Some holidays are meant for sightseeing, some are for rekindling the romance in your life, and yet some more are aimed at reconnecting with oneself. But, the best kinds of holidays are those that satisfy your creative as well as your culinary needs! If you are fed up with the takeaways and the buffets, then these 3 great gastronomical holiday destinations are where you should be heading!
 
Italy

It’s almost impossible to have a bad food day in Italy; the country, literally, changed the way we looked at food. And, perhaps without the Italians, we would still be wondering what leisure and food have got to do with one another! 

Each region in Italy, from Sicily to Tuscany, has its own unique and distinct cooking styles and culinary traditions. Some of the best wines come from the sprawling vineyards of Tuscany, and the local red wine seems to compliment the tastes of ravioli, cinghiale meat, delicious bread, and thick soups. Sicily’s cuisine seems to have been influenced by the Arabs, the Spanish, and many others. So, you shouldn’t be surprised to find raisins and cinnamon tossed along with eggplants and broccoli. Not so surprisingly, these go well with Piedmonte’s very own fonduta or Bagna Cauda. Head to the Veneto region to dig into its traditional risotto and polenta dishes, or try Modena’s delicious parmesan cheese. 

From Pizzas to Polentas, from bustling street markets to super-costly restaurants - you have to give it up to the Italians to know the way to a happy stomach. Companies like Bridgewater Travel offer food specialist holidays, so if you’re salivating, you know where to go!

Thailand

Thailand’s culinary scene has caught the imagination of the world only recently and this fascination is not showing any signs of waning! Although Thailand has a unique cuisine to call its own, the charm of Thai cuisine lies in the fact that it has imbibed certain features from the Chinese, Indian, and Malaysian cuisine into itself. Thai food preparation, decoration and taste reflect the warm, generous and fascinating nature of the Thai culture. 

Thailand’s cuisine will dazzle you with its multitude of flavors, textures and rich colors. Thanks to its abundant use of coconut - influenced by South Indian creamy sauces, basil, garlic, and chilies - the food is great to look at and wonderful to taste. Moreover, Thai cuisine also incorporates Chinese cooking methods, such as stir fry and deep fry. Since Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist nation, it restricts the use of large meats, mostly relying on sea food and fresh vegetables. With one large bowl of steamed rice occupying the center stage of any meal, a Thai plate will have a plethora of dishes complementing the rice. Tomyam soup, yam salad, Kai Ho Bai Toei (fried chicken served in a leaf), curry and namprik (fish and vegetables), thapthim krop are some of the most favorite Thai dishes that make up a meal! 

United Kingdom

Bringing together so many flavors, interesting cooking techniques, colors and unique food treatments from every corner of the world, the UK can rightly be termed as a culinary destination of the world! The cosmopolitan culture of the UK manages to bring together the spices of India, the sauces of Malaysia, the noodles of China, and earthy Arabic preparations to the time-honored fish and chips. From underground pubs to fine dining, the UK is a great multi-cuisine food destination.

Edinburgh will offer you a traditional four-course meal, and its food attracts thousands of food fans every year to its numerous Michelin star restaurants – get a luxury travel company to arrange this as part of your trip for you. Head to Ipswich for a great Asian fusion experience; you’ll definitely thank me for this. For a truly authentic chicken tikka masala – so well loved by Brits – you should head to Balti Triangle in Birmingham. And while there, don’t stop yourself at the creamy curry, go a step ahead and try the different varieties of spicy dishes. Kent offers you the best of fresh seafood dishes, and for a real pork pie you should certainly make your way to Leicestershire. 

When the world seems to be divided by so many ideas and ideologies, food seems capable of bringing the people together as one.

Photos Wikimedia Commons: ElfQrin/Ed Hawco/Solitude/Coffeegeek; MOs810;  Stephen McKay