Whether you’re a die-hard foodie or just love living like a local, you need to add an authentic food experience to your next trip. Going ‘hyperlocal’ means choosing food that is grown and eaten in the same neighbourhood or community. We’re talking real, delicious, authentic dishes made by locals – or even by you.
Getting stuck in is also a great way to meet the locals, make new friends and learn new skills while creating unforgettable memories along the way. Think baking fresh custard tarts in a local’s kitchen in Porto or cooking authentic Moroccan cuisine with inspiring female chefs. Whatever you’re hungry for, we’ve found the ultimate Europe food experiences you need to tuck into.
Become a pesto-making pro in Cinque Terre
The chance to visit one of the most breathtakingly beautiful parts of the world and create your own signature pesto? Get yourself to Cinque Terre and the riviera town of Sestri Levante where they’re serving up special pesto-making classes with professional chefs. Then taste the fruits of your labour with alongside a fresh pasta feast with your new friends.
Get your Pasteis de Nata on in Porto
If you’ve always dreamed of baking like a local, join Porto native Joana in her kitchen where she’ll teach you how to make homemade Portuguese custard tarts. First created by Catholic monks in the 18th century, the history here goes way back and she can teach you how to make your own flaky creations from scratch.
Image source:Contiki
Forage for decadent truffles in Croatia
We drizzle it on our pizza, shave it onto our pasta and sprinkle it onto our fries – there’s no denying our obsession with all things truffle-related. But did you know that the forests in northern Croatia’s Istria is one of the best places to eat it? You can head out with the team at a local Restaurant Zigante and their team of trained pooches in search of the white and black varieties. Then have it all cooked up for lunch. The steak right through to the ice cream features the delicious stuff.
Learn to cook authentic Moroccan cuisine
For an experience that combines delicious food and helping others, check out The Amal Centre in Marrakech. The not-for-profit initiative teaches local women the cooking skills they need to work in the city’s many restaurants. The cookery school is an amazing opportunity to make a classic main course – whether a steaming tagine, veggie couscous or rich pastilla.
Eat with a Portuguese family
Want to really get to know the locals? Pull up a chair at the Porto EatWith experience. You’ll visit Helder’s beautiful riverside home, where she’ll serve you course after course of fresh Portuguese food, all prepared with fresh local ingredients, of course. Soups, sardine pie (delicious, trust us!) and homemade beads – you can wash it all down with port spritzes, and finish with fresh peaches grown in the garden outside.
Image source:Contiki
Try a traditional Plaka dinner in Athens
Greece’s plate smashing tradition has been a source of fascination for centuries. With the Greek Plaka dinner in historic Athens, you can experience the real thing for yourself. Settle in for a feast, with salads, gyros and baklava, before being totally entertained with music and plate smashing galore. Check out our Greek Island Hopping Trip for more inspiration.
Learn to cook pasta – according to the Romans
When in Rome, try this immersive cooking experience, in the ancient Jewish quarter. You can learn how to make four different types of pasta (spaghetti, fettucine, ravioli and taggiatelle), before creating a long pasta train. No pressure through, the local master chefs will then transform your finished creations into a feast for everyone. This is authentic as it gets. When in Rome…
