Ah food. Is there anything better in this world than eating? (That’s a rhetorical question, as of course there isn’t!) Especially when one way to immerse yourself in a new country is via your stomach, feasting on foreign foods and stuffing yourself silly on special treats *guilt free because you know, it’s in the name of research. *Ahem.
I’ve taken part in cooking classes in India, Thailand and Peru where not only do you get to sample new flavours and improve your kitchen skills, you also pick up tips to impress your friends when you return home acting like Gordon effing Ramsay. Whenever I travel to a new country trying to track down someone who will share their wisdom and culinary know-how with me is pretty high on my list of things to do, ’cause I’m greedy like that.
I’ve scribbled down recipes of gooey chocolate cake in Brazil, watched and learnt how to cook traditional French dishes including tartiflette and meat fondue in France and even copied the way locals eat in Nepal; getting tips on how to scoop up rice with your fingers – everyone should eat like this at least once in their life.
Feeling hungry yet? Well why not check out these foodie travel tours and culinary walking trips, that suit a range of backpackers budgets, to help you discover authentic delicious recipes from all over the world?
Trip Feast have some cracking trips all centered on filling your stomach, but personally I’d love to stay closer to home and visit Ireland on the ‘beyond the humble spud’ tour. This nine day trip to the Emerald Isle allows you to catch your dish and eat it by fishing in Dingle bay, make traditional Irish soda bread and soak it all up with a visit to the Guinness and Jameson distillery *hiccup*.
Contiki have some seriously mouth-watering foodie tours, from hopping around Europe tracking down the best local grub to further away trips including my must-visit Australia, where I’d go all Bear Grylls and have to try crocodile down under.
If drinking is more your thing then you should pop over to France, living here I’m still amazed at how cheap you can get really great bottles of plonk. I’d love to know my appellation from my tannin (err that’s fancy shmancy wine terms) so booking on a chateaux wine tasting tour in Bordeaux visiting 5 vineyards, gourmet dining and cobbled medieval villages should help inspire my inner sommelier.
I, like many Europeans are guilty of overlooking the whole host of countries we have just a short flight away. So for a cheap weekend break it would be great to combine sightseeing with stuffing your face. Latvia have a Riga food tasting tour that apparently turns the stereotype of Latvian food (pork, pickles and potatoes) on its head.
What better way to eat like an Italian than take a cooking class with a real Italian nonna (grandma) in Rome? Here you’ll create a four course meal paired with excellent wine from their own sommelier and even learn some Italian in the process. Mamma Mia!
If you love food as much as I do then try and fit in a cookery course in your next trip away. Your taste buds will thank you later.
{Don’t go just yet… if you can spare another minute I’d love it if you could vote NotWedorDead as Best in Travel for the #cosmoblogawards. Simply click here or the image above to find the travel category and submit to vote! Did I tell you how awesome you are?!}
