A Foodie’s Guide to Travelling

Are you planning the ultimate taste bud-tingling trip in 2021? Make sure you tick off our list of food fabulous destinations; from sensational tapas in Spain to tasty tacos and local wines from Mexico.

Although the UK may have some amazing restaurants and culinary experiences, nothing beats getting away to a new country where you can experience new flavours and uncover tasty local cuisines. Add in some sun, a little culture and a bucket load of fun, you’re in foodie heaven.

Read on to explore must-try local bites, exciting cocktails and cookery classes making this a must-read guide to intrepid food explorers worldwide – let’s start in the Mediterranean.

Malta

Malta is a Mediterranean holiday island that has created a foodie buzz for some time with its distinctive culinary culture and blossoming restaurant scene. Everyone from the Moors to the Phoenicians to the British colonists has occupied Malta’s history, making Malta a Mediterranean culinary melting pot.

Enjoy classic dishes like the breakfast dish pastizzi – savoury pastries filled with everything from ricotta to mushy peas – or Lampuki – a delicious spicy fish pie from North Africa. Let’s not forget the rabbit stew, a rustic and affordable dish, offered every day on the Menu tal-ġurnata

If it’s fine dining, you’re after there’s plenty to be found in the capital, Valletta. Here ancient recipes such as Bragioli (beef olives) get a refined makeover. Match with wines made from indigenous grapes like Gellewza and Ghirghentina or choose from Cisk lager, Malta’s national beer, or Bajtra, a traditional liqueur distilled from prickly pears.

Marrakesh, Morocco

Marrakesh has been awarded the honour of being the first African Capital of Culture. The city is most well-known for its iconic walled medina’s maze-like alleyways which contain more than mint tea and technicolour mountains of exotic spices. It’s also home to the famous riads. These are exquisitely converted traditional houses centred around tiled courtyards. Now the term is often used to refer to a guest house and is also where you may find a private hammam spa, which offer rose water, argan and olive oil treatments for you to enjoy.

Food takes centre stage at the Royal Hotel Mansour, the hotel comprises several interconnected riads, with terrace cocktail bars overlooking the medina’s rooftops and the snow-capped Atlas mountains. The hotel is a destination dining spot and high-end cookery school.

Expect to eat Tagines. Tagine dishes are made up of many ingredients, but usually include meat like chicken, fish, or lamb left to slow cook with herbs, spices, and other elements such as apricots, sun-dried dates or potatoes. Delicious.

Bestilla is a unique Moroccan dish that resembles a savoury meat pie and uses sweet and salty flavours. Usually filled with shredded meat slow-cooked in bone broth and spices, Bestilla is made of crispy, flaky pastry topped off with a dusting of icing sugar, cinnamon, and toasted almonds.

With so many delicious options Morocco is a destination that requires a more extended stay if you really want to get to know the local cuisine.

Cadiz, Spain

Tucked away in the southwest corner of Spain closest to Africa, this Andalucian province is a well-kept secret on the Costa. This makes its golden sand Atlantic beaches, known as the Costa de la Luz (‘coast of the light’) even more delicious. Cádiz has the best Saturday market, pick up some preserved almadraba tuna for a sublime tuna, white bean and olive salad for a leisurely lunch.

Just down the road from Cadiz is Jerez, which provides an urban thrill. Famous for its sherry bodegas, and hilltop castle, not forgetting the equestrian activities. While sherry and horses might not mix well together, separately, they are what makes Jerez tick.

The nearby unassuming hilltop town of Vejer de la Frontera has whitewash streets lined with restaurants and tapas bars. In 2020 the Califa Hamam opened, the first traditional Moorish bathhouse to open in town for centuries, is the brainchild of a local Califa group responsible for several excellent local restaurants.

Los Cabos, Mexico

We can’t talk about food and not include Mexico.

Sharing a border with California, this beautiful Mexican peninsula plays host to holidaying film stars and royal elite. The region has pristine beaches and award-winning wineries to visit, not to mention so many beautiful places to eat.

Situated between the Gulf of California and the Pacific, the Mexican state of Baja California is a long mountainous needle-shaped landmass surrounded by deep turquoise bays full of sea life. Los Cabos is the place to swim with dolphins, sea turtles and indulge in the most delicate fish tacos and locally brewed beer.

There are 150 wineries in the vicinity as the Baja California area produces 90% of Mexico’s wine. Some wineries provide a fine dining experience, and if you get the chance to visit, you must go as this is a highlight in any foodies travelling experience.

The world is about to open; travel will be top of the list of things to do in 2021 and 2022. Top behavioural psychologists are suggesting a return to a hedonistic lifestyle seen after the Spanish flu in 1918. So, it’s a good idea to get ahead of the curve and plan your trip. Happy eating, folks!