@tahinewzealand Tahi New Zealand MADE IN NEW ZEALAND
PEKING DUCK
THE STORY OF A
CHINESE CLASSIC
£4.80 • SUMMER 2021
Italy’s
finest
FROM AMALFI LEMONS & ANCHOVIES TO
PECORINO... CHEFS GIORGIO LOCATELLI,
A N G E L A H A RT N E T T, F R A N C E S C O M A Z Z E I
& MO R E S H A R E T H E I R I TA L I A N PA S S I O N S
Secrets of sake
A LOVE LETTER TO JAPAN’S
NATIONAL DRINK
Polish smoked cheese
THE FRESH TASTE OF THE
CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS
Key limes & lionfish
SEEK OUT THE FLAVOURS
OF THE FLORIDA KEYS
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
Taste the passion.
This is proper food: made with skill and care, by people who love what they do,
in a beautiful place. Real food, real drink, real Wales.
gov.wales/foodanddrinkwales
This is Wales.
f FoodDrinkWales T @FoodDrinkWales Food_Drink_Wales
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CONTENTS
ISSUE 12, SUMMER 2021
Mains
62 82
SAKE DECONSTRUCT
Experiencing Japan’s national The imperial past and more
drink, from Tokyo’s bars to the accessible present of Peking
rural breweries beyond duck, a true Chinese classic
72 90
POLAND S PA I N
The cheesemakers keeping Exploring the wineries
age-old traditions alive in the beneath the town of
Carpathian Mountains Aranda de Duero
IMAGE: ANTON RODRIGUEZ 44
I TA LY
Chefs and food writers on the Italian
regions that stirred their culinary
passions, from Veneto to Puglia
CONTENTS
ISSUE 12, SUMMER 2021
Starters 38
12 | TRY IT NOW British oysters
15 | WHAT THEY’RE EATING IN Accra
16 | SPOTLIGHT The UK’s best pick-your-
own farms 18 | NUMBER CRUNCHING
Melons 19 | MAKE PERFECT Spanakopita
20 | FIVE WAYS Anchovies 23 | MEET THE
MAKER A cheese curd producer in the
Isle of Wight 24 | WINE English wines
26 | ASK THE EXPERTS Budget dining
in Copenhagen and Cornish pubs with
rooms 28 | MY LIFE IN FOOD Sean Paul
31 | RECIPE JOURNAL Four barbecue
dishes 38 | THE PIONEER Native
American chef Sean Sherman
100
129
31
On the cover Features Regulars Recipes IMAGES: GETTY; ISABEL SUBTIL; LAYLA PUJOL
Lemons at a market stall in 100 | CITY BREAK What to 114 | BOOKS Zuza Zak on 27 | Welsh rarebit 32 | Barbecued prawns 33 | Da’Flava jerk
Italy. Image: Getty look out for on a culinary how Baltic cuisine is shaking burger 34 | Whole burnt aubergine with charred egg yolk,
trip to Mexico City 106 | off stereotypes 120 | NEW tahini & chilli sauce 35 | Grilled strawberry Eton mess 40
A TASTE OF Key lime RELEASES Five of the best | Bison & hominy bowl 47 | Broad bean puree with cicoria
pie, lionfish and conch in cookbooks 123 | REVIEWS 51 | Potato & Parma ham-filled ravioli with Amalfi lemon
the Florida Keys 112 | ON Dining out and staying over 54 | Pasta con le sarde 82 | Peking duck 109 | Aunt Sally’s
LOCATION Butchers, 129 | THE INSTAGRAMMER original Key lime pie 116 | Springtime millet ‘risotto’ with
bakers and boutique wine A foodie to follow 130 | young beetroot 117 | Greta’s gran’s potatoes with kefir &
shops in the Scottish town ON THE TABLE What and summer vegetables 119 | Syrniki pancakes with summer
of Melrose where we’ve been eating berry salad & chocolate buckwheat 121 | Mufarakeh
6 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
Jerez de la Frontera,
Cádiz.
GO FOR TAPAS
You do not go out for dinner here, you go for tapas.
Because living is not the same as living intensely.
Feed your curiosity at andalucia.org
Need to be
su ounded by
beauty?
Venice, Veneto
Production Manager: CONTRIBUTORS
Daniel Gregory
Editorial Director: Maria Pieri Production Controller: Oliver Smith Sarah Barrell
Editor: Glen Mutel Joe Mendonca
Deputy Editor: Nicola Trup Commercial Director: What struck me in Italian cuisine is hyper-
Assitant Editor: Matthew Midworth Japan was the intense regional; every dish, every
Farida Zeynalova Head of Campaigns: relationship between sake ingredient comes with
Online Editor: Josephine Price William Allen and the landscape, and a story that speaks of a
(maternity leave) Campaigns Team: how the tiniest differences specific place and, often,
Assistant Online Editor: James Bendien, Bob Jalaf, in the local geology, water the long history of the
Nora Wallaya Kevin Killen, Gabriela Milkova, and climate could upend community behind it. It’s
Contributing Editors: Adam Phillips, Mark Salmon the entire character of the an act of travel just to lift
Pat Riddell, Sarah Barrell, Amelia Head of National Geographic drink. Back in England, a fork to mouth, and it was
Duggan, Conner McGovern Traveller — The Collection: sip conjures up memories a joy to have some leading
Content Editor: Danny Pegg of snowy mountains, Italian chefs and food
Charlotte Wigram-Evans bamboo groves and producers as my guides
Assistant Content Editor: Chief Executive: crimson-hued Japanese for this issue’s cover story.
Angela Locatelli Anthony Leyens maples. JA PA N , P 6 2
Project Editors: Zane Henry, Managing Director: ITA LY, P 4 4
Jo Fletcher-Cross Matthew Jackson
Head of Sub Editors: Sales Director: Alex Vignali
Hannah Doherty Head of Commercial Strategy:
Sub Editors: Chris Horton, Chris Debbinney-Wright
Ben Murray APL Business Development
Operations Manager: Team: Adam Fox,
Seamus McDermott Cynthia Lawrence
Head of Events: Natalie Jackson Office Manager: Hayley Rabin
Art Director: Becky Redman Head of Finance: Ryan McShaw
Art Editor: Credit Manager: Craig Chappell
Lauren Atkinson-Smith Accounts Manager:
Senior Designers: Lauren Gamp, Siobhan Grover
Kelly McKenna, Liz Owens Accounts Assistants:
Picture Editor: Olly Puglisi Ramona McShaw, Rekin Patel
National Geographic Traveller Food is published by APL Media
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advertisers.
National Geographic Partners International Publishing Jessica Vincent Delle Chan
Chairman: Gary E. Knell Senior Vice President: Despite growing up in It was a real pleasure
Editorial Director: Yulia P. Boyle Spain, I knew nothing speaking with
Susan Goldberg Senior Director: of Ribera del Duero’s Minneapolis-based chef
General Manager, NG Media: Ariel Deiaco-Lohr 900-year-old history Sean Sherman, who
David Miller Senior Manager: Rossana Stella of making and storing opened my eyes not only
wine underground. What to Indigenous cuisine but
International Editions Headquarters struck me most wasn’t the also to Native American
wineries hidden in plain history and culture as a
Editorial Director: Amy Kolczak 1145 17th St. NW, Washington, sight, but the passion with whole. It’s great to see the
Deputy Editorial Director: DC 20036-4688, USA which winemakers are cuisine finally getting
Darren Smith Copyright © 2020 National striving to save a tradition the attention it deserves,
Editor: Leigh Mitnick Geographic Partners, LLC. on the brink of collapse. and his new restaurant,
Translation Manager: Beata Nas Owanmi, is on my list to
National Geographic Partners SPAIN, P 90 visit during my next trip to
Editors: CHINA Sophie Huang; returns 27% of its proceeds the US. P I O N E E R , P 3 8
FRANCE Gabriel Joseph- to the nonprofit National
Dezaize; GERMANY Werner Geographic Society to fund
Siefer; INDIA Lakshmi Sankaran; work in the areas of science,
ITALY Marco Cattaneo; exploration, conservation and
LATIN AMERICA Claudia education.
Muzzi; NETHERLANDS Arno
Kantelberg; POLAND Agnieszka
Franus; ROMANIA Catalin Gruia;
RUSSIA Ivan Vasin; SOUTH
KOREA Bo-yeon Lim; SPAIN
Josan Ruiz; TURKEY Nesibe Bat
Copyright © 2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All Rights
Reserved. National Geographic Traveller and the Yellow Border
Design are registered trademarks of National Geographic Society
and used under license. Printed in the UK.
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 9
Editor’s letter
ISSUE 12, SUMMER 2021
You probably already know about Italian food. Chances are you’ve even got a
favourite dish, one that always delivers. Perhaps there’s an Italian restaurant nearby
that you’ve loved for years. Or maybe pasta is your speciality in the kitchen.
You might even be an enthusiast. Maybe you’ve been to Venice or Tuscany and
marvelled at the cuisine — the freshness of the ingredients, the way the classics
differ from place to place, how the locals coax such thrilling flavours from seemingly
basic recipes. Or perhaps you’re actually something of an authority, with opinions
on what makes the best olive oil and the ideal way to cook anchovies.
But whatever your relationship with Italian cuisine, there’s always more to learn.
And that’s the beauty of it — for its story is different every time it’s told. No matter
how comfortingly familiar it feels to us here in the UK, there are just too many
wondrous ingredients, local specialities and delicious variations on tradition for it
to ever feel stale.
Which is why we’ve asked seven Italian aficionados — from Giorgio Locatelli and
Angela Hartnett to Rachel Roddy and Francesco Mazzei — to share their culinary
passions. So, whether you’re plotting a trip, dreaming of dining out or just keen for
Italy to come to you, check out our grand Italian feast (pg 44) — and fall for this
extraordinary cuisine all over again.
Glen Mutel, editor
NATGEOTR AVELUK
C OV I D -1 9 : The ongoing pandemic continues to affect travel. Please note, prices and travel advice are subject to change. Contact
your travel provider for up-to-date information. For the latest news on safe travel and border restrictions, visit gov.uk/fcdo
WHAT’S ONLINE AT NATIONALG EOG R APHIC .CO.U K/FOOD -TR AVE L
IMAGE: PETER YEUNG Patisserie prize New openings Hot stuff
We join the search for the perfect From a cheese barge in London’s Take summer barbecue inspiration
croissant at the prestigious Paddington to a refurbished 17th- from seven chefs who love to
French pastry competition the century coaching inn in the Lake cook over fire — everything from
Concours du Meilleur Croissant District, check out our selection of marinated mutton to bitter-sweet
de Grand Paris. new restaurants to try this summer. charred peas.
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 11
TRY IT NOW
British oysters
S H ELLFI S H I S N OT O N LY A B U N DAN T O N O U R S H O RE S ,
B U T I N C RE A S I N G LY AFFO RDAB LE, TO O
The basics London to Adam Wood’s native oysters
with gooseberry and jalapeño at his new
With their plump, sweet and salty flesh, Garden House restaurant in Cambridge.
oysters are a delicacy the world over. And
in the UK, we’re blessed with a bounty of At home
these bivalves, particularly around the
South East (where the Kentish town of London-based company Decatur
Whitstable has become synonymous with ships Louisiana-inspired seafood kits
the oysters caught nearby), as well as in nationwide, including Maldon oysters,
the South West and western Scotland. ready to chargrill on the barbecue. They’re
delivered with accompaniments including
Oysters have long been costly to hot sauce and pecorino garlic butter.
consume, but we may be about to see a
swing back the Victorian era, when they For more inspiration, try Oyster Isles:
were cheap and plentiful. With restaurants A Journey Through Britain and Ireland’s
closed during the pandemic, and post- Oysters by Bobby Groves, head of oysters
Brexit rules keeping a lot of seafood on our at Chiltern Firehouse (£9.99, Constable).
shores, Britain has a glut of oysters and, as Groves is also behind Shucker Club, a new
a result, they’ve become more affordable. oyster membership service that delivers
Wright Brothers and Farmdrop have been fresh produce ‘from tide to table’.
selling them for £17 a dozen, while Ocado
offers Loch Fyne’s for £12 a dozen. Around the country
There are endorsements from chefs, too. Among the many coastal options are
Nathan Outlaw, for instance, suggests we Royal Native Oyster Stores, a seafood
eat as many bivalves as possible to support restaurant in Whitstable, and Riley’s Fish
the British fishing industry. Others are Shack, a fish bar and grill serving oysters
serving them in interesting ways, from from two converted shipping containers
Richard Corrigan’s Vietnamese-inspired on the beach in Tynemouth’s King
oysters at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill in Edward’s Bay.
HOW TO EAT THEM
Oysters Mombasa, Kenya Hoi tod, Thailand WORDS: KAREEM ARTHUR, NICOLA TRUP.
IMAGE: GETTY
Baked oysters drizzled with melted A seafood omelette containing oysters,
butter, garlic, white wine and hot sauce, mussels or both, mixed with spring
garnished with parsley or coriander. onions, soy sauce and beansprouts.
Oyster ceviche, Ecuador Kaki fry, Japan
Fresh, raw oysters marinated in lime Oysters coated in panko breadcrumbs
juice, onions, tomato, coriander and and deep-fried until golden, served with
green or red peppers. lemon, tartare or tonkatsu sauce.
12 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
S TA R T E R S
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 13
The earth, the vines, the sun.
The wise gestures of man,
his knowledge and sensitivity
as a guardian.
Respect for the rhythms of nature
and the fortunate combination
of ideal climatic
and territorial conditions
give rise to a red or white nectar,
sweet or dry,
which ennobles the interweaving of man
and the world he lives in:
the Domìni Veneti wines
of the Valpolicella Classica area
are a great testimony to this.
dominiveneti.it
S TA R T E R S
WHAT THEY’RE EATING IN Lobster fettuccine at Bella Afrik
AC C R A 5
Whether you fancy Italian-inspired cuisine or West
African classics, you’ll find it in the Ghanaian capital
1 234
BUKA
KONTONMIRE
STEW
BELLA AFRIK
LOBSTER
FETTUCCINE
ASANKA LOCAL
RED RED
COUNTRY KITCHEN
JOLLOF RICE
THE REPUBLIC BAR & GRILL
YE YE GOAT
& YA MROCK
At Bella Afrik, chef A sustaining stew served This spicy tomato-based
IMAGE: BELLA AFRIK In the lively Osu district, Claudio Sarfati creates with plantain, red red rice dish is ubiquitous As beer snacks go, yam
Buka serves up smartly what he calls ‘Italian is a classic that, once across West Africa, chips with garlic dipping
presented Ghanaian tropical’ cuisine. Local tasted, you’ll want to and the version found sauce is hard to beat,
and Nigerian classics in produce, especially make for yourself at at Country Kitchen, especially when served
an open-sided dining seafood, is the star in home. A paste of onions, a neighbourhood with yeye goat — a mild
room. The standout his Mediterranean-style tomatoes, chilli, ginger restaurant in Osu, is goat curry with green
dish is kontonmire feasts. For the lobster and garlic is fried in among the best. It’s peppers and spices. It’s
stew, a fragrant blend of fettuccine, fresh lobster the bright-red palm oil made with a blend of the most popular dish at
cocoyam leaves (often is cooked in a white that gives the dish its onions, peppers, tomato The Republic Bar & Grill,
replaced with spinach wine and tomato sauce name, before black- paste, garlic and chillies, which from Sunday to
outside of Africa), before being stirred into eyed beans are added. with the rice then cooked Tuesday looks like little
tomato, onion, pepper, homemade pasta. Pizzas The plantain is also in the mix. Jollof rice more than a few tables
palm oil, egusi (dried are a draw, too, with the fried in the vibrant is usually served with spilling onto the street.
and ground gourd seeds) signature topping, of oil, until it’s sweet and shito (a hot sauce made For the rest of the week,
and dried fish. Order it course, being lobster. giving. Asanka Local is with ginger, dried fish though, it comes to life,
with meat or fish, plus a On Sundays, there’s live a traditional ‘chop bar’ and a lot of chillies), as with live performances
side of yam or plantain. Afrobeat music at lunch serving a superlative well as grilled chicken. from DJs and musicians.
bukarestaurant.com time. instagram.com/ red red, best paired with facebook.com/country republicbargh.com
bellaafrik_restaurant fried fish. It’s usually kitchenrestaurantgh Daniel Neilson
eaten with your hands,
but cutlery is available.
Adzoatse Street
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 15
S TA R T E R S
SPOTLIGHT
Pick-your-own farms
PI C K-YO U R- OWN FAR M S ARE SE T FO R A P O ST-LO C KD OWN BO OM TH I S
SUMMER, AS PEOPLE LOOK TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND SPEND
MORE TIME OUTDOORS. HERE ARE FIVE OF OUR FAVOURITES
1 Parkside Farm, Enfield WORDS: JOEL PORTER. IMAGES: PHIL WILKINSON; GETTY
Juicy blackberries, redcurrants and strawberries are
the stars of the show at this pick-your-own place on the
northern edge of London. One key selling point is the
‘table-top’ strawberry-growing system, which means
plants are grown in troughs at waist height — no more
bending down in the dirt to pluck your berries. Parkside
is also one of the few farms accessible without a car, as
long as you don’t mind a walk — it’s 25 minutes from
Gordon Hill station. parksidefarmpyo.co.uk
2 Craigie’s Farm, Scotland
Just outside Edinburgh, Craigie’s Farm is bursting
with produce including cherries, raspberries, peas,
broad beans and, perhaps surprisingly, sunflowers. The
onsite shop, deli and cafe have a lot more to offer besides
fruit and veg — you can pick up homemade jams, meat,
cheese and even an apple press for making your own
juice. There are activities for children too, including a
Nature Detective Trail involving encounters with sheep,
pygmy goats and Shetland ponies. craigies.co.uk
3 Hewitts Farm, Kent
This family-run farm in Kent offers everything
from spinach and beetroot to apples and blackberries
during its pick-your-own season, which runs from June
to October (for Halloween pumpkins). There’s also a
shop selling farm-grown and local produce, as well as
free tractor rides for youngsters on Sundays during the
summer. hewittsfarm.co.uk
Bellis Brothers Farm, Wrexham
This farm in North Wales started growing
strawberries back in 1860 and has operated as a pick-
your-own since 1967. More fruits, such as gooseberries
and redcurrants, have been added since then, but it’s
still mostly known for its strawberries. Pickers can
download Bellis family strawberry recipes from the
farm’s website, including ones for jams and a baked
strawberry cheesecake. bellisbrothers.co.uk
5 Over Farm, Gloucester
There’s plenty of fruit and veg to be found on Over
Farm — everything from asparagus in spring and soft
fruits in summer to marrows and pumpkins in autumn.
You’ll also find a deli and plenty of activities on offer,
such as walking trails and the chance to meet farm
animals. Plus, the farm hosts an annual Halloween
festival. overfarm.co.uk
From top: Exterior of Craigie’s Farm; a punnet of freshly
picked strawberries; a family at Parkside Farm
16 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
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S TA R T E R S
NUMBER CRUNCHING
Melons
FROM HONE YDE WS AND CANTALOUPES TO WATER MELON S,
VARIETIES OF THIS FLESHY FRUIT HAVE BEEN ENJOYED ALL OVER
THE WORLD FOR MILLENNIA
3,560 50kg ¥5m
THE AGE, IN YEARS, OF The level of melon consumption THE SUM, EQUIVALENT TO
ANCIENT WATERMELON LEAVES per capita in Kazakhstan in £33,000, PAID BY A JAPANESE
BUYER FOR A PAIR OF YUBARI
FOUND ON A MUMMY IN AN 2018 (the highest in the world). KING MELON S. THE CANTALOUPE
EGYPTIAN TOMB, ACCORDING Turkey came in second, with C ULTIVAR I S KNOWN FOR ITS
TO S C I E N TI ST S W H O A N A LYS E D 22kg consumed per person. The SWEETNESS AND JUICY FLESH
global average consumption
THE REMAINS LAST YEAR
was 4.25kg per person
30.47kg 7
THE NUMBER OF CULTIVAR
GROUPS OF MELONS, WHICH
BETWEEN THEM INCLUDE
VARIETIES AS DIFFERENT AS THE
LARGE WINTER MELON AND THE
ASIAN PICKLING MELON
THE WEIGHT OF THE HEAVIEST 92%
CANTALOUPE ON RECORD. IT
WAS MEASURED IN HAWESVILLE,
KENTUCKY ON 5 AUGUST 2019
1 .4m The percentage of a 22.91 METRES WORDS: PETER YEUNG. IMAGES: GETTY; STOCKFOOD
watermelon that’s water,
The quantity, in tonnes, of watermelon The distance Jason Schayot spat
produced worldwide in 2019, including with the remainder watermelon seeds at the De Leon Peach
some 60.8 million tonnes produced by being a mixture of
China — the most of any country by far carbohydrates (sugars and Melon Festival in Texas in 1995,
and dietary fibre) setting a world record.
SOURCES: THE JAPAN TIMES, BIOR XIV JOURNAL, UN FAO, EXCLI JOURNAL, BRITANNICA , GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS, GLOBAL TR ADE
18 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
S TA R T E R S
MAKE PERFECT
S PA N A KO P I TA
This filo pie is a Greek classic, and while you’ll often find feta
inside, spinach is the real star. Words: Georgina Hayden
NAME PA S T RY FILLINGS SERVING E AT I N G
‘Spanakopita’ literally If using shop-bought filo Traditional spanakopita uses Resting time is important Spanakopita is often eaten
means ‘spinach pie’. While pastry, keep the sheets just spinach, leeks and dill, with Greek food. Meals as a light meal or snack,
in the UK the word ‘pitta’ (or wrapped in a slightly damp but cheeses such as feta are rarely served piping but can also be part of a
‘pita’) is mostly associated tea towel while assembling or kefalotyri are also often hot — perhaps due to the larger meal or mezze. This
with bread, in Greece and the spanakopita. This stops added. To extract moisture weather or because ovens might include village salad
Cyprus its use as a suffix them from drying out and from the spinach and used to be communal, so (tomatoes, cucumbers and
indicates a pie or a dish crisping up; they should be avoid sogginess, salt it and food would cool as it was olives), tzatziki, and meat
wrapped in pastry. You can soft and pliable. You can leave in a colander before carried home after cooking. dishes and vegetables
find all sorts of pitta, from also make a more rustic filo, squeezing out by hand. It In any case, pies benefit braised in tomato. Even the
kolokythopita (squash pie) using oil, flour and water, tastes fresher than if you from resting. Once cooked, simplest of Greek meals
and hortopita (wild greens which is less delicate than wilt the spinach first, as it’s don’t cut the spanakopita tend to be accompanied by
pie) to milopita (apple pie). commercial versions. not being cooked twice. for at least 30 minutes. salad, olives and dips.
Georgina Hayden is author of the cookbooks Stirring Slowly
(£25, Square Peg) and Taverna (£25, Square Peg)
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 19
S TA R T E R S
FIVE WAYS WITH
Anchovies
THESE DIVISIVE LITTLE FISH
ADD A DOSE OF UMAMI TO ANY
DISH. WORDS: JACOB KENEDY
Anchovies aren’t to everyone’s taste, but I’ve
always been smitten by these delicious, silvery
slivers of fish. Like artichokes, lemons, good
oil and quality chocolate, they’re a humble
ingredient that steal the limelight when
allowed to shine.
Whether it’s for biological or social
reasons, many of us develop likes and
dislikes of certain foods as children, and
these can continue into adulthood. Salted
anchovies, with their abundance of umami,
are challenging for young palates, and can
be divisive among grown-ups too. Personally,
however, I find anchovies delicious in all their
guises, from sea-fresh to tinned and salty.
I remember the sense of incredulity I
felt at school on learning that garum, a
fermented fish sauce, was a cornerstone of
the ancient Roman kitchen. What I didn’t
realise was that garum lives on — in fish sauce,
shrimp paste, Worcestershire sauce and salted
anchovies themselves.
Anchovies are so delicate that if they’re to
be eaten fresh they must be consumed soon
after they’ve been landed — so fried, grilled
or freshly pickled anchovies are a hallmark of
coastal life and holidays. Inland, preserved
varieties offer a culinary connection to the sea.
As a child, guzzling anchovies in fritto misto
or on pizza, I didn’t consider any of this. I just
ate them because they were delicious, which is
the only reason to eat anything. Jacob Kenedy
is chef/patron at Bocca di Lupo, Gelupo and
Plaquemine Lock
1 Fried 2 Pickled 3 Salted 4 Bagna càuda 5 ‘Lost’ IMAGE: GETTY
Using your fingertips, Fillet fresh anchovies Soak really good- Mix equal quantities The simplest way to
remove the heads and with your fingers. Salt for quality anchovy fillets of butter, cream, olive oil ‘lose’ anchovies is in pasta
intestines from fresh 15 mins, then marinate with (Cantabrian are best) in and garlic with a double aglio e olio. Fry garlic gently
anchovies. Season the fish red onion, parsley, chilli, water for 10 mins to plump quantity of anchovy fillets in oil, add a little chilli, then
with salt, dust in a mixture red wine vinegar, a dash them up before serving and a little lemon zest. some chopped anchovy
of flour and semolina, of water and a touch more with buttered bread, on Cook, covered, in a bain- fillets. Stir off the heat until
then deep fry in clean, hot salt until they’re semi- pan con tomate, or with marie for an hour or two the fillets melt, then toss in
(180C) oil for one minute, opaque. Drain and dress finely chopped parsley, until tender, then blend. the pasta, some parsley and
until just golden. with extra virgin olive oil. garlic and olive oil. Dip anything in the sauce. a little cooking water.
20 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
90
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AND HINTS OF TOASTED NUTS, DARK SPICED BAKED FRUITS. RICH,
SWEET FRUIT ON THE FINISH.” – Decanter
NOBLEVINES.COM WINE OF CALIFORNIA
©2021 NOBLE VINES, NAPA AND MANTECA, CA
S TA R T E R S
MEET THE MAKER
AHEAD OF THE CURD
Emily Macdonald has brought the cheese curd-making tradition of
her native Wisconsin all the way to the Isle of Wight
IMAGE: KATIE WILSON It’s first thing in the morning, and Emily Cheese, and his website. When she heard he BEST OF THE ISLE
Macdonald is bustling about the Brixton & was coming to the island to train staff at a
Badger creamery with brisk efficiency. She’s dairy farm, she got herself an invitation and T O M AT O E S
checking the pH level for the 10th time, and it learnt the art of making big batches of cheese. As one of the UK’s sunniest
has to be just right. “5.2 is the sweet spot, then spots, the Isle of Wight grows
the cheese curds will melt perfectly,” she says. “It takes 300kg of full-fat, non-homogenised great tomatoes, with The
milk to make 30kg of cheese curds,” Emily Tomato Stall producing some of
Cheese curds aren’t a common snack here explains, admiring the blobs of butterfat the best. thetomatostall.co.uk
on the Isle of Wight, or in the UK generally. floating to the top of her vat. She uses
But back in Emily’s native Wisconsin, they’re pasteurised milk from Holstein Friesians; the BLACK GARLIC
in every supermarket fridge, waiting to be churns are left at her farm gate once a week by The Garlic Farm’s black
eaten straight from the bag. They’re also a key Wight Milk, a dairy owned by her husband’s garlic, which is cooked at
ingredient in poutine, the national dish of cousin. Making cheese curds is a complex low temperatures over a few
Canada, just across the Great Lakes. process involving bacterial cultures and months, has flavours of clove,
rennet, heating and measuring, draining and tamarind and balsamic vinegar.
Making cheese curds seems a far cry from cutting. And, of course, checking that pH. thegarlicfarm.co.uk
Emily’s former profession — but in a way it’s
not. She trained as an infectious diseases nurse Emily began selling her curds last year, and GIN
back in the US, and was part of the swine flu the island’s delis and village shops eagerly Mermaid, the first gin to be
response team on the Isle of Wight, before made space for them. Smart new restaurant made on the island, is full of
later working in environmental health. And The Terrace put them on the menu, coated citrussy, peppery flavour,
she’d been making cheese at home for years. in breadcrumbs, deep-fried and served with with its lead botanical
“Mozzarella, burrata and cheese curds mostly,” a chilli, apple and coriander relish. The dish being local rock samphire.
she says. “It wasn’t such a big leap from my became a bestseller. Now, Emily is receiving isleofwightdistillery.com
microbiologist and food safety background.” interest from all over the UK, and she also
plans to ramp up production of proper, thick
Emily’s dream was to be a full-time creme fraiche — a request from The Terrace. If
cheesemaker. So, she set about learning more it’s anything like the curds, it’s bound to be a
about the process, most notably from dairy hit. brixtonandbadger.co.uk Fiona Sims
expert Paul Thomas’s book, Home-made
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 23
S TA R T E R S
WINE
Think of England
ENGLISH SPARKLING IS NOW CONSIDERED SOME OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD — AND
HOMEGROWN STILL WINES ARE ON THE UP TOO. WORDS: FIONA BECKETT
When I first started writing about wine in the So, how did such a major transformation “The Crouch Valley [just north of Southend,
early 1990s, the English wine industry was take place over a relatively short time? Wine in Essex] has an average monthly rainfall of
widely regarded as a bit of a joke. The wines has been made in England since Roman around 44-49ml, compared to 72-87ml for
were generally off-dry, based on obscure times, as Nina Caplan documents in her some vineyards in Devon and Cornwall,”
hybrid grape varieties such as seyval blanc book, The Wandering Vine, but there are other says winemaker Liam Idzikowski, who’s just
and reichensteiner, and weren’t taken very factors, too. One is that climate change, while released some great wines under the Danbury
seriously at all. a long-term disaster, has in the short term label, as well as the Adnams Bacchus below.
benefitted the English wine industry, with
However, the realisation that the chalky soil grapes thriving as temperatures have risen. Winemakers are also more experienced and
of southern England was very similar to that “In the first decade of the century, we had willing to experiment than they were a decade
of the Champagne region, and therefore ideal only two vintages — 2003 and 2009 — when ago. “We used to rely on consultant winemakers
for producing sparkling wine, was a game- the grapes were ripe enough to make still from Champagne,” says Charlie. “Everyone
changer. Pioneers such as Nyetimber and wines,” says Charlie Holland of Gusbourne. followed the same recipe.” Now there’s a
Ridgeview in Sussex, and Gusbourne in Kent, “In the past 10 years, there have been six.” plethora of styles, from pale Provençal-pink
planted the classic Champagne grape varieties rosés to orange wines. The downside is they
of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, There’s also a better understanding of where tend to be expensive. Even allowing for global
with huge success. grapes should be planted. Kent and Sussex warming, England still has a marginal climate
are regarded as ideal for sparkling wine, while for grape growing and yields need to be kept
Today, more than two-thirds of English drier, warmer Essex offers an even more reliable low to guarantee ripeness and flavour.
wine — produced by some 500 wineries — is environment. Grapes are also successfully
sparkling, yet there’s a growing number of grown in counties including Devon, Cornwall, “There was a time when I thought of moving
high-quality still wines, including some Gloucestershire and Leicestershire, but most to a warmer country,” Charlie says. “Not now;
superb chardonnays and pinot noirs you’d have wine production (61.5%) is in the South East. this is one of the most exciting wine regions in
trouble distinguishing from top burgundies. the world to be involved in.”
FIVE TO TRY
Adnams Bacchus 2019 Langham Corallian Digby Fine English Gusbourne Pinot Noir Chapel Down Kit’s
Classic Cuvée Leander Pink Boot Hill Vineyard Coty Chardonnay
ESSEX 2018 2017/18
This is a good example of DORSET OXFORDSHIRE
the delicate, low-alcohol This sparkling wine is made A stylish sparkling rosé with KENT KENT
(11.5%), elderflower-y with mainly chardonnay, summer berry fruit tones, This light but luscious This rich chardonnay has
white wine England does plus pinot noir and pinot ‘ideal for raising a toast on a pinot noir is produced won numerous prizes,
so well. Made from the meunier, but very little glorious regatta afternoon’, from the excellent 2018 including best single-
sauvignon blanc-like added sugar. It’s superbly the winemakers suggest. vintage, overflowing with varietal wine and top still
bacchus grape, it pairs rich. Enjoy with gougères Failing that, it would be ripe raspberry flavours. wine at last year’s WineGB
brilliantly with fresh crab (cheesy choux buns) or perfect with poached Pair with roast or seared Awards. It would go well
or fish and chips. £13.99. cheese straws. £27.50. salmon or a prawn salad. duck, or a mushroom with scallops or Dover sole.
adnams.co.uk leaandsandeman.co.uk £30. waitrose.com risotto. £25. bbr.com £30. harrods.com
24 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
S TA R T E R S
ASK THE EXPERTS
OUR PANEL ANSWERS YOUR CULINARY QUERIES, INCLUDING HOW TO MAKE
WEL S H R AREB IT AND WHERE TO FI ND CO RNWALL’ S B E ST PU B S WITH RO OM S
THE I’m planning a trip to Copenhagen. How easy is it from places like Hart Bageri, Juno or Mirabelle.
EXPERTS to eat on a budget? And then there’s the ubiquitous smørrebrød (open
Hazel Evans: Copenhagen might not be known sandwich), which at Slagteren ved Kultorvet will
Hazel Evans for being budget-friendly, but you don’t have to cost no more than DKK 18-38 (£2-4.40).
Author of Mad eat at Noma to get a taste of the city; you’ll find
About Copenhagen delicious options at a variety of price points. Pandemic permitting, communal eating or
‘fællesspisning’ is also a big thing. Some venues
There are three must-try dishes that won’t hold regular supper club-style nights, while
break the bank. For the legendary Danish hot others welcome diners to long tables for one-off
dog, which comes in at around DKK 25-45 (£3-5), meals, for as little as DKK 50 (£6). Absalon and
head to either John’s Hotdog Deli or DØP, which Send Flere Krydderier are the most popular.
makes them using organic meat and also caters
to vegans and vegetarians. When it comes to If you’re willing to splurge slightly more, there
pastries, you’re spoilt for choice. At their absolute are great mid-range options. Visit District Tonkin
best, they’ll cost in the region of DKK 32 (£3.70) for Vietnamese cuisine or Safari for local dishes,
with dinner around DKK 120-250 (£14-29) a head.
Nidia Penagos
Director of Uncover
Colombia
Adrian Tierney- Danish hot dog with
Jones remoulade and gherkins
Journalist and
author of Camra’s
Great British Pubs
Rose Geraedts I’d like to try Colombian aguardiente. How do I 1493 is the premium sister brand of Antioqueño, IMAGES: STOCKFOOD; ALAMY; PHIL BOORMAN
Owner/founder of drink it — and is it easy to find in the UK? rested in oak barrels to infuse with their flavour.
The International Nidia Penagos: Aguardiente, meaning ‘fire water’ in
Welsh Rarebit Spanish, is Colombia’s national drink. It’s made from In the UK, particularly in London, you’ll find
Centre distilled sugar cane with the addition of aniseed. aguardiente in most Colombian restaurants and
Due to its strong flavour, it’s mainly enjoyed on its some South American bars, such as Bar Salsa in Soho,
own or with ice. It can, however, also be used in La Pollera in London Bridge and La Bodeguita in
cocktails such as the daisy maria (with lemon soda Elephant and Castle. Donde Carlos in Hammersmith
and juice over ice) and the aguardiente sour (a mix of and Leños y Carbón in Elephant and Castle serve
aguardiente, orange juice, egg whites and lime juice). some of the best arepas in town, which pair well with
a cool shot of aguardiente. You can also find it in
As for which brand to buy, the most popular are specialist Latin American shops like Chatica (online)
Nectar and Antioqueño, while Aguardiente Real and DistriAndina (in London and online).
26 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
S TA R T E R S
Old Custom House, Padstow Do you have a go-to recipe for a classic 4 thick slices of bread, toasted
Welsh rarebit? fresh chives
Can you recommend any Cornish Rose Geraedts: The traditional Welsh rarebit salad and chutney, to serve (optional)
pubs with rooms that have has humble beginnings dating back to the
interesting things to do nearby? 1500s in Wales. The dish consists of a savoury METHOD
Adrian Tierney-Jones: Cornwall is a sauce of melted cheese, mustard, beer To make a roux, melt the butter in a
long, languorous peninsula of hidden and seasoning, which is poured over slices
harbours, beautifully bleak moors of toasted bread before being grilled and saucepan set over a medium heat, then
and homely pubs where you can bed served hot. A popular theory suggests it was add the flour and stir well until no
down after being wooed by hearty originally named ‘Welsh rabbit’, stemming lumps remain.
home-cooking and local ales. from the Welsh peasants who used cheese as
a cheaper substitute to meat. This meat-free Once the butter and flour are
Padstow, famous for its May Day dish became a staple on the menus of taverns incorporated, slowly add the beer. Stir
celebrations and, of course, Rick in the 1800s. until combined and thick, then add the
Stein, is home to the Old Custom mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
House, which sits on the quay like SERVES: 4 TAKES: 15 MINS
a sentry overlooking the medieval Add the cheese. Mix until the cheese is
harbour. It’s a warm-hearted, lively INGREDIENTS melted and the mixture is creamy and thick,
place, popular with both locals and 25g butter then remove from the hob. Leave to stand
visitors. Many of its bedrooms offer 25g flour for a moment, then pour over the slices of
views of the harbour and Camel 100ml beer or ale toasted bread.
Estuary, and if you’re eager for 2 tsp English mustard
exploration, this is the starting point ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or a pinch of cayenne Put the bread under the grill for 4-5 mins
of the Camel Trail to Bodmin Moor. until golden-brown, sealed and bubbling.
pepper and paprika for a vegetarian version)
Meanwhile, in the harbour village 125g mature cheddar, grated Sprinkle over the chopped chives and
of Charlestown, on the southern serve immediately with a sweet, zingy salad
side of Cornwall, The Rashleigh and a chutney of your choice on the side,
Arms offers cool, calming rooms in if you like.
a Victorian-era property. Parts of
the popular BBC series Poldark were
filmed in the village, and the Eden
Project is also a short drive away.
Remaining on the south coast, Chain
Locker in Falmouth is a harbourside
inn with interiors suggestive of old
sailing ships. The first floor has a
modern restaurant and its bedrooms
offer views of the River Fal.
Head north to The Driftwood Spars
at St Agnes, a short walk from the
surfers’ paradise of Trevaunance
Cove. Its beers, including the award-
winning Alfie’s Revenge, are brewed
on site, and the menu uses locally
sourced produce. Further west
on Cornwall’s Atlantic coast, The
Gurnard’s Head is one of those get-
away-from-it-all places, with some
rooms offering views of the sea and
others the moorland. It’s won many
plaudits for its food and is a short hop
from the outdoor Minack Theatre.
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 27
S TA R T E R S
MY LIFE IN FOOD
SEAN PAUL
The Jamaican musician talks about Caribbean food, his
multi-ethnic family and eating poisonous puffer fish
My grandmother, who’s from Coventry, that’s cut in half, with a grill inside and coals IMAGES: FERNANDO HEVIA; GETTY; STOCKFOOD
used to make me bubble and squeak. She’d underneath. I have one outside. I guess the pan
make it with sausages and cabbage and gives the chicken a charred taste. It’s usually
whatnot. When she was 20, she met my served with a slice of hard dough bread and a
Chinese-Jamaican grandfather, and when little bit of ketchup and pepper sauce. When
she came to Jamaica, it was a culture shock you go out drinking, it’s amazing for soaking
for her. Not only was she getting all kinds of up all that alcohol.
Jamaican food, but Chinese dishes from him, Ackee and saltfish is one of my favourite
too. He’d cook things like fuqua [bitter melon], dishes. Ackee is a fruit that’s mixed with the
which looks like a hollow cucumber and is saltfish and cooked up with onions, scallions
really bitter. He’d cut the ends, stuff it with and garlic. You eat it for breakfast with roasted
minced meat or chicken and bake it down. or fried breadfruit. The other dish is mackerel
My grandmother on my father’s side would rundown, which is mackerel cooked down in a
cook real Jamaican food: curry goat, oxtails creamy coconut sauce. It’s very salty and you
and stew peas. can’t eat too much of it at a time. You have to
Jamaican curry chicken is the dish that mix it with staples like breadfruit, or starches
reminds me of childhood. It’s also my like yam and potatoes.
favourite dish to cook now. As a kid, I’d go Trinidad and Tobago has amazing breakfast
to my aunt’s house and that’s what she’d food. It has so many influences from Africa
make. I’d come home and say, “Mum, that and India. I love doubles; it’s made with
yellow thing, that yellow food, what is that?” chickpeas, which they call chana, and it’s two
It’s yellow because of the turmeric in there. flatbread things with curried chickpeas and
I took Rihanna for pan chicken. It was one chopped-up shadow beni [a Caribbean herb].
of the first times she ever ate something like When my wife goes to Trinidad for carnival,
that. It’s like a quicker version of jerk chicken, she’ll bring back 25 and freeze them. They do
and it’s my go-to street food. The ‘pan’ is amazing curries as well.
a makeshift barbecue made using a barrel I ate cow heart in Peru. It was very tasty.
It’s very dark, with absolutely no fat in it, and
a little chewy, but very gamey and iron-y.
They say that corn and potatoes originated
from Peru. They have all types of corn — like
corn with kennels that are huge and purple
— and purple potatoes, too. The ceviche down
there, and in Chile, is amazing. In Tahiti, they
make ceviche with coconut milk; I think the
main fish they use is tuna, but it looks white
because they coat it with the coconut milk and
all the spices and whatnot. I ate too much of
that when I was there. Very, very dope.
I was a coward when I had fugu. It’s a
poisonous puffer fish, and I was very
apprehensive when we ordered it in a
restaurant in Japan. I asked the waiter,
“How long does it take to know that you’ve
been poisoned?” — because, apparently,
a couple of people a year die there eating
this fish — and he said that within about
15 minutes you’d start feeling pain. I ordered
it and sat watching my brother and Steve
[part of Sean’s management team] — they were
fine, so I ate it. It gives you a tingling feeling
on your lips and tongue.
Sean Paul’s latest album, Live N Livin, is out
now. His upcoming album, Scorcha, is out later
this year. Interview: Farida Zeynalova
28 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
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RECIPE JOURNAL
A new flame
FROM JERK BURGERS AND CHARRED PR AWNS TO BURNT AUBERGINES AND
GRILLED STR AWBERRIES, HERE ARE FOUR WAYS TO BRING YOUR SUM MER
BARBECUES TO LIFE. WORDS: CHRISTIE DIETZ
Beef and vegetable kebabs
IMAGE: GETTY We humans have been cooking on an open fire for bite-size pieces of beef and offal are cooked on table-
around two million years. Although it remains the mounted grills. Then there’s the American South, where
most primal way of preparing our food, we’ve also, barbecuing refers to a ‘low and slow’ cooking technique
in our various different ways, got it down to a rather fine using indirect heat or hot smoke — and from Texas beef
art. Barbecuing, a broad term that covers techniques brisket to Kentucky mutton, it’s less a style of cooking
including smoking, grilling and roasting, is embraced and more a way of life.
by many different cultures, with plentiful regional
variation. The ingredients can be plain, spice-rubbed or The following barbecue recipes offer a global
marinated and cooked over wood embers or charcoal, spread of flavours from countries with very different
on tabletop grills or below ground in a pit. culinary cultures, but a shared passion for fire and
smoke. Whichever route you take, however, the key to a
At South African braais, slabs of meat and spicy, fatty, successful barbecue lies in its preparation: make sure
spiral-shaped sausages are cooked over hot coals. Visit a you have everything to hand before you start, your tools
Brazilian churrascaria, meanwhile, and anything from are clean and you have time to pay attention to your
chicken hearts to whole racks of ribs will be wheeled food and the flames. Really, though, the most important
directly to your table from a charcoal grill. In Germany, thing is to relax and enjoy yourself — whether you’re on
outdoor barbecues are loaded with sausages and your own or with family and friends, barbecuing is all
paprika-spiced pork steaks all summer long; in Japan, about good food and having fun.
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 31
S TA R T E R S
For many, the stereotypical
shrimp is the quintessential
Australian barbecue food.
The ingredient list here is
very short, so it’s crucial to
get the best-quality seafood
you can and pay close
attention to the details.
Ensure your prawns are
fresh, as frozen ones will
release a lot of water and
you’ll end up with very
soggy results. Large or king
prawns are easier to peel
and devein than small ones,
and are also much easier to
handle on the grill.
Barbecued prawns by
Ross Dobson
SERVES: 4 TAKES: 30 MINS
INGREDIENTS
24 large whole raw prawns
2 tbsp fine salt
lemon wedges, to serve
METHOD
To devein the prawns without
removing the shell, stick a toothpick
through the top, arched part of
the shell (imagine it having a back).
You don’t want to break the vein at
this stage — instead, use the toothpick
to lift it out in one piece, then use
your fingers to slowly pull out the
entire vein and discard. Repeat with
all the prawns; they’re now ready
to cook.
Heat a barbecue hotplate or grill
plate to high and sprinkle the salt
over the surface of the hotplate.
When the salt starts to smoke, lay the
prawns on the hotplate and cook for
around 5 mins. Turn them over and
cook for another 5 mins, or until pink
and curled.
Serve with lemon wedges, finger
bowls and lots of napkins.
Taken from Australia: The Cookbook
by Ross Dobson (£35, Phaidon)
S TA R T E R S
The term ‘jerk’ refers to a way of cooking meat and to a spice blend, both of which are
traditional to Jamaica. This burger combines a blend of jerk herbs and spices, as well
as melted cheese, caramelised onions and jerk barbecue sauce, creating a juicy burger
that’s filled with flavours of the Caribbean. To ensure your burgers hold together well
while cooking, rest the raw patties in the fridge for an hour before they go on the grill.
IMAGES: ALAN BENSON; MATT RUSSELL Da’Flava jerk burger by 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper plate or tray, cover and chill in the
Craig & Shaun McAnuff 60ml white wine vinegar fridge for 1 hr.
1 egg, lightly beaten
SERVES: 6 TAKES: 35 MINS PLUS vegetable oil, for frying Lightly oil a griddle or frying pan
1 HR CHILLING 6 square slices of cheese and set over a medium heat. Add the
6 lettuce leaves burgers in batches of two or three
INGREDIENTS jerk barbecue sauce and cook for a few minutes on each
1kg beef mince sweet potato fries or coleslaw, to serve side until browned to your liking. Put a
2 tsp allspice slice of cheese on each burger to melt.
4 tbsp brown sugar METHOD
1 tsp ground cinnamon Put the beef mince in a mixing Set the burgers aside and keep
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg warm. Sauté the sliced onion in 1 tbsp
1 tsp browning sauce or dark soy sauce bowl and add the allspice, brown vegetable oil until well done.
squeeze of lime juice sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, browning
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped sauce, lime juice, garlic, chopped Place a lettuce leaf on the base of
1 medium onion, ¼ chopped onion, scotch bonnets, spring each bun, then add a cheese-topped
onions, thyme, black pepper, burger, the sautéed onions and a
and ¾ sliced white wine vinegar and egg. Mix layer of jerk barbecue sauce. Serve
2 scotch bonnet peppers, thoroughly, then divide the mixture with sweet potato fries or coleslaw.
into six and mould each section into
deseeded and diced the shape of a burger. Place on a Taken from Original Flava
2 spring onions, finely sliced by Craig and Shaun McAnuff
1 tsp dried thyme (Bloomsbury Publishing, £22)
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 33
S TA R T E R S
S TA R T E R S
The smoky flesh of a charred aubergine is
loved by many for its use in the Levantine
dip, baba ganoush. Here, however, the
grilled vegetable is served whole. This
recipe is inspired by a famous Jerusalem
establishment that serves whole burnt
aubergine topped with a little grated
tomato. The flavour is enhanced by the
charring, so keep your aubergine over the
barbecue until its skin is blistered and
blackened, and the flesh is soft enough that
you can scoop it out with a spoon.
Whole burnt aubergine with charred egg
yolk, tahini & chilli sauce by Sarit Packer &
Itamar Srulovich
SERVES: 2 TAKES: 35 MINS
INGREDIENTS finely chopped
2 aubergines 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
50g tahini
2 egg yolks and finely chopped
juice of 1-2 lemons (about 80ml)
FOR THE LEMON, 1 tsp ground cumin
CHILLI AND 1 tsp caster sugar
GARLIC DRESSING 2 tbsp olive oil
1 red chilli, deseeded and 1 tsp salt
1 bunch of parsley, leaves
finely chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded and picked and chopped
(about 30g)
METHOD Grilled fruit might not be on everyone’s barbecue menu,
If you’re cooking over a barbecue, place the aubergines but the caramelisation really brings out new flavours.
In the case of strawberries, it’s an unexpected jamminess
on a very hot grill or directly onto the embers, if you prefer. that completely transforms them. This classic Eton mess
Let them scorch all over, turning occasionally, until the skin features a contrast of textures and flavours — sweet,
is charred and the flesh is so soft it seems they’re going to crunchy and creamy — all made a little better with fire.
collapse, around 30 mins. If you’re not using a barbecue, Skewering the strawberries makes them significantly
cook the aubergines under the grill turned to its highest easier to control.
setting, or in an oven heated to 240C, 220C fan, gas 9
IMAGES: PKARITSRITICINAPENIREVERSN; DOG ‘N’ BONE (if using the oven, pierce them with a fork beforehand, as Grilled strawberry Eton (the bag keeps the pieces from
they have a tendency to explode); scorch one side, then mess by Marcus Bawdon going everywhere).
rotate and continue until the flesh is completely soft.
SERVES: 2 TAKES: 15 MINS Add three strawberries to each
While the aubergines are cooking, combine all the wooden skewer, then set them
ingredients for the dressing, except the parsley, in a bowl. INGREDIENTS on the grill. Grill the skewers until
In a separate bowl, mix the tahini paste with 50ml ice-cold 2 ready-made meringue nests the fruit is just starting to char and
water to get a thick, whipped-cream consistency. 12 strawberries soften, around 2-3 mins on each side.
2 tbsp extra-thick double cream Remove from the grill before they
Once the aubergines are fully blackened, transfer onto sprig of fresh mint, leaves finely chopped get too soft and fall off the skewer.
serving plates and slit open to reveal the flesh. 4 wooden skewers, pre-soaked
Divide the crushed meringue
Add the parsley to the dressing and mix. Douse the METHOD and the double cream between two
aubergine flesh with half the dressing, then top with the Set up your grill or barbecue plates. Place the grilled strawberry
whipped tahini. skewers on the meringue, then
for moderate- to high-heat close- sprinkle over the mint leaves
Use the back of a spoon to create a small well in the proximity grilling. and serve.
tahini, then tip an egg yolk into the centre of each well. Use
tongs to carefully remove a hot piece of charcoal from the Place the meringue nests in a Taken from Skewered by Marcus
fire and lightly char the top of each yolk. If you’re not using plastic bag and smash them into Bawdon (£16.99, Dog ‘n’ Bone)
a barbecue, use a blow torch to scorch the egg, or simply small pieces using a rolling pin
heat the back of a spoon over a flame and use that instead.
Drizzle over the remaining dressing and serve.
Taken from Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around
the Levant by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich
(£26, Pavilion Books)
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 35
S TA R T E R S Steak on the IMAGES: NIKKI TO; PARADISE
grill at Firedoor
On the menu
MOLLEJAS (SWEETBREADS)
WHETHER YOU’RE GOING THE WHOLE HOG OR
SAMPLING A FEW SKEWERS, A LOCAL BARBECUED Don Julio, Buenos Aires
DELICACY IS A MUST WHEN TR AVELLING. HERE’S OUR
PICK OF THE WORLD’S BEST FLAME-GRILLED DISHES. This traditional Argentine steakhouse (known as a ‘parrilla’) is
famous for its grass-fed, house-aged steaks from cattle raised
SPECIALITY STEAKS in the countryside just outside the city. Every part of the
animal is celebrated here, however, and the menu lists several
Firedoor, Sydney great offal dishes, too. If you pick just one starter, make it the
crispy sweetbreads, served with a delicate sprinkling of salt.
There’s no gas or electricity in Lennox Hastie’s kitchen — just fire. parrilladonjulio.com
Dishes are cooked over the embers of an assortment of different
woods, each selected for the way it enhances flavour. The menu LOS RANCHOS FOUR-CHILLI BURGER
changes daily, but steak is the thing to order, with options
including a 150-day dry-aged fullblood Wagyu rump or 200-day Steel Bender Brewyard, Albuquerque
dry-aged, highly marbled Black Market beef. Expect to pay around
A$180 (£100). firedoor.com.au The ingredients packed into this award-winning green chilli
cheeseburger are all organic and/or locally sourced. Sandwiched
FRE S H LY S H U C K E D W I LD WA D OYSTE R S into a bun from much-loved local bakery Pastian’s, the beef patty
— with meat sourced from Navajo tribal lands — is accompanied by
Khwan, Berlin cheddar, tomatoes and rocket dressed in balsamic truffle and onion
vinaigrette. There’s also a heap of chopped hatch green chile and a
At Khwan (Thai for ‘smoke’) in Berlin’s Friedrichshain neighbourhood, slick of mustard spiked with three more kinds of local chillies. Served
the bold flavours of Northern Thai and Isan cuisines are celebrated with hand-cut fries for $16 (£11.50). steelbenderbrewyard.com
using age-old preservation and fermentation techniques and a
wood fire pit. The freshly shucked wild giant oysters, hand-picked in BUTCHER’S FEAST
the Dutch Wadden Sea, are cooked briefly and directly on hot coals
and served with nam jim, a punchy Thai dipping sauce. Two oysters Cote, New York
for €6 (£5.20). khwanberlin.com
At Michelin-starred Cote, traditional Korean barbecue is blended
ROD’S ORIGINAL WHOLE HOG PORK PL ATE with classic American steakhouse cuisine. The Butcher’s Feast menu
comprises four cuts of USDA prime and American Wagyu beef, that
Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, Charleston are all cooked together at the table on a smokeless grill. The meat
is accompanied by seasonal vegetables, salads, two stews and a
James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Rodney Scott specialises luxurious savoury organic egg souffle. $54 (£38.80) per person.
in a style known as whole-hog barbecue. The hogs are slow-cooked cotenyc.com
over hardwood charcoal for 12 hours before the meat is dressed with
a spicy vinegar sauce and served pulled. An 8oz serving of pit-cooked BARBECUED BEEF BRISKET BUN
whole hog, plus two sides, for $14.99 (£10.80). rodneyscottsbbq.com
The Little Chartroom on the Prom, Edinburgh
JA FFN A S PI C E D N ATI V E B RE E D P O RK B E LLY S K E W E R S
This seaside shack, an outpost of Edinburgh bistro The Little Chartroom,
Paradise, London lies three miles from the city centre, on the promenade of Portobello
Beach. The menu comprises simple French-British-style dishes, the
These skewers are a contemporary take on a traditional Sri Lankan most popular being the Scottish beef brisket. Brined for five days, the
pork curry dish. The Lancashire-sourced pork is flavoured with a meat is smoked on a ceramic charcoal barbecue and finished with a
roasted blend of spices, including chilli and fenugreek, that, when treacle glaze. It’s served in a brioche bun with pickled celery, green
grilled, creates a smoky, spicy aroma; it’s balanced by sweet treacle peppercorns and a kohlrabi and yoghurt slaw. £11. @tlc_ontheprom
made from the sap of the kithul palm. £7. paradisesoho.com
Pork belly
skewers at Paradise
36 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
DISCOVER WOW, DISCOVER PORTO.
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bm ou|oĺ )b|_ ѵ lv;lvķ |_; m; 1Ѵ|u-Ѵ 7bv|ub1| bѴѴ |-h; o om - foum; o= 7bv1o;uķ 0ubm]bm] bm;ķ |_;
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VISIT THE WORLD OF WINE,
PORTO’S NEW CULTURAL DISTRICT.
WWW.WOW.PT
SEAN SHERMAN
THE PIONEER
38 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
MINNESOTA-BASED CHEF SEAN SHER M AN PAYS HOM AGE TO
HIS NATIVE A MERICAN HERITAGE BY CREATING EXPERIMENTAL
DISHES USING ONLY THE INDIGENOUS INGREDIENTS KNOWN
TO HIS ANCESTORS. WORDS: DELLE CHAN. PHOTOGRAPHS:
ISABEL SUBTIL
Flour, sugar and butter are all staple ingredients “A lot of Indigenous food has been stripped
in the US, popping up in everything from pies from us over the past couple of centuries, and
to pancakes. Yet, they don’t figure in traditional there’s still so much social and nutritional
Native American cuisine, the oldest — and segregation today because of the reservation
perhaps also the most underrepresented and system,” Sherman says.
misunderstood — food culture in the country.
Granted, it isn’t easy to describe Native As a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe
American cooking in a nutshell — after all, — a subculture of the Sioux — Sherman is no
there are over 500 federally recognised Native stranger to the detrimental consequences of
American tribes, from the Cherokee of the this enforced segregation. Born on the Pine
south east to the Navajo Nation of the south Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, he
west, meaning regional nuances abound. grew up eating dishes derived not from fresh
Fundamentally, however, the cuisine is indigenous ingredients, but from government-
underpinned by a close relationship with the issued commodity foods such as cereal, canned
land, characterised by the use of fresh, foraged, meat and shortening. These included frybread,
indigenous ingredients such as corn, beans, a calorie-rich dough bread, deep-fried in oil
sunflowers, tomatoes, squash and pumpkins. or lard, which health experts suggest is partly
responsible for the obesity epidemic in many
The fact so little is known about Native Native American communities today.
American cuisine today is something Sean
Sherman is determined to change. For the Despite the subpar diet of his early years,
past seven years, the Minneapolis-based Sioux Sherman showed a natural flair in the kitchen.
chef has worked to preserve and promote the He started cooking professionally when he was
food traditions of his ancestors by revitalising just 13, at a South Dakota steakhouse. After
age-old recipes, cooking methods and food- college, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota,
preservation techniques. As he explains, many working his way up to executive chef at La
of these culinary practices were lost over the Bodega Tapas Bar. One day, Sherman realised
years as a result of discriminatory government that while he was proficient in a number of
policies. In the early 19th century, Indigenous cuisines, including Italian and Spanish, he
tribes were forcibly relocated to reservations, knew little about his own culinary heritage.
effectively cutting them off not just from their
ancestral lands but from the cultural and “I could easily name over 100 European
culinary practices tied to those areas. recipes off the top of my head, but I could count
fewer than 10 Lakota recipes,” Sherman says.
“I realised there was a complete absence of
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 39
S TA R T E R S
Bison and hominy bowl Bison & hominy bowl
with blueberry wojapi
Previous, from left: corn and wild rice
sandwich with smoked duck and fiddleheads; This dish features hominy (corn kernels
without the hull and germ). You can
Sean Sherman at the Indigenous Food Lab buy it tinned, but it’s no match for fresh
hominy, in terms of texture and flavour.
Indigenous cuisine in the culinary world, and the falls and surrounding area are sacred to the SERVES: 4 TAKES: 45 -55 MINS
this prompted me to try to better understand Dakota people, making this the ideal location.
the food of my own ancestors.” INGREDIENTS
Owamni will champion pre-colonial foods 150g Jerusalem artichokes, sliced
To this end, Sherman began researching (those made with ingredients consumed by 150g purple potatoes, cut into wedges
Native American food, history and Native Americans before European crops were 50g fresh mushrooms (such as cremini
ethnobotany, travelling to Indian reservations introduced). “For us, this means no dairy,
across the US, Mexico and Canada to speak wheat flour, cane sugar — and not even beef, mushrooms), halved or quartered
with community elders. “I learned a lot about pork or chicken,” says Sherman. Instead, the 60g leeks, sliced
the stories, foods and environments of all these focus will be on indigenous produce such as 2 tbsp sunflower oil
different regions, and this gave me a broader corn, beans and squash — known as the ‘three 450g ground bison (available from
picture of the immense diversity of Indigenous sisters’ of Native American cuisine, as they
peoples,” he says. were traditionally grown together to reap the specialist butchers and online)
benefits of ‘companion planting’. 2 tsp dried sage
With this newfound knowledge, Sherman ½ tsp sumac
and his partner, Dana Thompson, founded The Despite these strict parameters, there will 20ml apple cider vinegar
Sioux Chef in 2014, a catering and educational still be room for experimentation at Owamni. 450g fresh hominy (or tinned)
enterprise promoting Native American “We’re not trying to cook like it’s 1491,” laughs 30g sunflower seeds, toasted
cuisine via dining pop-ups in the Twin Cities Sherman. “Rather, we want to share a lot of 30g pumpkin seeds, toasted
(Minneapolis and Saint Paul). Three years later different recipes and be really creative with 25g dandelion greens, trimmed (or
came The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, a modern Indigenous cuisine.” This culinary
book of recipes for healthy, Indigenous dishes ethos translates into inventive dishes such as any wild, edible greens such as
such as cedar-braised bison and griddled wild sage-smoked turkey, wild rice pilaf and blue fiddleheads; try watercress for a
rice cakes. It won the James Beard Foundation corn pudding, with ingredients sourced from shop-bought alternative)
Leadership Award in 2019, with judges lauding local and Indigenous producers where possible.
his mission to ‘re-identify true cuisines of FOR THE BLUEBERRY WOJAPI
the Americas’. The following year, he and For Sherman, Owamni is just the beginning 170g fresh blueberries
Thompson opened the Indigenous Food Lab, a of what he hopes will be a network of Indigenous 30g maple sugar (or maple syrup)
not-for-profit restaurant, education and training food businesses across the US. “When you drive
centre focused on Indigenous agriculture, across America today, you often get the exact METHOD
ethnobotany, wild foods and farming. same hamburger and the exact same soda. It’s Heat oven to 180C, 160C fan, gas
so homogenous,” he says. “We see this future
A standalone restaurant was the natural where we can travel across the country and visit 4. To make the blueberry wojapi,
next step, and Sherman is preparing for different Indigenous restaurants along the way, add the blueberries, maple sugar
the imminent launch of Owamni, on the experiencing the immense cultural and regional and 250ml water to a medium
Minneapolis riverfront. “Today, Indigenous-led diversity that we should really be seeing.” saucepan. Simmer over a medium
restaurants are very few and far between. With heat until the berries begin to
Owamni, we hope to open up more knowledge of It’s a lofty ambition, but Sherman is break down, then keep on the heat
Indigenous foods to the general public,” he says. optimistic. “It’s taken us Native Americans so and mash with a whisk or potato
long to deal with the trauma that’s been dealt masher. Continue to reduce until
The restaurant will be located near the to us, but we’re now in an era of reconciliation the sauce thickens, then set aside.
waterfall from which it takes its name: Saint and reclamation,” he reflects. “Today, there’s
Anthony Falls (known as Owámniyomni, a generation of highly educated Indigenous Toss the Jerusalem artichoke,
meaning ‘place of the swirling waters’, in the people who are really pushing to help rebuild purple potatoes, mushrooms and
Dakota language), one of the largest in the Indigenous culture, and food is such a great leeks in the oil, then lay them on a
Upper Mississippi River. According to Sherman, way to start.” baking tray and roast until brown
and tender, around 15 mins.
Meanwhile, put the bison in
a saucepan or skillet set over a
medium heat and cook, without
touching, for 4-5 mins to create
some caramelisation. Break up
with a spatula and cook for another
4 mins until no pink remains.
Season the bison with the sage,
sumac, vinegar and a pinch of salt,
then add 250ml water. Cook for
4-5 mins until the water is absorbed.
Add the hominy to heat it through.
Divide between four bowls and
add the roast veg. Drizzle over the
wojapi; top with seeds and greens.
4 0 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
“Discover our territory
and wines”
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Italy’s ILLUSTRATION: TANYA COOPER
FINEST
FROM FRESHLY PRESSED OLIVE OIL ON TOASTED
TUSCAN BREAD TO PILLOW Y PASTA TOPPED WITH
THE BEST PARMESAN, OUR CHEFS AND WRITERS
DISH UP SEVEN SERVINGS OF ITALIAN CUISINE
INTERVIEWS: SARAH BARRELL
A bowl of yolk-yellow tortellini filled with pork and parmesan, bobbing
in broth, eaten in a Bologna trattoria. A cricket ball-sized arancina,
whose rice-ragu proportions seem to defy physics, bought from a
Palermo rosticceria and eaten leaning against a wall. Tomatoes from
a roadside stall in Puglia and eaten with bread for a car-bonnet picnic.
The flavours of Italy’s regions are varied and, above all, delicious.
It’s a dramatic boot, Italy, standing thigh-high in four seas — the
Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic and Ionian — with an Alpine top and a
southernmost point that shares a strait with Tunisia. And within the
peninsula lies incredible diversity in landscapes, vegetation and climatic
zones. What’s more, there’s the momentous shapeshifting that’s occurred
historically, not only under the Roman Empire, but thanks to the kaleidoscope
of influences — Austro-Hungarian, French and Slavic in the north;
Greek, Spanish and Arab in the south — that have resulted in a patchwork
of duchies, kingdoms, republics and papal and city states, each with its own
history, laws, language, patriotism and traditions (particularly edible ones).
Unification happened relatively recently. Italy became a kingdom in 1861
and a republic in 1947, at which point it was divided into administrative
regions, finally settling at 20 in 1963. These regions have many layers of
identity, including, of course, gastronomic. And fittingly, pasta is perhaps
the best embodiment of the country today: a singular entity that can be
subdivided into hundreds of varieties, each with its own history and heritage.
Whether it’s plump tortelli or a tangle of bucatini with anchovy, pasta
naturally plays the lead within our recommendations from chefs and writers
— but it does so with a sumptuous supporting cast of ingredients, from Amalfi
lemons to Tuscan olive oil. So, whether you’re planning a trip, or simply want
Italy to come to you, here are our seven snapshots from seven regions — seven
illustrations of diversity, seven invitations to eat. Rachel Roddy
4 4 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 45
ITA LY
ITA LY
Puglia
BEAUTIFUL SOUTH Francesco Mazzei’s
broad bean puree
THE HEEL O F ITALY ’ S BO OT, PU GLIA I S HOME TO SOME O F THE CO U NTRY ’ S with cicoria
MOST FL AVOURSOME — AND FRUGAL — DISHES. CHEF FR ANCESCO M A ZZEI
EXPL AINS HOW HE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE REGION AND ITS ‘CUCINA POVER A’ Not to be confused with chicory,
or endive as it’s also known,
IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; GETTY; SIMONE PETULLA; What do you admire most about the food panzanella (bread salad), but made with cicoria can be swapped for dark,
POLENTA VALSUGANA WWW.POLENTAVALSUGANA.IT of Puglia? just tomatoes, peppery Puglian extra virgin bitter greens such as cavolo nero,
Its variety. As with much of the Mezzogiorno olive oil and, often, ice. When the ice melts, dandelion leaf or leafy chicory.
(the Italian south), Puglia is known for some you’re left with bread soaked in chilled SERVES: 4 TAKES: 3 HRS
astonishing dishes made using very few tomato juice — the best thing on a boiling hot PLUS 12 HRS SOAKING
ingredients, such as eggless pasta. It’s a classic day in August.
cucina povera (‘poor food’) culture, but it’s INGREDIENTS
second to none in Italy. And it’s incredibly What are your favourite Pugliese ingredients 500g dry broad beans
healthy: the diet is 70% veg, 20% fish and to work with? 1kg cicoria
about 10% meat. I’m a big fan of grano arso, Puglia’s burnt ½ clove garlic, chopped
grain flour. I just made the most amazing 1 small red chilli, sliced
How did you become interested in the sourdough and southern-style pasta (cavatelli 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
region’s cuisine? and orecchiette) with it. Then there’s fior di black fennel seeds
I was born in Calabria, but did my Navy latte, which we call ‘the real mozzarella’, made
service in Puglia. They quickly saw my skills from cow’s milk. That in a salad with rocket METHOD
were in the kitchen and made me a pastry and walnut is just amazing. Sometimes I add a Soak the dry broad beans in
chef. I travelled all over, buying food in all little mosto cotto (reduced grape must — like
the best spots. Back then, for as little as 2,000 balsamic vinegar, but with very little acidity). water overnight, then drain and
lire (around £2), I got two bags of the freshest Mosto cotto is also used in desserts like rinse under running water.
seafood — sea urchin, octopus, San Giacomo cartellate (fried pasta tartlettes with figs).
scallops. I fell in love with lampascioni (white Transfer to a pot, cover with
‘onions’ that are actually a type of hyacinth What are your favourite dishes from Puglia? water and simmer for 2 hrs,
bulb), cicoria (bitter greens from the dandelion Macco di fave with cicoria — dried broad bean scooping off any foam that
family) and cime di rapa (‘turnip tops’, a green puree with cicoria (blanched and sautéed with forms on top. If it gets too dry,
also known as rapini), but it was the street garlic and chilli), topped with Puglian extra add some hot water.
food that really amazed me. Puglia isn’t widely virgin olive oil and served with focaccia Barese
associated with polenta, for example, but one or small taralli (bread sticks, often flavoured When the beans are soft,
of my favourite things was buying a Peroni with fennel seeds). This is the food of ancient add a few pinches of salt and
and eating scagliozzi (fried squares of polenta) people. There isn’t a better-thought-out, more cook for 5 mins more, then
from street stands in Bari. dynamic, nutritious dish in the world — it’s blend to a thick puree or crush
packed with protein. I’m completely in love and hand-whisk for a more
What are the most distinctive things about with it. But sometimes my favourite dish is rustic consistency.
Pugliese food culture? as simple as spaghetti with tomato and basil.
You still see people fishing for octopus, then Both are vegan, but so tasty. Take Sicilian Boil a pot of salted water.
bashing them on the rocks to tenderise the caponata: you don’t think ‘vegan’, you think Cook the cicoria for 2-3 mins;
flesh. In the Bari area, octopus is eaten raw. ‘this is one of the most flavour-packed things drain and cool in iced water.
Nowhere else in Italy has crudo (raw seafood) I’ve ever eaten’ — and it’s the same with the
like this, sold street-side: there are clams, best Pugliese dishes. Heat the olive oil in a frying
mussels and sea urchins, depending on the pan set over a medium heat.
season. Then there’s friselle (toasted bread Francesco Mazzei is chef-patron of three Fry the garlic and chilli until the
snacks); they’re often used in a dish called London restaurants, including Sartoria. garlic is golden, then add the
l’acquasale, which is similar to a Tuscan cheffrancescomazzei.com cicoria. Season with salt and
cook for a couple more minutes.
Serve the cicoria and puree,
and top with the fennel seeds.
Taken from Mezzogiorno:
Recipes from Southern Italy
(£25, Cornerstone)
NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL 47
ITA LY
Campania
ZE ST, J U I C E & LE AVE S
GROWN ON CAMPANIA’S ROCKY COASTLINE, AM ALFI LEMONS ARE
UNMISTAK ABLE IN THEIR FL AVOUR AND A VERSATILE INGREDIENT
IN RECIPES. CHEF MASHA RENER SINGS THEIR PRAISES
Do a blind taste test with Amalfi lemons, When I was growing up, my mother was MAKE ME
and you’ll instantly be able to pick them out. a chef and ran a restaurant with my father.
They’re sweeter than other varieties, with a She’s from Croatia (my father’s from Italian Find Masha’s lemon
subtler citrus flavour, but so intense. They’re Istria, just over the border), and with few of tart recipe at
not big, weighing around 100-120g each, but her relatives around, the restaurant was my
I’d say they have double the juice of other ‘babysitter’. It was where I developed a passion nationalgeographic.
types of lemons, and the zest is packed with for food, learning to peel potatoes and clean co.uk/food-travel
essential oil. They produce incredible results mushrooms. During the summer, my sister
in recipes, too. Best known as the ingredient and I would be sent to stay with family friends
for limoncello, Amalfi lemons are used in in Amalfi, where we’d spend weeks exploring
everything from desserts to antipasti and on little boats and eating fish, fruit and locally
main courses. Their leaves are sometimes used made Gragnano pasta. It’s where I developed
in cooking, too; when you buy them locally, my love of Campania, especially its food.
they’re usually still attached, and are a good
indication of the lemon’s freshness. Before I’m increasingly into foraging and
modern medicine, lemon flowers and leaves ‘flower cuisine’. In Italy, I can go outside
were used in mental health treatments; during and come back with armfuls of wild fennel
Amalfi lemon blossom season, it was said, or asparagus, but the next day find nothing;
people were calmer. you can only work with what’s available.
I’m from Umbria, and I chose my apartment
These lemons are almost exclusively grown there for its huge terrace. During lockdown,
in one place: the stepped terraces of Amalfi’s I’ve grown all sorts of fruit trees and
steep, rocky coast. A prized trade product back vegetables, and my little lemon tree, despite
when Amalfi was a powerful maritime republic, being miles from the coast, has grown 44
the lemons also helped sailors fight off scurvy. lemons. It’s a huge success.
Today, the vitamin C-packed zest is used widely
in cooking, and the lemons are still almost Masha Rener is head chef at Lina Stores,
entirely organically farmed. London. linastores.co.uk
BEST OF CAMPANIA Clockwise from
top: chef Masha
Fresh anchovies Vesuvian tomatoes Olive oil Rener; Amalfi IMAGES: LINA STORES; ALAMY
lemons growing
Local anchovies with Amalfi Grown in volcanic soil right Olive oil produced south of on the Campania
lemon is the simplest, most by the sea, and protected Lazio has a stronger flavour coast; Amalfi
classic Campania antipasto, by steep coastal mountains, than northern varieties lemon tart at Lina
and it’s a flavour bomb. Vesuvian piennolo tomatoes — those from Amalfi and Stores, London
Fresh anchovies are taken have a sweet, intense neighbouring Sorrento are
straight from the sea, chilled flavour. There’s no way I’d rich and fruity. They’re great Previous spread,
and marinated with lemon cook them; they’re for a for simple tomato salads clockwise from
juice, then served with chilli simple salad, dressed with as they don’t overwhelm, top left: trulli
flakes, salt, parsley and just olive oil and salt, and and for branzino al sale (white in Alberobello,
local olive oil. perhaps some wine vinegar. fish baked in a salt crust). Puglia; fresh sea
urchins; chef
Francesco Mazzei
4 8 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/FOOD -TR AVEL
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