P0Qthe taste of the road: a journal of travel for local food

An independent journal about traveling for local food. Not a travel agency or a restaurant ranking, and not connected to the former website on this domain. Discuss health and diet questions with a doctor.

Trip planning

How to plan a food trip: step by step

This article lays out the preparation for anyone traveling to taste local food. By the end you will have a region and a season, a short list of dishes to look for, a phrase card in the local language, transportation planned around tastings, a relaxed daily plan with a morning market and a clear idea of which gifts you can bring home. There are no venue addresses, costs or menus here, only steps and pointers on where to check current conditions.

A food trip begins at home, with the question of what you want to taste. Once you have the answer, the other decisions fall into place.

— From the editors

What you will need

  • Approximate dates and the number of days for the trip
  • A short list of the flavors and foods you are traveling for
  • Notes on the local cuisine of the region you chose
  • A phrase card in the local language, on paper and on your phone
  • A shopping bag and a small cooler bag
  • 112 or the local emergency number saved in your phone

  1. Choose a region and a harvest season

    Decide what you want to taste and find out when it ripens or is made. Check the dates of village festivals and harvests with local tourist information centers.

    If you are after young cheese and mountain pastures, plan the trip for late spring or summer, when the herds are already out in the meadows.

  2. Learn about the local cuisine

    Read about which dishes the region considers its own, what they are made from and at what time of day people eat them. Make a short list of what you want to find.

    If the region traditionally bakes pies for Sunday lunch, plan the bakery for Saturday or Sunday morning.

  3. Prepare a phrase card

    Write down in the local language a greeting, a thank-you, a request to recommend a dish and a short explanation of what you do not eat. Check the translation with a native speaker or in several dictionaries.

    A single line in the local language saying you do not eat meat, fish or dishes made with broth saves long explanations by gesture.

  4. Plan transportation around tastings

    On tasting days, choose a train, a bus or a guided tour. Save the car for country roads and farms with no station nearby.

    A cellar tasting fits best on a day when you arrive by train and stay overnight in the same village.

  5. Put the market in the morning

    Give the first half of the day to a market or fair, and keep the afternoon for calm activities: a walk, a museum, a rest.

    If the fair only meets on Saturdays, start your route so that you are nearby on Saturday morning.

  6. Book a cooking class or a farm tour

    Choose a session with a small group and plenty of hands-on practice. Ask what you will be cooking, and mention any foods you do not eat.

    If the class description mentions only a tasting and you want to cook yourself, ask the organizers whether you can get hands-on.

  7. Check the food import rules

    Before the trip, check the official customs website for which foods you can bring into the country you are returning to, and in what quantities.

    If you are not sure whether you can bring homemade cheese or sausage, choose a gift that raises no questions, such as tea or sweets in factory packaging.

  8. Pack your bag the day before

    A shopping bag, a cooler bag, water, napkins, your phrase card and a charged phone. In the evening, check once more that the transportation and the farms you booked are running as planned.

    If a farm cancels its tour because of the weather, replace it with a morning market or a nearby bakery.

Common mistakes

  • Traveling for a food whose season is already over
  • Booking several tastings in a row and then driving
  • Arriving at the market around noon, when the stalls are already emptying
  • Explaining a special diet with gestures instead of a prepared phrase card
  • Buying gifts without checking the food import rules
  • Carrying perishables in warm luggage all day

If plans change

  • If a farm does not take visitors, stop by a country store or a fair
  • If the season does not line up, choose a cooking class or a food workshop
  • If you have no car, build the route around stations and walkable villages
  • If you only have one day, stick to one market and the old town around it

Check before you go

  • Region and season chosen around what you want to taste
  • List of local dishes ready
  • Phrase card prepared and checked
  • Transportation planned around tastings
  • Market or fair scheduled for the morning
  • Cooking class or farm tour confirmed
  • Food import rules checked on the official customs website
  • Shopping bag, cooler bag, water and 112 or the local emergency number with you
  • Getting around

    Train, car, bus and guided tour, plus food and water on the road.

  • Destinations

    Six types of food destinations, from a port city to berry country, and how to choose the one for you.

  • Traveler FAQ

    Answers to questions before the trip, on the spot and about edible gifts. The article catalog is here too.

Sources

  • Official customs websites — food import rules
  • WHO — “Five Keys to Safer Food”
  • P0Q editorial materials

This journal writes about food travel in general terms. Harvest seasons, transportation schedules and food import rules change over time, so check them against official sources shortly before you leave.