National Geographic Traveller Food

Editorial Director: Maria Pieri Editor: Glen Mutel Deputy Editor: Nicola Trup Assistant Editor: Farida Zeynalova Content Strategist: Berkok Yüksel Deputy Digital Editor: Karlina Valeiko Art Director: Becky Redman Art Editors: Lauren Atkinson-Smith (maternity leave), Lauren Gamp Lead Designer: Kelly McKenna (acting) Senior Designer: Dean Reynolds Designers: Rosie Klein Picture Editor: Olly Puglisi Contributing Editors: Pat Riddell, Sarah Barrell, Lorna Parkes, Georgia Stephens Managing Editor: Amelia Duggan Branded Content Manager: Flora Neighbour Assistant Content Editor: Angela Locatelli Project Editors: Jo Fletcher-Cross, Zane Henry Megan Hughes Project Assistant: Sacha Scoging Head of Sub Editors: Olivia McLearon Senior Sub Editor: Hannah Doherty Sub Editors: Chris Horton, Lisa Morgan, Ben Murray, Simone Noakes Operations Manager: Seamus McDermott Digital Marketing Assistant: Mélissa Otshudy Head of Events: Sabera Sattar Marketing Manager — Events: Angelique Mannan Editorial…

Farida Zeynalova I didn’t know what to expect from a family meal in east Iceland. But within minutes of arriving at the home of farmers Auja Stefánsdóttir and Steinþór Björnsson, I felt like an old friend. They filled me in on local gossip as we tucked into fermented shark, sheep testicles and a lamb thigh roasted to perfection. BREAKING BREAD, P 94 Qin Xie I’ve made a lot of pilgrimages to celebrated restaurants, and the chefs at the top of their game are always deeply plugged in to their communities. It’s like absorbing the essence of a destination in one meal. At Hiša Franko, in Slovenia, for example, you’ll enjoy curd cheese from a nearby dairy and learn about local farming traditions. COVER STORY, P 48 Jessica Vincent Eating fish…

At Food, we’re very much of the opinion that Michelin stars aren’t the be-all and end-all, and that the label ‘fine dining’ doesn’t guarantee a fine time. But we also feel there’s a place within the grand culinary spectrum for destination restaurants — the high-concept establishments with reputations so weighty people are prepared to travel to them. We’re talking restaurants in spectacular, often remote locations, where once-in-ageneration talents are free to explore the outer limits of their abilities, offering menus packed with creativity and expertise that take diners on a culinary journey, often lasting several hours. It’s true, they’re not for ever yone. It’s also true they offer the type of experience very few of us could afford on a regular basis. But this is similarly true of theatre trips,…

During the Second World War, when coffee could be scarce, people turned to alternatives made from chicor y root, either as a straight swap or combined with coffee to stretch out dwindling supplies. Fast for ward to 2023 and the trend for alternative brews remains strong, with many of us looking to reduce our caffeine intake — or ditch it for good. Chicor y drinks are still a popular substitute, thanks to the root’s bitter, earthy notes, with brands like Chicor y Cup and The Chicor y Company selling their creations in powdered form. W hole Earth, meanwhile, offers a couple of chicor y-and-barley blend coffee alternatives, including one made with guarana (a plant native to the Amazon basin containing high levels of ca ffeine). For those who might find…

PECKING HOUSE CHILLI-FRIED CHICKEN Having spent time in some of New York ’s most esteemed kitchens, including Café Boulud and Eleven Madison Park, chef Eric Huang opened a spicy fried chicken pop-up in his parents’ Chinese restaurant in Queens during the pandemic. Word spread of the deliciousness like wildfire, and in 2022, he moved the operation to Park Slope. Now Brooklynites are lining up for tender, juicy chicken slathered in a scorchingly hot sauce made from Sichua n peppercorns, Tianjin chillies, MSG and sugar. peckinghouse.com LASER WOLF GRILLED AUBERGINE Israeli chef Michael Solomonov made a splash on the Philadelphia dining scene with his restaurant Za hav, and in May 2022, he opened a New York outpost atop The Hox ton hotel in Williamsburg. With its charred ex terior, the spiced…

BACKGROUND Dal can technically mean any pulse, dried pea or bean, but masoor dal — split red lentils — make a good entry point as it’s considered the easiest to both cook and digest. Across the Indian subcontinent, eating dal is a daily ritual, and the dish is therefore the yardstick by which cooks are measured. SEASONING Some claim seasoning lentils at the start makes them tough or chew y. Ignore them — you’ll need less salt this way. For every 200g dried lentils, add a few whole cloves of garlic and one tablespoon each of red Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric and salt. SOAKING The traditional cooking fuel in India is dried cow dung, which burns inefficiently, so soaking dried pulses slightly reduces the thermal energy required. Plus, it rehydrates…