7 Foods to Try Abroad, Regional Guides

Escargot – The obvious choice. Easy to hunt and suitably tasty with lashings of garlic butter. Snails is often a possibility when touring in France, certain restaurants will allow groups the option of ordering them (at a small additional cost). It is often surprising just how many people want to try this very local delicacy.Sausage and more – Stuart H. is the man for any guided tour of London or Rome but he knows his stuff about central Europe too. Germany is the place for great sausage and the currywurst is a popular choice, the chopped sausage is covered in a curry flavored sauce. In Munich head to the viktualienmarkt and try the local favorite, white sausage (weisswurst), which is best served with sweet mustard.Newsagents in Britain – Matt B. will happily cram a whole group into one of these places as part of a walking tour. As he says, “these fine centers of epicurean delicacies sell many delights, but specifically; Pickled Onion Monster Munch, Prawn Cocktail Seabrooks, Ham & Pickle Brannigans, Balsamic Vinegar & Caramelized Onion Walkers Sensations.” Want to know what he is talking about? Get yourself to Olympic England and find out.Regional Guide: London – Few Tour Directors know London as well as James P. – here’s his twenty second guide to some of the best ethnic food areas. Best Polish restaurants/deli in London are in Ealing or Hackney. I would also recommend Tubby Issacs fish stall for a cultural and culinary treat such as winkles, cockles etc. The 24 hour Bagel shop on Brick Lane in east London is the place for salt beef bagels and the best cheesecake in the world (according to Mariah Carey, even though her and her entourage were sent to the back of the queue). Borough Market, near London Bridge, is the place for Cornish oysters (smaller and sweeter than French, even though Irish oysters are the best in the world).Regional Guide: Eastern Europe – I was lucky enough to run almost parallel on tour earlier this year with Kamila V., a Tour Director originally from Prague, as she was a superb source of local info. Her suggestions are pork with sauerkraut and dumplings, Schnitzel in Vienna, Hungarian goulash, Polish pirogi (dumplings) and pickled camembert (in Prague). Most of these might sound familiar but eating them in their native country is something else. Anya W. is another Tour Director who advises trying “himmel und aerd” in Cologne – a mixture of mashed potatoes with apples and served with black pudding.That seems to be it…..of course, I forgot Italy. Way too much to mention there, so it gets its own space next week.