Final summer season I made a decision to discover part of Europe I had by no means been to earlier than: Northern Spain and Portugal.
My foodie facet was seeking to be taught extra about Mediterranean delicacies, and so I signed up for Intrepid Journey’s 8-day Portugal Actual Meals Journey, that includes Galicia.
This tour lined Northern Spain and the Western coast of Portugal. The itinerary ticked all the bins for me: wine excursions, cooking lessons, native markets, and meals excursions in every area we traveled to.
I beloved the native markets. Recent seafood and produce is well accessible every day, in every single place you go in Spain and Portugal, sourced from native farms and fishermen. For me, that is superb in actually supporting a neighborhood financial system and figuring out the place your meals is coming from.
Loving Portugal’s magnificence… and meals
Galicia cooking class
Within the Galicia area, we had a neighborhood chef information us by a number of native dishes in an interactive cooking class. I grew up with Mediterranean-style cooking, and the category was a pleasant reminder of the method to meals and the significance of recent greens. The method we discovered was not complicated, and lined the basics of Mediterranean delicacies that you would be able to simply apply in your on a regular basis meal preparation routines.
SUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID’S NEWSLETTER FOR DEALS, GIVEAWAYS, TRAVEL TIPS & STORIES
Our chef guided us by making ready mussels (sourced regionally, in fact), our foremost dish of baked fish and the grand finale of almond cake, a surprisingly straightforward dessert, even for the baking challenged like me.
It was the perfect cooking class I’ve ever been to. Assume numerous garlic, a stupendous quantity of olive oil, recent and native components, gracious hosts and plenty of scrumptious and native wine.Â
EXPERIENCE PORTUGAL’S AMAZING CUISINE ON THIS 8-DAY FOOD ADVENTURE
The Great thing about Porto
As soon as we crossed into Portugal, we landed in Porto, a metropolis I’ll undoubtedly come again to.
Porto
Some highlights on this historic metropolis had been touring totally different foodie hotspots within the metropolis, together with bakeries, cheese outlets and consuming at considered one of our Intrepid chief’s favorite eating places within the metropolis. I actually can’t say sufficient good issues about our Intrepid information Isabel; she loves her tradition and it actually comes by throughout the tour.
READ MORE: WHY PORTO IS PORTUGAL’S NEW HOTTEST DESTINATION
The native meals tour included tasting a Portuguese specialty – custard tarts – in addition to native espresso. We then moved on to locally-sourced cheese, cured meats and port wine, earlier than ending with a restaurant with a spectacular view.
Douro Valley
We additionally did a day journey to the Douro valley, simply exterior of Porto, the area most recognized for port wine. This space has been producing wine since about 20,000 years in the past. Through the thirteenth century, wine manufacturing started to choose up within the area, and transported to Porto alongside the Douro river. This area has a micro local weather, so the temperature is vastly totally different than Porto, and usually sees way more rain, making it good for wine-making.
READ MORE: 6 (OTHER) HOT FOODIE DESTINATIONS IN EUROPE
We had a stunning day touring regional wineries and studying about signature wines all through the area.
READ MORE: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO 7 DAYS IN PORTUGAL
Our farmstay
Through the tour, we traveled south to a farm keep exterior of Lisbon to Alentejo. I felt like we may have stayed right here for a couple of night time, as there have been so many elements of the farm and the native meals to find out about. The farm we stayed with offered cheese, eggs, meat, and all of our meals had been ready with native merchandise.
Studying about native meals, find out how to put together it and studying easy and wholesome methods to eat properly had been the important thing takeaways for me on this journey.
The stunning farmstay
I continued touring in Portugal after the journey resulted in Lisbon, and each city I went to, I visited the native market and shopped regionally. I discovered it a lot simpler within the area to supply meals regionally than in my native metropolis, Toronto.
I’ll undoubtedly come again to the area to discover extra. It’s a should for foodies!
Able to eat your manner by Portugal? Try Intrepid’s drool-worthy Portugal Actual Meals Journey.
—
(All photographs courtesy of Liz Oke, and brought on Intrepid’s Portugal Actual Meals Journey.)