Embark on a Delicious Vacation: Why You Should Make Food a Part of Your Adventures
By Sara Pinkus, Contributor
To spin an old adage – The way to a traveler’s heart is through her stomach! Memorable travel experiences include not only learning about the destination’s people, history, arts, and culture; they also require savoring its foods. Prior to your trip, research the foods for which the area is best known. Culinary experiences can certainly be enjoyed on a limited budget; however, you may want to save up to splurge on the more exclusive options. Here are my tips for a delicious vacation.
Food Tours (budget dependent, may be included in group tours)
Many destinations offer food tours for visiting tourists. If you are travelling on a group tour, or booking through a travel company or agent, inquire about culinary experiences that may be included. If you are travelling independently, check with your hotels or simply scour the internet for food tours you may be able to book in advance.
Last spring my husband and I booked a trip to Japan via a touring company that arranged for us to take a food tour in the Shinjuku section of Tokyo. Our guide had us meandering through the alleyways and busy streets of Shinjuku, stopping at various stalls and restaurants. The food was delicious and included skewers, sushi, and ramen; the best we ever had. The city sights enhanced the tour as well. Our guide made the tour truly a standout experience. He was knowledgeable, fun, and funny! He regaled us with Japanese love songs at a karaoke bar; a perfect nightcap to our evening. He taught us how to thank our chefs using the transliterated phrase “goat cheese awesome Ma!” which we used throughout the rest of our trip to thank the many wonderful chefs we subsequently met after the tour!
Open air markets (low budget option)
Many travel destinations have open air markets; e.g. “shuks” in Israel, the “marches” in France! The markets are vibrant and bustling with locals. The food is fresh. Be sure to check the hours and visit when you are hungry! Depending on your accommodations, you may be able to purchase food for later meals.
Street Food (low budget option)
Some cities are known for their street food; to wit, Osaka, Japan. We made our way to the Dotonbori section late afternoon and sampled Takoyaki (octopus balls) and other culinary specialties – enough to count as dinner that day!
Cooking Lesson (budget dependent)
Cooking lessons demonstrating the culinary arts distinct to the region may be offered through your hotel. This was the case during a trip to Italy where we stayed in Rada in Chianti. We learned how to make ravioli and how to season and sear meat on the stove top. We were then served the delicious meal like kings and queens. On a vacation with friends in Antibes, France, we rented an Airbnb with a full kitchen. Through a travel consultant, we hired a world-class chef to come to our villa for a lesson in French cooking followed by a decadent five-course meal. Of note were the stuffed zucchini flowers and lamb fillets wrapped and cooked in clay.
Restaurants (tailored to your budget)
Certainly, you will be eating in restaurants while travelling. Generally speaking, good sources for selecting restaurants include the hotel concierge, any locals you may meet, travel agent/company if using one, and of course, the internet. We tend to have loosely defined itineraries when travelling independently, and therefore spontaneously choose where to eat. I do recommend at least one splurge (budget permitting) in a fine restaurant which may require advance reservations. Be careful to plan it on a day when your schedule is known. We treated ourselves to a wonderful Kobi steak dinner in Kyoto on an evening after a scheduled day tour. Reservations were made by the touring company several weeks in advance. In Hiroshima, our hotel concierge directed us to a seemingly hole-in-the-wall restaurant famous for Okonomiyaki (a savory pancake recipe layered with noodles, fried egg, pork belly, and a flavorful sauce). We sat on bar stools at the skillet counter, where the chef prepared our food right in front of us. It was my favorite meal of the whole trip and the total bill was only $18USD!
As they say in France, Bon appétit! …or
in Mandarin Qǐng màn yòng (Enjoy your meal slowly) or
in Japanese Itadakimasu (I humbly receive) or
in Swedish Smaklig måltid (Have a tasty meal)
Sara Pinkus is a travel and photography enthusiast. She works as a freelance photographer for the Bucks County Herald and also contributes her talents to non-profit and charitable organizations. In 2024, Sara was a Keystone Media Award recipient; earning second place in the “News Event Photo” category. She enjoys creating compelling photo journals of her journeys, capturing the essence of each place she visits. View her work at Sara Pinkus Photography.