Lonely Planet Food - Food Trails

Explore the secret
cicchetti bars of
Venices backstreets:
see page 134

Susan Wright

introduction

Whether we realise it or not, food is one of the key
ways in which we experience a place when travelling.
That secret locals tapas bar you stumbled across down a
backstreet; that briny-fresh seafood you saw hauled straight
from the sea and onto the barbecue; that heartwarming
family recipe you were privy to one time. Ingredients evoke
landscapes, recipes recall history and certain dishes can
unlock the very essence of a place and its people.

This book is a gastronomic tour of the world in 52
short breaks. We've scoured the globe for the greatest
food experiences worth planning your travels around
not just fine dining, but also the best regional
specialities, the most atmospheric street food spots,
and the most memorable cooking courses.

What's clear is that food tourism is booming, making it easier
than ever to get under the skin of a place. In many countries
you'll find communities are reconnecting with heritage dishes
and reinventing traditions. Farm-to-table, nose-to-tail and
locavore principles have also become popular buzzwords for
exciting food destinations. Local culture is there for the
tasting; so bring your plate to the table and dig in.

Chef Dan Hunter picking
fruit at Brae restaurant,
Australia: see page 28

Colin Page, colinpage.com.au

Check out the pintxos
scene in San Sebastin,
Spain: see page 268

Justin Folkes Lonely Planet

contents

ARGENTINA

Buenos Aires

AUSTRALIA

Southern
Tasmania

Melbourne &
the Great
Ocean Rd

Southwest
Australia

BRAZIL

So Paulo

CANADA

Qubec

CHILE

Patagonia

CHINA

Beijing

DENMARK

Aarhus

ENGLAND

London

Southwest
England

FRANCE

Paris

Dordogne

Lyon

GERMANY

Black Forest

GREECE

Crete

ICELAND

West Iceland

INDIA

Delhi

Chennai

Indonesia

Ubud, Bali

Ireland

Connemara

ITALY

Venice

Piedmont

Puglia

Emilia-Romagna

Sicily

JAMAICA

Treasure Beach

JAPAN

Tokyo

Central Japan

Jordan

Amman & Central
Jordan

Malaysia

Penang

MOROCCO

Fez & Middle Atlas

NEW
ZEALAND

Auckland &
Around

Oman

Muscat

PERU

Lima

Portugal

Porto

Russia

St Petersburg

SCOTLAND

Outer Hebrides

SEYCHELLES

Mah

SLOVAKIA

Bratislava &
Around

SOUTH
AFRICA

Cape Town &
West Cape

SOUTH
KOREA

Seoul

SPAIN

Catalonia

San Sebastin

THAILAND

Chiang Mai

TURKEY

Istanbul

USA

New York

New Orleans
& Cajun
Country

Texas

Maine

Hawaii

VIETNAM

Hanoi

Argentina

Meat Feast
in buenos aires

Cattle-rearing gauchos and waves of European immigrants have shaped the culinary
landscape of Argentina, and turned Buenos Aires into a world-class city for meat lovers.

B eef, empanadas, ice cream and more beef, washed
down with wine: such is a typical weekend in a place
where the very essence of the city is the smell of
barbecuing meat. The food scene in Argentinas capital owes
everything to the verdant pastures of the Pampas grasslands
that lie beyond it, where generations of gauchos tended the
cattle on which the country was built. Ships transporting
Argentinian beef to Europe passed those making the opposite
journey, bringing immigrants from Italy, Spain, France,
Germany and elsewhere to Buenos Aires.

Attracted by the promise of food and lodgings on
arrival, and help to find work, between 1880 and 1930
some six million Europeans fled the problems of
poverty and persecution in their homeland in
search of a better life in Argentina. Today, the
citys cuisine is an eclectic mix of the traditions
these European immigrants brought with
them: Italian-style ice cream, empanadas from

Spain, wine from vineyards planted by the French, and
German-style sausages and cheeses.

The residents of Buenos Aires, known as porteos
(people of the port), are certainly a carnivorous lot.
In fact, Argentinians consume more beef per capita than
any other country in the world except for neighbouring
Uruguay. The meat is usually grilled over an open flame
on a parrilla, a heavy duty barbecue found in steak
restaurants (themselves known as parrillas), and in
private homes and roof terraces, where families and
friends gather for asados (barbecues). But not even a
porteo could eat steak for every meal. Empanadas
oven baked pastry parcels with various fillings
are another staple of the porteo diet.
Not only are they the local equivalent of a
lunchtime sandwich (a mealtime portion
is usually three), empanadas can be eaten
anywhere, any time.

need to know

This 3-day trail is best
done Thu-Sat, as
Sunday closures affect
many restaurants,
cafes and shops in BA.

01 Matt Munro Lonely Planet