The Tastes of Travel
For many of us one of the huge draws of travelling is the food. If you think back to when you last discussed a holiday that a friend had returned from, after asking about the weather, isn’t the next question, “And how was the food?”
After returning from a trip for a little winter sun, we started thinking, does the food help us relax and escape as much as the destination itself?
Friends of ours that travelled to Nepal a few years ago still try and replicate that meal they experienced, or visit that Nepalese restaurant they found (and now love), all enjoyed in a nostalgic haze. As a family we still discuss the vast offerings available in the Tuscan supermarkets from a visit when Charlie was only little, with fresh fruit, veg, and charcuterie piled high, not to mention the bread and cheeses. As for the pizzas, well you can only imagine!
Our recent trip was to the Canaries; islands which rely heavily on imports. I was a bit dubious of what to expect. I was however delightfully surprised with the small shops having fantastic fresh fish piled high on ice, deli counters that would keep any foodie happy and daily fresh bread for us to gather up and enjoy with plump tomatoes and Serrano Ham.
The family enjoyed a daily helping of garlic prawns (we made it our mission to try them everywhere we went!) Spanish tortilla, paella, Canarian wrinkled potatoes with local mojo sauce – one to try for sure, and plenty of traditional goats cheese. Now we’ll spend the next month trying to recreate our holiday feeling at home, maybe minus the sunshine, but hopefully with all the flavour.
However, you don’t have to travel abroad to experience this tie between food and escapism. The beauty of the UK is the abundance of locally grown, farmed, and fished produce. Travelling recently to the Northumberland Coast for a family celebration we enjoyed buying freshly caught fish from the harbour; the Yorkshire Coast too having an incredible offering. Then inland to discover cheeses, doesn’t every region have its own!? Indeed, so many pubs and restaurants are offering diverse yet local menus, you’d be hard pushed not to find something you love.
So, to me that’s the key to escapism. So many of the places we visit, however close to home, offer memories for your taste buds. Smells of food that remind us of relaxing times with friends and family. From freshly cooked paella to pizzas in the sunshine, steak pies by a roaring pub fire, to fish and chips on the beach, food helps us travel, even if only in our imagination.
Recreate our holiday salad using fresh tomatoes, olives, feta, basil a drizzle of Charlie & Ivy's White Balsamic, Tarragon & White Peppercorn Bread Dipper.
SHOP BREAD DIPPERS
