TOP 10 PLACES TO LEARN YOUR TRIP TO LUANG PRABANG, LAOS, IS SURE TO HAVE ALL THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS HOW TO COOK THE LOCAL CUISINE LUANG PRABANG, LAOS Tiny, landlocked Laos is often overshadowed by close neighbours Thailand and Vietnam, but Southeast Asia’s most laid-back country also has its own unique and tasty cuisine, especially in the former royal city of Luang Prabang. After rising at dawn to offer alms to saffron-robed monks, learn the secrets of local specialities like jąew bąwng, a condiment made with chillies and dried buffalo skin, and khai phųn, dried river algae fried with sesame seeds. Both are tastier than they sound, and with a cold Beer Lao, khai phųn is one of the world’s best bar snacks. The Tamarind restaurant (www.tamarind laos.com) offers full-day cooking courses in an airy lakeside pavilion. Courses include a visit to the local market. STANBUL, TURKEY The geographic meeting point of Europe and Asia showcases a cuisine influenced by the Ottoman Empire’s historic spread far beyond the waters of the Bosphorus. Get inspired in local markets and restaurants crammed with Balkan flavours from the West, and 148 BEST IN TRAVEL 2011 Middle Eastern influences from the East beyond Asia Minor. Feast on excellent street food like midye tava (stuffed mussels), or fresh fish sandwiches from the Eminönü docks. Traditional dishes include yayla çorbasi (yoghurt soup with mint) and imam bayıldı (stuffed eggplant); the latter translates literally to ‘the Imam fainted’, an allusion to the legendary positive response the iconic dish received when it was first cooked. Located in an elegant heritage restaurant in Sultanahmet, Cooking Alaturka (www. cookingalaturka.com) runs four-hour courses culminating in a relaxed, shared lunch. OAXACA, MEXICO The regional cuisine of Oaxaca is proud and passionate proof there’s more to Mexican food than nachos and burritos. The city is renowned to food lovers as ‘lugar de siete moles’ (the place of seven moles), and different spins on Oaxaca’s signature sauce tinged with chilli and chocolate are available in the city’s restaurants and markets. Visit the Abastos market for the local breakfast speciality, huevos oaxaqueños – eggs ANDERS BLOMQVIST » LPI MAKE YOUR POST-TRIP SLIDESHOW TO FRIENDS MORE INTERESTING BY OFFERING A FEW AUTHENTIC RECIPES YOU’VE PICKED UP WHILE ON THE ROAD. poached in a chilli-tomato soup – and after a shot of the local mezcal firewater, graduate to chowing down on chapulines (roasted grasshoppers). Oaxaca chocolate is also pretty good if insects aren’t to your taste. Cooking classes at Oaxaca’s Casa Crespo Bed & Breakfast (www.casacrespo.com), are held in the attached El Teatro Culinario restaurant (www.elteatroculinario.com). ✪ BANKS PENINSULA, NEW ZEALAND With hiking, swimming with dolphins, and kayaking all on offer, you could visit New Zealand’s picturesque Banks Peninsula and easily overlook the region’s growing foodie credentials. Visit raffish Lyttelton on a Saturday morning for one of New Zealand’s best farmers’ markets, or ask about cooking classes and buy Kiwi craft beers at the Ground Culinary Centre (www.ground.co.nz). Come back on a Sunday to attend the She Chocolate School (www.shechocolat.com) at neighbouring Governor’s Bay. Around nearby Akaroa Harbour, the emphasis is on self-exploration, with excellent boutique cheese and wine waiting to be discovered. Located in the former French colony of Akaroa, the Akaroa Cooking School (www. akaroacooking.co.nz) focuses on local, organic ingredients including lots of fresh New Zealand seafood. ✪ HOI AN, VIETNAM Most travellers visit Hoi An to explore the town’s colonial history – including Portuguese, French and Japanese influences – or to get a new wardrobe LONELY PLANET’S TOP TRAVEL LISTS 149