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If you’re anything like us, food is an important consideration when deciding where to go on your next trip. Part of discovering a new culture, destination or city is delving into its gastronomic scene, eating like the locals, and learning about the history of the area’s cuisine – and our pick of the best food holidays
FOOD HOLIDAYS WITH GH
Anyone who enjoys cooking will love a food holiday where you can learn about the local produce, flavour combinations and spices that make a region’s food distinctive. A foodie getaway that includes cooking lessons or demos, like a culinary river cruise through south-eastern France, is a great way to bring a taste of your holiday home.
There’s always time to explore other aspects of a location on a food holiday, too. You can enjoy long walks along dramatic coastlines, an urban adventure exploring the city’s culture, or a boat trip to discover hidden towns and villages. And the best part is you can recoup your energy by relaxing and refuelling with delicious local dishes.
We’ve rounded up some of our favourite foodie trips so that you can start planning your 2023 holiday now. Wherever you choose to go, you can be sure you won’t go hungry…
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Norfolk is a great part of the UK to visit for any foodies looking for a holiday close to home. Anyone visiting this charming county will soon realise there’s more to British cuisine than just bangers and mash.
Food and drink are a highlight of any Norfolk getaway. With its rich farming heritage and stretching coastline, the county is packed with gastro pubs, independent delis, microbreweries, and restaurants with menus which make the most of flavoursome local ingredients.
Perhaps its most famous export is the Cromer Crab, a fragrant, tender, and meaty crab caught in the nutrient-rich waters off Norfolk’s coast. But there’s plenty more for your tastebuds to explore in tranquil Norfolk, so make sure to bring a healthy appetite with you and enjoy some grub.
How to visit: Gourmands can explore Norfolk on a five-day trip with Good Housekeeping. This special trip includes a day hosted by chef Delia Smith at her Food and Wine Workshop.
You’ll also be joined by chef Alex Mackay and wine expert Jason Banner. The fun-packed food and drink experience will include a three-course lunch with wine tasting, a cooking demonstration with Alex, a cocktail masterclass, and a special Q&A session with Delia.
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Foodies flock from far and wide to visit South Africa, a country whose wines and cuisine are considered world-class. You’ll enjoy the distinctive Cape Malay cuisine, a beautiful combination of African, Asian, and European flavours that perfectly combines sweet and savoury.
You can also get involved in a quintessentially South African braai. More than just a barbecue, a braai is a feast that can go on for hours, where succulent cuts of meat are grilled over a wood fire.
The wine, of course, is another huge draw. Stellenbosch is probably the best known of all South Africa’s wine regions and is home to some of the country’s most picturesque wine estates.
How to visit: You can take part in a traditional braai in Franschhoek and get a lesson in cooking Cape Malay cuisine from local chef Zainie Misbach on Good Housekeeping’s 11-day tour of South Africa.
You’ll also visit some of the country’s famous vineyards, taste some of the region’s finest grapes, and enjoy a farm-to-table experience at the Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery.
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A Mediterranean cruise is the perfect way to discover the stunning cities that dot this fabulous stretch of coastline and sample their mouthwatering dishes. From Neapolitan pizza to Niçoise salad, several destinations in the Mediterranean are world-famous for their food.
A cruise will allow you to visit several of these beautiful spots in one trip, allowing time to take part in activities like pizza-making classes and vineyard tours.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy the delectable cuisine of the Mediterranean. Take lunch on a lakeside terrace, dinner at a candle-lit table on a cobblestoned side street, buy tasty snacks from a hole-in-the-wall joint, or dine in style at high-end restaurants. The variety and choice are enormous.
How to visit: On Good Housekeeping’s nine-day cruise, you’ll visit some of the Mediterranean’s wonderful cities and pick up some expert tips from chef Aldo Zilli as you sail.
Much-loved TV chef Aldo specialises in Italian and vegetarian cuisine and first learned home cooking from his mother in Italy, so you’ll pick up some great tips on bringing the Mediterranean to your dinner table.
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The north of Italy is made up of eight distinct regions, each with its own cuisines and traditions.
Because of the varied geography to be found in this part of the country, with its coastline, lakes, rivers, mountains, and rolling farmland, there is a range of delicious ingredients making it to local tables. These include meats and cheeses from the Alps to pasta and supremely fresh seafood.
The culinary traditions here also take in influences from neighbouring France, Switzerland and Austria, making the food here distinct from the flavours of the south.
There are many different ways to ensure your northern Italy holiday is memorably delicious. You might decide to check into a hotel with a fantastic restaurant so that top-class food will always be within easy reach, or perhaps book on to one of the many excellent cookery classes available in the region.
How to visit: On our eight-day trip to the region’s beautiful and elegant gardens, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to tuck into traditional dishes. You’ll be staying at the four-star Hotel Giardinetto, which has an inviting lakeside restaurant serving dishes made with the freshest local produce.
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Lyon is known as one of the world’s great gastronomic cities. You’ll find 20 Michellin-starred restaurants here and the more casual ‘bouchons Lyonnais’, traditional eating houses serving hearty fare such as sausages, duck pâté, or roast pork.
There are plenty of food markets to explore in Lyon, too. These are colourful, lively places where you can pick up some of the finest regional produce. Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse is Lyon’s sprawling indoor market and one of the many reasons for the city’s status as France’s capital of gastronomy.
Named after one of the region’s most revered chefs, this market is a delightful maze to explore, with over 13,000 square metres of food vendors selling fine produce over three floors.
How to visit: On Good Housekeeping’s culinary river cruise through south-eastern France, you’ll spend a day touring Lyon with a local expert or discovering the city by bike. Top chef James Martin will join you on your cruise, give a live demonstration, and cook an unforgettable gala dinner.
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If America’s Deep South is high on your travel bucket list, you’ll already know about the delectable dishes found in New Orleans, with its exciting mix of French, African and modern American influences.
The city known as the ‘Big Easy’ is famous the world over for its unique cuisine – from Cajun and Creole dishes to the hearty flavours of traditional soul food.
As soon as you tuck into your first dish, you’ll understand why the Deep South is a hotspot for foodies. Think sweet, golden brown beignets, meaty crawfish tails, jumbo shrimp and spicy jambalaya.
How to visit: You can join Good Housekeeping’s incredible cruise along the Mississippi on an authentic paddle-wheel steamboat, sailing from New Orleans to Memphis.
One of the highlights is sitting down to dinner: either in the elegant, fine-dining J.M. White restaurant – with globe chandeliers and painted ceilings – at the relaxed River Grill & Bar at the boat’s stern, with a prime view overlooking the iconic red paddlewheel, or at many of the exciting food venues to be found on shore in this thrilling part of the USA.
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Bordeaux and its surrounding countryside is one of the loveliest French regions for any lover of good food and fine wine to explore.
Shellfish is popular, given the Atlantic coastline, but Bordeaux is really famous for its meat and wine. Its most celebrated dish is entrecôte marchand de vin, also known as entrecôte a la Bordelaise. This is a juicy rib steak cooked with a rich gravy made from wine, butter, herbs, and shallots.
Of course, the vineyards are what attract many people to Bordeaux. The diversity of its wine-growing districts means a variety of different types of wines are produced here, such as reds, dry or sweet whites, light reds, rosés, and sparkling whites.
How to visit: Good Housekeeping’s eight-day gourmet cruise through this wonderful region will take you to Saint-Emilion, Cadillac, Blaye and Libourne, where you’ll visit traditional wineries and charming châteaux. You’ll be joined on board by chef James Martin, who’ll demonstrate how to create classic dishes, join you for a foodie excursion, and give a talk about his life and love of food.
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