According to the World Food Travel Association’s Food Travel Monitor, “96% of travelers can now be considered food travelers!”
Trying out foods from around the world can take you places you’ve never dreamed of before.
One of the greatest cities in the world for food tourism is bound to be close to you! Check out our culinary travel locations below and get started on your own journey.
Culinary Travel Locations
Everyone has different tastes; that’s why these amazing food cities provide delicious dishes in so many different styles. No matter what you like, there’s something for everyone on our list.
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza provides plenty of exotic flavors with unique specialities like asado de tira, cantimpalo, and empanadas
Asado de tira is a special cut of beef, often served in a more than hearty serving size. The rich flavors of the cut’s fat are included, and the special seasoning and preparation will make this dish something you’ll want to recommend to your friends back home
Cantimpalo is a chorizo sausage, made of both beef and pork. Its special blend of spices usually includes the perfect level of heat.
Paris, France
Paris is considered by many to be the absolute greatest city for food in the world. It holds many of the top world restaurants.
Paris’ mouth-watering creations have spread throughout the world for everyone to enjoy. If you want these dishes done right, though, you’ll need to enjoy them at the source.
In Paris, must-try items include escargot, falafel, and steak frites. Famous for their desserts, you’ll also want to try Parisian eclairs and lemon tarts.
L’eclair de Genie is a great place to try out some modern twists on the famous eclair. Located in lower Marais, you’ll also be in the right place to do some shopping.
The lemon tart is a succulent blend of sweet and sour, combined with the mastery of pastry that the French are famous for.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo is another top contender for the best culinary travel city in the world. Everyone knows sushi, but check out other dishes like soba, udon, chankonabe, and okonomiyaki.
Soba is a simple noodle dish with thin noodles and a sauce. Often served cold, the simple list of ingredients allows talented chefs to make a thousand different delicious varieties!
Chankonabe is a dish famous for its place in sumo wrestler’s diets. Don’t worry, though, sumo wrestlers have to eat extraordinary quantities of it to bulk up for competition. This healthy broth is made with chicken and vegetables and topped off with a splash of mirin (a sweet rice wine) or sake.
London, England
Many of London’s foods are familiar to the American palette, but not all of them. Sticky toffee pudding and Eton mess make for delicious desserts and great stories.
Sticky toffee pudding consists of toffee sauce served over sponge cake. Ice cream or custard are usually included, too. Eton mess is a rich and fruity dessert made of strawberries mixed into whipped cream and meringue.
The full English breakfast is a necessary stop on your foodie tour. It’s made with sausage, eggs, ham, tomatoes, beans, and black pudding. You can enjoy it with coffee or tea to top off the authentic English experience.
Bangkok, Thailand
Thai food has taken the world by storm, and with foods like these, it’s no surprise. Pad thai is just the beginning; you’ll want to try red curry and tom yum along with some authentic Thai fried rice.
Tom yum is a hot and sour soup with shrimp. Red curry is made of curry paste with coconut milk and meat. Modern versions can also use tofu for a vegetarian option.
Thai food is famous for being spicy, which makes it the top food travel spot for some, and puts it further down the list for others.
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexican food is another culinary success story that is enjoyed around the world. Some less well-known dishes include chilaquiles, al pastor, and pozole.
Chilaquiles is a traditional dish made of cut corn tortillas fried in oil. Typically served with chicken, cheese, beans, and salsa, this dish is as fun to eat as it is to say.
Al pastor means “in the shepherd way.” It’s inspired by Lebanese food, but has taken on a distinctly Mexican style. Made with pork grilled over a spit and combining the best of Middle Eastern and Indigenous Mexican spices, this is a unique dish that stands out on the world stage.
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona is one of the most popular tourist cities in the world, and food is a big part of why. Barcelona’s dishes include paella, escalibada, and mato.
Paella is a rice dish made with seafood or chicken and seasoned with saffron. It is one of the emblematic dishes of Spain.
Escalibada is a traditional dish from Catalonia. Made of roasted vegetables, you’ll never find better eggplant or bell peppers. Mato is an unsalted fresh cheese dish. It is served with honey and present at many Spanish meals.
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans may be famous for its gumbo, but there’s far more to it than that. By itself, gumbo is almost its own food group in New Orleans cuisine, and you’ll have to try dozens of versions before you get a feel for the many delicious flavors.
Etouffee, jambalaya, and muffuletta are more famous dishes. Etouffee is a Cajun dish with shellfish over rice. Muffuletta is a sandwich made on special round Sicilian bread and stuffed with ham, olive salad, and Swiss and other cheeses.
Keeping Your Health Up to the Journey
Some tourist attractions can be enjoyed even if you’re feeling a bit under the weather. However, a culinary adventure is impossible without keeping your health in top shape.
Make sure you know the best online pharmacy for wherever you go, and make sure your stomach is hungry for new and delicious foods.
Food is an Adventure
We hope you enjoyed our list of top culinary travel locations. Read our other articles for more travel tips and to keep up to date on tech and celebrity news!