Posted: 15/12/16 | December 15th, 2016
Many moons ago, a friend emailed me and said “Hey, my buddy is starting a website. Can you give him some advice?” I hate those emails, but as a favor to my friend, I said yes. That guy, Nathan Thornburgh, turned out to be really cool, and we became good friends. But this article isn’t about Nathan; it’s about his partner, Matt Goulding. Together they started one of my favorite travel websites, Roads and Kingdoms.
It’s one of the few websites I read regularly. Last year, they partnered with Anthony Bourdain (they introduced me to him at an event last year and I babbled incoherently for a bit — it was highly embarrassing), and as part of their partnership, they created a book, Rice, Noodle, Fish, about Japan.
Now they have a new book called Grape, Olive, Pig about food in Spain.
In a long-overdue interview, I sat down and talked to Matt about the intersection between food and travel, and where to find the best food in Spain.
Nomadic Matt: How did you become a traveling food writer?
Matt G.: Wanderlust was emblazoned in my DNA from the onset. My mom was a travel agent, and my parents would take me and my three older brothers on some pretty staggering trips in our younger years: New Zealand, Fiji, Barbados, Mexico.
Later, I thought cooking was going to be my ticket to see the world, so I studied and worked in the kitchen and wrote short stories on the side. I cooked wherever they’d have me: at an oyster house in North Carolina, fancy cafés in Los Angeles, on a fishing boat in Patagonia.
But I saw pretty quickly that cooking required more patience and discipline than I had. I was writing bad fiction and cooking average food, which felt doubly frustrating. So I took off the toque and put away tortured prose and started to write about what I knew most: food and travel. It just so happens that the two go hand and hand, and that food became both the bridge and decoder ring for understanding the world at large.
I found out what a million writers before me already discovered: that writing about something I knew so intimately made a huge difference in the quality of my prose and the depth of my reporting. I started publishing longer, food-focused travel pieces in magazines and eventually landed a job as the food editor at Men’s Health.
Then something new came along when I met Nathan Thornburgh. We connected in Mexico City at a sprawling temple of smoked meat and pulque on the outskirts of the city and hatched a plan to leave behind our cushy jobs and try something new.
He wanted more food and culture in his life as a writer and editor; I wanted more politics and foreign correspondence.
We toiled in relative obscurity for the first year or two, but it turned out that one of our early readers was Anthony Bourdain. I’m still not entirely sure how he found us or what he saw in R&K, but when we approached him in 2013 with the idea of a book series dedicated to the great food cultures of the world, he gave us his full support.
Eventually, that support grew into a formal partnership, which, to put it lightly, changed the trajectory of Roads & Kingdoms substantially.
Your last book was about Japan. Why did you pick Spain this time?
I was passing through Barcelona six years ago, met a lovely Catalan girl in a bar, and never left. (At least, that’s the Cliff Notes version.)
Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time eating my way across the country, falling deeper and deeper in love with Spain’s food culture. This book follows the same format and design as Rice, Noodle, Fish, but whereas the Japan book was about a newcomer experiencing the awesome power of Japanese food culture for the first time, Spain is more intimate, personal book, told from the perspective of someone with one foot inside and the other foot outside of the country.
What do you want people to get out of this book?
At the very minimum, I want to arouse in the reader an uncontrollable desire to travel to Spain. If someone reads the book and buys a plane ticket, then I am happy. But the easiest part of a travel writer’s job is to evoke wanderlust, just as the easiest part of a food writer’s job is to stir hunger.
The more challenging part is to write a book that goes beyond food or travel — to give the reader a deeper understanding of Spain, its people, its ebbs and flows. I’m less interested in telling you where to go and what to eat than I am in giving you the tools and the context to understand what you see once you get here and begin to make your own discoveries.
That means not just telling you where to eat a good cocido, Madrid’s famous garbanzo-and-meat stew, but explaining where it comes from and what it says about Spanish history and culture. I dedicate 8,000 words in the book to three sisters who hunt gooseneck barnacles along the coast of Galicia — not because you need to stop everything you’re doing and travel to northwest Spain to eat barnacles but because theirs is a beautiful story that says a lot about Galicia and Spain in general.
In the end, food is simply the lens through which I try to examine the DNA of this extraordinary country.
What makes Spanish cuisine so special?
Spanish cuisine has a certain split personality that I find deeply attractive: On one hand, you have modernist (what some people call “molecular” cuisine, to the annoyance of every Spanish chef I know), that highly technical, whimsical, sophisticated style of cooking popularized at El Bulli in the 1990s and 2000s and carried on to this day by many ambitious, deeply talented practitioners.
It was this type of cooking that made Spain a serious food destination over the past decade.
But really, it represents the tiniest fraction of Spain’s culinary greatness. At the heart of Spanish cuisine is an infallible formula: great ingredients + solid technique = good eating. The best Spanish food — a melting wedge of tortilla, a rosy slice of acorn-fed ham, a plate of sweet red shrimp bathed in garlic oil — is at its core very simple.
But simple doesn’t mean easy. You have to take the time to buy the right ingredients and to treat them properly, and most Spanish cooks excel in both categories.
Is there really Spanish food, or a diverse set of food we really call Spanish food?
Spanish cuisine, like all great cuisines, is highly regionalized, but the homogenizing forces of modernity in general, and tourism specifically, threaten this diversity. These days you’ll find paella and sangria and patatas bravas in every corner of the country.
But that just means as a traveler you need to be aware of where you are and make your food choices accordingly.
Up in Galicia? Eat octopus and shellfish and gooseneck barnacles and wash it down with a crisp Albariño.
When in Andaulsia, eat jamón and fried little fish and drink sherry. In Basque country, feast on thick-cut steaks and whole-grilled fish and a world of pintxos.
The people who find Spanish food disappointing are the ones who order paella in Madrid and sangria in San Sebastián. Of course, there is a common language that unifies Spain’s cooking — high-quality olive oil, cured pork, an abiding love of seafood — but it expresses itself in very different ways as you move around the country.
I always tell people who come to Spain to first and foremost know where you are and eat and drink accordingly. Paella, for example, has a historical connection to Valencia and is at its very best in the region, but elsewhere, it’s often used to make a quick buck from tourists looking for a “typical” Spanish experience. (The worst-kept secret in Spain is that a huge percentage of paella is made industrially and sent out frozen across the country.)
Instead, spend a bit of time learning about the great regional specialties of the country and seek them out aggressively. Grape, Olive, Pig tries to give the reader the type of detailed understanding of the Spanish culinary tapestry so that he or she is equipped to eat as well as possible in every corner of the country.
But even an hour or two of reading online will make your food experience exponentially better.
Why is Spain such a foodie culture? Food is life in Spain. How did that come about?
Spain thrives on the same foundational principles of all the great Mediterranean cuisines, where the forces of geography, climate, and history conspired to create not just a group of national recipes but a pervasive food culture that informs all aspects of life on the Iberian Peninsula.
There’s a very important word in Spanish that I use to explain to visitors the beauty of Spanish food culture: sobremesa, which literally means “on top of the table” but actually refers to the period after a meal that Spaniards use to linger at the table.
Long after the last courses have been cleared, after the coffee has come and gone, Spaniards remain firmly planted at the table, talking, arguing, laughing, enjoying an extra hour or two together. No waiter is hovering with the bill; people aren’t on their phones messaging their other friends. There may be a digestivo or a round of gin and tonics, but no one is there to get drunk. They’re there to be with each other: to debate policy, air out grievances, celebrate a loved one, and to generally bask in the warm glow of each other’s company.
In Spain, food is the means, not the end.
Do you see the Spanish food scene changing into a more “quick eats” American style or is it going to remain slow forever?
Spain is not immune to international food trends, including ones imported from the States. Burger joints have been sprouting like fungus across the country for the past five years, and there appears to be no end in sight. (Though I’m still waiting for a single great burger to break out from the sea of mediocrity.)
Tacos are the new thing in the bigger cities, and there is no doubt some other amorphous food fad waiting in the wings (bao?). But Spanish food has roots deep enough to withstand the existential threats that might topple a weaker food culture. When the burger lust dies out and the taco fervor fades away, there will still be a bar down the street serving tortillas and croquetas.
If someone was heading to Spain soon, where should they go to eat?
You’ll find amazing food across the country, but if eating well is your primary mission, go north. I’d rent a car and work my way across the Atlantic Coast. Start in the Basque Country, hitting up the pintxos bars in San Sebastián and Bilbao and asadores (grill restaurants) in coastal and mountain villages.
Stop in Cantabria for some of the world’s finest anchovies, then push into Asturias to feast at the region’s heroic cider houses.
End the adventure on the coast of Galicia, the heart of Spain’s seafood culture, where the Atlantic’s treasures require little more than salt and a splash of olive oil.
What region of Spain has the most underrated food?
Asturias isn’t a region on most people’s radars, but the food is extraordinary. You have a deep culture of mar y montaña (surf and turf), thanks to the dramatic combination of rugged coastline and soaring peaks. You can be in a cider house in a mountain town eating cave-aged cheeses and fabada (a stew of fat white beans, chorizo, and blood sausage — the king of the Asturian kitchen) for lunch and in a seafood restaurant on the coast feasting on spider crabs and sea urchin before the sun sets.
To write the Asturias chapter of the book, I spent a week with the chef José Andrés, born in a coal mining town in Asturias, who went on to create one of the world’s greatest restaurant empires. José is a force of nature, and he unlocked the magic of that region in a way that keeps me coming back year after year.
OK, final questions. We’re going to do a lightning round:
- #1 restaurant people need to go visit?
Extebarri in the mountains of Basque country. Bittor Arguinzoniz is a grill god, and everything that comes out of his kitchen will haunt you for years to come.
- #1 thing visitors should avoid in Spain?
Eating or drinking anything on La Rambla in Barcelona. - Madrid or Barcelona?
Barcelona, but I am far from objective. If I said Madrid, a few family members might disown me. - La Tomatina: Drunk idiot fest or fun cultural experience?
A little bit of both, but with each passing year, it slouches sadly towards the former.
You can find more about Matt at his website, Roads and Kingdoms, or just get the book Grape, Olive, Pig (which was one of my favorites of 2016) and learn more about Spain!
Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner or Momondo to find a cheap flight. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. Start with Skyscanner first though because they have the biggest reach!
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. My favorite places to stay are:
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
- World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
- Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
- Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)
Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.
Want More Information on Spain?
Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Spain for even more planning tips!
Justin Bienio
Awesome interview…and very relevant to me since I’ll be volunteering in Valencia in April & May!
My favorite food experience on the road was literally on a dirt road in Namibia on an overlanding trip. We stopped for lunch and our guide made seasoned mince sandwiches using these almost magical pastry-like rolls that were as dense as a brick & covered in shredded cheese. It was in no way fancy, but rather a perfect comfort food on a long drive.
Ailsa Tessier
Matt, I think my favorite food experience on the road took place 40 years ago, in Germany. On a tour with my college choir, we had a roadside lunch stop where we didn’t have a lot of time, but weren’t rushed. With a bit of German language I discerned the item that would take the least time to prepare. It was a grilled cheese sandwich…but oh, what a cheese sandwich. Glorious melted cheese within black, black bread, grilled to melty perfection (the type of cheese has, unfortunately, been lost in the memory mists of time). Accompanying the sandwich was hot sweet tea, in a gorgeous silver-based glass, which gave an added air of elegance to my quick lunch. I can taste it all still.
Ashley Ozery
I’m off to Spain in April, can’t wait!
In 2013, I had the most amazing glass noodle seafood salad in Thailand – yam wun sen. It was INCREDIBLE. I have tried ordering it a few times in the States and it has always been a disappointment. Next time I’m in Thailand you had better believe I am ordering it again!
Adam Splawinski
One of my favorite food experiences was eating and drinking in an alley in Xi\\\’an China. The place was packed with what appeared to be locals so I figured I would sit down and join them. The owner/cook made everything over coals from the chicken wings and vegetables to the bread. The bread itself was one of the best things I have ever tasted and one of my favorite food memories. I lingered there for a long time trying various dishes and enjoying a few beers.
Pauline
I really enjoyed this interview. Matt G. seems to be really passionate about Spain and its food. His answers were thoughtful and insightful. I’ve never heard of his site but look forward to checking it out.
My favorite food experience was at a hot pot restaurant in Shanghai. The menu was only in Chinese with no pictures and the waiters didn’t speak English. After some back and forth hand signaling, they motioned us to follow them and brought us back to the kitchen! All the fresh items were arranged on shelves and we were able to pick what we wanted to eat by pointing at each item. It was fun seeing the cooks in action and actually choosing our meal!
Kara Kearney
My favorite food experience was actually in Spain! A friend an I accidentally ended up at a catered party in Granada and we ate the best jamón serrano I’ve ever tried. It was paper thin and perfectly salty. It was a delicious, mouth-watering accident!
Samantha
Great interview and I definitely want to read the new book! It’s hard to choose a favorite food experience while traveling, but I would have to say my favorite food experience was in Florence, Italy. My fiancé and I found a small restaurant on a quiet street of Florence that served wine and paninis at an outdoor bar. The restaurant had no dining room and you simply stood outside at the bar with a glass of wine and a panini and talked to other diners. I ordered a salami goat cheese panini and a glass of red wine. The ingredients were simple, but it was the best panini I have ever eaten. I still think about how perfect it was, and it has been over two years since then.
Joan
Recently in a little restaurant in Rocamadour, the little pilgrimage town built into the side of a mountain.
We had magnet de canard, a thick slice and very rare, so delicious! Also with perfectly sautéed potato
slices, just simple. Afterwards the best little hot fudge sundae I’ve ever tasted. The fudge and the ice
cream of the best quality. Very fulfilling meal!
Pauline
I walked the Camino in 2014 and I wholeheartedly agree with everything Matt said above, including the whole bit with eating on La Rambla, a mistake I myself made as a novice traveler when I first visited Barcelona. Galicia, the province where Santiago de Compostela resides, is FULL of amazing and very affordable food. One of my favourite experiences was in Sarria, where 10 Euro gives you a glass of wine, a huge, steaming bowl of caldo gallego, a basket of fresh, crusty bread, and a slice of tarte de Santiago, Galicia’s famous dessert. LOVE!
Elaine Logue
Great interview! I used to live in Spain and agree with all of that. However, my best food experience was a recent trip to Peru. Everything, from a lunch with some locals in the Andes, to a Gaston Acurio restaurant in Lima, was phenomenal. I’m now collecting Peruvian cookbooks. ?
Kate Couch
Two rules to live by – don’t eat anything that wobbles or looks at you #simples
Joyce
In Barcelona, for a late supper I found a little side street sit down at the counter lunch place that was close to closing for the day. I ordered a quick scrambled egg with jamin and Manchego cheese. It was insanely good. I tried the same at home. Wrong ham and my Manchego didn’t have nearly the complexity if flavor. Going back!
Craig Chast
Great read, look forward to reading that book! There were way too many fantastic meal experiences in my recent travels to choose just one favorite. Some of my favorites were as simple as picnics in the park with friends to my guilty pleasure of late night Doner Kebabs. Spain is far and above my my favorite destination, and where I have spent the most time. I studied abroad in Andalusia so tapas and all the fritura malagueña will always have a special place in my stomach. However, my most favorable experiences on this last trip were actually outside of Andalusia. From surprisingly authentic and amazing €6 dinners at Mediterranean youth hostel in Barcelona from young local chef Kike to a road trip I took from Barcelona with three Argentinian chefs from the Patagonia region. We met at a hostel in Barcelona and rented a car to take across the País Vasco in search of the famous pintxos of Bilbao and San Sebastián. One of the most memorable experiences was actually just being invited into the famous Arzak kitchen and test lab as they prepared to open that evening.
Sharon
This interview makes me want to book a flight right back to Spain- there are so many different regions to that country I don’t know how many trips it will take me to see it all! My favourite food experience was in Marrakesh, at a rooftop restaurant near the markets. The entry way was a set of extremely narrow, steep stiarcases and opened into the kitchen, where you could wave hello to the chefs before grabbing a seat on the rooftop. The apricot tagine and eggplant salad I had there was absolutely incomparable.
Mary
Love Roads & Kingdoms!
So many memorable food experiences on the road….
While not technically traveling, while living in Amsterdam my favourite bar had a Trappist cheese plate that changed my life. I had never cried tears of joy over food before. Other memories include hiking the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park and ending the day eating pizza. Not necessarily the best pizza I’ve had but I earned it that day! Sharing Greek food and ouzo in Athens with a view of the Acropolis. Ugh now I’m hungry and want to go traveling 🙂
Liz
Loved this article!
We ordered snake in Yangshuo, China. Intriguingly, someone was sent out to catch a snake in the fields. He brought it back in a bag, proceeded to snip off it’s head, then chop it up and sauté it for us. Memorable, but I much prefer the pintxos in San Sebastián!
Michelle
My favorite travel food experience was doing raclette in Grenoble. While I’m familiar with fondue, I had never heard of this and it just blew my mind with how cozy and delicious it was.
Thomas
Great article!
While walking through the hot, busy, noisy streets of Dokki in Cairo, I suddenly bumped into a Sudanese restaurant in one of the little side streets. Taking place at a table in what must be one of the most awfully decorated rooms on the planet, I didn’t expect much from this dinner. However, when I started to taste the food I was totally dazzled by the richness and diversity in flavours of the various dishes and the perfect injera. With every visit to Cairo I return to this amazing restaurant to escape the chaos of the city and have a great meal.
Stephen
One of my first big trips was to visit a friend in Japan, and at the tail end of an afternoon wandering in Kobe he guided be up to a nondescript restaurant of a single bar facing the chef… and proceeded to order some of the best beef I’ve still ever tasted. Some 8 years later, I can still almost taste that first bite of melt-in-mouth goodness.
Joe TerZino
Lived in Spain for three years, just got back from a two week vacation in Andalusia. Everything said about the food is true. The people are just simply awesome. There is nothing like it.
Candice
Huge fan of R&K, and Bourdain, of course! Would love a signed copy!
I recently went seaside food foraging in Newfoundland (where I live), and was introduced to all kinds of amazing edibles. We had a boil up on the beach with freshly caught mussels and baked cod in tinfoil, garnished with the plants we picked up on our walk. It was perfect.
Erin Gray
Wonderful interview! Sister living in Madrid said Goulding is spot on!
Best food memory whilst traveling came in 2012. I was backpacking through New Zealand, met a dairy farmer who invited me to help on his farm for a few weeks. Family also had a small cheese factory, so I helped create food from grass to cow to packaged on the shelf. Such an amazing experience. So amazing, in fact, that farmer is now my husband!
Food, travel, and love. Does it get any better?! Happy Holidays, Matt! 🙂
Kristy
Hard to narrow down to just one! Earlier this year in Patagonia, Argentina a local tour guide recommended us to Isabel restaurant in El Calafate for their traditional Patagonian gaucho dish, the plow disc. The plow disc itself is a large cast iron pan/dish in which they cook a mix of meat and vegetables with wine that makes the most delicious broth I’ve ever had. There were several combinations of meat and mixes to choose from but we opted for the traditional Patagonian lamb with potatoes, carrots and other vegetables in a red wine reduction which was served with fresh, rustic bread made in house perfect for soaking up that broth. Seemingly simple ingredients, but the flavors melded so well together in that cast iron dish. Of course it paired perfectly with a big, Argentinian Malbec 😉 The meal is served in the plow disc and is perfect for two people to share. It was so good we went back twice.
A very close second (or let’s just call it a tie) would have to be the pinxtos of San Sebastián. I could live off pinxtos.
Robert
I just recently went to Barcelona, and one of the best food experiences I had was at La Boqueria. The fruit, vegetables, and meats were all great. I topped it off with two fried eggs and foie gras from El Quim. I truly fell in love with Barcelona which is like my hometown of Los Angeles but even more laid back and festive.
My favorite experiences, though, have been whenever I visit my homeland of Mexico. Whether eating comforting home cooked meals, street food, or finding dining (Pujol).
Robert
I just recently went to Barcelona, and one of the best food experiences I had was at La Boqueria. The fruit, vegetables, and meats were all great. I topped it off with two fried eggs and foie gras from El Quim. I truly fell in love with Barcelona which is like my hometown of Los Angeles but even more laid back and festive.
My favorite experiences, though, have been whenever I visit my homeland of Mexico. Whether eating comforting home cooked meals, street food, or fine dining (Pujol).
Violet
Matt, my favorite food memory from traveling is from a tiny town, outside of Milan. I was 19, traveling on the Europass, a young American woman alone in Europe. I met a cool Italian boy on the train, and on a whim I let him take me to his family’s home in this little town with a fort and wild boars and a field of sunflowers… we had affogato at the cafe and at his home his family embraced me and set out dinner in the garden. It was a long table under a canopy in the midst of green vines, and everything tasted like love. Fresh tomatoes, basil, mozz, olives, peppers, roasted meats where all I remember is that everything tasted perfect, and different, and yet looked so familiar. And over 20 years later i want so much to have another night in that garden, with those wonderful strangers who took me in.
Mike
Eating a guinea pig in Cusco was by far the most fun I’ve had at a dinner table while traveling. My dining companions were mildly grossed out and even the locals got a kick out of it.
Karianne
Spain has been on my travel list for some time and this interview really solidified its place near the top!
One of my favourite food experiences on the road was during my time in Buenos Aires. I had just landed and was staying in a lovely hostel in Palermo and a group of Argentine people staying at the hostel invited me to join them for a BBQ they were having on the rooftop terrace. They brought me along to the grocery store and we had wine, beers and good chats while the meat was being cooked. It was possibly the best variety of meat I’ve ever had and it was paired with new friends!
Hans Gonzalez
Great interview!
My favorite on-the-road food experience is when travelling from Dubrovnik to Korcula. It starts stopping in Mali Ston to shuck and enjoy the freshest oysters ever and some black risotto, then another stop at Milos winery to enjoy some of their wine and olive oil, together with some cheese, olives, prsut (dalmatian prosciutto) and homemade bread. Back to the car again all the way to Orebic, with just enough time to have some coffee whilst waiting for the ferry to Korcula.
Kevin Z
One of my most memorable travel food experiences wasn’t as much about the food itself as the atmosphere that came with it. It was lunch in a restaurant outside Panmunjom during a visit to North Korea in 2015. Though it was a restaurant geared toward Western visitors there were some subtle signs of the struggles the country was trying to hide. There were many small banchan dishes ranging from eggs to tofu to radishes to acorn jelly but the kimchi bowl was noticeably heavy on pickling juice and very light on actual cabbage. The handful of bulbs would flicker in time with the audible hum of a generator outside and a lantern hung at the ready on a hook against one wall. “Local people come here all the time!”, our government-provided guide insisted about a restaurant which was empty with the exception of us. I later hoped those locals wouldn’t mind eating in the dark because as soon as we boarded our bus the generator cut off.
Caitly Lowe
As I look at all these other responses, I wish I could say that I had an amazing meal somewhere exotic but I can’t. I haven’t really traveled much. I’ve never left North America and even then I’ve only seen a fraction of it really. But there were still the weekend ski trips and the occasional visit to far flung family.
When I was a kid my dad and I hiked the Chilkoot Trail on the hundredth anniversary. We had sourdough pancakes made from hundred years old starter that had been continuously fed and kept alive for all that time. It’s only now that I can appreciate the fact I ate a piece of history itself.
The weekend ski trips were always good for food. Mom and dad would stop for gas just before leaving the city and there was a Tim Hortons there as well. We couldn’t eat our doughnuts until we hit the green bridge on the highway, so anticipation made them all the better (but we couldn’t have jelly doughnuts cause they would always end up making a mess!) Ski trip food was always simple; hand and cheese sandwiches, apples or carrot sticks, some cookies. But what I really remember is the big thermos that dad carried full of tea. Market spice tea from the tea shop in Pikes Place. Rich and fragrant and steaming in the cold winter air as we bundled up again and looked for the whiskey Jacks to arrive to take crumbs from our hands.
It might not be road food the way some people think of it, but it was food that kept us going on our road so that makes it all the better sometimes.
Jessica
I enjoyed their previous book and am excited about the new one, especially as I visited Barcelona in the summer and loved it.
One of my favorite food memories was a tiny family run restaurant in Florence with a set menu, packed and full loud Italian. It was my first night in Italy in the most beautiful city, drinking house Chianti, first time trying fresh pasta with truffles. The light was beautiful in Florence that night and the food was magical.
Vic Simon Maycacayan
I enjoyed reading this interview of yours. Anyway, my favorite thing to do during my travels is to sample streetfood in order to taste the authentic local culinary traditions. Whether its roadside pork barbeque or balut (boiled duck embryo) in Manila; springrolls in Bangkok market; beef wellington in a pop-up street cafe in Wellington, New Zealand; Peking Duck in Beijing streetshop; piping hot bibimhap at a stall in Gangnam Street in Seoul, South Korea; spicy satay from an ambulant vendor in Malaysia; or a chicken curry from a corner shop in Indonesia, I love them all in their own unique peculiarities. Cheers!
Greg
Interesting interview. Definitely agree with Matt on how good northern Spain is as an eating destination. But if I had to choose one travel-related food memory it would be eating picanha in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s cattle country. We were in an aunt’s neighbors barn, someone had slaughtered the steer that morning, and we ate it right off the grill. Best meat I’ve ever tasted.
Joy
My first time visiting family friends in Galicia and having dad pull a pulpo out of the sink it had been soaking in… and then boil it up, cover it in local olive oil and pimentón, and serve it. Best octopus I’ve ever eaten, and probably the most authentic.
Denise noonan
The best food I have ever had was when we lived in Italy for 8 months. The food was fresh and delicious! I need to return.
Nina Pantelic
At guachinches in Tenerife!
Ann
eating roasted sheep’s head in the Marrakech medina
Tracy Denholm
My favorite food experience was eating the delicious mini-meal made by the staff of Tempura Matsu at the book launch of Rice, Noodle, Fish at the Nomad hotel in NYC in the same vicinity as Matt, Nathan, and Bourdain thanks to R&K’s competition. Kampai!
Decode
Not eating anything on the Ramblas in Barcelona… so true. Probably the case for most main tourist attractions in Spain. Most grand squares have pretty bad food which is logic as they don’t have to “try” as hard to get customers in.
You’ll find most amazing little restaurants with great food, to be just off the main track. Never eat in restaurants that show pictures (especially neon lighted) on the front door as this is almost always a very bad sign!
Tiffany Kinney
My favorite food experience to date would be indulging in “Eatly.” My husband and I honeymooned in Italy and literally ate our way through Rome, Sorrento, Positano, Capri and Naples. Our favorite in Rome was Roscioli where we experienced the most amazing burrata and cacio y Pepe. Thanks to some recommendations by a good friend, we visited some of the best pizzerias in Napoli including the popular Sorbillo.
La'Chia
I really enjoyed this interview! When I make it to Barcelona, I’ll likely avoid Las Ramblas.
My favorite food experience of all time is an all day cooking demonstration on the Amalfi Coast. I learned so much about the techniques and ingredients used to create some amazing dishes. I am ruined for Eggplant Parmigiana because of it!
Judyta
Really great interview as I live in Spain I can say that eating is really important here. And not just food but everything that it includes: getting together, celebrating, enjoying the moment, relaxing. No one does it better than Spanish people.
John Rauch
My favorite eating on the road experience was in Sevilla this summer, eating jamon y vino tinto at an outdoor café. Some women wanted my table so they could sit together as a group. To ask me to move to another, the server asked, \\\”Caballero, esas mujeres….\\\”. She had me at \\\”caballero.\\\” I would have swept her floors for such a high honor. Not merely \\\”senor.\\\” And the ladies were as kind as could be. Then sent me a glass of wine in thanks. And they made my trip.
Elizabeth
My favorite eating experience was in the small British seaside town of Swanage. There’s a pub called The Black Swan and while the food is your standard British pub fare, the French chef did an AMAZING job! We returned several nights to eat there because it was that good. Our Airbnb hosts told us most of their guests eat there at least 3 nights of their trips. Also, the put was really run by a small terrior dog named Pickles (the owner’s dog). He ran between the tables demanding belly rubs from the diners.
Jasmina
My best food experience on the road was in Croatian region of Istria. Eating varieties of homemade pastas with fresh grated truffles and specific sort of local beef, drinking wine produced by the owners of small farmers’ restaurants located on beautiful hills and chatting with the hosts made me feel privileged to experience such a great combination of food, drink and travel.
NomadicMatt
So many amazing stories! We”ll pick a winner and contact you soon! 🙂
My weirdest food story involved eating friend maggots in Thailand. Tasted like salty french fries!