Shakespeare once wrote that the food of love is music, but sometimes the food of love is, well, food. If you’re planning a honeymoon around two hungry tummies, here are 10 destinations that are certainly worth your while.
1. FLORENCE, ITALY
The Tuscan city of Florence likes to claim credit for being the birthplace of Italian cuisine. We believe it – from the famous Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a large t-bone cut fire-grilled on the outside and pink and bloody on the inside; to lampredotto, the infamous tripe sandwich served with gravy or sauce; to pappardelle with cinghiale (wild boar), to its inimitable gelato, no food loving couple can possibly leave Firenze feeling unsatisfied.
2. MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
The city of Marrakech is brimming with exotic spices and tantalising aromas, filling every corner of this North African metropolis. Can’t-miss dishes include stews cooked in tagines (a traditional clay pot) and served with couscous, b’ssara (broad bean soup), zaalouk (smoked aubergine dip) chermoula (a combination of herbs and spices used to marinade fish before grilling), and b’stilla, a pie made from thin layers of pastry, pigeon meat, almonds and eggs, and spiced with saffron.
3. PROVENÇE, FRANCE
Real Provençal cuisine focuses on preserving the taste and texture of seasonal, fresh ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, peppers, anchovies, olive oil and wild herbs. It is Mediterranean and familiar – the dishes your nanna would cook if she were French. The dishes which put it on the foodie couple’s map include soupe au pistou – the Provençal version of minestrone; ratatouille, aioli and tapenade; and of course, bouillabaisse, the region’s famous seafood stew-soup.
4. SAIGON, VIETNAM
From Southern Vietnamese-style pho to countless variations on bun or rice noodles, Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City, is a great city to sample a wide selection of the best food in Vietnam. The best way to discover the flavours of Saigon is by taking to the streets – each block in the city has multiple casual restaurants, as well as numerous vendors serving homespun food such as bot chien (fried rice flour cakes) ban canh (noodle soup) and bun bo hue (vermicelli beef soup).
5. SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN
San Sebastián, also known as Donostia in the Basque region, is a real foodie gem. The picturesque resort town is home to plenty of Michelin-starred restaurants, as well as pintxos (Donostian tapas) bars, fresh food markets and gourmet food shops. Since it’s a seaside town, some of the city’s most famous dishes include bacalao pil pil (cod fried in olive oil until the skin becomes crispy), pecebes (goose barnacles), squid in its own ink, and kokotxas (cod or hake cheeks).
6. OSAKA, JAPAN
Osaka used to be called the nation’s kitchen – indeed, you’ll find all the most iconic Japanese foods, including world-class sushi and ramen, freely available in this large city. However, it also boasts a great deal of specifically Osakan dishes and snack foods, most of which are delicious and inexpensive, including takoyaki (batter balls stuffed with pieces of octopus) okonomiyaki (cabbage pancakes) and kushikatsu (breaded and deep-fried vegetables served with a delicious dipping sauce).
7. OAXACA, MEXICO
Forget everything you think you know about Mexican food when visiting Oaxaca. This culturally and biologically diverse state boasts many dishes dating back to pre-Hispanic times. Flavourful mole sauce, tamales, fresh herbs, dried chiles, quesillo (Oaxacan cheese), and even spicy dried grasshoppers (chapulines), and of course, the cult of cacao, are just a few of the elements that make Oaxacan food so special – and a visit here so memorable.
8. BANGKOK, THAILAND
In the buzzing Thai capital, you can get anything from a snack to eat to an entire sit-down feast on the streets, 24 hours a day. However, the best Thai food comes from local ‘shophouse’ restaurants – many of which will have started off as street stalls, but progressed to more permanent digs. Among the most delectable dishes to sample are tom yum goong (thai shrimp soup), pla pao (a whole fish stuffed with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, rolled in a salt crust, grilled and served with chili garlic sauce) and som tam (green papaya salad).
9. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Glossy, gritty and glamorous Los Angeles is one for the eclectic types. The City of Angels is where all the biggest food trends that end up trickling down to other countries start – from highbrow dining to beachside casual surf shacks, from Korean BBQ to Mexi-Cali fusion food, from vintage Americana-style diners to big-name celebrity chefs, if it’s edible and exciting, you’ll find it in LA – before anyone else does.
10. AMRITSAR, INDIA
The home of the famous Golden Temple in the Punjabi region is packed with street-side vendors preparing makki di roti (cornmeal flatbread) with sarson da saag (mustard green curry) or maa ki dal (lentil curry). Here is where you can experience chicken tikka, butter chicken, and mutton chaap as you’ve never had them before. And when it comes to dessert, leave room for gajar ka halwa (carrot pudding) and lassi (sweet yogurt) with kesar (saffron) on top – divine.