Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2021 i National Geographic Traveller Food

Oliver Smith What struck me in Japan was the intense relationship between sake and the landscape, and how the tiniest differences in the local geology, water and climate could upend the entire character of the drink. Back in England, a sip conjures up memories of snowy mountains, bamboo groves and crimson-hued Japanese maples. JAPAN, P 6 2 Jessica Vincent Despite growing up in Spain, I knew nothing of Ribera del Duero’s 900-year-old history of making and storing wine underground. What struck me most wasn’t the wineries hidden in plain sight, but the passion with which winemakers are striving to save a tradition on the brink of collapse. SPAIN, P 90 Sarah Barrell Italian cuisine is hyper-regional; every dish, every ingredient comes with a story that speaks of a specific place…

NAME ‘Spanakopita’ literally means ‘spinach pie’. While in the UK the word ‘pitta’ (or ‘pita’) is mostly associated with bread, in Greece and Cyprus its use as a suffix indicates a pie or a dish wrapped in pastry. You can find all sorts of pitta, from kolokythopita (squash pie) and hortopita (wild greens pie) to milopita (apple pie). PASTRY If using shop-bought filo pastry, keep the sheets wrapped in a slightly damp tea towel while assembling the spanakopita. This stops them from drying out and crisping up; they should be soft and pliable. You can also make a more rustic filo, using oil, flour and water, which is less delicate than commercial versions. FILLINGS Traditional spanakopita uses just spinach, leeks and dill, but cheeses such as feta or kefalotyri are…

TOMATOES As one of the UK’s sunniest spots, the Isle of Wight grows great tomatoes, with The Tomato Stall producing some of the best. thetomatostall.co.uk BLACK GARLIC The Garlic Farm’s black garlic, which is cooked at low temperatures over a few months, has flavours of clove, tamarind and balsamic vinegar. thegarlicfarm.co.uk GIN Mermaid, the first gin to be made on the island, is full of citrussy, peppery flavour, with its lead botanical being local rock samphire. isleofwightdistillery.com…

My grandmother, who’s from Coventry, used to make me bubble and squeak. She’d make it with sausages and cabbage and whatnot. When she was 20, she met my Chinese-Jamaican grandfather, and when she came to Jamaica, it was a culture shock for her. Not only was she getting all kinds of Jamaican food, but Chinese dishes from him, too. He’d cook things like fuqua [bitter melon], which looks like a hollow cucumber and is really bitter. He’d cut the ends, stuff it with minced meat or chicken and bake it down. My grandmother on my father’s side would cook real Jamaican food: curry goat, oxtails and stew peas. Jamaican curry chicken is the dish that reminds me of childhood. It’s also my favourite dish to cook now. As a kid,…

A bowl of yolk-yellow tortellini filled with pork and parmesan, bobbing in broth, eaten in a Bologna trattoria. A cricket ball-sized arancina, whose rice-ragu proportions seem to defy physics, bought from a Palermo rosticceria and eaten leaning against a wall. Tomatoes from a roadside stall in Puglia and eaten with bread for a car-bonnet picnic. The flavours of Italy’s regions are varied and, above all, delicious. It’s a dramatic boot, Italy, standing thigh-high in four seas — the Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic and Ionian — with an Alpine top and a southernmost point that shares a strait with Tunisia. And within the peninsula lies incredible diversity in landscapes, vegetation and climatic zones. What’s more, there’s the momentous shapeshifting that’s occurred historically, not only under the Roman Empire, but thanks to the…

Fresh anchovies Local anchovies with Amalfi lemon is the simplest, most classic Campania antipasto, and it’s a flavour bomb. Fresh anchovies are taken straight from the sea, chilled and marinated with lemon juice, then served with chilli flakes, salt, parsley and local olive oil. Vesuvian tomatoes Grown in volcanic soil right by the sea, and protected by steep coastal mountains, Vesuvian piennolo tomatoes have a sweet, intense flavour. There’s no way I’d cook them; they’re for a simple salad, dressed with just olive oil and salt, and perhaps some wine vinegar. Olive oil Olive oil produced south of Lazio has a stronger flavour than northern varieties — those from Amalfi and neighbouring Sorrento are rich and fruity. They’re great for simple tomato salads as they don’t overwhelm, and for branzino…

GETTING THERE Iberia, Ryanair and EasyJet fly from the UK to Madrid. From there, it’s a 1h45m drive to Aranda de Duero. There are also four daily Alsa buses from Madrid. iberia.com ryanair.com easyjet.com alsa.es WHERE TO STAY El Lagar de Isilla winery in La Vid offers wine-themed rooms. Doubles from €103 (£89), B&B. lagarisilla.es HOW TO DO IT Grape Escapes has three-day trips from Madrid from £529 per person, including transport, B&B and winery visits. grapeescapes.net MORE I NFO rutadelvino riberadelduero.es spain.info…

Pollo Bruto At this electric-yellow taco bar in Roma Sur, chef Emiliano Padilla serves flour tortillas with rotisserie chicken prepared in one of three adobos (wet rubs), from citrus-based to one so spicy it’s called ‘diablo’. Don’t miss the pirata, a taco stuffed with chicken marinated in a charred, Yucatecan-style adobo, with a fried cheese crust. instagram.com/pollobruto Tacos Cocuyos Queues snake around the corner at this late-night Centro Histórico mainstay, a legendary taquería known for staying open long after the bars and clubs close. Come for the city’s best suadero (brisket) and longaniza (sausage) tacos, which are best enjoyed with heaps of red chipotle salsa and habanero guacamole. instagram.com/tacoscocuyos El Vilsito At sundown, this mechanic’s shop in Narvarte turns into one of the city’s top taquerias for al pastor, the…

LION FISH ENCOUNTERS CASTAWAY WATERFRONT RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR When I meet John Mirabella, it soon becomes abundantly clear he has two passions: scuba diving and catching lionfish — which is lucky, because the two go hand in hand. Indigenous to the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, lionfish are considered an invasive species here. It’s unclear how they anchored themselves in the Caribbean, but one theory is that they escaped from a Miami aquarium in the mid 1980s during a flood caused by a hurricane. Whatever the case, these maroon-and-white-striped fish, with their spiky, poisonous spiny dorsal fins, have since established themselves as kings of this underwater jungle, altering an ecosystem in which they have no natural predators. They also can’t be lured by hooked bait, which means they have…

Tinto Grown in tight bunches that let the outer berries ripen quickest, the Monastrell grape is strong and fruity on the nose yet more subtle on the palate, with dry, tannic, mineral flavours. Rosado The so-called ‘rosé revolution’ of recent years has seen Jumilla growers pay more attention to the pink potential of Monastrell. A short maceration process makes for crisp, rounded rosés, often with cherry or raspberry tones and a purplish tint. Dulce Dessert wines have long been a regional tradition, and Jumilla Dulce comes in red and white, with red the commonest expression. The thick skin of the fully ripe Monastrell grape bursts with sugar while holding the acidity well, so the resulting wines are dense and intense, with fig and raisin aromas.…

OUR PICK SUMAC: RECIPES AND STORIES FROM SYRIA Anas Atassi In his debut cookbook, Anas Atassi explores Middle Eastern memories and flavours. Interspersed with tales of summers spent in Syria as a child, and of learning how to cook much-missed dishes from his homeland and mother’s kitchen while at university, are recipes that range from the traditional to Atassi’s own interpretations and adaptations. The book focuses on two key components of Syrian cuisine: sumac and nafas. Known as the ‘red thread’ in the Netherlands, where Atassi now lives, sumac is the citrussy spice that holds recipes together, from classic labneh (strained yoghurt) and sfeeha (flatbread) to creations such as spicy fish pilaf with caramelised onions. Nafas, meanwhile, is less tangible; translating as ‘breath’, it’s the Syrian way of cooking that…

Growing up in the bucolic Italian region of Abruzzo, and born into a family that has produced wine for five generations, Francesco D’Onofrio has always had a deep-seated passion for viticulture. His love of vines grew until he quit his career in mechanical engineering at the age of 21 to work for the family business, and he hasn’t looked back since. The winery has a strong family history, we work and live by the land. It’s a different life. When you’re very little, you grow up around nature and the passion for wine is ingrained in you. You go out of the house, explore, sample local produce, see animals in the fields. It grows to become a passion for working here, too, and keeping the family history going. We produce…

You probably already know about Italian food. Chances are you’ve even got a favourite dish, one that always delivers. Perhaps there’s an Italian restaurant nearby that you’ve loved for years. Or maybe pasta is your speciality in the kitchen. You might even be an enthusiast. Maybe you’ve been to Venice or Tuscany and marvelled at the cuisine — the freshness of the ingredients, the way the classics differ from place to place, how the locals coax such thrilling flavours from seemingly basic recipes. Or perhaps you’re actually something of an authority, with opinions on what makes the best olive oil and the ideal way to cook anchovies. But whatever your relationship with Italian cuisine, there’s always more to learn. And that’s the beauty of it — for its story is…

Anchovies aren’t to everyone’s taste, but I’ve always been smitten by these delicious, silvery slivers of fish. Like artichokes, lemons, good oil and quality chocolate, they’re a humble ingredient that steal the limelight when allowed to shine. Whether it’s for biological or social reasons, many of us develop likes and dislikes of certain foods as children, and these can continue into adulthood. Salted anchovies, with their abundance of umami, are challenging for young palates, and can be divisive among grown-ups too. Personally, however, I find anchovies delicious in all their guises, from sea-fresh to tinned and salty. I remember the sense of incredulity I felt at school on learning that garum, a fermented fish sauce, was a cornerstone of the ancient Roman kitchen. What I didn’t realise was that garum…

When I first started writing about wine in the early 1990s, the English wine industry was widely regarded as a bit of a joke. The wines were generally off-dry, based on obscure hybrid grape varieties such as seyval blanc and reichensteiner, and weren’t taken very seriously at all. However, the realisation that the chalky soil of southern England was very similar to that of the Champagne region, and therefore ideal for producing sparkling wine, was a gamechanger. Pioneers such as Nyetimber and Ridgeview in Sussex, and Gusbourne in Kent, planted the classic Champagne grape varieties of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, with huge success. Today, more than two-thirds of English wine — produced by some 500 wineries — is sparkling, yet there’s a growing number of high-quality still wines,…

Flour, sugar and butter are all staple ingredients in the US, popping up in everything from pies to pancakes. Yet, they don’t figure in traditional Native American cuisine, the oldest — and perhaps also the most underrepresented and misunderstood — food culture in the country. Granted, it isn’t easy to describe Native American cooking in a nutshell — after all, there are over 500 federally recognised Native American tribes, from the Cherokee of the south east to the Navajo Nation of the south west, meaning regional nuances abound. Fundamentally, however, the cuisine is underpinned by a close relationship with the land, characterised by the use of fresh, foraged, indigenous ingredients such as corn, beans, sunflowers, tomatoes, squash and pumpkins. The fact so little is known about Native American cuisine today…

What do you admire most about the food of Puglia? Its variety. As with much of the Mezzogiorno (the Italian south), Puglia is known for some astonishing dishes made using very few ingredients, such as eggless pasta. It’s a classic cucina povera (‘poor food’) culture, but it’s second to none in Italy. And it’s incredibly healthy: the diet is 70% veg, 20% fish and about 10% meat. How did you become interested in the region’s cuisine? I was born in Calabria, but did my Navy service in Puglia. They quickly saw my skills were in the kitchen and made me a pastry chef. I travelled all over, buying food in all the best spots. Back then, for as little as 2,000 lire (around £2), I got two bags of the…

As diverse as its many landscapes, from Alpine peaks to seascapes, the cuisine of Veneto is a kaleidoscope of flavours in which geography, history and social dynamics all play a part. Venice’s centuries as a maritime republic, and its trading history with the Middle and Far East, have shaped its culinary repertoire. Though based on the bounty of the sea, it shows distinctive exoticisms — from spices to sweet and sour notes — that are a testament to the city’s heritage, affluence and general open-mindedness. Moving inland, however, flavours start to change. The cuisine becomes hearty, substantial and bound to the land. Meat replaces abundant seafood as farmhouses replace the palazzi. With the exceptions of a few staples — rice and polenta as starches of choice; bitter vegetables like radicchio,…

I arrive at the dairy just in time to see the milk reach the right temperature: 180 litres from the morning’s milking, almost filling the stainless steel cauldron, hits a precise 42C. Through the screen door is a garden lined with olive trees and beyond them fields, which, when you look closely, are thick with tiny spring flowers, tufts of wild fennel, saw-edged chicory and menacing swirls of thistles. No wonder sheep have grazed here happily for thousands of years. There’s rennet in the cauldron too, so the sheep’s milk has been transformed into brilliant white curds suspended in yellow whey. Francesco Marras uses his big hands to press the curds into perforated plastic baskets. Each one is then inverted into another basket, leaving the soon-to-be pecorino cheeses with maze-like…

Ide Sake Brewery Perfectly located for visitors to Fuji, the brewery offers a tour of its inner workings and Japanese garden for Y800 (£5.50). It also has tasting experiences, during which visitors can sample four grades of sake, for Y500 (£3.50). Take home a bottle of sweet Daiginjou (premium-grade sake) from the brewery shop. kainokaiun.jp Buko Shuzo Free tours of this rustic timber brewery, located in the centre of Chichibu, can be booked in advance (in Japanese only). First timers should consider trying out their fruity Chichibu Yuzu sake in the onsite shop, which retails for around £8. bukou.co.jp Matsuoka Brewery The acclaimed Matsuoka Brewery makes the most of the Chichibu mountains’ mineral-rich waters. In its shop, the jewel in the crown is the aromatic Daiginjou (£75), made with rice…

A young chef in a white toque parks a trolley by the side of the table. On it is a duck; plump and glossy, its skin is an enticing caramel and entirely smooth. With a long knife, the chef shears off slices of lacquered skin and then succulent meat, laying them neatly on a serving platter. Pancakes are taken from a stack in a bamboo steamer, anointed with dark tianmian sauce, laid with slices of duck and shards of leek and cucumber and rolled up, ready to be eaten. The crisp skin, dipped in white sugar, melts instantly in the mouth. The combination is irresistible: the fragrance of the meat and skin, the savoury hit of the sauce, the refreshing contrast of the vegetables. Peking duck is one of the…

Ribera del Duero Day Tour, Wine Tourism Spain This day trip offers an introduction to tempranillo wines from Peñafiel, Roa de Duero and Aranda de Duero. You’ll explore winemaking methods at three wineries, and learn to identify aromas and flavours. winetourismspain.com Classical Wines Gourmet Tour, Vintage Spain This four-day tour takes in wineries across the Ribera del Duero and Rioja region. In the former, you’ll visit wineries in Burgos, Valladolid and Segovia, including Isamel Arroyo, Pradorey and Bodegas Briego, followed by a tour of Aranda del Duero’s underground wineries or the fortress town of Peñaranda. The trip continues to Bilbao and Segovia before finishing in Madrid. vintagespain.com Individual vineyard visits Many vineyards across the Ribera del Duero region offer guided tours for both individuals and groups, including the historic Dominio…

One of Latin America’s great culinary capitals, Mexico City can trace its food origins back to the ancient culture that once flourished here. In 1325, when the Aztecs first settled on islands in Lake Texcoco, in the highlands of Central Mexico, their diet was mainly plant-based, centred around frijoles (beans) and maíz (corn). The latter was so important it played a central role in the Aztec creation myth. Many other indigenous ingredients, including chia seeds and huaútli (amaranth), were banned after the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, because of their use in religious ceremonies, but were later revived, and can now still be seen on menus throughout the city, from upscale restaurants to fondas (small, family-run places). Yet, the Aztecs are far from the only people to have had an…

You can’t come to Mexico City without visiting hip Colonia Roma, south west of Centro Histórico. Dating back to the late 19th century, the district is host to art nouveau and neoclassical mansions and is the hub of the city’s contemporary culinary scene. Start at Forte Bread & Coffee, an indoor-outdoor bakery serving coffee grown in the jungles of Chiapas, a state in south east Mexico, and the forests outside of the city of Puebla, around 60 miles from Mexico City. Espresso is served on ice and mixed with tascalate, a clay-coloured prehispanic drink that combines axiote seeds, roasted corn, cacao beans, cinnamon and organic cane sugar. Pair it with a freshly baked cacao or coffee-flavoured concha (a classic Mexican pastry) and enjoy it in Plaza Luis Cabrera, a lively…

Mercado de Jamaica This market is known for having the best selection of flowers in the city, especially during Day of the Dead festivities in October. But it also has the tastiest green chorizo tacos; ask around to find the unmarked stand, which insiders know as Las Más Altas Montañas. La Merced On the outskirts of Centro Histórico, pick up a takeaway cup of tepache — a fermented pineapple-peel drink akin to kombucha — before hitting the stalls to sample some of the edible insects, from grasshoppers to maguey worms. Central de Abasto About an hour from the city centre, this is one of the largest markets in the world, where many chefs come to buy their ingredients, from fresh seafood to whole hogs. Explore solo, or try a tour…

Melrose High Street is just as high streets ought to be. In this Scottish Borders town, tucked between the Eildon Hills and the River Tweed, there’s barely a chain store in sight. Its main thoroughfares are lined with family butchers, bakers and chocolate-bar makers; restaurants using local produce; a bottle shop well stocked with Scottish whisky and gin; and an orchard of heritage apples, which flourishes beside the ruins of Melrose Abbey. The unofficial taste of the town is the Melrose tart, a pastry base filled with honey, brown sugar and ginger — “all ingredients with historic links to the town,” says Craig Murray, owner of Alex Dalgetty & Sons (alex-dalgetty.co.uk). This family-owned bakery has been using the same cast-iron ovens since the 19th century, which, according to Craig, “bake…

FAMILY FAVOURITES Makan: Recipes from the Heart of Singapore Elizabeth Haigh A love letter to Singaporean Nonya cuisine, Makan is full of treasured dishes from Haigh’s own family. Recipes range from the simple (asparagus, wok-fried egg, coconut and sambal) to the rich and time-consuming (beef rendang). £26, Bloomsbury FLAME-GRILLING Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich The fourth cookbook from the cofounders of London restaurant Honey?& Co. centres on dishes from the grill. Travelling around the Levant, including Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece and their native Israel, the couple explore how smoke can add flavour. £26, Pavilion SIMPLE SUPPERS Vietnamese Uyen Luu With her second book, Uyen Luu aims to simplify Vietnamese cooking. The chapters have names like ‘things to eat with rice’ and ‘heavenly…

LONDON •NATIVERESTAURANT.CO.UK HAVING PREVIOUSLY DECAMPED TO A HARD-TO-REACH I SLAND, NATIVE IS BACK IN THE HEART OF THE CAPITAL, SERVING FOOD THAT’S AS PRETTY AS IT IS DELICIOUS Finding my way to Native at Browns is a challenge. Having arrived at its location — within the Browns Brook Street department store in London’s Mayfair — I have to navigate the ‘Trainer Gallery’, a long, curving space decorated solely in grey, with a carpet so thick you could comfortably bed down on it. Shoes costing around £400 are dotted about. There’s a hushed silence. I get lost on my first attempt. A helpful shop assistant rescues me when I accidentally walk into a fitting room. This monochrome prelude makes Native’s courtyard space all the more impressive when I eventually get there.…

ISLE OF SKYE •THREECHIMNEYS.CO.UK THIS SCOTTISH I SLAND BOLTHOLE SERVES WORLD-CLASS FOOD USING THE BEST LOCAL INGREDIENTS It’s as though they’ve done it on purpose. Somewhere near the end of a winding lane sits the whitewashed hamlet of Colbost, right on the edge of a loch. With every twist and turn, you feel yourself getting hungrier and hungrier, willing The Three Chimneys to materialise like an oasis in the desert. And eventually, it does. The Three Chimneys is not a well-kept secret. In fact, it might be the worst-kept secret in Scotland. The restaurant with rooms has popped up on ‘world’s best’ lists for decades and has held three AA Rosettes for over two of them. In 2019, hotelier Gordon Campbell Gray took over from the original owners, who first…

THE BONNIE BADGER, EAST LOTHIAN Tom Kitchin’s smart spot serves hearty food — the beef wellington and cullen skink are highlights — in the stables of a 19th-century inn. Doubles from £195, B&B. bonniebadger.com THE PEAT INN, FIFE Serene interiors meet Michelin-starred food at this eight-room retreat. The menu includes wild roe deer with potato beignets. Doubles from £240, B&B. thepeatinn.co.uk 21212, EDINBURGH The seasonal, five-course dinner menu at this city townhouse changes weekly, but many dishes have a French slant. Doubles from £195, B&B. 21212restaurant.co.uk…

How would you describe Ecuadorian cuisine? Diverse. The coast, highlands, islands and the Amazon each have their own distinct ingredients and dishes. In the coastal areas, you’ll find dishes made with plantains, shrimp, fish, black clams, crab, and peanuts. In the highlands, it’s potatoes, corn, beans, grains, cassava and avocados. Soups and stews are common everywhere. What did you eat growing up? A mix of Ecuadorian and my mum’s New Mexican food. She made everything from scratch, from flour tortillas to tofu. What are your favourite dishes to cook? Anything with plantains — from plantain empanadas to stuffed plantains. I also like cooking Ecuadorian soups like locro de papa (creamy potato and cheese) and encebollado (fish and cassava topped with lime-marinated onions). What’s the one Ecuadorian dish everyone must try?…

@pilarwoloszyn Pilar is a talented food stylist and photographer. I love her Chilean and Ecuadorian recipes and the stories that go with them. @alejandra_allauca Alejandra is from Guayaquil in western Ecuador, and posts really beautiful photos. I especially love the desserts. @lacomilonablog AnaCa helps me keep up with the latest food news from Ecuador. She writes about restaurants and also posts recipes. @quitoeatss Mara posts the best places to eat in Quito. Whenever I’m on her feed, I have to resist booking a last-minute trip.…

THE EXPERTS Hazel Evans Author of Mad About Copenhagen Nidia Penagos Director of Uncover Colombia Adrian Tierney-Jones Journalist and author of Camra’s Great British Pubs Rose Geraedts Owner/founder of The International Welsh Rarebit Centre I’m planning a trip to Copenhagen. How easy is it to eat on a budget? Hazel Evans: Copenhagen might not be known for being budget-friendly, but you don’t have to eat at Noma to get a taste of the city; you’ll find delicious options at a variety of price points. There are three must-try dishes that won’t break the bank. For the legendary Danish hot dog, which comes in at around DKK 25-45 (£3-5), head to either John’s Hotdog Deli or DØP, which makes them using organic meat and also caters to vegans and vegetarians. When…

Olives and grapes are the only two things that grow in this rocky, very rural part of Chianti. When my father-in-law brought Pornanino, an abandoned 17th-century Tuscan vineyard estate, he decided to plant olives. His retirement project quickly produced more oil than our family could consume, so we sold it to friends and the business grew from there. We make extra virgin olive oil using a traditional ‘first cold press’ method that’s almost lost. Of Tuscany’s 120 or so producers, only a handful use millstones to press. Our method is how the Romans would have done it, but using a motor rather than a donkey to turn the millstone, and then pruning, picking, pressing and bottling by hand. We’re chemical-free. The value of extra virgin olive oil is largely assessed…

GETTING THERE Japan Airlines, British Airways and ANA operate regular flights to Tokyo Haneda from London. British Airways also has flights to Tokyo Narita. jal.co.jp ba.com ana.co.jp WHERE TO STAY Ikoi no Mura Heritage Minoyama offers views of the wooded hills near Chichibu, an onsen and a choice of Japanese-and-Western-style rooms. From £70. ikoinomuraminoyama.jp The hilltop Rakuyu Fujikawaguchiko, near Ide Sake Brewery, has great views over Lake Kawaguchi. Rooms from £140. onsen-rakuyu.hotelsfujikawaguchiko.com HOW TO DO IT Sake sommelier Satoko Utsugi runs sake-themed evening itineraries around Tokyo from £52 per person. airbnb.co.uk Sake Tours runs trips to Niigata, in the north, and to Mie and Wakayama, sake heartlands south of Kyoto, from £2,500. saketours.com…

LECHAZO PDO-protected lechazo lamb also gives its name to Aranda de Duero’s signature dish. The leg is seasoned with a touch of salt, slow-roasted in a wood-fired oven and served sizzling in its own juices. For the best lechazo in town, visit Casa Florencio. CHULETILLAS Also made with lechazo lamb, chuletillas are small lamb chops traditionally cooked over vine wood. In most of Aranda de Duero’s asadores, they’ll come served on a mini grill, so you can cook them at the table to your liking. MORCILLA DE BURGOS Spain has several varieties of blood sausage, but perhaps its most popular is the one made in the city of Burgos. Morcilla de Burgos is laced with buttery onions, lard and rice, then lightly spiced with paprika and black pepper. It’s delicious…

Built on the site of the former Aztec capital, Centro Histórico is where Mexico’s ancient ruins and Spanish colonial facades collide. It’s easy to admire the area simply for the architecture, but there’s more to it than its looks, with cantinas, fine dining establishments and museums to explore. Start the day at El Cardenal, a restaurant that’s been dishing out classic Mexican breakfasts since 1969. Whether you order enchiladas smothered in green salsa, or an egg omelette stuffed with escamoles (ant larvae) or huauzontle (a herb), save room for the signature pastry: a seashell-shaped sweet bread called a concha, stuffed with clotted cream. Next, take in the historic sights. Marvel at Palacio de Bellas Artes, a concert hall and cultural centre decorated with murals by Mexican artists including Diego Rivera…

La Docena It’s a weekend tradition in Mexico City to enjoy long lunches at seafood restaurants such as upscale La Docena, in Polanco. Helmed by chef Tomás Bermúdez, who led the restaurant to a place on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2019, this oyster-focused establishment offers some of the city’s best seafood plates. These include ceviche-style spicy aguachile tatemado with shrimp, served with a side of crispy corn tostadas. ladocena.com.mx Campo Baja The picnic-style tables of this restaurant in Roma Norte make for a relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy tuna tostadas with guacamole and crema, washed down with a michelada (beer with lime juice, served in a salt-rimmed glass). Once you’ve eaten, head to the ground floor, where the party continues in the open-air, French-style petanque arena.…

Between the central Spanish plateau and the Mediterranean coast, there’s a hot, high and dry stretch of rocky valleys and extinct volcanoes. Far from a stark, fruitless expanse, this is a landscape where people have been cultivating vines for millennia. Local excavations of ancient hamlets, ruined forts, sacred caves and burial sites have also turned up fossilised grape seeds, and grape ‘earrings’ worn by Iberian settlers. Today, oenophiles can explore a wine route across the region — known today as Jumilla — from low Manchegan farmlands to the rugged heights of Murcia. One of Spain’s oldest viticultural areas, and among the first awarded the appellation of denominación de origen protegida (DOP) in the 1960s, Jumilla has steadily grown into a low-yield, high-quality terroir that makes the best of its few…

What inspired you to focus on the food of the Baltic states for your new book, Amber & Rye? I spent the first eight years of my life in Poland, but my grandma, Halinka, came from Vilnius, Lithuania, and she talked about it so much that even as a child it was somewhere I wanted to explore. After the success of my first book [Polska: New Polish Cooking], it felt like the time had come for Eastern European food to have its moment. I started reading up on the Baltic States, and the cuisine seemed a natural progression from Polish cooking. I saw that, just as in Poland, there was a food renaissance going on in the region. I find it so life-affirming that, after all the hardships of communism…

I’VE BEEN EATING AT… Cafe Bao, the new London opening from the founders of the Bao chain. As well as fluffy bao buns (try the lobster and crayfish or panko daikon), the menu features original fusion dishes such as baked ham hock congee pie. Nicola Trup, deputy editor I’VE BEEN DRINKING… Avallen. For all its environmental credentials, this ‘bee-positive’ calvados has wormed its way into my affections for other reasons — specifically, how refreshing it is when mixed with decent tonic and tons of ice. It’s a great summer drink. Glen Mutel, editor I’VE BEEN COOKING FROM… Cook This Book by Molly Baz. Not only does every recipe sound delicious, but the graphic design and typography is eye-catching, with QR codes throughout linking to how-to videos. My favourite recipe so…