HOW TO COOK TOP 10 PLACES TO LEARN THE LOCAL CUISINE

TOP 10 PLACES TO LEARN
YOUR TRIP TO LUANG PRABANG, LAOS, IS SURE TO HAVE ALL THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS
HOW
TO
COOK
THE LOCAL CUISINE
LUANG PRABANG, LAOS
Tiny, landlocked Laos is often
overshadowed by close neighbours
Thailand and Vietnam, but Southeast
Asia’s most laid-back country also has its
own unique and tasty cuisine, especially
in the former royal city of Luang Prabang.
After rising at dawn to offer alms to
saffron-robed monks, learn the secrets
of local specialities like jąew bąwng, a
condiment made with chillies and dried
buffalo skin, and khai phųn, dried river
algae fried with sesame seeds. Both are
tastier than they sound, and with a cold
Beer Lao, khai phųn is one of the world’s
best bar snacks.
The Tamarind restaurant (www.tamarind
laos.com) offers full-day cooking courses
in an airy lakeside pavilion. Courses include a visit to the local market.
STANBUL, TURKEY
The geographic meeting point
of Europe and Asia showcases a cuisine
influenced by the Ottoman Empire’s
historic spread far beyond the waters
of the Bosphorus. Get inspired in local
markets and restaurants crammed with
Balkan flavours from the West, and
148 BEST IN TRAVEL 2011
Middle Eastern influences from the East
beyond Asia Minor. Feast on excellent
street food like midye tava (stuffed
mussels), or fresh fish sandwiches from
the Eminönü docks. Traditional dishes
include yayla çorbasi (yoghurt soup with
mint) and imam bayıldı (stuffed eggplant);
the latter translates literally to ‘the Imam
fainted’, an allusion to the legendary
positive response the iconic dish received
when it was first cooked.
Located in an elegant heritage restaurant
in Sultanahmet, Cooking Alaturka (www.
cookingalaturka.com) runs four-hour
courses culminating in a relaxed, shared
lunch.
OAXACA, MEXICO
The regional cuisine of Oaxaca
is proud and passionate proof there’s
more to Mexican food than nachos and
burritos. The city is renowned to food
lovers as ‘lugar de siete moles’ (the place
of seven moles), and different spins on
Oaxaca’s signature sauce tinged with
chilli and chocolate are available in the
city’s restaurants and markets. Visit the
Abastos market for the local breakfast
speciality, huevos oaxaqueños – eggs
ANDERS BLOMQVIST » LPI
MAKE YOUR POST-TRIP SLIDESHOW TO FRIENDS MORE
INTERESTING BY OFFERING A FEW AUTHENTIC RECIPES YOU’VE
PICKED UP WHILE ON THE ROAD.
poached in a chilli-tomato soup – and
after a shot of the local mezcal firewater,
graduate to chowing down on chapulines
(roasted grasshoppers). Oaxaca
chocolate is also pretty good if insects
aren’t to your taste.
Cooking classes at Oaxaca’s Casa Crespo
Bed & Breakfast (www.casacrespo.com),
are held in the attached El Teatro Culinario
restaurant (www.elteatroculinario.com).
✪ BANKS PENINSULA,
NEW ZEALAND
With hiking, swimming with dolphins,
and kayaking all on offer, you could
visit New Zealand’s picturesque Banks
Peninsula and easily overlook the region’s
growing foodie credentials. Visit raffish
Lyttelton on a Saturday morning for one
of New Zealand’s best farmers’ markets,
or ask about cooking classes and buy
Kiwi craft beers at the Ground Culinary
Centre (www.ground.co.nz). Come back
on a Sunday to attend the She Chocolate
School (www.shechocolat.com) at
neighbouring Governor’s Bay. Around
nearby Akaroa Harbour, the emphasis is on
self-exploration, with excellent boutique
cheese and wine waiting to be discovered.
Located in the former French colony of
Akaroa, the Akaroa Cooking School (www.
akaroacooking.co.nz) focuses on local,
organic ingredients including lots of fresh
New Zealand seafood.
✪ HOI AN, VIETNAM
Most travellers visit Hoi An to explore
the town’s colonial history – including
Portuguese, French and Japanese
influences – or to get a new wardrobe
LONELY PLANET’S TOP TRAVEL LISTS 149