National Geographic Traveller Food Autumn 2021

Lucy Gillmore Living in the Scottish Highlands, I’ve done my share of whisky tastings and tours, so it was really inspiring to scratch the surface and discover a new crowd of artisan distillers on the east coast who are experimenting with a range of spirits and local ingredients — whether it’s potato vodka or gin made from peas. SCOTLAND, P 78 Ali May I travelled to Slovenia after seeing the exquisite work of chef Ana Roš in a documentary. I admired the harmony between her creations and her surroundings, and there’s a staggering beauty to the Soça Valley and the bites that Roš’s restaurant, Hiša Franko, offers. The combination, dare I say, is unique. SLOVENIA, P 40 Max Brearley As a Brit I’m still, after almost a decade in Australia,…

Putting food and drink at the heart of a trip is a really good way to engage with a destination. In some ways, it’s like travelling with an extra antenna — a receptor with which to pick up all the little nuances and quirks a place has to offer. But if you really want to get a sense of what makes somewhere tick, get to know the local speciality — the dish they make in a way that’s uniquely their own; the crop they’ve been growing for centuries; the tipple that tastes like no other. After all, what’s a trip to Sicily without a plate of cannoli? Who could understand the Peloponnese without trying a few kalamata olives? What’s a tour of the Rhine without a glass of riesling? Europe…

Like much of the world’s best cooking, yakitori is a celebration of something simple — but in true Japanese style, behind that apparent simplicity lies a complexity of flavour. ‘Yaki’ means ‘grilled’ or, more specifically, ‘cooked over heat’ (hence teriyaki, teppanyaki, okonomiyaki, etc), while ‘tori’ translates as ‘chicken’ or ‘bird’. And with two new London restaurants putting their own spin on this culinary classic, now’s the time to try it. Opened in May, Humble Chicken is the creation of Japanese-born chef Angelo Sato, who’s worked in Michelinstarred kitchens including Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. His menu of grilled skewers features an array of chicken cuts, including skin and neck, as well as meatballs and shiitake mushrooms. Meanwhile, at Junsei, chef Aman Lakhiani — previously of Barcelona’s Michelin-starred Dos Palillos restaurant — dishes…

1 THE FOOD TEMPLE SPICED FIGS IN PORT In vibrant Intendente, The Food Temple is Lisbon’s oldest vegan restaurant. A sweep of stone steps strewn with cushions and lanterns serve as the seats, and the ingredients are mainly locally grown, including perfectly edible but ‘ugly’ fresh produce from local farms. For dessert, try plump figs from the Algarve, slow-roasted with star anise, cloves and aged ruby port from the Douro Valley, served with a red fruit sorbet and almond crumble. thefoodtemple.com 2 VDB BISTRONOMIE STRAWBERRIES WITH ELDERBERRY With an ethos of sourcing goods from sustainable Portuguese producers, VDB Bistronomie’s menu changes depending on availability. During strawberry season, fruit from the Alentejo region is served with a natural ‘semifrio’ (a cross between cream and ice cream), elderberry foam and elderflowers gathered…

1 Denbies Wine Estate, Surrey Family-run Denbies is England’s largest singleestate vineyard, producing 450,000 bottles from its 265 acres each year. The original 1850s farmhouse has been converted into a sleek hotel, with guest rooms offering views of the vines and the Surrey Hills. There are also two restaurants, dishing up local, seasonal cuisine, while guests can try glasses of Denbies’ wines from a dispensing machine using just their room key. denbies.co.uk 2 Rathfinny Wine Estate, East Sussex On the chalky soils of the South Downs, the 230-acre Rathfinny Wine Estate is known for its world-class fizz. Visitors can attend vineyard tours, feast on local produce at the gastropub-style restaurant and settle in for the night in a converted 1860s barn. Hiking trails along the Sussex coast, just three miles…

AD 43-410 THE PERIOD THE ROMANS RULED BRITAIN, DURING WHICH THEY BROUGHT OVER GARLIC FROM ITALY, PLUS ONIONS, ASPARAGUS AND CABBAGES 20,000 THE ANNUAL NUMBER OF VISITORS TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT GARLIC FESTIVAL, WHICH FEATURES STALLS SELLING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, GARLIC-FLAVOURED ICE CREAM, FUDGE AND BEER 1.19kg The weight of the world’s heaviest bulb of garlic, grown in 1985 by Robert Kirkpatrick of Eureka, California 2 The number of garlic types: hardneck and softneck. Most of the bulbs sold in UK supermarkets are softneck, which stays fresh for longer and is easier to grow 70% The humidity needed to produce black garlic. Taking one to three months, the process not only changes the colour of the garlic, it also makes it softer and sweeter 40 THE NUMBER OF CLOVES…