This week I really want to focus on food. I don’t know if that means I’m hungry as I type this or that I’ve been watching too many cooking shows, but whatever. Food tours, or culinary tours, are super popular among travellers these days. While you can take a food tour in almost any country, there are some places that just scream, “eat me” (in a good way).
I’m kicking this week off with the mother of all foodie destinations, Italy. Sorry, Dutch Stroopwaffel fans, you will have to wait. Italy is king when it comes to food. How could you not want to take food tours in the country that invented pizza, the ideal espresso, gelato, and pesto?
Italian food
I feel like this paragraph is going to be a bit redundant. But omigosh Italian food. Even typing that makes my mouth water (update: I’m hungry!). Spend just a few days in Italy and you’ll understand why Italians savour their meals, rather than rushing through them like us Americans. There’s aperitivo, antipasto, primi, secondi, contorni, insalata, formaggi e frutta, dolce, caffe, and digestivo.
Phew. And that’s an average meal in Italy! But what is what? What’s the difference between an aperitivo and antipasto? Why is the salad sixth?! And four desserts?! How on earth are Italians so slim and stylish?!
Italian food has permeated western culture. There are gelato shops in cities across the States, the Italian espresso made it all the way to Australia, and even I make my own pesto in the farmlands of Pennsylvania.
And that’s not even MENTIONING pizza. This delicious, often-crispy bread, cheese, and tomato sauce flatbread is almost a ubiquitous American meal. So… is it Italian?
Yes. Pizza is Italian. It was created in Naples, southern Italy, by a baker named Raffaele Esposito to honour Queen Margherita. He made a yeast-based flatbread, topped it with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil – the colours of the Italian flag.
HOWEVER, pizza was made famous in the States, by Italian immigrants who opened pizzerias in New York City, Chicago, and Boston.
An Italian meal
Aperitivi are the cocktail before a meal. You’ll enjoy a glass of bubbly along with some olives or nuts, and then the antipasto comes out. This is typically a charcuterie plate, maybe some bruschetta.
Primi is the pasta course, while secondi is the meat or fish dish. Sometimes (!!) the first plate is a fish dish and the second secondi is the meat course. Contorni comes with the secondi dish; it is the vegetables. However, it’s served on a separate plate as to not mix the juices or flavours. Sorry, food mixer-uppers.
Have I lost you yet?
The insalata course is served almost as a palate cleanser, although if there are greens in the contorni a salad may not be served.
A cheese and fruit plate – formaggi e frutta – is served after the main dishes but before the sweet course. These are often regional cheeses with fruit that complements them. The dolce, or sweet, course will be something like tiramisu, cannoli, panna cotta, or gelato. Coffee is served after these dishes come out: the caffe course. Finally – fifteen hours later – the meal ends with a digestivo. This is a liqueur to “aid with digestion,” such as sambuca, limoncello, or grappa. Salute!
Food tours in Italy
There are so many incredible options for food tours in Italy. You could learn to make your own pesto, tour Italian bakeries, make tiramisu with a master chef, or simply take a progressive dinner tour in cities like Rome, Florence, Venice, or Naples. One of my Virtuoso suppliers coordinates dinners with locals, if you decided you wanted to visit someone’s home and enjoy a very local, home-cooked meal.
I haven’t touched on wine yet (with good reason, I’m going to focus on wine soon) but just to stick one foot in… wine and food tours in Italy are exceptionally popular. So too are beer and food tours. Often you’re exploring lesser known eateries while learning about either the local wine or local artisanal beers.
If you want to get your hands dirty, why not hit the hills with a truffle hunter to pick your own truffles? Maybe visit a fish market in the morning to select your dinner? Or help press your own olive oil. All of these experiences come with a price tag, but it’s worth it when you head home with a handwritten recipe from the nonna who showed you the precise way to knead your Italian bread.
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Italy is just one great destination where you can engage in exciting and delicious food tours while you travel. Every day this week at 10am, you can check out my other four picks where you can explore the culinary culture of a city through walking tours!
