Sampling herring on the Jordaan Eating Tour. Photo / Paul Marshall
Sampling herring on the Jordaan Eating Tour. Photo / Paul Marshall
The best way to travel around Europe is, arguably, one dish at a time. Andrew Marshall reveals six unforgettable food and drink experiences to try, from Calvados tasting in France to visiting Parmesan cheese houses in Italy.
“Welcome to the Jordaan Food Tour,” says Eating Europe guide Aileen Martinia outside Cafe Papeneiland (a traditional brown cafe opened in 1642), and famed for its apple pie (appelgebak) made from a closely-guarded recipe. The three-hour gastro tour offers uniquely Dutch tastings from several foodie vendors interspersed with entertaining facts and tales. Highlights include Swieti Sranang or “Sweet Surinam” a humble-looking takeaway serving some great food from the former Dutch colonies and the top-quality fishmonger Urker Viswinkel which features the Dutch favourite maatjes haring (fresh raw herring cured in brine) and deep-fried cod bites in beer batter, known as kebbeling.
Classic Dutch apple pie (appelgebak) accompanied by a large dollop of whipped cream (slagroom), is an Amsterdam culinary highlight and arguably the best is served at Cafe Papeneiland on the Jordaan Eating Tour. Photo / Paul Marshall
WHISKEY GALORE – Northern Ireland
Amid the green fields on Northern Ireland’s County Antrim coast near the world-famous Giant’s Causeway, where the winds blow and the water is clean and pure, is a small town that is home to Old Bushmills, the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world, established in 1608. Take a tour to learn more about the whiskey-making process - one that takes malted barley, grinds it up into a mash with water and then distils it before putting it in oak casks to mature. The tour finishes with the best bit – a taste test in the distillery bar. No Northern Ireland whiskey experience is complete without a visit to a local pub or two, and well worth a visit is the Bushmills Inn, where you can enjoy a glass of 25-year-old Bushmills Malt from the inn’s private cask by the cosy glow of an open peat fire. www.bushhmills.com
Various whiskies inside the distillery bar, ready for a taste test at the end of a tour. Photo / Paul Marshall
THE BIG CHEESE – Italy
With its fine local produce of hams, handmade pastas and balsamic vinegars, the Italian province of Emilia Romagna has a rich culinary tradition. But its most famous product is undoubtedly Parmigiano Reggiano, a hard, granular cheese with a rich, nutty and slightly salty flavour. Better known as parmesan cheese, this “King of Italian cheeses” has been in existence for around 700 years and is so valuable that it was once accepted as currency. Dotting the hills and valleys around Parma are the dairies and cheese houses where the prized wheels of cheese are produced using a method little changed over the centuries. The Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Consortium conducts visits and guided tours to the region’s cheese-making dairies where you will discover what makes Parmigiano Reggiano so special, including its long and careful aging process of up to 24 months or more. www.parmigianoreggiano.com
In the half-light of a cheese house near Parma, a Consortium master checks the progress of the Parmesan cheese for ageing. Photo / Andrew Marshall
THE SPIRIT OF NORMANDY – France 160
Just over an hour’s drive from Paris is Normandy’s Pays d’Auge region – a picturesque landscape of small villages, rolling meadows, russet-coloured apple orchards and half-timbered farmsteads. This is where highly-prized apple-based drinks such as robust ciders and especially Calvados are produced. This fiery apple brandy takes its name from a ship that sailed in the ill-fated Spanish Armada of 1588, and has been distilled with typical French passion for more than 400 years. To learn more, enjoy a tour at Manoir d’Apreval, a family-owned estate surrounded by a lovely apple orchard in the village of Pennedepie (10km east of Deauville) that creates a line of fine Calvados and ciders made in small presses from 17 varieties of apples. Double distillation, in addition to the apples originating in the Pays d’ Auge region are requirements for Calvados to achieve the AOC label (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée), the highest honour that can be bestowed on a French product. www.apreval.com
A selection of Calvados for sale inside the shop at the Manoir d’Apreval. Photo / Paul Marshall
PINCHOS TIME IN LA RIOJA - Spain
Right in the heart of La Rioja’s capital city of Logrono s Calle del Laurel, famous for some of northern Spain’s finest pinchos bars. Pinchos (also called pintxos) are the Basque region’s take on tapas, basically snack-size portions of food, from simple tortilla Espanola (potato omelette) or anchovies on bread, to more elaborate miniature creations of haute cuisine. They are usually cheap, and when paired with a glass of local red wine, usually cost only a few euros. For an expert’s view and to learn more about the marriage of Rioja wines and pinchos, book a guided tour to sample Rioja and pinchos pairings in a variety of bars with Jose Berger, otherwise known as the Wine Educator. “Going out for pinchos is a great social activity, and I love nothing more than getting a group of friends together and visiting some favourite spots,” says José. www.eleducadorenvinos.com
Anchovies with bread are a popular pinchos. Photo / Paul Marshall
ALL BEERS GREAT AND SMALL – England
Brewing beer in the English county of Yorkshire has a long and distinguished heritage. For a fascinating insight into the workings of a traditional brewery, visit Masham’s Theakston Brewery established in 1827. There’s plenty to see and do including the working cooperage, where one of the country’s last remaining coopers still handcrafts barrels using traditional tools. Guided tours of the brewery are available, after which you can sample the fine range of beers in the brewery tap. Try the legendary dark and rich Theakston’s Old Peculier served from wooden casks (also available as an alcohol free 0.0% version called Nowt Peculier), or one of the newer creations like coffee flavoured Barista Stout or Hairy Bikers Zesty IPA. Also of interest to the beer aficionado is the rival Black Sheep Brewery next door who also offer brewery tours. www.theakstons.co.uk
A selection of beers at the Theakston's Brewery, Masham. Photo / Andrew Marshall
