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Kenai's Tutka Bay Lodge serves beignets of king crab with aioli sauce.

15 Food Tours Worth the Travel

Treat your taste buds to a global tour of flavors with these food itineraries. The only prerequisite: a healthy appetite.

Craft Beer Calling in Asheville, North Carolina

Combine mineral-rich mountain water and a cool-kid community hopped up on the latest in artisanal suds, and you have craft beer mecca Asheville. With more than 25 breweries, this mountain town makes finding a favorite ale daunting. Guide Cliff Mori leads beer enthusiasts on walking tours of the small-batch brewers in the downtown South Slope area. Come thirsty: You’ll try seven to 10 beers, from IPAs to barrel-aged sour beers. “Brewery Tours of Asheville,” Brew-Ed , 2 hours $37, or 3 hours $50.

Sashimi and You in Japan

Ask worldly chefs to name their favorite food city, and the answer always seems to be Tokyo. Japan’s capital bookends this private food-centric odyssey that includes sake tastings in the old town of Takayama, picking tea leaves in Kyoto Prefecture, and a crash course in ramen prep in Osaka. “Japanese Culinary Exploration,” Global Basecamps , 14 days, $9,378.

Cuisine Revolution in Cuba

Cuba has been forging new culinary paths and celebrating its traditional foods as it opens its doors to the wider world. This gastronomic survey of the island samples the Cuban-Mediterranean fare at Atelier, a paladar , or privately owned restaurant, in Havana’s Vedado neighborhood, and such plates as seafood-papaya lasagna at the paladar La Guarida. Work up an appetite between bites by learning salsa moves from a local pro and how to make the perfect daiquiri with a bartender from the famed El Floridita. A bonus: Your ride is a ’57 Chevy. “Cuba Culinary Tour,” Access Trips , 8 days, starting at $3,590.

Say Cheese—and Chocolate in Switzerland

Travel from the 800-year-old lakeside town of Lucerne to the ski resort of Zermatt for an immersion in Alpine culture and cuisine, including a visit to Maison Cailler, the home of Switzerland’s oldest milk chocolate brand; a tour of the walled medieval cheese village of Gruyères; and a raclette tasting at the 16th-century Château de Villa, east of Geneva in the canton of Valais. “Cheese, Chocolate, and the Scenic Alps,” Alpenwild , 9 days, $3,795.

Mint tea is poured from on high in Fes, Morocco, to form a surface foam.

Tilework decorates the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, in nearby Meknès, a town known for its wineries.

Fiesta Fare in Oaxaca, Mexico

Chef Susana Trilling shows off the flavorful heritage of Oaxaca, her adopted home, by guiding cultural tours and leading classes in everything from making queso to mastering mole sauces. Her seven-day “Dia de Muertos” course combines culinary lessons with field trips to learn about Day of the Dead customs. “Dia de Muertos Course,” Seasons of My Heart , 7 days, $2,300.

Backcountry Bounty in Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula is the land of king salmon, Kachemak Bay oysters, and a wide variety of wild edibles, from berries to mushrooms to seaweed. Visit a bivalve farm, forage in a forest of Sitka spruce trees, and learn to cook such local dishes as salmon bacon in rhubarb lacquer with chef Kirsten Dixon of the Tutka Bay Lodge, a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World. “Tutka Bay Lodge Culinary Retreat,” Within the Wild , 4 days, $2,185.

Curry in Context in India

Spectacular sites such as the Taj Mahal combine with flavor-packed dishes on this “real food adventure” that has you sampling parathas (flatbreads), chaatsnacks , and Goan fish curry; preparing a traditional meal in Udaipur; and visiting a spice farm in Goa. “Real Food Adventure: India,” Intrepid Travel , 15 days, from $2,170.

Tomato Queen in Sicily, Italy

The Anna Tasca Lanza cooking school, based in a farmstead east of Palermo, has been teaching the finer points of Sicilian cooking for more than 25 years. Fabrizia Lanza offers a workshop around that Italian kitchen staple, tomato paste. Breaks from canning include jaunts to a local cheesemaker and a coffee roaster. “Preserving August,” Anna Tasca Lanza Sicilian Cooking Experience , 6 days, $2,500.

Sidewalk fare in Hoi An, Vietnam, includes an array of tropical fruits.

Chilling With Master Chefs in Chile

Lauded in the food world as the latest star in South America’s culinary constellation, Chile finally is getting the love it deserves. Find out what the fuss is about on one of a series of tours inspired by the television series MasterChef . Browse the Central Market in the capital city, Santiago, where you can try conger eel chowder that inspired Pablo Neruda’s ode to caldillo de congrio ; sip Carménère wine in the cowboy country of the Colchagua Valley; and cook lunch with Chilean food ambassador Pilar Rodriguez. “Chilean Wine and Cuisine: Inspired by MasterChef,” Cox & Kings , 9 days, $4,995.

Medina Dining in Fes, Morocco

Your base is a traditional riad (courtyard residence) in the old quarter of Fes, Morocco’s cultural heart. From here, explore Roman ruins and the Berber town of Azrou when not cooking North African classics such as tagine , couscous, and zaalouk , a dip made with eggplants and tomatoes. “A Feast for the Senses in Morocco,” International Kitchen , 7 days, $2,550.

Toasting the Caucasus in Georgia

With its ancient winemaking culture and hearty cuisine anchored by khachapuri (cheese-stuffed bread) and khinkali (brothy meat dumplings), the republic of Georgia has been wooing visitors to the Caucasus Mountains. This itinerary explores four regions of the country, including the wine country of Kakheti, where ceramists make qvevri, the huge earthenware vessels used to ferment wines. “A Taste of Georgia: Wine, Cuisine & Culture,” MIR Corporation , 12 days, $4,795.

"White rose" shrimp dumplings are a Hoi An special.

The Ways of Wonton in Hong Kong

Traveler contributor Daisann McLane designs private food tours (three people max) that reveal the culinary nuances of such culturally vibrant Hong Kong neighborhoods as Wan Chai, Sheung Wan, and Sham Shui Po. Tastes run from egg custard tarts to pork and dim sum. Little Adventures in Hong Kong , 4 hours, $115.

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Where Great Flavors Converge in Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy

A series of treks from Zagreb, Croatia, to Venice, Italy, traverses one of the richest culinary corners of Europe. Highlights include the Istrian Peninsula, known for its olive oil and truffles, and the Collio wine country that straddles the hills of Slovenia and Italy, famous for its bottles of big reds. Also on the itinerary: day-trips to the Škocjan Caves, a World Heritage site, and Slovenia’s capital of cool, Ljubljana. “Istria to Venice: A Culinary Route,” Mountain Travel Sobek , 9 days, $4,595.

To Market to Market in Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An, a town on Vietnam’s central coast, is considered one of the country’s food hubs. Learn why on a guided walk through the Tan An markets, meeting vendors and tasting dau hu , a warm tofu custard served with ginger syrup, and sinh to trai cay , a shake made with fruit, condensed milk, and ice. “The Original Taste of Hoi An Food Tour,” Taste of Hoi An , 4 hours, $65.

Bikes and Bottles in Western Cape, South Africa

This cycling tour of the wine country outside Cape Town routes you to producers in Robertson Valley and the Stellenbosch region, such as Kanonkop, known for its Pinotage. Also on offer: a visit to the Klipdrift brandy distillery and a whale-watching excursion. “Cycling South Africa’s Winelands: The Cape’s Boutique Producers,” Immersion Journeys , 7 days, from $3,295.

Charleston-based Margaret Loftus is a frequent writer and contributing editor for National Geographic Travel. Follow her on twitter @pegloftus .

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20 of the best food tours around the world

Feast your eyes on these foodie walking tours, which reveal the flavours – and culture – of cities from Lisbon to Lima, Havana to Hanoi

Taste Porto ’s tours are rooted in fundamental beliefs about the gastronomic scene in Portugal’s second city. First, Portuenses like to keep things simple: so, no fusion experiments. Second, it’s as much about the people behind the food, as the food itself. “Food is an expression of culture,” says US-born Carly Petracco, who founded Taste Porto in 2013 with her Porto-born husband Miguel and his childhood buddy André. “We like to show who’s doing the cooking, who’s serving the food, who’s supplying the ingredients, and so on.”

She’s good to her word. Walking the city with one of the six guides feels less like venue-hopping and more like dropping in for a catch-up with a series of food-loving, old friends. Everywhere you go (whether it’s the Loja dos Pastéis de Chaves cafe with its flaky pastries or the Flor de Congregados sandwich bar with its sublime slow-roasted pork special) the experience is as convivial as it is culinary. And it’s not just food either. Taste Porto runs a Vintage Tour option that includes a final stop at boutique wine store, Touriga , where the owner David will willingly pair your palate to the perfect port. Tours from €59pp, tours last 3-3½ hours, tasteporto.com Oliver Balch

A single espresso first thing on an empty stomach is the secret to a long and healthy life. So says 93-year-old Carlos Pina, whose father founded coffee roastery Negrita in 1924 and who still works there. One of only two roasteries left in Lisbon, Negrita is in a former stables in the Graça neighbourhood and has survived because the family own the building: elsewhere across the city rising rents are forcing decades-old businesses to close.

Graça and neighbouring Mouraria are still home to families who shop in local stores, making the two neighbourhoods ideal for Culinary Backstreets : its food tours aim to give visitors an insight into the city’s history and culture. After breathing in the scent of coffee and roasted spices at Negrita, the tour takes in a traditional cerveceria for plates of clams, velvet crab and prego (steak sandwich). Then there’s a shot of cherry liqueur at a local corner store and a takeaway grilled chicken eaten in the no-nonsense bar of a neighbourhood association – another fast-disappearing feature of old Lisbon .

A contrast to these insights into old Lisbon is tiny A Taberna do Mar , which opened in 2018 opposite the church and convent of Graça. Here chef-owner Filipe Rodrigues combines his love of Japanese techniques, Portuguese produce and a passion for sustainability to create inventive dishes. Try samples of horse mackerel bone broth and smoked sashimi of yellow fin tuna. Even the pudding, based on traditional egg custard, has a hint of sardine. At €25 the 10-course tasting menu is a bargain and worth booking if you have another night in the city. €115, tour lasts around 6 hours, culinarybackstreets.com Isabel Choat

An influx of creative talent and relatively affordable startup costs have meant the German capital’s restaurant scene has boomed in recent years. Per Meurling, the Swedish founder of Berlin Food Stories , and Liv Fleischhacker, a food writer and founder of Nosh Berlin , the city’s only Jewish food festival, are here to help sift through the glut of dining options. Tours kick off at Markthalle Neun , a refurbished food hall in the Kreuzberg area, and encompass everything from a look at Berlin’s thriving Turkish diaspora – with a stop for döner kebabs and other signature staples, of course – to German classics, such as eisbein (pickled ham hock) and königsberger klopse (veal meatballs in cream sauce) at Max & Moritz . The guides take turns leading tours but each offers insights on how the city’s history has helped shape its gastronomic present. €90pp, tours 3½ hours, berlinfoodstories.com Diana Hubbell

More than mere culinary tours, Devour Barcelona ’s small-group sojourns dive into the history and culture of the city – and steer travellers towards lesser-known local haunts. On a morning stroll on the Tastes & Traditions of Barcelona tour, visitors skip the hordes at Mercat de la Boqueria in favour of a more civilised breakfast of charcuterie, cheeses and cava at Bar Joan at Mercado de Santa Caterina . After more stops in the El Born neighbourhood, the tour winds toward Barceloneta for vermouth and bombas (meat-and-potato croquettes) at Bodega La Peninsular and squid ink-stained paella at Can Ramonet . In the evening, the Tapas, Taverns & History tour delves into everything from the Spanish inquisition to the city war. The exact stops vary depending on the guide but may include a visit to Bodega La Palma for cider-braised pork cheeks or a glass of red straight from the barrel with flash-fried anchovies and cumin-scented butifarra sausage at La Plata , a barebones tapas joint that was a favourite of the late Anthony Bourdain. T ours from €79pp, tours last 2½ to 3 ½ hours, devourbarcelonafoodtours.com DH

The first thing visitors note about Copenhagen is the vast number of bicycles: 43% of all commutes are done by bike. So, it is not surprising that visitors want to explore the city by bike, too. If you master the art of pedalling you should give Foods of Copenhagen ’s culinary bike tour a spin as it involves exploring the less touristy areas of Nørrebro and Refshaleøen.

Cindie Christiansen founded the company three years ago and she takes guests to the hippest places in town. A tour might include modern, open-faced sandwiches at Selma , desserts at Winterspring , hotdogs from Kejser Sausage at the Bridge Street Kitchen and fermented potato fries at Tapperiet Brus . It also includes local drinks, such as Nordic ciders at Rødder & Vin . Christiansen chooses places carefully, mixing street food and fine dining. All the food on the tour is consumed sitting down and eating a full dish rather than tastings. This makes for a longer tour but also for in-depth knowledge and a more sociable experience. £144pp including bike rental (which is yours for the full day), foodsofcopenhagen.com Andrea Bak

Despite its history and culinary traditions, an outdated reputation keeps Naples off some travellers’ Italian itineraries. Yet, Culinary Backstreets ’ tour – one of the newest among the company’s global offerings – illustrates just how much there is to discover in this hypnotic city. The tour begins outside the old city walls in Porta Capuana with a mid-morning espresso, rum baba and sweet, ricotta-filled sfogliatelle . Next up is a third-generation baccaleria for samples of salt cod, a “healing” glass of sulphuric water from Vesuvius, and a bruschetta-like snack in the city’s last traditional friselle bakery. The 10 stops on the five-hour tour offer much more than quick bites and photo-ops. The guides have fostered relationships with the bakers, vendors, and cooks who make this food scene unique, and this allows rare peeks into bakers’ ovens and chats with artisans. A stroll among the buzzing stalls of a local market highlights a slice of Naples in an area many visitors are unlikely to see. The tour also hits the “must-sees” – perfect for those on a tight schedule who don’t want to miss tasting a Sorbillo pizza or a shot of limoncello. €107 pp, tour 5 hours, culinarybackstreets.com Will Vibert

The Duchess of Palma – Nicoletta Lanza Tomasi – has a crash course in Sicilian cuisine and it begins with a tour of Palermo’s Mercado del Capo. “I didn’t realise I knew so much about the city’s history until I started teaching my cooking class to fund the upkeep of the palace,” she says, working between her favourite spice merchant, fishmonger, shouty fruit and veg traders and stalls stacked with bags of pasta.

Part food tour, part cooking masterclass, Cooking with the Duchess delves deep into the way Palermitans have eaten for centuries, from the Arab traders that first set up Mercado del Capo 1,000 years ago to the Jewish, Normans and Greeks that made this city the street-food capital of Europe. It also ends at Nicoletta’s home, the cacti-lined 18th-century Palazzo Lanza Tomasi – a palace on the city’s seafront, where the Duke’s father, author Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, once sat to write the iconic novel, Il Gattopardo (The Leopard).

“I have always cooked traditional, Sicilian dishes to preserve the heritage of the island,” says Nicoletta. The four-course menu changes seasonally but street-food inspired chickpea panelle , swordfish rolls and almond and pistachio pesto ruvidelli are examples of the recipes you can get hands on with in the palace kitchen, between herb foraging on the jasmine-laced terrazza and glasses of Sicilian wine. Then on to a tour of the palace and lunch with the Duke and Duchess in the grand banqueting hall. €146, butera28.it Anastasia Miari

Untour ’s street eats breakfast tour starts with a tasting of three of Shanghai’s four most popular breakfast foods, collectively known as the “four heavenly kings”. There are crispy, oily, fried youtiao doughnuts, which are dipped into a freshly made sweetened soy milk that also helps wash down a dense cifantuan rice ball. This stodgy-and-satisfying Shanghainese dish combines white and red sticky rice, stuffed with salted duck egg and tart mustard pickles. These are enjoyed at Xiangcai Renjia, a Hunan-style restaurant that, in the morning, doubles as a breakfast joint, making use of the free seating to serve food made by the owners of the food stall next door.

Next, the tour moves to the Xiangyang Road area of the Former French Concession, where visitors can sample pancakes, steamed buns and dumplings, all served from tiny holes in the wall. The classic jianbing , or Chinese crepe, is a fitting substitute for the sesame pancake that is traditionally the fourth “heavenly” breakfast item. Jianbing, which is best enjoyed straight off the griddle folded around egg, fried wonton skin, pickles and spicy sauce, can be traced back 2,000 years to north-east China but is now popular across the country as an on-the-go breakfast.

Elsewhere, in a tiny sit-down place next door to the jianbing stall, there are rich and flavoursome pork-filled soup dumplings, served in a traditional bamboo steamer. Of course, breakfast in a city as cosmopolitan as Shanghai isn’t all about tradition: trendy coffee shops also serve western-style choices with Chinese characteristics. At Egg, a cafe on nearby Xiangyang North Road, taste the brownie topped with peanut and numbing Sichuan peppercorns for a tingly, sweet contrast to the morning’s savoury carb feast. £60pp, tour 3 hours , untourfoodtours.com Tess Humphrys

Despite its name, there is more to Little Adventures ’ Wonton-a-thon tour than just a sampling of Hong Kong’s iconic dumplings. Each itinerary is tailored to the tastes of the guests, and could include succulent roast goose or deftly carved duck; a dazzling array of dim sum in an old-school tea house; a jarring shot of snake wine; or learning the finer points of oolong appreciation with a celebrated tea master. Stops on recent tours include Lin Heung Kui and its array of morsels served from trolley-mounted steam tables and sizzling grills, or For Kee, a quintessential cha chaan teng , the Hong Kong equivalent of a greasy spoon diner, known for its pork chops. The tour is narrated by a member of the Little Adventures team, which includes founder and journalist Daisann McLane, a local chef, and some noted food writers. The guides are Cantonese-speaking culinary experts who beyond their infectious enthusiasm for the foods of the Fragrant Harbour – Hong Kong in Cantonese – share their encyclopaedic knowledge of the city they live in and love. £125pp for half-day tour for a group of three. littleadventuresinhongkong.com Vincent Vichit-Vadakan

Skip the gloopy stir-fried noodles on the tourist-trap of Khao San Road and explore the intricacies of Thai cuisine with Chili Paste Tour’s Chin Chongtong, a charismatic guide who has called Bangkok home for more than 15 years. Her Chili Paste day tours through Banglamphu, an especially atmospheric neighbourhood in Bangkok, include a street-food breakfast in an alleyway lined with historic shophouses, a stop for young coconut ice-cream from a vendor that has been making it for more than seven decades, lunch with a chef who pounds all of her curry pastes by hand, and a foray into Pak Khlong Talad, Bangkok’s flower market. Meanwhile, the Thonburi Food & Art Walk ventures further off the beaten track to the side of the Chao Phraya River where few travellers go. Sample traditional Thai sweets at a shop that has been making them for 80 years and delicacies such as fried snakehead fish at Wang Lang Market. £57pp, tours up to 6 hours, foodtoursbangkok.com DH

No Footprints Mumbai ’s Khau Gully (street food walk) offers a condensed taste of the city’s street food, starting with the ubiquitous vada pao at the Aram vada pao stall at the grand CST railway station – serving spiced, mashed potato fritter, deep-fried, then pressed into pao (white bread) painted with chutney. A short saunter across is Mumbai’s oldest surviving eatery, Pancham Puriwala, a magnet for migrant labourers drawn to its fluffy puris and gravied potatoes.

In cacophonous Crawford Market, a five-minute walk away, is Badshah, serving its falooda (a colourful jumble of ice-cream, vermicelli noodles, jelly, rose syrup, nuts and basil seeds), the perfect cold drink for sun-charred Mumbai. Nearby is Kyani &Co, Mumbai’s oldest Irani cafe, specialising in all manner of meaty Parsi comestibles from masala-flecked mince to chicken patties to mutton cheese omelettes. Then onwards to Parsi Dairy Farm on Princess Street, purveyors of creamy kulfi (a sort of ice-cream made by simmering creamy milk for hours) and ghee-drenched sweetmeats.

On Chowpatty beach, honeycombed with food shacks, taste pao bhaji : mashed vegetables in a bath of butter, and bhel (potatoes, onions, puri, puffed rice, with a wash of sweet-sour and spicy chutneys), and a dusting of sev (hair-thin strands of fried chickpea flour) on top. Those more stern of stomach can visit the nearby restaurant Soam for the same dishes in more salubrious, air-conditioned environs. Then to the Babulnath dosa vendor for cheese-slicked dosa and spring “Chinese” dosa, the latter stuffed with capsicum, carrots, and skewered with soy and spicy schezwan sauce. The tour ends across the road at Dave Farsan Mart, home to superb vegetarian Gujarati snacks. Around £30pp , transport extra, t ours last 4 ½ -5 hours, nfpexplore.com Meher Mirza

Sangenjaya – known locally as Sancha – developed three centuries ago in Japan’s Edo period, and is named after the three teahouses that provided refreshment to pilgrims heading to the Grand Shrines of Ise. Today, little of that history remains but it has become known for its maze of narrow alleys, home to squat postwar buildings and the tiny restaurants, bars and cafes they contain.

The night-time tour by Tokyo Memories through the neighbourhood is led by Simon Berry, an Englishman who’s lived in Sangenjaya for the last decade. Berry guide guests through a couple of favourites: Takomasu, a street-side takoyaki (fried octopus ball) stall that sells takoyaki “sandwiches”; Ogata, where guests make monjayaki , a cabbage-filled pancake.

Then it’s into the alleys, to Omasu, a kushikatsu restaurant owned by baseball fanatic Yoshi-san (kushikatsu is deep fried skewers of meat and vegetables). It’s easy to get lost in these alleys but Berry navigates them confidently to Kiura, a sake bar behind a sliding door disguised as a shop’s back wall. After the oil-heavy kushikatsu, it’s a welcome change and a strong finish to the tour. The sake is refreshingly light and the food menu stretches from sashimi to a plate of lightly boiled, garlic-covered edamame. £100pp, tour 4 hours, tokyo-memories.com Oscar Boyd

Vientiane, Laos

When the French settled into Vientiane amid the heat on the middle Mekong in 1893, they puffed on opium, before a smoking ban reignited colonial passion and planning. They resurrected the City of Sandalwood, razed by marauding Siamese in 1827, with French shuttered buildings, uprighted the broken Buddha effigies, and ventured south to plant coffee. Today, the Lao capital is perfumed with roasting coffee from the dozens of cafes in low-slung buildings drawing down to the river.

Tuk Tuk Safari guide Ere will take you by tuk tuk from the main streets to a stall where aproned ladies pour water through single-origin Lao coffee in cloth filters – producing an intensely earthy caffeine punch. Breakfast may be aromatic khao lam (sticky rice, coconut milk, and taro stuffed in bamboo), lifted off the coals by a family grilling 90 tubes in their front yard each morning. Then comes a lunch of kao piak sen (tapioca noodle soup with chicken, flavoured with kaffir lime leaves, galangal, garlic, lemongrass and padek; Lao fermented fish sauce), and then a trip to a tiny DIY green papaya salad roadside cafe where you’ll grind the chillis that give Lao’s fiery tham mak hoong its reputation. £60pp for full-day tour, tuktuksafari.com Claire Boobbyer

Once you love Vietnam, you’ll love its food forever, too. Aussie expat Mark Lowerson has loved it for 17 years and, along with partner Vang Cong Tu, navigates plastic-stool eating around town as Hanoi Street Food Tours . Mark explains colour and texture in Vietnamese food, talks of Chinese, French, and American influence on the country’s cuisine, and walks foodies through a wet market glistening with fish, and decodes the food offerings at temples while ambling through holy grounds. After bánh đa cá (soup made with tea-coloured noodles from Haiphong), and bánh cuốn (minced pork and wood-ear mushrooms in rice crepes, sprinkled with fried shallots) dipped in a sauce that balances salt, sweet, spice and sour flavours using ingredients such as chilli and kalamansi, the balance tips towards sweet. Take coffee in a tiny cafe where the floor is littered with pumpkin seed shells, and tuck into heavenly soft and chewy black fermented sticky rice with frozen yoghurt ( sữa chua nếp cẩm ). £75pp, tour 3 hours, streetfoodtourshanoi.blogspot.com CB

NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA, CUBA

Centuries of immigration have given the Big Apple one of the most diverse culinary scenes on the planet. Whether you’re craving Tibetan momos or Ecuadorian arepas , you’ll be able to find it in one of the city’s ethnic enclaves – provided you know where to look. Several times a month, Nosh Walks ’ Myra Alperson encourages travellers to ditch the hotdogs at Times Square and follow her instead on one of 35 neighbourhood walks in search of Sri Lankan curries in Staten Island or Georgian baked goods in Bay Ridge, or richly spiced Trinidadian dishes in the Bronx. Of particular note are her tours of Greenpoint, a historically Polish neighbourhood on the northern Brooklyn waterfront, in which participants swing by Acme Smoked Fish Factory, which is only open to the public one day a week, and Pyza, a traditional restaurant serving cheese blintzes worthy of a Polish grandmother. $54pp, tours from 3 hours, noshwalks.com DH

Mexico City

This city of eternal spring almost never sees a day without sun, so what better way to take a taco tour than by bicycle. El Taco Club leads small groups (up to 10) through the parks, art-deco buildings and colourful markets of the city’s chic Roma, Condesa and Polanco neighbourhoods to find delicious tacos at hole-in- the-wall taquerias and street stands.

The tour, which varies according to season and day of the week, might include a restaurant where patrons are serenaded by strolling musicians, offering a speciality of central Mexico, barbacoa , which is tender mutton wrapped in agave leaves and roasted in its own juices in an outdoor pit. Or a market stall serving cochinita pibil: slow-cooked suckling pig from the Yucatan marinated in a crimson chilli and achiote paste. A small street stand prepares brisket, tender enough to make any grandmother proud. And simple tacos done with tortillas made of fast disappearing heirloom varieties of corn and organic, locally grown avocados can be sampled at star chef Enrique Olvera’s Molino el Pujol . A visit to a traditional cantina is included to top the journey with a beer or mezcal. £48pp, includes folding bikes, helmets, food and beverages, tour 3 hours , eltaco.club Nicholas Gilman

Taste for sugar in Cuba – a nation once rich from selling the sweet stuff – is embedded in the locals’ DNA. From ice-cream to milkshakes, churros and coconut delicacies to coffee sunk with teaspoons of crystals, and cakes fashioned in neon meringue, embrace the island’s candy choices. Irish-born Cubaphile Tanja Buwalda moved to Havana 10 years ago after running a restaurant in Cork. Starting a food blog to recount her travels and Cuban food experiences, she now runs food tours explaining how and where food comes from in Cuba, dual-currency hacks, how private front-room restaurants (paladares) source ingredients, and Cuba’s organic food revolution.

With Tanja, you’ll learn as much about Cuba’s contemporary food issues as you will about what the locals snack on. Try coffee from Habaneros’ windows – an espresso will cost 3p and will probably be dredged in sugar for Cuban tastes – slurp intense guarapo (sugarcane juice), and hunt for the best cookies, and creamy mamey milkshakes, across the city. While cruising around, admire the wedding-cake architecture built during the 20th-century sugar boom and sate savoury cravings as Tanja introduces you to her favourite hamburger joint. £103 for 2-8 people, excluding transport and snacks, contact Tanja.Buwalda at gmail.com CB

SOUTH AMERICA

If you are looking for a way to make an already exciting food scene even more edgy try the Ruta del Callao gastro tour. Callao is Lima’s port, and has its own flavour (musically it prefers salsa to cumbía) and though it has some of the city’s most crime-ridden neighbourhoods – it also has some of its most lip-smacking seafood. Callao is one of the best spots on Peru’s 2,414km coastline to eat ceviche, and Freddy Alarcón’s Combi Roja (red van) is one of the places to try Peru’s flagship dish. Freddy has been cooking on wheels for more than 30 years. With ready smile he can prepare a hake ceviche at lightning speed and diners can sit and eat in the specially adapted van on fake leather seats.

Next stop is El Colorao de Chucuito, run by Andrés Angeles, a former merchant marine who has created 20 of his own dishes. His specialities are muchame de atún , layers of dried tuna fish served with avocado and olive oil, and swordfish in sea snail sauce. In Callao all roads lead to La Punta, a peninsula that juts out into the Pacific, lined with pastel-hued art-deco homes. At its end is Don Giuseppe’s eponymous eatery, owned by an older Genoa-born seaman who met his love on the Peruvian coast and decided to stay. His restaurant is famous for its pan con pejerrey, a crispy fried fish sandwich. Returning from the furthest point of the tour stop off at Kala Tanta, a bakery run by social entrepreneurs Andrés Ugaz and Gaby Wuest who created the tour. Learn to make bread and see how promoting Callao’s gastronomy is tackling crime and youth unemployment. To take the tour contact gabyseptember at yahoo.com or call +51 943209365, the tour takes 4 hours and departs from 10 hotels across Lima Dan Collyns

“This is where Bogotá’s top chefs come shopping,” says Foodies Colombia guide and chef Juliana Salazar, browsing Paloquemao market’s stalls for fruity tropical bounties such as guanábana (soursop), feijoa, pitahaya (dragonfruit) and lulo piled up in perfect pyramids. Colombians have started appreciating the natural bounty of the world’s second-most biodiverse country and flock to the city’s best-stocked mercado.

Street-food kiosks serving local dishes have also grown in popularity and, besides trying a rainbow assortment of sweet natural treats at the Fruti Fruti stand, Juliana gives the lowdown on dishes made by Paloquemao’s finest purveyors. Doña Aurora’s chicken and “meat” tamal tolimense (from Tolima) is described as great hangover fodder, while warm cheesy pandebono rolls and avena (a chilled oatmeal and vanilla drink) are breakfast staples at Pandebonitos de la virgen. Paloquemao’s street-food queen, however, is Doña Rosalba; on Sundays, she sells 2,000 portions of lechona , slow-cooked pork with dried peas and rice that are mixed back into the hog and served with crackling and a white corn arepa. Leave room to sample one last dish – traditional chicken and three-potato Colombian soup ajiaco – finishing the four-hour eating tour totally sated. From £47pp, private groups from two to 16 people , foodies.com.co Sorrel Moseley-Williams

Buenos Aires

“Asado means uniting: I’d never eat barbecue on my own because it celebrates family and friends,” says Parrilla Tour guide Antonella Saragó at the first of four restaurant stops. Besides pushing waistline boundaries with abundant servings of meat, this three-hour walking tour also opens the doors to unexpected Buenos Aires corners, revealing low-profile but authentic bodegones (taverns) and steakhouses in Palermo and San Telmo.

The first mouthful is legendary Argentine hot sausage sandwich choripán , taken at 120-year-old La Cañita, a former store dating back to when sugar cane grew in this neighbourhood. Unusually, La Cañita’s chori is made from beef rather than pork and homemade chimichurri sauce is the standard topping. Next is pizzeria La Guitarrita (though it also serves empanadas). Here, hand-cut whole-knuckle beef pasties win out over pies, paired with fragrant Torrontés white wine.

The real parrilla deal is revealed at stop three. The sign on this secret spot’s door says “ cerrado” (closed) but Antonella knows better. Here, asador Albertito Odetti tends to slabs of Argentina’s prized beef, grill hood decorated with swirly fileteado letters. It’s a legit hole in the wall, with star dishes scrawled on A4 and stuck to windows; there’s puffy provoleta (cheese), hand-cut chips, malbec and a token salad, which are worthy companions to 800g of medium-rare bife de chorizo and entraña (to share). It all concludes with dulce de leche ice-cream at Persicco . From £66 , 3-hour tour, parrillatour.com SMW

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Food Tours & Vacations

• Ways to travel

Uncover a world of authentic, mouth-watering food.

Food not only brings people together, it anchors you in the present moment. That’s why years after a trip, you can still remember the taste of fresh, juicy olives in Greece , or the fragrant smell of pho simmering on the stove in Vietnam . By pairing the classic grassroots Intrepid travel style with a focus on food, you’ll get under the skin of the world's most exciting food cultures. It might be spoiling your tastebuds with flavor-filled curries in  Sri Lanka , mastering the art of making soba noodles in  Japan  or sharing a meal with Buddhist monks in  South Korea .

Created with the culinarily curious in mind, these are real, local experiences with a foodie twist: one part culture, one part adventure and three parts delicious. From bite-sized trips to gastronomic odysseys, we’ll get you munching, crunching, sipping and slurping just like the locals. Hungry? Join us!

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Our Real Food Adventures

South korea real food adventure, 8 days from 2869.

Slurp, crunch and spoon your way into the heart of South Korean cuisine, snacking at...

Morocco Real Food Adventure

12 days from 1377.

Lift the lid on local cuisine on a 12-day food adventure through Morocco, taking in...

Mexico Real Food Adventure

9 days from 1913.

Take a 9-day culinary journey through Mexico, tasting the flavours of Oaxaca, Puebla,...

Vietnam Real Food Adventure

12 days from 1868.

Travel the breadth of Vietnam, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, experiencing Halong Bay,...

Sri Lanka Real Food Adventure

12 days from 2160.

Take a food-filled journey through Sri Lanka, spending 12 days cooking and eating in...

Tailor-Made trips

Take four or more on an exclusive trip and tailor your itinerary

Italy Real Food Adventure

8 days from 3045.

From Venice to Rome, you’ll indulge in the best things to eat in Italy, with stops in...

Japan Real Food Adventure

11 days from 4412.

Take a foodie’s adventure to Japan, starting in Tokyo and hitting the streets of...

Greece Real Food Adventure

9 days from 2712.

Meet passionate cooks and producers on a food adventure in Greece, via amazing ancient...

China Real Food Adventure

11 days from 2990.

Visit energetic China, where culture, history and cuisine come together to create a...

Cambodia Real Food Adventure

8 days from 1096.

Munch your way through Cambodia on this mouth-watering food adventure from Phnom Penh...

Jordan Real Food Adventure

6 days from 1396.

Discover diverse heritage and delicious dishes on a 6-day food-focused journey through...

India Real Food Adventure

15 days from 2261.

Relish the sights and flavours of Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai and Goa on this...

Thailand Real Food Adventure

8 days from 1488.

Take an 8-day Intrepid tour to Thailand, full of adventure, fun and flavour. Explore...

Georgia Real Food Adventure

8 days from 1879.

Taste your way across Georgia on an unforgettable food adventure from Tbilisi to Telavi...

Turkey Real Food Adventure

11 days from 2132.

Eat your way through tantalising Turkey on a Real Food Adventure. Visit markets in...

Portugal Real Food Adventure, featuring Galicia

8 days from 3179.

Feast on Portugal and Galicia on this food-focussed journey through Santiago de...

Northern Spain Real Food Adventure

10 days from 3852.

Taste your way from Barcelona to Santiago de Compostela, through Logrono, San Sebastian...

Spain & Portugal Real Food Adventure

17 days from 6494.

Discover the delicacies of Northern Spain and Portugal on this food-forward adventure,...

Split to Skopje Real Food Adventure

14 days from 4280.

Sample the cuisines of Croatia and the Balkans on an adventure from Split to Skopje,...

Ljubljana to Split Real Food Adventure

8 days from 2712.

Journey through Slovenia and Croatia, including Split, Bled, Zadar and Motovun, tasting...

Croatia Real Food Adventure

6 days from 2091.

Taste your way through the olive oil, seafood, meats, fruits and wines of Croatia on...

Slovenia & Croatia Real Food Adventure

13 days from 4658.

Journey through Slovenia and Croatia, visiting Split, Bled, Dubrovnik and the islands...

The Balkans Real Food Adventure

9 days from 2403.

Taste your way through the Balkans on a culinary adventure, stopping in Croatia,...

Slovenia to Macedonia Real Food Adventure

21 days from 7140.

Explore Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Macedonia on this Intrepid food tour, enjoying...

Vietnam & Cambodia Real Food Adventure

19 days from 3336.

Taste the true flavours of Vietnam and Cambodia, feasting on local food and catching...

Jordan, Israel & the Palestinian Territories Real Food Adventure

14 days from 6105.

Discover the authentic flavours of Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories on...

Israel & the Palestinian Territories Real Food Adventure

9 days from 4025.

Discover the diverse dishes of Israel and the Palestinian Territories, tasting sabich...

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Why choose intrepid.

Real, authentic experiences

We love the highlights, but for us the real magic is found off the tourist trails. Our trips combine iconic sites with hidden gems that you’ll only discover with Intrepid. We’re talking mornings exploring the Taj Mahal, followed by a Mughlai cooking class with a passionate home cook.

Local expertise

Whether you’re perusing markets, hunting down the best street food bites or learning how to cook centuries-old family recipes at a homestay, there’s no better way to get the inside scoop on a destination – and its culinary traditions – than with an expert local leader by your side.

Small groups

Big coaches and flag-toting tour guides don’t cut it for us. With a maximum group size of 12, our groups blend in with the locals and have plenty of opportunities to interact with chefs, street food vendors and group leaders. It also means you can really connect with your fellow foodies.

Must-try dishes around the world

Peru – ceviche

Ceviche is the unofficial national dish of Peru. It's made by marinating cubes of raw fish and seafood in lime juice, onions, salt and aji amarillo chilli peppers, and is served cold with sweet potato chunks, plantain chips and corn on the cob.

Spain – paella

This saffron-flavored rice dish originated in Valencia hundreds of years ago when hungry servants would combine rice with leftovers from Moorish kings' lavish banquets. The dish varies across the regions, but the mixed version with chorizo, mussels and prawns is the most popular internationally.

India – thali

Struggling to choose just one curry? Fear not. A thali comprises several eye-popping dishes served on a large plate. The dishes typically include grains, lentils, vegetables or meat curries, chutney, raita, pickles and pappadum – creating the perfect balance of sweet, salty, bitter, sour, astringent and spicy flavors.

Balkans – cured meats and cheeses

When traveling through the Balkans, treat your tastebuds to delicious charcuterie boards loaded with traditionally preserved meats, cheeses, vegetables and bread. Some of the most popular Balkan meats to try include cevapi (homemade grilled sausage), njeguši (dry-cured ham) and pljeskavica (Balkan burger).

Israel & Palestinian Territories – falafel

Considered to be Israel’s national dish, these balls of deliciousness (made with ground chickpeas, herbs and spices) are a must-try plant-based dish. They’re usually served on a platter or in a warm pita pocket filled with pickled vegetables, crunchy cabbage salad and generous lashings of creamy tahini sauce.

Thailand – khao soi

There’s a whole world of Thai noodle dishes to discover beyond the obvious (and delicious!) pad thai. Khao soi is a chicken and coconut noodle soup from northern Thailand. It’s packed with vibrant aromatics and is served with crispy fried noodles, shallots and fresh lime wedges on top.

Food tour highlights

Asia’s answer to Seoul food

Hit South Korea to wash down crunchy Korean Fried Chicken (aka KFC) with a glass of soju, share a traditional plant-based meal with Buddhist monks at your monastery stay, and get the inside sip on Busan’s bustling craft beer scene at a brewery.

Find out more

Pilgrimage through the Portuguese plate

Head to Iberia to cook up a Galician feast using Vigo’s finest seafood, sip world-class wines in the spectacular Douro Valley wine region, sip Ginjinha while snacking on petiscos, and discover Portugal’s best-kept foodie secret – the Alentejo countryside.

Temples to tempura, shrines to sashimi

Journey to Japan to discover the country's most delicious foodie hotspots. Feel like a real Iron Chef during an ‘Art of Sushi’ masterclass, experience the seasonal flavors of obanzai ryori at a cooking class, and enjoy the simple and delicious flavors of monastic cuisine in Koya-san.

Master Morocco’s medina flavors

Make your way to Morocco and enjoy a home-cooked dinner with a family in Chefchaouen, share a Berber meal at a desert camp in the Sahara, watch ras el hanout being freshly ground in a Marrakech spice souk, and eat mechoui (slow-roasted lamb) cooked in an earth oven.

Enjoy mouthwatering Mexican food

Get a true taste of Mexico in some of the country’s most famous culinary regions. Enjoy a tasty taco feast in Mexico City, visit a traditional mezcaleria to learn about this famous Oaxacan tipple, feast on fresh seafood at a cooking class in Huatulco and maybe sample the surprisingly delicious delicacy of chapulines (grasshoppers).

Savor vibrant Vietnamese flavors

Chop, slice and slurp your way through Vietnam on a culinary quest from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Cook up regional dishes like cao lau noodles in Hoi An, tour Hue on a motorbike followed by a plant-based lunch at a pagoda, and feast on southern Vietnamese specialties at a Mekong Delta homestay.

Introducing vegan food tours

Tour reviews

Food tour faqs, what food can i expect.

Expect to eat the local way. We don't call these trips ‘food adventures’ for nothing. Forget Michelin stars and 20-course degustations – our local leaders will help you get behind the scenes of local food culture, track down the freshest street food, discover the most authentic local restaurants and reveal the traditions and techniques that make these destinations so deliciously mouth-watering. From lining up with locals for fresh tortillas in a Mexican market to hopping between Logrono’s thriving tapas bars, they’ll show you local food from the perspective of those who eat it every day.

How does a Food Adventure differ to a regular Intrepid trip?

All of our food trips have been designed with one thing in mind – experiencing the best local food on the planet. But we all know that there’s much more to food than just eating it – so whether it’s browsing markets for fresh produce, sizzling up a storm in a cooking class or meeting a local street-food legend, we’ve stuffed your plate to the brim. And once you’ve devoured all the local food you can handle, we’ve made sure our Food Adventures are rolled up into a burrito with the lot so you won’t miss out on the iconic sights and authentic cultural experiences that are found on all our Intrepid trips.

Is there any freedom & flexibility in the itineraries?

Like all Intrepid itineraries, we’ve made sure our food trips provide free time between activities, allowing you to digest a destination either with your group or on your own. You might spend the morning exploring a buzzing local market with your guide and cooking a delicious local dish with your group before heading off on your own to wander the marbled halls of a museum or cycling through ancient alleys.

We’ve also left plenty of mealtimes free of organized activities, which gives you the flexibility to ‘get your gourmet on’ at a fine dining restaurant or simply seek out your own ‘real food’ adventure. Needless to say, your leader will be there every step of the way with suggestions and recommendations.

What transport is used?

Sometimes, the best way to eat like a local is to travel like one too. That could mean jumping on a boat to discover the flavors of the Mekong Delta, riding the Tokyo subway to a sake bar or rattling along in a rickshaw in pursuit of Agra’s finest chaats. We love to use local transport because it gives us a chance to experience everyday local life from a new perspective.

What is the accommodation like?

Whether you’re spending the night in an ancient fortress or in the home of a local family, most of our trips include a memorable overnight stay that is designed to make your trip extra memorable. When we do choose to use hotels, all of our accommodation options are in our Original style, which means a mix of 2-3 star establishments that are safe, clean and comfortable.

How do Intrepid's Food Adventures benefit local communities?

We help support local economies by purchasing snacks and meals from street-side vendors, dining in local restaurants, eating seasonal produce from the destination, and using local guides throughout our itineraries. Many of our trips incorporate visits to community projects, and we choose locally-owned accommodation wherever possible. We are committed to a style of travel that is culturally, environmentally and socially responsible.

Why does every Food Adventure include a plant-based meal?

Plant-based foods generally have a much lower carbon footprint than animal-based foods, and incorporating more plant-based eating into our diet is a major opportunity to mitigate and adapt to climate change. As Intrepid continues to innovate in ways that promote and support sustainability, including a delicious meal that showcases local fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds is just one way that we are investing in the health of our planet.

What about vegan travelers?

We do our best to accommodate dietary requirements (including vegan diets) on all of our trips, and all our Real Food Adventures will include at least one plant-based meal. If you want a more tailored experience, that's where our Tailor-Made team can step in. We can use our 30 years of experience and regional specialists to help you create your perfect vegan food adventure.

Read more about food and travel

The Best Food Tours around the World

Food is the lens through which many travelers understand the world. walking the streets of a new (or favorite) city with an expert local guide who can offer insight, access, and delicious bites along the way is an incredible opportunity. these are some of our favorites..

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Our Top Food Tours From Around the World

Discover the world through its spectacular food with our handpicked culinary tours!

A steaming bowl of pho on a foggy morning in  Vietnam . A taste of the good life in the rolling hills of Tuscany in  Italy . Or an exploration of  Mexico ‘s vibrant culinary heritage. There are few better ways to dive straight into the heart of a new country than experience its diverse cuisine. Our personalized  food tours  allow you to do just that, while helping you gain deep insights into the region’s culture and history.

Allow our travel experts to take you on a tantalizing journey you’ll never forget. Here’s a round-up of some of our favorite food tours, curated to delight your senses.

Uncover the secrets of Malaysian cuisine in Kuala Lumpur

Creamy coconut, fresh shrimp, smooth pandan leaf, piquant chili, and aromatic lemongrass –  Malaysian cuisine  is an explosion of flavors. For a gastronomical experience like no other, make your way to  Kuala Lumpur .

Malaysia ‘s diverse capital is particularly well-known for its phenomenal variety of food – from fine dining restaurants to bustling street stalls. Discover the city’s best eateries as part of our curated food tour. You’ll begin in Bukit Bintang, one of Kuala Lumpur’s top shopping destinations and enjoy a range of fantastic dishes at Lot 10 Hutong Food Court, a heritage food destination. It’s the ideal place to feast on soft bao buns stuffed with crispy chicken or flaky pastry pockets filled with curried chicken. 

If you’d like to sample local Malaysian delicacies, a visit to Jalan Alor may be worthwhile. This market comes alive after sunset, and is particularly satisfying if you are an adventurous foodie who enjoys exploring street food. Walk past dozens of stalls laden with tempting goodies, from crispy dosa (pancakes made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils) with a side of coconut chutney to delicious tofu noodles infused with chili oil and fish paste. Jalan Alor also hosts several Mamaks (eateries run by Indians, predominantly) where you can relish signature dishes such as roti canai and nasi lemak that fuse Indian and Malay influences. Round off your meal with a cup of teh tarik: a hot beverage made from black tea and condensed milk.

Experience La Dolce Vita in Florence

Italy  never ceases to amaze with its range of culinary offerings, and if you are dreaming of soaking up the region’s flavors, a trip to  Florence  comes highly recommended.

Join us on a  culinary tour of Italy  starting with the charming capital of Tuscany. A bucket-list destination for art lovers and culture seekers, Florence draws you in with its exquisite flavors and fresh produce. As well as setting off on guided tours of Florence’s ancient cobbled streets or taking leisurely trips to picture-perfect trattorias in quaint neighborhoods such as Oltrarno, you could sign up for a private Tuscan cooking class.

Before you head into the kitchen, you’ll delve into the city center’s best bodegas (traditional grocery stores) to sample and source your ingredients. A seasoned Italian chef will then show you how to whip up a sumptuous three-course feast from scratch. You’ll learn to make a big batch of fresh potato gnocchi and create sensational pasta sauces using just a handful of simple ingredients. 

Have a sweet tooth? Wrap up your meal with a homemade dessert such as Tuscan biscotti (almond-flavored biscuits) dipped in sweet Vinsanto wine. You’ll even receive a personalized recipe booklet featuring all the dishes you made during your cookery class, so you can enjoy a taste of la dolce vita once you return home.

Sample the earthy flavors of Vietnamese cuisine

Vietnam ’s cuisine has a multitude of cultural influences, from China and Laos to France. Our  culinary tour of Vietnam  opens you up to the rich and layered food history of the country, with opportunities to savor delectable dishes in towns such as  Hue .

The historic city sits along the Perfume River and as part of our guided food tour, you will get to sample a spectacular array of dishes, right from spicy pho variations to sweet potato-filled summer rolls. Kick off the tour at one of the city’s chic bars, before enjoying a short tutorial in making Banh Nam — the so-called ‘Vietnamese tamale’ — at a local restaurant. These savory rice flour cakes were once a favorite snack of Hue’s Imperial Emperors and they’re typically stuffed with an assortment of seafood, pork, and spices.

You will then explore the UNESCO-listed Citadel on vintage Vespas, making pit stops at some of Hue’s much-loved eateries. BBQ skewers marinated in lemongrass, crispy bean sprout pancakes, and seafood caught in the nearby East Vietnam Sea will all be on the menu!

Explore Mumbai’s diverse foodscape

Mumbai  is a melting pot of cultures. This vibrant city in  West India  is the commercial and financial heart of the country, welcoming people from all backgrounds within its fold. On our curated food tour of Mumbai, you can see how this confluence of cultures plays a big role in shaping the city’s culinary landscape.

Our trip coordinators will pair you up with a local culinary expert who’ll not only take you to some divine dining spots but also give you a fascinating history lesson about the city’s eclectic cuisine. Experience the best of the city’s diverse offerings – from swanky fine-dining restaurants to traditional eateries that have stood the test of time. From centuries-old Irani cafes run by the Parsi community to unassuming stalls whipping up chaat (an assortment of savory snacks) and other delectable treats.

Learn to cook Mexican food in Oaxaca

Mexico  is famed for its rich mole sauces, meat-filled tamales, quesadillas dripping with melted cheese, and mezcal cocktails, making it a great destination for food lovers.

Historic  Oaxaca  is a must-see on any Mexican food tour thanks to its mix of bohemian cocktail bars, bustling local markets, sizzling BBQ stands, and welcoming family-run restaurants serving up Zapotec dishes. If you’d like to learn more about the intricacies of Mexican food, you could sign up for a cooking class. Not only is it a fun way to get creative in the kitchen, but also a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the region’s rich and vibrant culinary history.

Once you’ve handpicked ingredients for your cooking masterclass from the local produce market, you’ll be taught important Mexican cooking techniques such as how to chargrill chili peppers and create soft homemade tortillas from scratch. By the end of the day, you’ll have cooked a wonderful selection of Mexican dishes, from a salsa starter to a traditional dessert like sugar-dusted churros. Expect to dine on your home-cooked fare alfresco and wash it all down with a glass of smoky local mezcal or a refreshing cup of agua fresca (blended fruit juice).

Go on a walking food tour of Rio de Janeiro

If  Brazil  is on your travel agenda, a culinary walking tour down  Rio De Janeiro ’s vibrant streets is sure to leave you spellbound.

You’ll begin your adventure in the north of the city where there are fewer crowds and plenty of traditional dining spots. Savor a few locally-brewed artisan beers or sip on the country’s most famous cocktail — the lime-infused caipirinha. Your local guide will then take you to some of Rio’s most inspiring eateries. Tuck into popular Brazilian dishes such as feijoada (a hearty mix of beans, rice, meat and green chili peppers), feast on melt-in-your-mouth grilled meats at a rustic churrascaria (BBQ restaurant), or indulge in innovative fusion food at one of Rio’s most up-and-coming gourmet dining venues, like Chef Alberto Landgraf’s Oteque.

No tour of Rio de Janeiro is complete without exploring its electric nightlife. Make a beeline for lively Lapa in the historic downtown district to uncover a collection of cosmopolitan concept bars and vibrant samba clubs where you can dance the evening away.

Want to sink your teeth into one of our culinary tours? Speak to our travel experts today about adding a fantastic food experience to your next itinerary.

GO ON A CULINARY JOURNEY

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Food and drink tours

Food and drink is a big part of what travel is all about. We love searching for authentic fare by eating at food stalls, enjoying home cooking and trying out regional specialities. Sit with locals and enjoy traditional food in places where the atmosphere is part of the experience.

Places to go for Food and Drink

Central america, middle east, south america, food & drink tours, about our food & drink tours.

Food and drink is an important part of most of our small group trips, from cycling in Andalucia to exploring the kingdom of Bhutan. But we also arrange a number of dedicated food and drink tours, including combined  Walking and Wine Tasting , as well as  Cycling and Wine Tasting . On these adventures we explore all aspects of gastronomy: our expert local tour leaders and specialist guides will explain the traditions, origins and influences of the cuisine and show you how the food is grown, harvested and brought to market. They’ll also take you to off the beaten track places that only the locals know about, where you can enjoy sampling classic and less well-known specialities. From time to time we also roll up our sleeves and try our hand at cooking up a local treat.

See how spices are grown in India , jostle with locals at a market in Vietnam , sample the freshest, most aromatic street food in Thailand, search out the most authentic home cooking in Turkey , try the exquisite tapas of northern Spain or cook up a fiery feast in Mexico . 

Popular Trips

A taste of peru - lima to machu picchu.

A Taste of Jordan - Petra and Wadi Rum

A Taste of Vietnam - Halong Bay to the Mekong Delta

A Taste of Morocco - Imperial Cities and Deserts

A Taste of Georgia - Tbilisi to the Caucasus Mountains

Best destinations to sample local cuisine

Whether you’re indulging in freshly caught fish prepared in a zesty ceviche dish, or trying one of the 4,000 varieties of potato, Peru is a goldmine of hearty and nourishing cuisine. In the capital city of Lima you’ll find no shortage of seafood dining thanks to the fresh catches hauled in at the fish market. With raw fish being the number one ingredient in ceviche, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to give it a try on a Peruvian food adventure . Meanwhile, in the Andean Sacred Valley region, observe the traditional Pachamanca method of cooking. Using a makeshift underground oven, meat and potatoes are covered in stones, hay and earth to cook everything to perfection.  

As one of the most evolved foodie nations on earth, Japan is an ideal choice for a food adventure. In the ultra-modern city of Tokyo you’ll find a wide range of bustling food markets, serving everything from fresh seafood snacks such as takoyaki (diced octopus fried in dough), to super sweet desserts like red bean cake. In the mountainous city of Takayama you’ll find hida-gyu beef from black-haired Japanese cattle raised in the Gifu Prefecture. For everything green tea and matcha, visit Uji, Kyoto, known as the green tea growing capital.  

From the lively souks of Marrakech, teeming with aromatic and vibrant spices, to the foothills of Erg Chebbi where you’ll find traditional Madfouna (flatbread stuffed with nuts, meat, vegetables and spices), Morocco is full of flavor. Embark on a Morocco food adventure and you’ll have the opportunity to try your hand at making traditional tagine (slow-cooked casserole made in an earthenware pot) as well as traditional couscous topped with lamb.  

Abundant with rustic vineyards and moreish markets, Italy is renowned for its delectable cuisine. Join a Tuscany food adventure for a stop in the port city of Livorno, famous for its seafood and scenic canals. Here you’ll visit the 19th-century Mercato delle Vettovaglie, a Neoclassical central market offering fish, cheese, meat and bread. Alternatively, combine food with walking as you explore Puglia on foot . Try your hand at making local orecchiette (‘little ear’) pasta and enjoy a tasting of rich olive oils at a traditional mill.  

Known for cuisine that expertly balances spice and flavour, India is a particularly popular destination for vegetarian dining. From street snacks such as masala dosa (a thin lentil-based pancake stuffed with potato curry) to spicy coconut curry home cooked by a local family, the dishes you’ll find here are as nourishing as they are flavorful. On an Indian food adventure you’ll also explore the tea plantations of Munnar, learning how the leaves are picked by hand and turned into your favourite morning brew.

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Unforgettable experiences.

From big wows to hidden gems, our tours leave you feeling that you've really explored.

Expert tour leaders

Chosen for their great knowledge of your destination and a passion to make your trip extraordinary.

Small groups

Average groups of 11; solos, couples and friends, united by a desire for authentic experiences.

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How we operate sets us apart; our flexible booking policy, our loyalty scheme & sustainable approach.

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Need some inspiration for your Food & Drink tour?

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Best of the Best Things to Do

Below are the 2023 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Food & Culinary Experiences known for their great taste—literally.

The Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best title celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel. It’s awarded to those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period. Out of our 8 million listings, fewer than 1% achieve this milestone.

Reykjavik Food Walk - Local Foodie Adventure in Iceland

Private Street Food Tour by Motorbike/Car with Local Students

Khmer Cooking Class at a Local's Home in Krong Siem Reap

The Chocolatarium Chocolate Tour Experience in Edinburgh

The Roman Food Tour in Trastevere with Free-Flowing Fine Wine

Sherpa Food Tour: Local Foodie Adventure in Buenos Aires

Little Havana Food and Walking Tour in Miami

Barcelona Tapas Crawl Tour

Hidden Gems of Old Hoi An

The Original Bilbao Food Tour with Wine Pairing

Authentic Moroccan Food Tour in Marrakech with Dinner

Ha Noi the best street walking Food Tour,Vegan, vegetarian Option

Evening Pintxo-Tapas Tour with Discover San Sebastian

Lisbon Small-Group Food Tour with 18 Tastings in Alfama District

Prague Foodie Tour

Undiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class

Bologna Food Experience: Factory tours & Family-Style Lunch

From Austin: Hill Country BBQ & Wine Shuttle

Award Winning Farm Tour: Coffee, Chocolate, & Unique Gifts Await!

Bikes, Bites, and Brews: Chicago's Signature Dishes Bike Tour

Bar-hopping and Food Tour in Curitiba

Marché Victor Hugo Small Group Food Tour

Lima Gourmet Food Tour: Daytime Experience

Puerto Morelos Foodie Tour, Mexico in every bite!

Taste of Pitillal Food Tour

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What is foodietrip, foodietrip is a sunday funday brooklyn boozy brunch, foodietrip is an afternoon cooking session with world famous chefs in rome, foodietrip is getting a caffeine jolt from tasting real turkish coffee for the first time, foodietrip is drinking a late night cold beer in a bustling tokyo street, foodietrip is sipping a midday cocktail in a hidden barcelona cafe, available destinations, popular tours around the world.

Perfect Sunday: Brooklyn + Booze

Cocktails for the Sophisticated Traveler Deluxe Package

Condesa Private Food Tour

Foodies take williamsburg.

Walking – Talking – Eating – NYC

Architect Sinan & Istanbul Hidden Places

Flatiron fun: food, history & architecture.

Funk Zone Food & Photo Tour

Cocktails for the sophisticated traveler, food for thought, know your noodles, why you should get out of manhattan, how to eat cheaply in nyc.

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21 Top Foodie Destinations Around the World

If you love food and want to explore some really fantastic foodie destinations, we’ve got the list for you! Adding culinary activities to your vacation itinerary is one of the best ways to experience the culture of the destination you’re in. 

This list contains 21 of the best places to go for foodie vacations. If there’s one thing we truly believe here at Savored Journeys, it’s that eating well and traveling well go together like… well, you can’t have one with the other, as they say.

» Looking for awesome dining experiences to travel for? Try these 10 Most Remote Dining Locations . You might like How to Recreate International Dishes at Home.

For us, it’s part of the experience to taste the  tapas in Barcelona , the sushi in Tokyo , chocolate in Switzerland, and that incredibly delicious sauerkraut soup in Prague . That’s why we make it a priority to visit top foodie destinations around the world. If you agree, then you’re probably a foodie traveler, just like we are.

We make food a priority during our travels, in order to experience the culture, learn about the people, and immerse ourselves in what makes this place unique. Yes, we believe you can do all of that through food.

Read more about our favorite foodie cities: Paris | London | Bologna

Table of Contents

Why We Travel For Food And So Should You

Culinary vacations are becoming more popular now than ever before. We’ve all started to realize that many of our favorite things to do on vacation and the strongest memories we take back home with us have to do with food.

Maybe you took a really great food tour , or you learned to make pasta in Italy, or you ate at a particularly amazing fine dining restaurant. Those are all cherished memories now.

Have you ever noticed how even the faint aroma of something you ate on vacation instantly takes you back to when you experienced it? Tasting an Argentinian Malbec transports me to a tasting room in Mendoza . The smell of galangal and lime instantly brings to mind the Thai cooking class we took in Chiang Mai.

Even the sight of choclo (really large corn) gets me excited for the intense flavors of Peruvian food . Just ask Nick – “big corn”, makes me unreasonably excited. Food is powerful. It’s what makes us who we are as a people. It is an essential part of life and community.

In fact, I seriously question whether you can experience the real, authentic side of a culture without experiencing the food.

After all, what is Thailand without a plate of Pad Thai, China without Dim Sum, Canada without poutine, Mexico without street tacos?

Indulging in Michelin starred restaurants , veering off the beaten path to where they make the best fried noodles, immersing yourself in pasta making in Chianti, or even accepting a dare to eat balut in the Philippines – these are the things vibrant memories are made of. Check out these vegetarian food experiences too!

Top Foodie Vacations Around the World

We are always searching for culinary vacations that promise incredible dining options, fun food-inspired experiences and some really good wine to wash it all down with.

And while there are so many great locations around the world that satisfy that craving, some stand out more than others in the culinary department. I have to admit, even picking only 21 destinations that we think are foodie heaven is hard – there are so many!

When it comes to foodie destinations, the best ones have irresistible food that’s you can’t find anywhere else. Some will immediately come to mind, like Italy and Spain. Others you have to search a little for.

1. Mendoza, Argentina

Some of the best wines come out of Mendoza, but did you know about its culinary scene? Mendoza is a perfect spot for foodies who want to enjoy all three of pillars of good travel in one destination: good food, wine and adventures.

Many of the top wineries in the region serve impressive multi-course wine lunches from their winery restaurants that have often have breathtaking views of the Andes from every seat and include as much wine as you want to drink.

Visit these wineries and restaurants for a complete foodie experience in Mendoza:

• Bodega Ruca Malen (lunch and wine tasting)
• Andeluna Cellars (lunch and wine tasting)
• The Vines of Mendoza (for a comprehensive tasting)
• Siete Fuegos (Fine dining on an open fire — and stay at The Vines Resort & Spa – check prices and read reviews )

Tours you may enjoy:

• All day, small group, luxury wine tour with gourmet lunch
• Maipú Wine-Tasting Tour from Mendoza Including Trapiche Winery

2. Paris, France

When people plan their trips to Paris, they tend to forget that the city is a foodie paradise, even though it’s in France. There are so many fun food things to do in Paris that will enhance your sightseeing, help you build lasting memories, and create a diverse and interesting itinerary. 

With so many delicious French foods to try, croissants and Croque Monsieurs belong right there alongside the Eiffel Tower and Sacre-Coeur. No vacation to the French capital is complete without trying the foods that make the country so unique – yes, escargot and frog’s legs included!

Whether that’s a stop off one of Paris’ many street food markets to check out the products, at a local crepe stand, or on a full-day food tour , there are many ways to taste and enjoy Paris.

If you have extra time, you can also get outside of the city to either the Bordeaux wine regio n or Champagne wine region . Reims and Epernay are two of the main Champagne cities to visit to learn more about French wines .

Tours you might enjoy:

• Montmartre Hill Sweet & Savory French Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting Tour
• Bateaux Parisiens Seine River Gourmet Dinner & Sightseeing Cruise

3. Tuscany, Italy

One of the top things on most foodie’s bucket lists is to take cooking classes in Italy . We dream of making tender, homemade pasta and rich meaty tomato sauces, drinking wine in Tuscany and eating briny olives and antipasto on the terrace overlooking the vineyards.

This experience can be found all over Italy — there’s no shortage of cooking schools and wine tasting tours.

One of our favorite areas in Tuscany is Chianti. Not only is it absolutely gorgeous and easy to get around (see our self-guided Chianti tour ideas), there are dozens of amazing Chianti Classico wines to try. Here are some of our favorite places to stay in Tuscany for wine tasting.

I’ve always been enchanted with Montepulciano, as well.

Montepulciano is a charming hilltop town in the heart of Tuscany, Italy, known for its picturesque streets, historic architecture, and world-class wineries. The town is surrounded by rolling hills covered in vineyards, and the local wine industry is a major part of the economy and culture.

There are several wineries in and around Montepulciano that offer tours and tastings, like Avignonesi, Poliziano, and Boscarelli.

• Small-Group Wine Tasting Experience in the Tuscan Countryside
• Cooking Class and Lunch at a Tuscan Farmhouse with Local Market Tour from Florence

4. San Sebastian, Spain

It might not be a major cosmopolitan city like Paris or London , but San Sebastian is perhaps the greatest food destination in the world, with more Michelin stars per capita than any other city and a thriving pintxos scene that you won’t believe until you see it.

It makes the list not only because of the overabundance of haute cuisine, but because it is literally paradise, with its incredible view over the crescent bay and the beautiful La Concha Beach. There are three 3-star restaurants, among a handful of 1- and 2-starred places, plus a plethora of pintxos bars serving gourmet-style bites that are just as good as any fancy meal you’ve ever had.

• Here’s a great evening pintxos tour in San Sebastian that you’ll love.
• Arzak – 3-stars — one of the top restaurants in the world — not to be missed.

Just an hour or so from San Sebastian is the Rioja wine region of Spain, where you’ll also find some really incredible food from Michelin star chefs and formidable home-style restaurants. One of the funnest foodie things we’ve ever done was a pinchos crawl down the tiny streets of Logrono, Spain. It’s a foodie’s dream!

• Evening Pintxo-Tapas Tour with a Local Expert
• PINTXOS in San Sebastian – Private Gastronomic and Cultural Adventure

5. Bordeaux, France

Combine the delicious wines of Bordeaux with the gorgeous scenery and you have the vacation every foodie has been dreaming about in France. You should plan for at least a week in Bordeaux to give it justice. You can spend two days in the Left Bank and two days in the Right Bank , and still only scratch the surface of the wine and food possibilities.

Also, be sure to spend time in the center of Bordeaux, where we found some really incredible food options, from wine bars to street food markets. The newly opened wine museum is also very much worth a visit.

A bike tour through Bordeaux is perfect for wine enthusiasts, foodies and really anyone who wants to enjoy the countryside while biking through some of the world’s most beautiful vineyards.

You can enjoy a winery biking tour through the Left Bank or the Right Bank. The area around Saint Emillion is my favorite, and it’s flat and easy to ride.

Imagine foie gras, duck confit, and black truffles paired with bold and complex Bordeaux wines. You’ll be having gourmet lunches and dinners paired with world-class wine every day. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Check out these guided foodie activities in Bordeaux:

• Small-Group Saint-Emilion Day Trip from Bordeaux
• Bordeaux Gourmet Food Walking Tour with Lunch

6. New York City, New York, USA

New York City is also a culinary capital of the world. Here you’ll find incredible food everywhere, from street vendors to Michelin-starred restaurants and even a few completely outrageous foods that you won’t find anywhere else.

Culinary trends seem to start and end in NYC. But one of the things that makes this city so great is the high number of really talented chefs that call it home. Most of them have restaurants there that aren’t insanely hard to get into, so you can eat dinner made by a master. Some to check out are Le Bernardin, Eleven Madison Park, and Cosme (by the legendary Mexico City chef of Pujol ).

Be sure to also make it to favorites like Katz Delicatessen, Momofuku Noodle Bar, and the Peter Luger steakhouse. You’ll also find huge, thin slices of New York Pizza, street hot dogs, Jewish delis, extravagant brunches. It’s all there waiting for you to discover.

• Greenwich Village Walking and Food Tasting Tour
• Chelsea Market and High Line Food Tour

7. Tokyo, Japan

I’m a huge sushi fan. Who isn’t, right? In Tokyo, you will find the freshest, best, most amazing sushi in the world. If that’s not reason enough to head to Japan for your next foodie vacation, I don’t know what else I can say – WAIT, yes I do.

How about the really fun, totally cool izakayas you can find in all the back alleys and small crevices around the city. It sounds like dive bar quality, but it’s so not. In fact, it’s an adventurous foodie’s dream. Or the old Tsukiji outer market , which is an absolute must visit in Tokyo.

You’ll see foods you’ve never heard of before , even lots of unique Japanese drinks , and get to sample tons of things along the way. In Japan, you can eat the best of every type of food they make, from gyoza to okonomiyaki to ramen and takoyaki. Nearly every chef is a master at his cuisine.

Another great activity in Tokyo for food lovers is participating in a traditional tea ceremony. You can see what it’s all about and learn the proper manners in an informal ceremony in Hamarikyu Gardens . These things and more are part of our complete 3-day foodie guide to Tokyo.

• Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Culture Walking Tour
• Walking Food Tour of Shibuya at Night

8. Bangkok, Thailand

I think Thai food is very much a universally loved cuisine. Getting to try authentic Thai dishes the way they were meant to be eaten (at a night market or from a street vendor in Thailand ) is one of the best culinary experiences I’ve ever had.

In Bangkok, there are opportunities for cooking classes , food tours, street food for every meal, even Michelin star restaurants. For an even more unique experience, head out of town to the nearby floating markets to witness something you won’t see anywhere else. Make sure you try the mangosteens. Oh so good.

The best thing about Bangkok food is that there is a lot of it everywhere. There used to be street food vendors dispersed throughout the city, but now there are conglomerations of food stalls that you can find in the city. Some of our favorites are Bangkok’s Chinatown Market, Wang Lang Market, and the Chatuchak weekend market.

No matter where you’re staying, there is likely a street food market nearby. Be sure to keep your eyes open as you walk around. Street food is definitely the way to go in Bangkok. It’s so cheap and it’s delicious.

• Bangkok Midnight Food Tour by Tuk Tuk
• Chef designed Bangkok Food Tour for 8 Exclusive Guests

9. London, England

Another big city that is often overlooked as a food destination is London . But don’t make this mistake! London is the food capital of the world. No where will you find the array of international food choices , dining experiences , and foodie activities  that you will find in London.

People often think London doesn’t have good food – or that it consists merely of fish and chips and pub food. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, London is one of the biggest food cities in the world. You can find every type of cuisine imaginable in the city. Plus, where else in the world can you find nearly dozens of afternoon tea choices ?

You can browse around London’s many markets , including Camden Market and  Borough Market – which are two of our favorites, or you can stop for a street food break at the really cool and fun Boxpark in Shoreditch.

We absolutely love Soho for the dizzying array of food choices. You can’t walk three steps without coming up a different restaurant, wine bar, pub, waffle bar, gelateria – you name it.

• London East End Food Tour
• Secret Food Tour: London Bridge & Borough Market w/ Private Tour Option

10. Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia, is a great food city, with many great restaurants to check out around the city. Some of our favorite restaurants in Melbourne are located on Flinders Lane. Two that I highly recommend are Chin Chin and Lucy Liu.

While staying in Melbourne, don’t miss the opportunity to get out to the wonderful Yarra Valley wine region. There are more than a dozen of wineries to visit. It’s a cool climate, so they produce a lot of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and some sparkling.

We love food and wine events, and Melbourne, Australia is home to one of the best, the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival . The festival extends for 17 days in March and features global culinary superstars who host events, create unforgettable dishes for participants to sample and draw crowds of over 250,000 each year.

• Melbourne Foodie Discovery Walking Tour
• Yarra Valley Wine & Food Day Tour from Melbourne with lunch at Yering Station

11. Stellenbosch, South Africa

Only an hour outside of Cape Town is the Stellenbosch Wine Region of South Africa. Of all the places we’ve been to for wine tasting, Stellenbosch is my favorite. The winery experience is so much more inviting and relaxed here.

You can take a tour with a group, so you don’t have to drive yourself, or you can plan your own winery tour with a designated driver. When you arrive at a winery, you’ll be able to  relax at a table or on a comfy couch and have the wine samples brought to you.

The region also has a large number of top restaurants with chef’s who know the wine well and create masterpieces that live up to the wine.  Some of the best foodie things in Stellenbosch:

• Rust en Vrede Restaurant
• Overture at Hidden Valley Restaurant
• Spier Winery and Eight at Spier Restaurant
• Visit Stellenbrau Brewery

When you’re done eating your way through Stellenbosch, there’s another nearby wine region to explore: Franschhoek. Both areas are well known for their gourmet cuisine and fine wines.

• Full Day Afrivista Wine Tours from Stellenbosch
• Wine Tasting and cultural tour with a wine maker

12. Bologna, Italy

While there are many touristy things to do in Bologna and the surrounding area, it truly is one of the best culinary vacation spots in the world.

There are so many food experiences to have in this area, from a full blown DOP food tour that takes you to a Parmigiano-Reggiano factory, a Parma ham production facility, and a home where traditional Balsamic vinegar is made, to a more intimate cooking class in the city, you simply will not run out of food-related things to do.

The Emilia-Romagna area (of which Bologna is the capital), is known for its wine, but you may think it’s only home to the sparkling semi-sweet Lambrusco wine. Lambrusco is found mostly in the northern part of the region, but Romagna makes mostly Sangiovese red wines, in a style not too different from neighboring Tuscany.

A wine-tasting trip to Romagna will reveal a whole new world of wine you didn’t know was out there.

• Bologna Food Tour from a local perspective
• Secret Food Tours Bologna w/ Private Tour Option

13. Mexico City, Mexico

When we were preparing to go to Mexico City , thoughts of indulging in real, authentic Mexican food were all I could think about. I could eat burritos, carnitas, enchiladas, tacos and guacamole all day, every day and be perfectly content.

If that sounds like something you might say, then a culinary trip to Mexico City should definitely be at the top of your list! There are a lot of great eating experiences to have around Mexico City. We found some really great restaurants , like Pujol and Maximo Bistrot. We tried many different mezcals and tequilas, and spent an entire day wandering around Mercado Roma, tasting awesome foods.

We also highly recommend taking a food tour – we like this historic center food tour . You may even want to try your hand at making some of these foods – if you’ve never handmade a tortilla, I think it might be time you tried!

Here’s a cooking class that includes a food market tour.

• Colonia Roma Food Tour
• A Night of Tacos and Mezcal in Mexico City

14. Dotonbori, Osaka, Japan

When it comes to food, Japan has more dishes to love than nearly anywhere. But for me, the star of the show is one single street in Osaka, called Dotonbori . And one of my favorite things to eat there is the famous Osaka dish, Okonomiyaki, pictured above. Dōtonbori is one of the principal tourist destinations in Osaka.

It runs along the Dōtonbori canal from Dōtonboribashi Bridge to Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba district of the city. It’s not a huge area. It covers only about 8 blocks. But it is absolutely jam packed with restaurants, food stalls and street vendors selling every type of food specialty Japan is known for. I would make a special foodie trip to Japan, just to visit Dotonbori and eat my heart out.

Around 5pm, Dotonbori Osaka turns from a fairly quiet, mostly deserted street, into a bustling and utterly jam-packed food metropolis with lines of hungry people queued up to buy trays of hot-off-the-grill gyoza , yakisoba, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, sukiyaki! If you can eat it, they are selling it. On Dotonbori food is king!

• Eat, Drink, Cycle: Osaka Food and Bike Tour
• Sushi Cooking Class in Osaka
• Osaka Local Foodie Walking Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

15. Lima, Peru

You wouldn’t think it, would you? But Peru was named the top South America Food & Drink Destination by Frommer’s and for very good reason. Peru has a multicultural population that includes immigrants from Spain , China, Japan and more, and that helps to create a thriving food scene with regional variations that are unique and unexplored. 

Lima’s signature dishes, like ceviche and chicharones, are becoming favorites around the world and opening people’s eyes to the flavors of Peru. (Read our guide on foods you must try in Peru.) Restaurants like Astrid & Gaston have been delighting foodies for many years in Lima.

Superchef Gaston Acurio of La Mar and many others are priming the city with a modern take on traditional favorites. Now is the time to experience Peru’s food scene, before it is fully discovered.

⇒ Where to stay in Lima, Peru: Hilton Lima Miraflores ( see prices and read reviews )

• Lima Gourmet Food Tour: Evening Experience
• Peruvian Cooking Class Including Local Market Tour and Exotic Fruit Tasting

16. New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans food expands way past typical American food. It has a style and culture all its own, with Creole and French influences. It’s an amazing place to explore if you’re a foodie who likes to try new things.

Not only does New Orleans have an abundance of great chefs and dining experiences , it also boasts a rather sophisticated cocktail scene. Many of the cocktails served in New Orleans are routed in the city’s eclectic past, and come not only with a swizzle stick, but a long history that you’ll want to hear all about.

• Unique foods you’ll want to try in New Orleans
• Shortcut Guide to the best restaurants, cocktail bars and things to do in New Orleans
• Click to see the best hotels on and near Bourbon Street .
• New Orleans Food Walking Tour of the French Quarter with Small-Group Option
• New Orleans Cooking Class

17. Copenhagen, Denmark

A must-do on many foodie’s list is Copenhagen , Denmark, to eat at  Noma , a highly acclaimed restaurant that’s spent many years at the top of the  The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Chef/owner Rene Redzepi knows how to delight diners with his ultra-modern menu, now in a new location on the edge of Christiania. However, Noma remains very difficult to get into, not to mention expensive.

Even if you can’t make it to Noma, Copenhagen is blessed with chefs who came out of the Noma kitchen to build their own restaurants like 108, Amass, and Sanchez.

A few of our favorite options in Copenhagen are 1 Michelin star Relae, the first all-organic restaurant to make the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Baest (from the same owners), and 2 Michelin starred AOC.

For a more laid back food experience, head to the trendy food-filled Reffen on Copenhagen’s industrial Refshaleøen, where food trucks and stalls sell high quality International dishes.

Where to stay in Copenhagen: 71 Nyhavn Hotel ( see prices and read reviews .)

• The Copenhagen Culinary Experience Food Tour
• The Art of Baking Danish Pastry

18. Hong Kong

Hong Kong a wonderful food city, with all kinds of great food stalls, restaurants, and dishes with many cultural influences to try. One of the best ways to acquaint yourself with the food and to discover some of the best places to eat and drink in Hong Kong is by taking a food tour.

There are a dizzying number of restaurants in the city, not to mention foods that many Western travelers haven’t even heard of before. Let an expert guide you through the experience. Probably the most iconic food in Hong Kong is dim sum. There are even a few super affordable dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong with Michelin stars.

You must go to one of these top-rated restaurants to order a full meal of dim sum. For a Michelin-star meal, head to Tim Ho Wan. Another one to try is One Dim Sum . Roast goose is the dish I will never forget. It’s an iconic Hong Kong dish that you absolutely must try. The crunchy skin and layer of rendered fat over tender meat. It’s a thing of true joy.

We ordered roast goose in a tiny restaurant called Yat Lok Roast Goose in the Central neighborhood on Hong Kong Island.

• Hong Kong Food Tour: Central and Sheung Wan Districts
• Hong Kong Markets Private Walking Tour with Local Guide

19. Istanbul, Turkey

One of the best places you can travel to for an amazing foodie trip is Turkey . As one of the most visited countries in the world, Turkey has a lot to offer visitors. From seaside resorts on the Mediterranean Sea, historical sites, welcoming people, rich culture, amazing museums and delicious Turkish dishes, a trip to this county will be quite memorable.

Whether you’re spending time in Istanbul, Capadoccia, or one of the other popular cities in Turkey, you’ll be able to try great food everywhere you turn. Each area has a spin on the dishes they serve, but look out for things like Doner Kebab, Meze, Pide, and Baklava.

• Taste of Two Continents Food Tour
• The 10 Tastings of Istanbul With Locals: Private Street Food Tour

20. Naples, Italy

Each region of Italy has its own unique list of specialty foods you must try, and Naples is no different. From the iconic Neopolitan pizza, to deep fried macaroni, to rum-soaked sponge cakes, you really must spend some time eating your way through Naples to fully discover the city and all its charms.

Be prepared. There are a LOT of great things to eat in this city.  If you’re looking for a way to experience the best Italian food in Naples, there’s really no better way to do it than to go on a food tour with Eating Europe . We spent a week venturing around the city to find the best pizza.

Our favorite pizza in the city was at Pizzeria Da Attilio, but there are memorable pizzas at 50 Kalo and Antico Borgo Ai Vergini . These are just a few of the top of their game. Other foods to try include Pizza Fritta, Cuoppo and Pasta Frittatine.

• Naples Street Food Tour With Local Expert
• Street Food Tour of Naples with City Sightseeing and Top-Rated Local Guide

21. Catalunya, Spain

If you’ve been to  Spain , you already know that the entire country is vastly rich in culture, heritage, and especially  products and foods  that are specific to each micro region. Catalunya is one of those regions, and the amount of unique products, recipes and foods you can find there is astounding.

Catalunya has a very complex food culture. Not only does it have specific products that you don’t find in other parts of Spain, each of the smaller areas of Catalunya also have their own unique dishes that other areas of Catalunya don’t have. As a foodie in that area, you really will become immersed in a rich food culture. Even if you wanted to avoid it, you couldn’t. Food is so much a part of who they are.

While there, we discovered a plethora of products and foods you must try. You can visit wineries (there are many different wine regions – including Priorat and Emporda , plus they make Cava in Catalunya.)

With all of these great culinary destinations, you’ll never run out of food-centric vacations to take. We’ve been to each one of these and have loved them all. The variety of food around the world is just astounding.

Why not visit some of your favorites and find new dishes to love!

Be Prepared For Travel Planning is the most important part of any successful trip. Do it the easy way:

🧳 Travel Packing List | ✔️ Why You Need Travel Insurance | ✈️ What to Do Before You Leave Home

• Find and book the best hotel (our favorite booking site is Expedia)
• Research flight options (our favorite tool is Skyscanner )
• Book a tour (we always use Viator to find the best tours)
• Rent a car through Discover Cars (they search the best deals for you!)

Related Posts:

• 36 Best Beach Drinks to Order at All-Inclusive Resorts (+ Recipes!)
• 13 Unconventional Things To Do in Washington DC
• 11 Port Houses to Visit in Porto

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16 Tasty Foods You Must Eat in Spain

What to Eat in Naples (+Naples Food Tour)

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Laura Lynch, creator and writer of Savored Journeys, is an avid world traveler, certified wine expert, and international food specialist. She has written about travel and food for over 20 years and has visited over 75 countries. Her work has been published in numerous guidebooks, websites, and magazines.

48 thoughts on “ 21 Top Foodie Destinations Around the World ”

Nice list! I have been to a Lima, New Orleans, Tuscany, Switzerland, & Bordeaux and definitely agree! I turn every trip into a foodie destination, and while some places are better than others I have yet to be disappointed by the overall food anywhere. Right now I’m parked in South Korea and finding this food to be some of my favorite in the world!

Thanks for posting your thoughts, Katie. With so many awesome food destinations around the world, it’s hard to narrow it down, but I think most foodies would agree that these are some of the very best. I loved South Korea too. So much good food. I look forward to reading more about your adventures there.

Have you never been to Turkey?

oh my goodness! I have a lot of traveling and eating to do! I have been to Spain twice but not San Sebastián but love the food there! And Tuscany-so good! I went to a South African wine tasting recently so can’t wait to get there in person to drink the wine! And hardly a Better place in the US like NOLA!

Right? It’s hard to beat any of these places for good food. That’s what I love so much about traveling for food – there’s always more to discover!

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Well I thought reading the article would help me choose a foodie destination for our 10th anniversary but now I’m famished and I can’t pick one location!!!so im going to ask as a foodie who’s travelled on a foodie vacation, where would you go?!? Ok let me rephrase that if you had to choose 1 place that’s amazing and you could visit again where would it be? Suggestions greatly appreciated!

I know, food overload! Where you go depends greatly on the type of food you like and whether you want to do mostly food things, or historical things too. If I had to pick one, is go with Bologna Italy. You can do so many different food activities there, plus extend down into Florence and Tuscany. My second choice would be Tokyo. If you like Japanese food, you will be in foodie heaven there.

Have you been to Bilbao, Spain?

Yes and we love the food in that region!

always malaysia is a food paradise

Hi, Great list. Thank you for your post. I have a passion for travel and food as well and I gained a lot of information from your post. It creates motivation for me a lot. I hope that in the near future, you will have other posts like this. Best regards

Glad you enjoyed it!

nice post thanks

Left out Istanbul, Turkey. Best food ever!

You’re right, Carolyn. I love Turkish food too.

Wonderful blog! Thanks for sharing!

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Great blog. Thanks for sharing..

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You left out Vietnamese street foods in Ho Chi Minh city . Also street foods in Hong Kong.

Absolutely! We’ll be sure to add those to the list in the future.

You are missing Ho Chi Minh City.

Thank you! This list is really helpful. Our website is also about foods to eat in different cities. https://foodieadvice.com/

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i’m gonna cry..where is malaysia….it’s country with the food paradise???uwahhhh

So sorry! I agree that Malaysia is a fantastic foodie paradise.

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I’m a merchant mariner and I’ve traveled my whole adult life going all over the world trying good eats. I just came back from SE Asia and I’m pretty astounded that you would include Manila on this list. If there is a great Philippino dish to try it’s certainly the Sinigang not street squid (which I do love). However, the food game in PI isn’t on par with the rest of Asia. Have you been to Borneo? I’m in San Diego right now and I can honestly say that the food game here is better than half of these cities listed.

Part of the fun of traveling for food is to try these different cuisines and decide which ones you like the most. 🙂

Hi..I think you forgot India here ….I assume you never been to India.

We have, in fact, been to India and are headed back in January. This list can’t possibly be all inclusive. It’s just a taster of options for people looking to do culinary vacations. Thanks for adding India.

Missed Chengdu, China in the heart of Sichuan cuisine!

Worth a visit if you get a chance! The food, people and city are lovely!

Thanks Patrick!

Southern Italy (especially Naples and Sicily) is never mentioned in these rankings but it’s probably the best foodie region in Europe, easily topping Central and Northern Italy (Rome, Tuscany, Bologna, Venice and so on).

Thanks Christian. We visited Naples and Puglia this year and loved the food. It’s definitely a good addition to the list.

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Hey Laura, just finished reading the article, and god I’m so craving for that Neopolitan Pizza and a glass of wine imported from Italy only!!!!

Sounds amazing, right?!

Awesome write-up! Food tours are an amazing experience not only for foodies but for travelers who are interested in the culture of the destination as we all know that cuisine and food culture of any destination is based on historical influences and the uniqueness of the environment. For my tour, Delicious Kyiv: Ukrainian Wine & Appetizers Tasting Tour all wines and specialties of Ukrainian cuisine are prepared with ingredients from local wineries and farms.

I’m disappointed with the list. You missed Charleston, SC big time. It is a foodie destination and the best vacation destination.

We love Charleston too, but we wanted to keep the list short and not focused only on the U.S.

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Top Food Tours in 2024/2025

No tour can give you a sense of place quite so quickly or evocatively as a food tour. From the richly flavored spice blends of North Africa and the Middle East to the Cajun cuisine of the southern United States, the bush tucker of Aboriginal Australia, or the curries of the Indian subcontinent, food is one of ...

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No tour can give you a sense of place quite so quickly or evocatively as a food tour. From the richly flavored spice blends of North Africa and the Middle East to the Cajun cuisine of the southern United States, the bush tucker of Aboriginal Australia, or the curries of the Indian subcontinent, food is one of the best ways to explore a new destination and its culture.

Instantly connecting you not only to the destination but to the people resident in the city or region, food tours provide a means of interaction with locals that goes above and beyond any language difficulties.

A way of discovering new favorites and expanding your comfort zone with a whole host of new sights, tastes, and smells, food tours also open up unique perspectives into a destination, since local produce plays such an important role in the history and culture of a region. What are the monuments of Italy without a bowlful of freshly prepared pasta, or the landscapes of South America without its native fayre ?

Here are our top food tour destinations to taste your way around:

• Paris, France
• Venice, Italy
• Marrakech, Morocco
• Hanoi, Vietnam
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Delhi, India

Get more than a taste of a destination with a dedicated food tour!

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The Best Food Tours In The World For Globetrotting Gastronomists

Posted on Last updated: March 27, 2024

Categories Travel Inspiration

Expert travel storyteller Jordan Adkins, founder of InspiredByMaps.com, brings a decade of adventures across 101 countries and 450+ UNESCO sites into rich, off-the-beaten-path narratives, melding ecological expertise with genuine, seasoned travel insights. His full bio can be found here.

What’s your favorite thing about traveling?

Woah, OK, we’re sorry to drop that 64-million-dollar question on you straight away. What were we even thinking – where do you even start? Is it about meeting new people? Seeing the incredible sites you’ve always dreamed of? The freedom? The fun?

One thing we’re sure of: food has got to be on that list. It’s certainly at the top of ours! It’s not just because we love chowing down, honestly. A big part of our love of eating-while-travelling is that food is at the heart of culture. It plays such a huge role in our lives and tells us so much about the place we’re visiting.

So what better activity for your next trip than a food tour? The increasing popularity of food tours shows us that we’re not alone in our appreciation for a combination of tasty eats, exploring and learning. There are so many great food tours out there now, run by passionate people keen to share more about their homes with enthusiastic visitors.

Often you’ll get a chance to chat with the chefs or café and stall owners as you follow your food tour, making it an even better way to explore local culture. As well as meeting local people, you’ll also meet fellow travellers, so it’s a good activity if you’re a solo traveller – although it works for everyone.

With the increasing popularity of food tours, of course, comes a growing number of them so it can be difficult to pick the best ones. Luckily, we’ve done the hard work (eating your way around a city can be so tough, guys!) to bring you this list of the best food tours in the world.

Whether you’re heading to one of these places soon and need some ideas of what to do, or are looking for inspiration for your next trip, we’re sure you’ll find these suggestions to your taste (no pun intended).

The Best Food Tours In The World For Globetrotting Gastronomists 🍲

Page Contents

Tasty Town Medellin Street Food Tour

Taste of hoi an, foods of copenhagen delicacy tour, hello singapore food tour, make-your-own turku food tour, taipei eats xinyi backstreets tour, hong kong small group food tour, secret food london bridge tour, taste tours chinatown sydney, dotonbori street osaka food crawl, eat auckland sandringham food and spice tour, the seoul ultimate korean bbq night out.

Medellin is such a fascinating city to visit – what better way to gain an understanding of its dark past and complicated present than to explore a traditional neighbourhood and its food? Street food has always been a staple in Medellin and on this three-hour tour you’ll meet local vendors who have many a story to tell.

There’s a huge range of food to sample – you’ll have to limit yourself to about 6. With 8 people or fewer in the group, less time is spent rounding people up and walking slowly; more time spent eating and chatting! You round everything up with a cup of delicious Colombian coffee, the perfect conclusion to a day’s food adventuring. We loved it so much – we even did a full review of our time with Tasty Town Medellin! 

It’s no surprise that the most common review on this tour is that it’s the first thing visitors to Hoi An should do. It takes you right to the heart of the city: its food. Rather than spending your trip in tourist restaurants, this tour will introduce you to food the locals eat. There’s a combination of meandering through markets tasting fresh street food and a private tasting for food from further afield.

This was the first tour of its kind in Hoi An and with their passion and experience it’s ranked one of the best food tours in the world, and one of the best ways to truly understand Vietnam . Vietnamese food is integral to the culture and each dish has a rich background that you’ll learn about. There are up to 40 tastings included on the Taste of Hoi An experience (so don’t eat breakfast!) so your tastebuds will be in a state of delight.  

Danish food is not all pastries and open sandwiches – certainly not anymore Copenhagen certainly has one of the most innovative food scenes in the world. As way later found out, imitation is the highest form of flattery and this boom in Copenhagen has propelled Northern European dining forward – including  Tallinn’s new Nordic dining with an Estonian twist.   This modern tour in Copenhagen tour seamlessly combines traditional dishes with new ideas; there’s alcohol, too! Nordic cider, craft beer and ‘snaps’ all make an appearance.

What we love about this food tour is that it also is an opportunity to see more of Copenhagen. In the four-hour walking tour you’ll be guided through the city’s maze of alleyways to find food-passionate people both in the city centre and in the trendy area of Nørrebro. The team at Foods of Copenhagen clearly love both the city and its food. By the end of the tour, we’re sure you will as well.

We’ve written before about the sheer joy Singaporeans have in eating and in talking about what or where to eat, so it’s only natural that the city is home to one of the best food tours in the world. A glorious five and a half hours will fly by as you are helped to discover the delights of the local culinary scene – a great thing to do alone in Singapore! .

The reason Singapore’s food is so great is the diverse range of cultures that have been brought together in this old seaport – the tour recognises this by ensuring you taste Indian, Malay, Chinese and Peranakan dishes in a range of areas. Curry puffs, laksa, Hokkien Mee and Teh Tarik are all on the menu and you’ll be able to experience the city’s famous hawker centres with those in the know. You’ll find lots of places you’ll keep coming back to for the rest of your trip, so do this tour early in your stay and you’ll be an expert on what to eat in Singapore!

A food tour with a twist, we just had to include this innovative concept we loved in Turku – a self-guided food tour where you can pick and choose from distinctive dishes at authentically local restaurants. Just purchase the card then select your favored five from the ten restaurants on offer and start your tasting tour, they give you three days to complete it which is perfect… 

Let’s start with food and get a taste of the best of Finnish cuisine in Turku, the self-proclaimed food capital of Finland – though I personally think it deserves the title. More casual, affordable and accessible than Helsinki  – Turku holds a number of Finland’s oldest and more unique restaurants and has specially cultivated the growth of a creative dining culture in recent years.

Leading you straight to the beating heart of Turku’s food culture, most of the restaurants are located along the River Aura making a fabulous walk/waddle while you enjoy inspired cuisine. Think a Brewery Sausage Plate along with the trimmings in a renovated school-house brewery, a warm chicken open-faced sandwich with Aura blue cheese sauce on a romantic riverboat or a delicious seafood starter in one of Turku’s oldest cellar restaurant.

Although the Xinyi District is usually noted for its skyscrapers and modern malls, it also hides a maze of small alleys where some of the most exciting food in Taipei can be found. Starting in one of the traditional markets and then dropping in on some of the city’s secret fooderies, you’ll taste things like onion bread, Taiwanese burgers and of course the infamous stinky tofu.

The four hours of the tour showcases not only the best in Xinyi food but also some of the most interesting sights – so no need for another sightseeing tour after this adventurous food one.

Touting itself as the original Hong Kong food tour, this journey through the local delicacies of Hong Kong is the ideal introduction to the city’s food and its culture, which are intertwined. The gastronomic influences are mainly Cantonese, with a hint of the British heritage there too, so expect to sample Dim Sum, Wonton Noodle and the ubiquitous Milk Tea.

We love that this tour is designed to be accessible to even the more picky eaters and that there’s a maximum of 9 participants, so it becomes a more intimate experience. Just don’t plan a big night beforehand, like the Wednesday Horse Races in Hong Kong , because it’s a longer, more comprehensive, food tour that will demand your full attention! 

This might be controversial but we really believe British food gets an unfairly bad rep. Here to rehabilitate it is this Secret Food tour offering you the very best of traditional British food. All the usual suspects are here – fish and chips, sausages, locally brewed ales, English cheese – as well as a Secret Dish that you only find out about on the day.

The area around London Bridge combines past and present with the bustling Borough Market offering a range of fascinating stalls as the Shard towers above it all. Along with the unique deer park and Westminster , don’t leave this fabulous food tour off your list of London things to do! 

Sydney is another foodie paradise as the multicultural city is host to a fusion of dishes. This in-depth tour is as much a learning experience as it is a tasting extravaganza. As well as chowing down on some KFC (Korean Fried Chicken!), dumplings and noodles, you’ll see some of Chinatown’s hidden landmarks and hear some of the history.

One of the high points (aside from the gelato) is the ancient Chinese Tea Ceremony, a peaceful and soothing ritual amidst the hustle and bustle of Sydney. The perfect addition to any solo trip if you want to eat with new friends, though we also found it one of the more romantic things to do in Sydney…

Did you know that Dotonbori in Osaka is known as the “nation’s kitchen”? Originally this is because it was at the hub of the rice trade and now it’s just a great place to grab a bite. This is a bit like stepping back in time as you explore historic alleys and temples – but time travel with great food.

As well as tasting different appetizers, you also get to try your hand at making sushi, but not the real stuff! This is the imitation food used to tempt people into restaurants and it makes a great souvenir.  

Call us biased, but we happen to think NZ has some of the best food – and therefore best food tours – in the world. The lively suburb of Sandringham Village in Auckland is a case in point with this fun tour that takes you beyond the standard dishes to make and try lassi, spicy curries and snacks, and other delights born of the multicultural community.

We love tours that take you beyond what you’d expect and this one does just that. With six restaurants and three spice markets in the mix you know your tastebuds will be tingling by the end.

If you go to Seoul and don’t try the Korean pork BBQ, did you really go to Seoul? That’s not a question you have to ponder after going on this epic evening tour that encompasses not only the crispy pork, but also Korean pancakes and some booze. There’s a vibrant atmosphere and a laid-back vibe in the food markets of Mapo, where the tour takes place.

Essentially, it’s an amazing night out disguised as a food tour, which is a great mixture! Bring an empty stomach and an open mind!

Now you’ve got plenty of ideas for your next culinary adventure – and we bet your stomach’s rumbling, too!

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The 15 best foodie tours in the usa.

Savor fresh seafood, authentic Tex-Mex and more during one of these highly regarded outings.

(Getty Images) |

Consider these gourmand-approved excursions when visiting America's top culinary spots.

Savannah Taste Experience: Savannah, Georgia

Sonoma Food Tour: Sonoma, California

Austin Eats Food Tours: Austin, Texas

Bite San Diego: San Diego

Walk Eat Nashville: Nashville, Tennessee

Taste of Houston Food Tours: Houston

(Jamie Francis | Courtesy of TravelPortland.com)

Forktown Food Tours: Portland, Oregon

Savor Seattle Food Tours: Seattle

Charleston Culinary Tours: Charleston, South Carolina

Gourmet Food and Wine Tours: Napa Valley

Melting Pot Food Tours: Los Angeles

Foods of New York Tours: New York City

Chicago Food Planet: Chicago

Doctor Gumbo Tours: New Orleans

Local Tastes of the City Tours: San Francisco

If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.

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These RI chefs have tasted the world. How you can join them on a culinary tour.

Food and travel are an intoxicating combination. Imagine how tempting trips planned with local food stars could be on destinations ranging from South Korea to Portugal.

Club Adventures, AAA’s small-group adventure tour operator, has teamed up with Providence and Rhode Island chefs, restaurateurs, and beverage experts to offer curated food tours starting in August and running into next year. The concept is to see the world through a local lens with a guide who knows all the best places to eat and drink.

Of the 13 food and drink trips, some are close to home including New York City and Austin, Texas. Others are to islands including the Azores and Sicily. Mexico, Spain and Germany during Oktoberfest are other destinations. One trip offers a gluten-free and vegan adventure in Italy.

The trips will have an average size of 14 travelers. They range in time from 4 days to 10 days with prices from $1,999 to $7,979.

Bethany Hodge's 15 years in the travel industry have included designing and operating culturally immersive small group trips. Now, as head of product for Club Adventures, she is launching the new tours.

But it was a conversation with Bethany Caliaro, owner/manager of both Oberlin and Gift Horse in Providence , that planted the seed for the program. Hodge was headed to Mexico with her husband Brian and Caliaro had just returned from a trip there. She shared her list of restaurants, bars and specific dishes for the couple to try.

"I’ve been watching the food and hospitality industry in Rhode Island become a national leader in innovation, community, diversity and sustainability – all values that I use when designing Club Adventures tours," she said.

"Every one of her suggestions elevated our travel experience, and I realized that the insight and guidance of a food professional could really turn a fun trip into a memorable adventure," said Hodge.

With consumer interest in culinary travel on the rise, Hodge knew tours that showcased these mutual values could be a hit. She first pitched the idea to Caliaro and Jen Davis, who manages the beverage program at The Eddy and Durk's  Bar-B-Q , both in Providence. They connected Hodge to more of the local culinary community.

"Every single establishment that I spoke with was in," said Hodge.

Each chef/bartender/business owner has been involved in curating the itinerary, leading to an exclusive experience that can’t be found anywhere else in the market.

"While chef-led tours are certainly being done in the travel space, I believe this is a first to ever showcase a city’s leaders in the culinary space all at once as a unified portfolio," Hodge said.

"It really speaks to the community and creativity of Providence," she said.

She hopes to create even more trips for 2025 with more leaders in the Rhode Island hospitality scene, she said.

The trips and guides

The cultural exploration and food adventures will be led by an impressive group including James Beard nominated chef Ben Sukle of Oberlin and Gift Horse. He will lead a September tour to Northern Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia.

“I am incredibly excited to join everyone and experience Trieste and its surrounding cities and environs," said Sukle. "All of the nuances of the lifestyles and culture there are behind how I cook and why I love to cook."  

Caliaro will lead a fish-to-fork dining adventure in Sicily. Led by Oberlin chef Chris Pfail, the art of making kimchi is on the menu for a South Korea adventure.

Jen Davis leads two trips, one to Austin, Texas, to explore the barbecue and distillery scene and one to New York City to enjoy the city's cocktail scene.

Spain will be part of a Basque Adventure led by The Eddy's Luke Mersfelder and Britt Simons.

Mexico City and Oaxaca will be explored in a trip led by Joaquin Meza of Dolores . Germany’s Oktoberfest will be celebrated with Brendan Kennedy of Proclamation Ale in Warwick.

Robin Dionne & BJ Mansuetti who operate the RI VegFest and GFree Fests will lead the Gluten-Free and Vegan tour of Italy.

Pizza Marvin's Robert Andreozzi is another James Beard nominated chef and he will be on the Portugal & Galicia Food Adventure.

Only one guide is from outside the Rhode Island culinary restaurant world but she is no stranger to locals. Maria Lawton is the host and guide of "Maria's Portuguese Table" which is presented by WSBE Rhode Island PBS. She will lead an Azores Food Adventure and Portugal Wine & Food Adventure.

Visit clubadventures.com/food-tours/  for more information.

StarTribune

• The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week

Greg at Wrap

All the wrapped-up sandwiches at Graze are named after people who are significant to the owners, and judging by this monster contained by a bright yellow tortilla, Greg's a wild man. How else could someone decide that Flamin' Hot Cheetos, shredded lettuce, salami, tomato aioli, ricotta, pepperoni, provolone, banana peppers and romaine all belong in one giant bite?

It makes sense that this "too much is just enough" mentality comes from the same folks who gave us Wrecktangle, the dishy thick pizza that launched a sensation. The Wrap, which serves all handhelds, started as a pop-up in April, but is now a permanent fixture at Graze Provisions + Libations food hall.

Each wrap ($16) starts with a giant sunshine-colored handmade flour tortilla. The result is a gargantuan meal that is a powerhouse of flavors and textures. The tortilla has flaky, rich layers with a satisfying tug of resistance with each bite. The Cheetos are spicy and crunchy against the cool, crisp lettuce and rich, creamy cheese. Greg is something special. (Joy Summers)

520 N. 4th St., Mpls., wrapmn.com

Steak and pierogies from 3 Squares Restaurant

People had opinions about Maple Grove proudly declaring itself the "Restaurant Capital of Minnesota" last week. Say what you will about that bold statement from Experience Maple Grove, but it got people — including us — talking about and supporting the city's restaurant scene.

We landed at 3 Squares Restaurant, the breakfast-through-dinner spot from Blue Plate Restaurant Co. The menu covers a lot of ground, with bites for both adventurous eaters and burger lovers. We met at the halfway point with steak and pierogies ($24.95). The (very tender) steak was properly cooked to medium, and topped with a lively Szechuan sauce that woke the taste buds. And the pierogies were stuffed with creamy cheddar potatoes and deliciously seared, providing great textural balance and making me wonder why I don't seek out pierogies more often (what's not to love about carb-filled carbs?). The trio of dumplings were served on a smear of creamy horseradish sauce, which pulled double duty as a dipping sauce for the steak and the tempura onion tangles that accompanied it.

As a bonus, we were there on trivia night and took second place. The prize was a 3 Squares gift card, sealing a return to the Restaurant Capital of Minnesota. (Nicole Hvidsten)

12690 Arbor Lakes Pkwy. N., Maple Grove, 763-425-3330, 3squaresrestaurant.com

VFW Meat Raffle pizza at Bode Gray's and the Brass Hat

With friends visiting from the East Coast last weekend, I wanted to give them a taste of some of Minnesota's essential cultural quirks. It was too rainy to hang out by a lake, but the weather was perfect for a pile of pulltabs, a cornhole tournament and a meat raffle. We found all of that ( and an incredible burger from Station No. 6 ) at an American Legion in Roseville.

The theme of the weekend continued 45 miles away, at a Waconia restaurant that occupies a former VFW. A group of people that includes seasoned restaurateurs and a former teacher opened Bode Gray's and the Brass Hat a little over a year ago after renovating the veterans' club down to the studs.

The main level is Bode Gray's, a date-night-worthy Italian restaurant. Downstairs is the speakeasy-ish nautical-themed cocktail bar the Brass Hat (there's a separate entrance at the back of the building). You can get any of Bode Gray's appetizers and wood-fired pizzas at the Brass Hat, including one that pays homage to the restaurant's bones.

The VFW Meat Raffle ($20) tops a 12-inch pie with a bright red sauce, two cheeses and, in the spirit of the Upper Midwest's unique form of charitable gambling, three kinds of meat: pepperoni, fennel sausage and Canadian bacon. The restaurant even donates $1 from every sale to the local VFW, so just like the real deal, your meat consumption is for a good cause. ( Sharyn Jackson )

125 W. 1st St., Waconia, 952-444-0795, bodegrays.com

Veggie sandwich at Herbst Eatery & Farm Stand

St. Paul's farm-fresh restaurant Herbst is almost a year old, and when I ducked in for a recent midday check, it seemed like it's growing into exactly what it wanted to be. During the day, the sweet farm stand off to the side of the restaurant is open for business. In addition to a selection of beautiful, handcrafted wares, there are a couple of grab-and-go food options. The sandwiches are really something special: Served on freshly made focaccia straight from the oven next door, they set the stage for what's in the dining room.

The vegetable sandwich ($9) encapsulates everything wonderful about having a restaurant fed by a farm collective. Each ingredient is given loving attention: marinated white sweet potatoes, lacy layers of cheese, handfuls of brightly dressed greens, shaved red onion and a generous swipe of nutty, chunky Romesco sauce. The result is a vegetarian sandwich that packs a hearty wallop without resorting to substitutes.

There are also giant chocolate chip cookies sprinkled with a smattering of salt that, on the two days I stopped, were still warm from the oven. But eat your veggies first. (J.S.)

779 Raymond Av., St. Paul, 651-340-0254, herbstsaintpaul.com

Tiradito of the day at Guacaya Bistreaux

I hadn't been back to Guacaya Bistreaux since it opened nearly two years ago. Back then, still in the thick of the pandemic, there was only outdoor seating and little interaction with staff, just ordering from a limited menu using a QR code on my phone.

Things have changed, and chef/owner Pedro Wolcott is encouraging everyone to get reacquainted with his one-of-a-kind restaurant for Latin and Caribbean food by way of New Orleans. The tropical setting inside is open to all. The menu has expanded to a long list of tapas and entrees. And put your phone away (except for pictures, of course); the QR codes are gone. And I'm glad. I'm not sure an online-only menu ever could have conveyed the complexity of the tiradito of the day.

Our server described it as a kind of cross between sushi and crudo, Peruvian style. Wolcott truly redesigns the dish on a weekly basis based on what comes into the kitchen. "It's like 'Chopped,'" he told me. A surprise basket of ingredients, a ticking clock, ready, set, cook.

The night I had the "Chulada," a rainbow of beet-cured salmon and cod studded the riceless maki roll like a jeweled brooch. (It was $13 but the price can change.) Topped with caviar and set in a pale yellow pool of aji amarillo sauce, it reminded me of a science class poster showing the cross section of a cell and all its colorful components, all held together by a membrane of nori. On visuals alone, this dish would sweep the Science Olympics.

There are more newer items on the menu, alongside Wolcott's greatest hits — the Peruvian-style ceviche, the churrasco (grilled skirt steak), the maiz á la plancha. Brunch just launched, and so has a cocktail menu from Nick Kosevich of Earl Giles. When the weather allows, head out to the vibrant patio on Washington Avenue for a selection of slushies and charbroiled oysters and let the good times roll. ( S.J. )

337 Washington Av. N., Mpls., 612-345-4981, guacayabistreaux.com

Sharyn Jackson is a features reporter covering the Twin Cities' vibrant food and drink scene.

Joy Summers is a St. Paul-based food reporter who has been covering Twin Cities restaurants since 2010. She joined the Star Tribune in 2021. 

Nicole Ploumen Hvidsten is the Star Tribune's senior Taste editor. In past journalistic lives she was a reporter, copy editor and designer — sometimes all at once — and has yet to find a cookbook she doesn't like.

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• Minneapolis residential property taxes could rise steeply in 2025 11:09am
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• The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week • Eat & Drink
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FULL TOUR: We Got an Exclusive Look at the NEW Fort Wilderness Cabins in Disney World!

By Samantha Kendall 7 Comments

Saddle up, partners! We’re headed to the wilderness. Fort Wilderness , that is. What brings us out into the great outdoors? We’re glad you asked!

Fort Wilderness

Disney surprised a LOT of people back in 2023 when it announced a total Fort Wilderness Cabins MAKEOVER . The new Disney Vacation Club Cabins at Fort Wilderness are completely new, and we got a chance to check them out! Want to see them for yourselves? Giddyup, let’s GO!

The old log cabin-style rooms are GONE. Imagineers have completely redesigned those rooms to become the Disney Vacation Club   Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort (note you don’t have to be a Disney Vacation Club member to book a stay in a new cabin). Here’s a peek at the OLD design. Prepare to see a MAJOR transformation!

Fort Wilderness cabin

Look out for over 350 refreshed cabins. Just as we saw in the concept art , the new design features sleek,   modern cabins , which Disney explained are “ inspired by the resort’s idyllic setting, while also paying homage to the resort’s unique culture and heritage through the magic of Disney storytelling. ” The cabins will sleep up to six adults and feature one bedroom, one bathroom, a living room, a full kitchen, and a private patio . Some cabins are also dog-friendly.

OK, enough waiting! Let’s check out the NEW cabins! Each cabin features a full kitchen with coffeemaker, toaster, sink, dishwasher, dishes…

…microwave, oven and stove, and full-size refrigerator! We love the sleek countertops and backsplash.

There’s also a dining table in case you want to eat in while you’re staying in these new cabins!

Dining area

In the main living space, there’s also a couch and television…

Couch that turns into a bed

…and the couch pulls down from the wall to turn into a queen-sized bed.

Pull out couch

There’s also a leather chair with a small side table in front of the window (that we weren’t quite allowed to see yet!) But, peep the details on those curtains! We spot Chip ‘n’ Dale!

Seating area

The bathroom is rather spacious and features a sink with vanity and cabinet space just on the outside…

…along with a spacious vanity inside the bathroom as well. It’s right next to the toilet, so there’s no separate water closet here.

The shower features two different showerheads, including an adjustable one!

You’ll find Disney-branded body wash, shampoo, and conditioner affixed to the shower wall.

Let’s check out the bedroom! You’ll find a queen bed along with two twin-sized bunk beds. This is a cabin, after all!

In addition to the beds, the bedroom has a dresser and closet space, along with a TV!

Dresser, TV, closet

Here’s another view of those bunk beds. Each oar is themed after a different Disney character! Can you figure out who is who?

The bunks and regular bed are separated by a nightstand and lamp.

We just love all the touches in here — we think Chip ‘n’ Dale would, too!

So many cute touches!

These new cabins are set to open on  July 1st, 2024 . If you want to get WAY up close and personal, you can virtually tour the new cabins below, too!

In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.

CONFIRMED: The NEW Cabins at Fort Wilderness Will Qualify for This EXCLUSIVE Hotel PERK

Join the dfb newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox click here to subscribe, we know disney. you can, too..

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

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What do you think of the new design? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disney World to attend their media preview of the new Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy . Thank you for reading. — AJ

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May 2, 2024 at 11:40 am

(Fairly sure the pull-down sofa bed is a full or queen, not a twin. 😍)

May 2, 2024 at 11:47 am

We’re does the 6th person sleep if the couch is a twin? Is there table seating for 6 for dinner?

May 2, 2024 at 11:56 am

From the picture, it looks like it would be very hard to watch TV from the couch. Plus walking across the kitchen and living room to get to the shower (and return in my towel) in the morning…I’m not sure these are for me.

May 2, 2024 at 12:47 pm

Some of this is wild. Look at all the footprints on the dining chair and the Murphy bed artwork that’s peeling at the corners. Hopefully, that backdrop is temporary.

May 2, 2024 at 4:48 pm

Did they have Ikea design it? Is this supposed to be a rustic wilderness cabin or an apartment in NYC.? Putting some cheap Disney themed art on the walls does not raise the level for me. Also…more crummy LVT. Did anyone notice that it looks very much like a shipping container from the outside? I’ve personally never seen a “cabin” like that in the mountains before.

May 3, 2024 at 8:18 am

Well, that’s a disappointment. First, it is way too “condo” to be a cabin, but okay, fine. The real problem is that those cabins used to sleep SIX because the couch was a queen sleeper sofa. Now, it’s just a twin bed, so they’ve ruined it for people wanting to take the grandparents along, or whatever. What a bummer!

May 3, 2024 at 10:09 am

Hi Elizabeth! Our apologies for the typo, it’s actually a pull-down queen-size wall bed.

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Billie Eilish Reveals ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ World Tour, Starting in September

By Ellise Shafer

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Billie Eilish is embarking on a world tour in support of her forthcoming third album, “ Hit Me Hard and Soft ,” set for release on May 17.

The Live Nation-produced tour will kick off in September in Quebec and continue through North America until December. In February 2025, Eilish will hit Australia, followed by Europe, the U.K. and Ireland from April to late July.

Tickets will be available for presale for American Express cardholders on April 30, with additional presales running throughout the week. General tickets go on sale May 3 through Ticketmaster .

Popular on Variety

See the full tour dates below.

North America

Tue Feb 18, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Wed Feb 19, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Fri Feb 21, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Sat Feb 22, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Mon Feb 24, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Tue Feb 25, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Thu Feb 27, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Fri Feb 28, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Tue Mar 4, 2025 –Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Wed Mar 5, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Fri Mar 7, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Sat Mar 8, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena

Europe/U.K./Ireland Wed Apr 23, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Thu Apr 24, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Sat Apr 26, 2025 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena Mon Apr 28, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena Tue Apr 29, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena

Fri May 2, 2025 – Hannover, Germany – ZAG Arena Sun May 4, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Mon May 5, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Wed May 7, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Fri May 9, 2025 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena Thu May 29, 2025 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Fri May 30, 2025 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Sun June 1, 2025 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena Tue June 3, 2025 – Kraków, Poland – Tauron Arena Wed June 4, 2025 – Kraków, Poland – Tauron Arena Fri June 6, 2025 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle Sun June 8, 2025 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena Tue June 10, 2025 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Wed June 11, 2025 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Sat June 14, 2025 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi Sun June 15, 2025 –Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi

Mon Jul 7, 2025 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Tue Jul 8, 2025 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Thu Jul 10, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Fri Jul 11, 2025 –London, UK – The O2 Sun Jul 13, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Mon Jul 14, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Wed Jul 16, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Thu Jul 17, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Sat Jul 19, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Sun Jul 20, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Tue Jul 22, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Wed Jul 23, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Sat Jul 26, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena Sun Jul 27, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena

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When U.S. Diplomats Visit China, Meal Choices Are About More Than Taste Buds

Visits to China by American officials like Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken can bring fame to local restaurants, as well as scrutiny to the dignitaries.

By Yan Zhuang

Beijing beer made with American hops, to highlight the trade relationship between the two countries. Tibetan food, to send a human rights message. Mushrooms with possible hallucinogenic properties, just because they taste good.

Where, what and how American dignitaries eat when they visit China is a serious matter. Choices of restaurants and dishes are rife with opportunities for geopolitical symbolism, as well as controversy and mockery. Chopstick skills — or a lack thereof — can be a sign of cultural competence or illiteracy.

An exorbitantly expensive meal can make an official look out of touch. Too cheap or informal, and you risk appearing undignified. Authenticity, history, cooking technique and taste can all affect the perception of a meal choice.

When Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken started a trip through China on Wednesday, part of the Biden administration’s efforts to stabilize the relationship between the two countries, some on Chinese social media wondered whether he would have time on his visit to Shanghai to stop and try some of the city’s famous xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

One recommendation that he do so came with something of a political warning: “Eating xiaolongbao is just like handling international relations,” a commentator wrote on Weibo . “If your attention slips even a little, you’ll burn your mouth.”

Mr. Blinken did in fact visit a renowned soup dumpling restaurant that night. It’s unclear how much he considered the symbolism of his dumplings, but by indulging in a traditional popular snack, and by attending a basketball game, the optics suggested there was a more cordial spirit than on the trip he made last year, soon after a Chinese spy balloon drifting across the United States had heightened tensions.

While in Beijing, Mr. Blinken visited a notable establishment, in addition to the city’s restaurants: Li-Pi Records. Mr. Blinken — a musician who has touted “musical diplomacy” — bought two records: an album by the Chinese rocker Dou Wei, and Taylor Swift’s “Midnights,” which he described as a successful American export.

Mr. Blinken’s eating habits have drawn far less interest than that of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Over two trips, this month and last year, her meals in China attracted so much attention that the state-run Global Times deemed it a form of “food diplomacy.”

Last year, Ms. Yellen made headlines when, at a restaurant in Beijing serving cuisine from Yunnan Province, she ate mushrooms that were revealed to be mildly toxic and could cause hallucinations if not cooked properly.

Ms. Yellen later said that she was not aware of the mushrooms’ potential hallucinogenic properties when she ate them and felt no abnormal effects. Still, the story sparked a brief craze for the mushrooms in China.

This month, during a four-day trip to China, Ms. Yellen visited a famed Cantonese restaurant in Guangzhou, and a Sichuan restaurant in Beijing. The dishes she ordered were quickly posted online, drawing broad approval from commenters for the variety and affordability of the dishes ordered, her chopstick skills and the fact that she and her team sat among other diners instead of in a private room.

The dishes Ms. Yellen and her team ordered were classic meals from their respective regions and were not modified to foreign tastes, according to Fuchsia Dunlop, a London-based cook and food writer who specializes in Chinese cuisine.

“They haven’t chosen really expensive, show-off dishes and ingredients,” Ms. Dunlop said, speaking about the Sichuan meal. “This is very much what everyday people in Sichuan like to eat. This menu was chosen for flavor, not prestige.”

According to a Treasury Department spokeswoman, the department generally solicits suggestions from staff at the local embassy for restaurant recommendations when Ms. Yellen travels. Then, Ms. Yellen will research the restaurants herself and make the final decision.

On occasion, specific establishments will be chosen to convey a diplomatic message, the spokeswoman added. She cited Ms. Yellen’s visit this month to a brewery in Beijing that uses American hops, aimed to highlight the significance of American agricultural exports to China.

Some restaurants where Ms. Yellen has dined have capitalized on her fame, like the Yunnan restaurant where she ate the mushrooms, which released a set menu based on what she ordered, called the “ God of Money ” menu, a nod to her position as Treasury secretary.

Ms. Yellen isn’t the first American dignitary to turn Chinese restaurants into overnight sensations. In 2011, a visit by then-Vice President Joe Biden to a Beijing noodle restaurant sent its business skyrocketing, according to Chinese state media, and led the restaurant to create a “Biden set” noodle menu.

In 2014, after Michelle Obama visited a hot pot restaurant in the city of Chengdu, the restaurant said it would create an “American First Lady” set menu. Articles in Chinese media noted approvingly that Mrs. Obama was able to handle the spicy soup, which was not toned down for a foreign palate.

Her visit to a Tibetan restaurant in the same city, however, attracted controversy, and her staff at the time readily acknowledged that the venue had been chosen deliberately to show support for the rights and religious liberties of Tibetans in China.

But for Mrs. Obama’s husband and other U.S. presidents, Chinese cuisine served at official state banquets is often Americanized or customized to better suit a foreign palette.

In 2009, President Barack Obama was served a Chinese-style beef steak and baked fish, according to Chinese state media, and in 2017, President Donald J. Trump ate dishes including kung pao chicken and stewed boneless beef in tomato sauce. Both meals finished with fruit ice cream, which is highly atypical of traditional Chinese meals.

But even those meals may hint at an international trend, Ms. Dunlop said. Mr. Obama’s menu contained “very safe, conservative choices that would be appealing to foreigners,” she said, while Mr. Trump’s menu was slightly more contemporary and showed off more Chinese cooking techniques.

That shift, Ms. Dunlop said, “may reflect China feeling a bit more confident with Westerners’ familiarity with real Chinese food” in 2017 versus 2009.

Ana Swanson contributed reporting.

Yan Zhuang is a Times reporter in Seoul who covers breaking news. More about Yan Zhuang