When you think of Italy what comes to mind? For us, it is Florentine leather, ancient ruins and, of course, food!
With flavorful gelato, homemade pasta, and the freshest pizza, Italy is a front-runner for foodie travel. If you really want to take in the food culture don’t just eat the food. Get involved, too. Here are six ways to take your Italy food tour to the next level.
Are Food Tours Worth It?
A good food tour can introduce you to a new side of your destination. You’ll find the best and most authentic places to get local dishes. A guide can shed light on the history of the dish or restaurant, which is sometimes as enticing as the food itself.
So much of a location’s tradition and culture is linked to food. To ignore its cuisine means you only get part of the experience when you visit. It’s 100% worth taking a food tour in Italy to get the full flavor (pun intended) of the place.
Food Tours in Rome
Take a food tour in Rome, Italy, and you’ll literally have your fill of maritozzo (filled soft buns), supplì al telefono (fried rice balls), and abbacchio (grilled lamb chops).
Explore the influence of Jewish tradition on the Roman culinary scene. Make a trip to Ba’Ghetto for an Italian cooking class that takes you through three courses of Judeo-Roman cuisine. You just might uncover the secrets of fried artichokes.
Ba’Ghetto also offers Roman food tours, so book your spot if you’d rather be on the receiving end of the professionals’ expertise rather than cooking it yourself.
Italian Cooking Classes on the Amalfi Coast
Classes by Mamma Agata are by far the best cooking classes you will find in the boot-shaped country. Located along the Amalfi Coast, this culinary gem lets you enjoy cooking in one of the most spectacular locations in the world.
Chaira, your cooking instructor, is informative, entertaining and super charismatic — you will be sure to have a good laugh. Just make sure you arrive hungry because the food never ends.
Also, if you have not experienced limoncello, this is the place to try it. Limoncello is the local liquor made from the region's finest lemons. It is also a great gift for friends back home.
Food Tours in Bologna
We can’t think of anything better than dozens of wheels of cheese. See firsthand how Parmigiano Reggiano is made with an Emilia Romagna Tours dairy experience in Bologna. You’ll get a guided visit and, of course, a cheese tasting. Kids can work their way through an activity book during the tour, too.
The company offers many other food tours in Bologna, too. You can try your hand at truffle hunting; take a farm-to-table cooking class; or enjoy a private foodie tour sampling cheese, wine, and local vinegar.
Mozzarella Farm Tours Near Naples
Somewhat off the beaten path, you can take a tour of a buffalo farm. Water buffalo are beautiful creatures — once you get past the smell of them. They have big playful eyes and will come to you if you call them.
Tenuta Vannulo, located about an hour south of Naples in Capaccio, soothes the animals with classical music every few hours. Next to the farm you can taste some mozzarella and gelato made from buffalo milk. There’s also a leather shop and the Museum of Farming Culture on the estate.
Overall, your visit will be a very educational and entertaining — and delicious — day.
Winery Tours in Chianti
Rumored to be the winery where Leonardo discovered his model for the Mona Lisa, Vignamaggio is an extraordinary 14th-century villa located just outside of Greve in Chianti. Travelers can visit the gorgeous Italian gardens, take a tour of the winery, and taste some of the finest wines. The villa gift store sells bottles of wine, local olive oil, and grappa.
If you‘re looking to make a weekend of it, the property accommodates visitors in quaint cottages throughout the estate. And you’ll have time to do more than just drink the wine. The on-site spa lets you bathe in wine and experience grape therapy treatments.
Foraging and Food Tours in Florence
Apparently, the people of Tuscany, of which Florence is the capital, are known as mangiafagioli, which translates to “bean eaters.” Any culinary travel tour of Florence, then, should include white beans. You’ll find them in dishes like fagioli con salsiccia (pork and beans) and ribollita (bean stew).
This might be one of the reasons why Art Viva began hosting vegan food tours and cooking classes in Tuscany. You can even pair the cooking class with a foraging experience where you’ll learn what wild vegetables and herbs in the region are safe — and scrumptious — to eat.
Travel Insurance for Italy
Culinary travel in Italy sounds straightforward enough, but even a “safe” trip can have unexpected events. Prepare for mishaps with travel insurance.
Choose from a menu of trip protection, travel medical coverage, or both. This helps you protect the money you spend on your trip if you have to cancel or interrupt your tours, your health if you get sick or hurt while abroad, and your belongings.
It’s important to remember that if you’re traveling internationally to Italy, your domestic health insurance likely doesn’t cover you. You need travel medical insurance to cover medical expenses while you’re abroad.
Save yourself the headaches — and upset stomach — of trying to deal with the unexpected on your own. Get a quick quote for travel insurance at SevenCorners.com or talk to a licensed agent to find the best coverage for your food adventure.
