he was handing me a piece of oily newspaper with a freshly fried ball of something, a lime wedge, and cooked yucca. I eagerly bit into the fried food. It was salty and crispy and had a fishy taste – delicious. However I decided it best I inquire about what I was eating once I was actually done eating it. I had spent too much time in the market that morning seeing every (and I mean every) part of an animal that I decided sometimes it’s best to not know what you are eating.
Prepared Food in the Market
Mystery fried food
We left the sounds of the market behind and headed out of town towards the tiny beach community of Manzanillo. Perched right on the beach is Khosamui Hotel, where Chef Javier works his seafood culinary magic. The vibe was completely different from the bustling market. A big open-air lobby was filled with colorful flowers and throw pillows. The upstairs patio overlooked the beach and came with a fabulous and constant sea breeze to gently rock your hammock back and forth; providing the perfect place for a lazy nap while lunch was prepared.
Kohsamui Hotel – a perfect place to relax
I was awoken from my nap with the sounds of salsa music and someone offering me a cold beer. Eduardo beckoned me downstairs where lunch was ready. Chef Javier paraded out fresh colorful plates of seafood. It was hard to reconcile that these lovely culinary creations came from the gritty market environment we were in a few hours ago. Proving that it’s not how it starts, but how it ends on your plate that is important. Some tourists might think the Bazurto market is a bit too much local insight, but it’s real, and it’s where the food in Cartagena comes from. I adored my opportunity to see past the tourist veneer; it may not be pretty, but it’s a real local experience.
Lobster Ceviche
And if you don’t think you can take the ‘real-ness’ of it, then no problem, simply enjoy what’s on your plate. Sometimes it’s easier to just enjoy the food and not know all the gory details.
Oh yes, and the fried food Eduardo gave me to try in the market? Well, I learned later it was fish testicles. Details, details.
For me, there’s no better way to explore a country’s culture than to explore its food scene. Wherever you travel in the world, you can find passionate foodies, and Egypt is no exception. While visiting Cairo with Abercrombie & Kent tours, I had two food experiences that left me feeling as if I was local.
I love falafel. It’s one of my go to weekend foods in my current home city, Brussels. So when Fiby, my local expert from A&K, mentioned she knew where I could get the best falafel in Cairo and I could watch them being made, I jumped at the chance.
We pulled up outside Felfela restaurant, a local institution, since 1959. Stepping through the door, I knew this was my kind of place. The first thing I saw was a chef, dressed in his whites, tossing fresh made falafel in boiling oil.
Felfela Chef
Another chef appeared behind the first, with a huge bowl of dough. He showed me how Egyptian falafel differs from the better-known Lebanese version. Instead of chickpeas, Felfela’s falafels are made with fava beans and a variety of herbs. The dough is lighter, making for a fluffier centre. Pair that with a crunchy, crispy crust and you have falafel heaven.
There are several dining options for enjoying your Felfela falafel. Pass by the falafel chefs and enter the quirky dining room, for a sit-down falafel experience. The restaurant has a jungle theme with tables made of tree trunks and greenery everywhere. There are even a few songbirds to add to the atmosphere. Along with your falafel, you can also enjoy a variety of Egyptian specialities and grilled treats.
Felfela Restaurant
If you need a falafel on the go, just pop around the corner to Felfela’s take-away location. Here, your falafel is served inside a flatbread and topped, as you like, with plenty of tahini and fresh vegetables. It’s the perfect stop for a quick snack on the run.
I arrived at my next local foodie destination to find a cloud of smoke. Rather than make me cough, this particular smoke made my mouth water. As I stepped through the gate of the Andrea Restaurant, I was greeted by row after row of rotisserie chickens, turning lazily in the charcoal haze.
Andrea chickens
A man shoveling coals in a series of clay ovens stoked the outdoor grill. Dozens of chickens were cooking in various states of doneness. It takes 24 hours of marinating in a secret blend of local herbs and spices, followed by more hours on the spit, before these birds are ready for your plate.
Andrea chickens
The result is well worth the wait. The chicken is meltingly tender and the herby flavour permeates all the way through. Heavenly.
But chicken isn’t the only thing the charcoal fires lend their flavours to, at Andrea Restaurant.
Just beyond the turning spits, sit a cluster of women. While they sit chatting and laughing, their hands rhythmically pat and shape dough into small, round, disks. They slap the disks on the inside of the ovens and seconds later, tiny flatbreads emerge, puffed full of hot air. The hot, smoky bread is the perfect complement to the juicy chicken.
Andrea bread baker
Inside the restaurant, the succulent chicken and toasty bread is served with a variety of Egyptian mezze: delicately spiced meatballs, stuffed grape leaves, chunky hummus and more, round out the meal. It’s Egypt on a plate.
Andrea bread
Both of these local food experiences in Cairo revealed a side of Egypt I wasn’t expecting. The local passion for food is deeply ingrained in the culture. Discovering the food of Egypt helped me relate to the people who create it and relating to locals is what travel is all about.
Alison Cornford-Matheson is a Canadian freelance writer and travel photographer and the founder of Cheeseweb.eu, a resource for expats, locals, and travellers in Belgium. She landed in Belgium in 2005 and became passionate about this quirky little country. She is an AFAR Ambassador and founding member of the PTBA. She is obsessed with travel, food, and local experiences. You can follow her on Google+, on Twitter as @Acornn, on Pintrest or check out her Facebook Page. See more highlights from Alison’s trip at AFAR.com.
