Discover the various countries and cultures all through your tastebuds.

 

Foodies can rejoice! Insight Vacations has come up with 10 curated food experiences when you travel to Europe. From oyster tasting in Croatia to a paella demonstration in Valencia, Spain, guests are immersed into dining experiences that allow them to discover the various countries and cultures through their tastebuds.

Not only that, guests get to learn from local farmers and fishermen how food is harvested before service up farm-to-table meals; see demonstrations from chefs on how a few fresh ingredients can be turned into delicious masterpieces during hands-on cooking classes; and get invited by locals to their homes for home-cooked meals during dine-at-home evenings.

This year, through Insight Vacations’ partnership with eatwith, a global meal-sharing platform, guests will also be able to share meals with local hosts and other travellers.

Insight Vacations’ 10 culinary experiences include:

1) Oyster tasting in Croatia: During the ‘Country Roads of Croatia’ journey, travellers accompany Tomislav to his floating barges and watch him harvest oysters straight from the sea. They then sample the freshly shucked mollusks with a squeeze of lemon and a glass of crisp local wine.

2) Innovative and locally-sourced dishes at Ireland’s Iconic Ashford Castle: On the ‘Irish Elegance’ itinerary, travellers dine at the magnificent 800-year-old Ashford Castle where creative cooking and local ingredients reign supreme. An après-dinner walk around the stunning grounds provides the perfect end to the meal.

3) Dine-at-home dinner in Sarajevo: On the ‘Eastern Capitals and the Dalmatian Riviera’ journey, guests are invited into a Sarajevan family’s home for a dine-at-home dinner. They’ll savour authentic Bosnian cuisine and hear inspirational stories about the beautiful city’s resilient people, rich culture and wonderful traditions.

4) Pasta-making with Chef Lorenzo Polegri in Orvieto, Italy: At a restaurant in the medieval heart of Orvieto, guests on the ‘European Dream’ journey learn how to make fresh pasta by hand during a live cooking demonstration by Chef Polegri. His passion for Italian cuisine comes through as guests savour the delicious flavors he creates.

5) Introduction to Greek cooking in Olympia: While on the ‘Treasures of Greece and the Islands’ itinerary, guests join a local chef for an entertaining cooking demonstration, then savour regional Greek specialties in a fun-filled, flavourful dinner.

6) The art of strudel-making in Budapest: On the ‘Easy Pace Budapest, Vienna and Prague’ journey, guests visit a traditional strudel house and see pastry chefs at work stretching the dough and readying the fillings, then enjoy a delectable taste of this famous delicacy paired with rich, aromatic coffee.

7) Traditional Basque pintxos in San Sebastián, Spain: On the ‘Mediterranean Journey’, guests wander through San Sebastián’s Old Town, the hub of the town’s social life, then enjoy some of the best pintxos in the region. This Basque gastronomic staple is similar to tapas and pairs well with the local Txakoli wine.

8) Cornish coast experience in Britain: Guests visit a Cornish fishing village during the ‘Best of Britain’ journey and enjoy a farm-to-table celebration dinner at the edge of Dartmoor National Park that includes fresh, locally-sourced seafood.

9) Paella demonstration in Valencia, Spain: Valencia is home to one of the world’s greatest dishes, paella. While on the ‘Highlights of Spain’ journey, guests meet the chef at a local family-run restaurant in the heart of the Old City and learn the traditional recipe for paella during a cooking demonstration. Next, they savour the delicious flavours of this classic dish with a glass of sangria during a highlight dinner.

10) Dine-at-home in Portugal: On the ‘Country Roads of Portugal’ trip, guests journey through rolling, vine-laden hills to Quinta de Marrocos, home of the Sequeira family. There they learn about the family’s passion for wine making and join them for a farm-to-table dinner of food freshly prepared from locally-sourced ingredients and served with wine from the estate.

 

Book before February 28 to enjoy 10-percent early payment savings and additional US$400 (around S$531) per couple (for trips from US$3,500 (around S$4,648)) and US$200 (around S$266) per couple (for trips below US$3,500 (around S$4,648)). Guests can also enjoy S$88 cashback when they book an Air France/KLM flight to Europe together with their Insight Vacations trip. Check with your travel agent or visit www.insightvacations.com for more information.

 

(** PHOTO CREDITS: Insight Vacations)

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