When starting to plan a vacation, most people think about all the wonderful places they are going to visit and the sites they want to see. They checkout what activities are in the area, what unique locations might be close to their destination, or even what great accommodations they can find - after all that is what vacation is all about - Right?? All of that is important but to me personally, I find that many of my most memorable experiences come from interacting with the people and the culture of the region. To that end, there is no better way to experience these aspects of the area than on a local "food" tour!
Most major cities or towns now offer some type of food tour or dining experience that is unique to that area. People often think of a food tour as traditional walking tours that point out local landmarks and provides a brief history of the area while stopping at several favorite family owned restaurants along the way to sample their specialties. Although these are the most common type there are other "less" popular or known options that maybe you have not thought to look for... These include activities like: "Farm to Table" dining in rural communities, discovering the flavors of different ethnic pocket communities, or even learning to cook the best regional dish in a local families home. The concept of a unique dining experience has become an integral part of the vacation adventure in recent years. While these are just a few examples of today's most popular ways to combine local cuisine and your latest adventure, there are tons of variations on the options above - be sure to share some of your favorites in the comments below!
Let's look a little closer at each of the most popular ways to eat on vacation...
The Classic Guided Food Tour.
As I am sure you could guess by the name, guided food tours are catered for tourists that want to learn about a city or a region through its local cuisine. Food has become an important part of tourism thus making food tours extremely popular. Most food tours incorporate the history of the area with several stops at various street food vendors. The degree of focus on food vs. a walking tour varies; however, on average, most food tours include five to seven food stops. At those stops you can taste the best dishes - from breads, cheeses, appetizers and gourmet desserts - that local culture has to offer. These tours might have anywhere from four to ten guests depending on the season, day of the week, destination and it popularity amongst travelers. On a recent food tour in Lisbon, Portugal we had a great time getting to know another couple that had joined the tour as they were also avid tabletop gamers. We spent much of the meal times discussing different games out on the market and got some really interesting ideas for our upcoming "Blogmaster" game as well. Remember these tours are not only about the food, but also interacting in small groups with each other, the guide, and the landmarks you see along the way...
Farm to Table Dining.
Celebrating fresh seasonal ingredients and locally sourced meats, cheeses and vegetables at its purest can be simply delicious. From castles to honeybees, fruit-picking to foraging, these memorable dining based experiences will leave you both satisfied and inspired. More than just sampling excellent cuisine, they provide the visitors with a connection to the communities and bring to life the true flavors of the region. Most Farm to Table dining experiences will include an opportunity for you to meet with the hosts and tour their gardens or farms and see where the produce comes from before you sit down to dine. This can be a fascinating chance to learn first-hand about many aspects of sustainable food production, such as organic farming, biodiversity, waste reduction and species preservation.
During our visit of Croatia in 2021 we had an opportunity to partake in a Farm to Table dining adventure, and let me tell you it was worth the trip! Our yacht arrived in the early afternoon to the docks of Stari Grad on the island of Hvar where we joined the other guests on our vessel for an amazing afternoon exploring the farms of Hora on the Stari Grad Plains. A brief history of the lands taught us that the first Neolithic tribes settled in Stari Grad around 3500-2500 BC. Remains of their pottery and other artifacts have been found, along with that of the Illyrian tribes. By 384 BC the Ancient Greeks founded what is now modern-day Stari Grad and it remains one of the best-preserved examples of ancient Greek agriculture throughout the Mediterranean. Today, the Žuvela family is continuing the tradition of the Ancient Greeks in the form of a working farm in the heart of Hora. They make wine and cultivates olives, lavenders and many other vegetables. I can certainly say that after experiencing a Traditional Peka Dinner (100% farmed lamb and veal, freshly caught mix of local fish and octopus) on the farm, I did not need to eat for a week!
One of the top talked about experiences in farm dining amongst gastronomic travelers these days can be found in Ireland. If you love honey then you are in for a treat at Brookfield Farm. It will be the highlight of your Farm to Table adventures. Owner, Ailbhe Gerrard, is a passionate beekeeper and is said to make the most amazing and sustainable honey in all of Ireland. Ailbhe has a deep interest in farming as a holistic, regenerative activity and runs a wide variety of sustainability projects at Brookfield Farm. People rave about hearing her stories and honey-making secrets. The farm boasts a stunning mix of wildflower meadows, beehives, sheep, orchards, arable crops, a native broadleaf tree plantation and a truffle orchard – a truly magnificent setting for lunch. While we are not sure of her scheduling for tours with lunch events - we have only heard rave reviews from people lucky enough to attend. If you have an opportunity next time you visit Ireland be sure to check out Brookfield Farms and lets us know how your experience went...
Pocket Community Food Tours
Pocket Community food tours are very much like the traditional food walking tours except that they tend to focus more on a specific culture or one genre of food in more diverse city environments. For example, major cities in America will explore areas like "Chinatown", the local Jewish Community or even "Little Italy" and serve cultural dishes while providing insight into the history of that neighborhood only. These always make for an interesting and sometime eye opening experience no matter where you are in the world!
During our trip to Rome in 2017 we took the opportunity to take a tour that focused on the Roman neighborhood of Trastevere. While learning about the rich history of this neighborhood dating back to 753 BC, we got to taste some of the finest meats, cheeses, pizza and gelato Trastevere has to offer. I personally am a huge fan of Italy and its many dining options, so this tour was an instant home run in my book! Another interesting tour regularly offered while in Rome combines Trastevere with the Jewish Quarter providing an even greater understanding of the history and treatment of the Roman Jews. Originally the quarter only had two points of access. Everyday life for jewish people was hard and they were subjected to a series of requirements and restrictions, i.e. the obligation to reside within the quarter and to always carry a distinctive sign of belonging to the Jewish community, prohibition to carry out any kind of trade except those related with rags and clothing, or to own real estate. These are just a few of things you will learn about while enjoying a unique blend of tasty foods during this adventure...
Specialty Cooking Class Tours
In recent years travelers have become fascinated with learning to prepare the unique specialties they enjoy while on vacation and as a result we are finding more and more "cook with locals" activities around the world. As I am sure you have found by now one of my favorite places to travel is Italy, so while preparing for our next trip we began looking into these tours. Here is one example that we stumbled across in our research...
Lunch Damiano - For this Special Experience, we will go together to the local fields and visit magical places in the area near Como. The day will begin by meeting at my house in the morning, around 09:00. After a casual breakfast with homemade cake and cappuccino or coffee, we set off in search of wild herbs to use in our preparations. While returning home, we will pass by a convent where we can buy fresh eggs and seasonal vegetables. The cooking class will start by preparing lunch based on what nature has provided for us. I will make you participate in all the preparations from appetizer to dessert, the menu will be decided together and we will use all the herbs that we have collected in the fields real protagonists of our experience.
The experience found with Damiano is just one of thousands that are popping up around Europe and the World! In our upcoming trip to Southern Italy we have made reservations to experience the magic of a cooking class ourselves (we will be sure to do a post about it :). We would love to hear about any cooking adventures you have taken or are planning to do in the near future as these are extremely intriguing and will certainly vary greatly from one location and host to another!
We highly recommend that if you do not currently look for these types of dining activities that when planning future trips you take some time to consider them and see what your next destination has to offer - you won't be sorry (or hungry).
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