The Culinary Issue

Placing food at the center of your travel planning is, in my opinion, the most direct route to a fulfilling trip. It’s time at the table sampling new flavors—or the old familiar ones that tempted you to return—that truly connects us to a place, its culture, and its people. While the ingredients, cooking methods, and traditions may differ, the mealtime ritual has the power to anchor us and make us feel at home anywhere in the world.

I’ll admit I’m biased; my stomach is my most trusted tour guide. In Italy, my “sightseeing” walks are really “make room for more pasta” walks. I will gleefully spend an entire day in Paris at a sidewalk cafe (pictured), and when in southern Mexico, I will always drive out of my way to return to my favorite taco spot. On a recent trip to Turtle Island in Fiji, I proudly paraded my fresh catch into the kitchen and then spent the afternoon learning a local coconut curry recipe—a priceless souvenir I keep in my back pocket for evenings when I’m missing the island life. 

These are the types of experiences our Culinary Issue will leave you craving. We’ll guide you through Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iceland, Tasmania, and beyond with the help of some famous chefs and in-the-know locals along the way. What are you waiting for? It’s dinner time somewhere…and you never know where an adventurous appetite could take you. 

To the next delicious detour,

Nina Ruggiero
Senior Editorial Director,Travel + Leisure