What gift should you give a food traveler in your life or perhaps yourself?
If you find yourself short on ideas to find yet another gift for a food traveler, relax, we have you covered.
At Authentic Food Quest, our mission is to explore the local flavors and help other food lovers do the same.
Over the past four years, we explored local flavors in South America, Southeast Asia, Europe and the U.S.
This comprehensive food traveler gift guide will help you and the food travelers in your life prepare for their next food adventures.
Table of contents
1- Food Tours & Cooking Classes
There is no better way to experience local food than with locals themselves. When traveling to a foreign destination, taking a food tour or cooking class is a great way to meet locals.
Additionally, at the start of a trip, a food tour or cooking class is a great way to better understand the food culture and local specialties.
Cooking class ingredients at La Table Khmère, CambodiaFood Tours with Context Travel
Context Travel keeps surprising us with new and delightful food tours. With small groups and expert docents, they bring deep knowledge about the destination to their tours.
After taking the Paris Chocolate and Pastries tour in France, Chinatown Food Tour in Bangkok,and a food tour in lisbonLisbon with a personal chef, we continue to be impressed with the quality of their tours.
Beyond these cities, Context Travel has tours all over the world. Simply book a food tour anywhere in the world and enjoy discovering new food stories,
Authentic Food Quest Tip: If you are traveling to Bangkok, Thailand, see our review of 6 of the best Bangkok food tours you want to try.
Cooking Classes with Cookly
Taking authentic cooking classes is one of the joys of travel. We are partners with Cookly, a company referred to as the “Airbnb for cooking classes.”
We have taken amazing cooking classes in Laos, Chiang Mai, Vietnam, Portugal, France and Cambodia.
If you are looking to treat yourself with a cooking class, browse through the list of cooking classes offered and experience your travels in a delicious way.
Claire and Rosemary cooking at the Luang Prabang cooking classAuthentic Food Quest Tip: Have you ever taken a cooking class on your travels? Are you curious about learning how to make the local dishes of a destination. If not, check ot our article with 10 Fabulous Reasons to Take a Cooking Class on Your Travels.
2- Unique Ingredients For Tasty Travels
One of the joys of traveling is discovering new ingredients and spices. From Peru, Cambodia and Vietnam, we featured before Kampot Pepper, Maras Salt and Lemongrass.
Here, we add to the list a few emblematic ingredients from Bulgaria, Portugal and South Carolina, USA.
Bulgarian Tsubritsa or Summer Savory is used extensively in Bulgarian cooking. It is known as the “Queen of Bulgarian spices” and spread liberally over meats and vegetables. Try Bulgarian cooking at home, when you pick up Bulgarian Tsubritsa on Amazon.
Portuguese Olive Oil – While in Portugal, we were amazed by the high quality and abundant use of olive oil in Portuguese cooking. We learned that olive oil is a vital ingredient in Portuguese cuisine and it is found on every dinner table and used throughout.
Portuguese Wines – Douro Valley, in northern Portugal, produces some of the finest, affordable and underrated wines. Even though the area is famous for Port wines, it is an exceptionally beautiful and historic wine region. During our trip to Portugal we discovered and fell in love with many types of Portuguese wines. Try the green wine or Vinho Verde or any of the amazing reds.
Carolina Gold Rice – Carolina Gold was once the most popular rice in America and it nearly disappeared in late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Today, the production of Carolina Gold has been restored. We loved it’s incredibly vibrant nutty flavors, when we learned about it in South Carolina. Try American heritage rice and savor the amazing flavors.
For more ingredients and other unique ingredients we’ve discovered on our travels, feel free to browse the Authentic Food Quest Store.
The Carolina Gold Rice with surprising nutty flavors3 – CookBooks for Food Travelers
Seven Fires Grilling The Argentine Way
While in Argentina, we had the pleasure of meeting Francis Mallmann in Buenos Aires. He shared insights about the fascinating Argentinian grilling culture.
His book, Seven Fires Grilling The Argentine Way remains popular amongst Authentic Food Quest readers. Learn Argentine grilling techniques, tips and recipes from Argentina’s most famous chef.
Bulgarian Rhapsody: The Best of Balkan Cuisine
Bulgarian cuisine is varied, yet specific to certain regions of the country. The food is colorful, flavorful and draws inspiration from its neighboring countries.
In our Bulgarian food guide, we highlight the local ingredients and traditional food not to miss. However, if you want to try making Bulgarian food, the Bulgarian Rhapsody offers easy to follow recipes of the trademark traditional Bulgarian dishes.
Taste Portugal
When we wrote about the delicious Portuguese cuisine, we often referred to Tia Maria’s recipes for information about the dishes and ingredients.
Her cookbook Taste Portugal: 101 easy Portuguese recipes is perfect for the beginners in Portuguese cooking. The recipes are simple and focus on the traditional local foods.
Enjoy the most popular Portuguese dishes from Caldo Verde to Pasteis de Nata.
Franklin Barbecue
When we visited Austin, Texas in 2018, we took the opportunity to eat our way through the best Texas Barbecue.
On that trip, we had a chance to experience best barbecue in the world, from Franklin’s Barbecue.
The owner Aaron Franklin in his book, Franklin Barbecue: a meat-smoking manifesto tells the nitty gritty of his barbecue process and the Central Texas BBQ style.
Learn his own story and how he got started in 2009. Now, almost 9 years later, he has become the most celebrated pit master. And, Franklin Barbecue has been awarded at all the major barbecue venues and magazines.
This is a wonderful guide to follow in the footsteps of Franklin and make the best barbecue at home.
4 – Authentic Food Quest Books & Food Trails
One of the best parts of travel is discovering and eating the local and authentic foods of the region. What’s even better is having guides and food trails that highlight the best local foods, drinks and desserts and where to have them. By taking the hassle out of doing all the research, you are free to enjoy more of your travels.
Authentic Food Quest Argentina
Authentic Food Quest Argentina, our first food and travel guide book, is filled with local Argentine food experiences and travel tips to help you get the most authentic experiences in Buenos Aires, Mendoza and the wine regions, Patagonia and the Lake Region and the Andean Northwest.
This is the perfect gift for Argentine lovers and food travelers and it is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Authentic Food Quest Peru
Released in May 2018, Authentic Food Quest Peru, invites readers to discover the major cuisine types in Peru. With that are descriptions of the authentic dishes, desserts, beverages, street foods and unique produce. Find where to eat like a local in this culinary journey through Lima and Cusco.
Available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, Authentic Food Quest Peru inspires intrepid and armchair travelers to take their savory adventures in Peru to a new level.
Authentic Food Quest Food Trails
Authentic Food Quest Food Trails are self-guided food trails that take you off the beaten path on your travels and allow you to experience a city through food.
Currently, available are food trails for Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Hanoi and Singapore, cities famous for their flavorsome cuisines and incredible local delicacies.
For an overview of the local and authentic dishes, desserts and drinks not to miss, along with a downloadable map with addresses and hours of operations, download your PDF guide today.
The Food Trails are available for download at Authentic Food Quest Store.
If your looking for inspiration for your next trip, discover new tastes and flavors with Authentic Food Quest Food Trails.
A peek inside the Hanoi Food Trail5- Food Travelers Products
Travel Tracker Map by LANDMASS
While we were in Austin, we attended TravelCon, the first Travel Media conference. We met with Landmass and learned about their Travel Tracker Map.
As a map lover, I fell in love with this map right away. This is a great food traveler gift for those who want to instantly see the countries they have visited or are planning to visit.
The map is well crafted and allows you to plan for your next travels while keeping memories of the countries you already visited. Scratch off each country you’ve visited and uncover the map’s bright colors. A corresponding flag appears as you make your way all around the world.
A stylish and practical map, it will make for a beautiful food traveler gift.
Activated Charcoal
One of the biggest fears or concerns when traveling through food is getting sick or suffering from food poisoning.
Activated charcoal is a natural treatment and a packing essentials for travelers. It is used around the world as an antidote for hundreds of poisons. It works by absorbing poisons and toxins in the digestive tract, by binding them together thereby reducing their potency.
We carry activated charcoal pills and use them preventatively before meals. Sometimes, if something is not feeling right after eating, we take two pills and things usually clear up quickly after that.
Traveling with Activated Charcoal offers peace of mind and is a wonderful food traveler gift.
Grayl Water Bottles
Having clean and potable water while traveling cannot always be guaranteed. In many countries, safety and accessibility to clean drinking water is a luxury.
We first started using Grayl water bottles when we went to Thailand. We were looking for ultra light water bottles that can purify water easily. Grayl water bottles makes clean, purified drinking water from any water source in less than 15 seconds.
We continue to use our Grayl water bottles, whenever we travel. We love that Grayl bottles is that they are light, not fragile and doesn’t need to be hooked up to batteries to work.
Moreover, you can have clean water without the waste of buying bottles of water.
Compass Rose Packing Cubes
We are excited to share unique packing cubes designed by our friend Alex, creator of Travel Fashion Girl, whose mission is to help travelers pack more efficiently.
The Compass Rose line of packing cubes have a one-of-a-kind colored and numbered system allowing you to pack in one of five unique ways. You can pack by weather, clothing items, family member, outfit or destination.
When you purchase Compass Rose packing cubes, you get four packing cubes that are the perfect width for carry-ons, and an efficient stress-free travel experience.
6 – Accommodations
Live with Locals via Airbnb
When it comes to accommodations choices, we always start by searching Airbnb places. For us, Airbnb continues to be the best way to live and eat like a local.
We make sure to stay in a home where there is a kitchen we can use. That allows us to cook and try many local products.
While we were in Lisbon, we shared a Portuguese meal with our host and had a remarkable time bonding over local dishes and shared experiences. This experience would likely not have been possible if we were not staying with locals.
If you haven’t use Airbnb yet, try it and get $55 OFF when you book our Airbnb link for your next trip.
You can also give an Airbnb gift card for the food travelers in your life.
Immerse into the Local Culture while House Sitting
When traveling within the US over the past few years, we housesit taking care of people’s pets and homes while they are traveling.
What we enjoy the most about the experience is living like locals and getting to know the local food scene.
To find house sits, we use the Trusted Housesitters platform that connects owners with house sitters. With house sits offered all over the world , you’re sure to find a house sitting destination of your liking.
You can join Trusted Housesitters by clicking on our referral link. If you join through our link you get 25% off your yearly membership and we get to enjoy two free months.
In Summary
Give yourself or the food traveler in your life the gift of traveling and exploring local flavors. Embrace the local food experiences and travel deeper.
Connect with the locals and above all else, have fun and eat well.
Savor the Adventure!
In the comments below, please tell us your favorite food traveler gift.
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Disclosure: Please note, we get a small commission from purchases made using our links at no additional cost to you. This helps us continue our quest for authentic food around the world. Thank you for your support!
Claire is a culinary explorer, digital nomad and engineer brain behind Authentic Food Quest. Together with her partner, Rosemary, they created Authentic Food Quest to help people find the best local food on their travels. For over 5 years they have eaten their way through South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America while sharing the best local food experiences on their website. Authentic Food Quest has been featured on top publications such as Huffington Post, Business Insider, and Honest Cooking. Claire and Rosemary are also authors of Authentic Food Quest Argentina and Authentic Food Quest Peru, available on Amazon.
This guide is chock full of great ideas for people who truly love food culture. Very impressive list!
Thanks so much!
Cooking classes are the best gift! I have taken a few myself and love the experience
So true, Deborah. The opportunity to make the local dishes is so rewarding. Where was your favorite cooking class? Cheers.
I could do with some cooking classes, since I am so used to repeating my meals that learning how to prepare new ones would sound fun. I also like food tours.
That’s one of the beauties of cooking classes. Not only do you learn new recipes, but you also realize they are not that difficult to make. Where’s been your favorite cooking class? Thanks Joan for stopping by.
Food is such an important aspect of travelling! That map is so cool, I just have a normal scratch map, but I like this one too!
Great to hear. Having a beautiful visual map of your travels is a great way to “see” your travels. The local food definitively goes along with that experience 🙂
I live in South Carolina and Palmetto Farms is my go-to for grits. I just made some of their stone-ground grits this morning and they were so delicious.
Awesome to hear Alli. How do you make your morning grits? Awesome to hear about Palmetto Farms grits, everyone we met raved about them 🙂 Cheers.
These are some great ideas for food enthusiasts. I think cooking classes would be a great experience!
So glad you like the ideas, Terri. You can’t go wrong with cooking classes at all. Feel free to check out Cookly for an amazing experience.
There are a lot of interesting food guides from around the world. It is so beautiful to know a country by its food culture!
Well stated, Catalina. We believe that traveling through the local food, makes for a richer and deeper travel experience. Thanks for stopping by.
I really enjoyed this post. I can’t wait until my next travel adventure to use some of your tips.
That’s great o hear Tasheena. Is there any particular tip that stood out to you? Cheers.
I love cooking classes. It’s a fun way to learn a new skill and experience local cultures and flavors.
Cooking classes are a lot of fun and a wonderful way to “taste” the local culture.
I think it would be so much fun to travel somewhere abroad and take a cooking class! I need to look into this the next time I travel!
You’d love the experience of a cooking class abroad. Cookly offers numerous classes all over the world. Do check them out on your next trip. Cheers.
We’ve done a few food tours and tastings. They are a lot of fun.
This looks like such a great guide for the traveler and food enthusiast. It definitely is a great experience to broaden one’s horizons with food.
You are right Jenn, local food is a unique way to experience the local culture and broaden one’s horizons. So glad you liked the guide.
Wow, such a nice given guides with full of ideas.
Actually, tasting and eating local foods in every travels that I have are the best experience that I ever have.
That’s wonderful to hear Gervin. Do you have any local specialties that you absolutely loved? In which country? Follow along for tips and places to eat local and authentic. Cheers.
I don’t know about a cooking class because I’d be the worst one there lol! But I’d love food tours and cookbooks.
Food tour is also a wonderful way to explore the local flavors. As is cooking recipes from cookbooks. Where have you taken food tours? Cheers.
Great gifts for my food traveling friends. Me personally, I’d love to take some cooking classes, for the experience.
Glad you like the gift ideas. Highly recommend checking Coookly out for amazing cooking classes. You’ll find them in many countries around the world, and the experience is great 🙂
Very nice idea I would like cooking class as gift. Great for food enthusastics.
I would most appreciate tasty ingredients like the expensive saffron or authentic Chorizo de Bilbao, for example. But food tours or food trails would also be great.
Thanks Carol, there are so many wonderful local ingredients out there. Have not had a chance to try authentic chorizo de bilbao….curious about it. Indeed, food trails and tours are a great way to explore the local cuisine as well 🙂
These are such great choices for a foodie traveler. I loved the idea of those books.
Need to share the list with my friends. 🙂
Thanks Indrani, so glad you like the books. Yes, indeed, feel free to share with friends. Appreciate the support.
I agree that food tours and cooking classes are great gifts. I know someone who would love a Paris chocolate tour! We do love to bring back local foods and wines as gifts. The only souvenirs we buy now. Cook books might be a good idea for an aspiring chef friend of mine. Thanks for some suggestions for the coming holiday season.
Thank you Linda. So glad you enjoyed the gift suggestions for tasty travels. Indeed, please feel free to share with friends. Thanks for stopping by.
I love doing cooking classes, actually my brother bought me a cooking class last year and we both went together which was great – a lovely experience to share. I haven’t heard of Cookly before so I’m definitely going to check that out, it sounds right up my street!
That’s great to hear Claire. Where was the cooking class? It’s fun to take a class with a friend or family member. Yes, do check out Cookly for experiences all over the world. Thanks for stopping by.
I always enjoy food tours, so the Context Food tours would be a good gift for me. Although, after having read this, I think it’s the Franklin BBQ book might be what I want for Christmas – I love BBQ and would love to learn more about the techniques!
You’ll not go wrong either way Hannah. Either of those are great gifts…be sure to share this article as a hint 🙂 Cheers.
I haven’t heard about Cookly before. It’s exactly the kind of site that I like to use and have made a note of it for the future. I always buy a recipe book or two on my travels and find that not only do they make excellent gifts browsing through them always brings back wonderful memories of my travels.
One of the best things about Cookly is the availability of cooking classes all over the world. Do certainly check them out on your next travels. Indeed, cook books do make great gifts. Thanks, Janine
We are not avid foodie travelers but we love to try local foods. Food tours and cooking classes definitely one of the best ways to learn about the local culture and they would make for a great gift for any traveler. We personally love buying indigenous spices and local food products to take back home as souvenirs and gift items.
Food tours and cooking classes are a way to get a deeper understanding of the local foods. Once you learn about the local spices or cook with them, you have a unique story to share with friends when you give them as gifts. Glad you found experiences that suit your travels.
For me, good food is one of the most important aspects of life, not just travel. Bad food can totally ruin my day…seriously. We have recently started enjoying food tours to enhance the experience of our trips, both locally and abroad. Love all the ideas you have shared in this post.
That’s great news to hear that food tours are now becoming a part of your travel experience. You are right, bad food can completely ruin a trip. So glad you enjoyed the article. Thanks, Punita.
I love this round up. Your blog inspires me to try authentic foods while traveling. I even took TWO cooking classes in Florence, but that was Italy so not sure it counts as branching out lol.
Awesome Sherianne, happy to hear you took cooking classes on your travels to Florence. That is eating local and that’s what counts. Did you have fun? Cheers.