Food tourism is taking over the world. Get a bite of the action.

With local cooking classes, you don’t just experience the beauty of a country’s cuisine. With the guidance of local chefs, you’ll also bring a bit of that culture back to your own kitchen, taking home more than just a full stomach. Experience food tourism at its best with these Insightful cooking classes, uncovering the culinary traditions that have shaped local cultures for centuries.

On Best of Spain and Portugal, you’ll learn how to cook an authentic paella with a local chef. Savor the flavors of this classic dish for dinner, washed down with a hearty glass of sangria or two.

While you uncover the Glories of Greece, Chef Farije will share with you her passion for local ingredients and high quality products. Learn how to make tzatziki and other regional dishes in an immersive cooking demonstration.

On Classical Sri Lanka, you’ll learn the secrets behind this amazing cuisine with a cooking demonstration with a local chef. Learn how to make iconic Sri Lankan and South Indian dishes before you dine on your creations.

Curious as to how the world’s finest ingredients earn their reverence? A stylish visit to a vineyard or farm offers a unique opportunity to trace the journey from field to fork, or vine to glass. Stroll through the sun-kissed vineyards in Chile, along sleepy olive groves in Italy, and sumptuous oyster farms in Croatia. These visits, a food tourism staple, add a layer of depth to your knowledge of gastronomy, connecting you with the origins of the flavors that grace your plate.

On Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil Discovery, a local expert shows you around a picturesque olive oil farm nestled in the hills by Uruguay’s Colonia Del Sacramento. Afterwards, sit down for a farm-to-table lunch paired with local wines.

On the Tuscany leg of Easy Pace Italy,, you’ll visit Il Poggio and learn about organic olive and grape farming. No visit to a Tuscan farm is complete without a fabulous dinner of local specialities, all accompanied with stunning views. Naturally.

As you discover the Best of Spain and Portugal, a wine expert will greet you upon your visit to Cava Dorada. You’ll enjoy a lovely tasting and lunch as you explore the iconic Cava vineyards.

While exploring the Country Roads of Croatia , you’ll visit Mali Ston, where some of the world’s best oysters are cultivated. Meet a local oyster farmer and learn about the cultivation of oysters, before sitting down for a divine sea-to-table tasting of fresh shellfish and local wine.

In Chile, you’ll stop by Kingston Family Winery, a small boutique winery located in Casablanca Valley. We cannot recommend enough tasting their unique selection of exquisite wines. Discover this on Best of Chile from Atacama to Patagonia

You may also be interested in: Pearls of the Adriatic: discover the world of oyster cultivation in Croatia

You can read about a nation. Watch documentaries about its past. Even travel to its soil, and discover its iconic landmarks for yourself. But few things immerse you in the culture of a country more than sitting at the table in local home, breaking bread with the very people who make up the fabric of the community.

Food and family go hand-in-hand, especially in Italy. Experience it for yourself in Rome with an invitation from your local host to join them for a truly Italian, home-cooked meal. Discover this on Easy Pace Italy.

While discovering the Best of Ireland and Scotland, Sir Ludovic invites you to tour his family home in Scotland, the Ardgowan Estate. You’ll get to enjoy traditional Scottish tea made locally, while learning about the community’s sustainability initiatives, plus centuries of local Scottish history. Ardgowan Estate advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production and UN Sustainable Development Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy.

As you experience the Wonders of the American West, you’ll enter Monument Valley. Here, we’ll go off-road to a local cookout site, where you’ll experience an authentic barbecue dinner with members of the Navajo Nation. Expect traditional Navajo tacos, fry-bread, traditional dance and songs, and an opportunity to connect with the first nations of this land.

Some flavors are simply synonymous with a culture. The richness of Scotch whiskey carries whispers of the Highland wind. The soft crunch of the custard inside the Pastéis de Belém brings the blasé of the Portuguese to your day. These are the food tourism experiences where you’ll try some of the most iconic dishes of your destination.

Try Portugal’s famous delicacy, Pastéis de Belém straight from the heart on Best of Spain and Portugal

Sample a ‘wee dram’ while learning about the fascinating process of whisky production at a local distillery on Best of Ireland and Scotland

Over in Stratford-upon-Avon, the home of Shakespeare, enjoy a traditional Sunday Roast Dinner with all the trimmings on Elegance of Great Britain.

You may also be interested in: 10 must-have traditional Portuguese foods to try on your next trip

You can connect with a culture in many ways. Its history books, musical traditions, or the intricacies of its language. Another way is through the flavors and dishes that represent it as much as any flag. With Insight Vacations’ extensive range of unique dining experiences, local tastings, vineyard visits and cooking classes, you’ll learn more about our curious world; one bite at a time.

What’s the best dish you’ve ever eaten while on vacation? Let us know in the comments below.