BUDAPEST – HUNGARY
CHRIS ALBERSDÖRFER
Executive Chef – Crystal River Cruises
Budapest’s Great Market Hall is a ‘must-visit’ for gourmet food enthusiasts. Located right by the Danube on the Pest side of Liberty Bridge (within easy reach of where most river cruisers dock), this grand covered market is filled with stalls piled high with vegetables, cheeses, meats and baked goods. “The thing I like to buy here is Kolbász,” says Chris Albersdörfer, who leads the brigade aboard Crystal Ravel. “It’s a typical Hungarian sausage made with goose, pork, rabbit or horse. I always get mine at a butcher’s stall from the southern city of Szeged, along with more typical salamis made with spicy or sweet paprika. I also like to try Körözött, a paprika spiced cottage cheese dip, followed by a shot of homemade pálinka, the fiery local schnapps,” he says. Also, head up to the mezzanine level for souvenirs and snacks such as goulash, stuffed cabbage and Hortobágyi Palacsinta – a meat filled pancake typical of the Alföld (Great Hungarian Plain).
THE DETAIL Try a seven night Delightful Danube cruise aboard Crystal Ravel, from Budapest to Regensburg.
(Visit crystalcruises.co.uk)
DAVE POGUL
Destination Consultant – Hebridean Island Cruises
Not every port of call is famed for celebrating local flavours. In Antwerp’s Vreemdelingenmarkt, it’s all about exotic foods peddled by Chinese, Moroccan, Turkish and other international vendors. Held every weekend on Theaterplein (Theatre Square), it’s awash with ethnic snacks and foodstuffs such as olives, mint tea and pickled vegetables, as well as cheeses, waffles, oysters on the half shell and other more typical Flemish offerings. “Go for the croquettes,” suggests Dave Pogul, a longtime Antwerp resident, adding: “Locals line up to buy these either ready-to-eat or in frozen form to take home. Aim for the artisanal fillings such as shrimp or truffle cheese, or seasonal specialities like pumpkin.” Theatre Square itself is a 20 minute walk (via the main shopping streets) from where the river cruisers dock with nearby attractions including Rubens House (the art filled home and workshop of the celebrated painter) perfect for combining market grazing with a cultural fix.
THE DETAIL Tours are offered for a seven night Flavours of the Low Countries cruise aboard Royal Crown from
Antwerp to Amsterdam including flights or Eurostar.
(Visit hebridean.co.uk)
GILES HAWKE
CEO – Avalon Waterways
Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France, which makes it a popular pit stop when cruising the Rhône and Saône. Located where these two waterways meet, the city is surrounded by some of France’s best agricultural lands, which means there’s always something delicious in season at Les Halles de Lyon, the indoor market.
“C’est magnifique!” says Giles Hawke, who recommends that guests seek out Fromagerie Mons or Mère Richard for cheese, and l’Îlot des Gourmets for sausages and charcuterie. “We also offer a guided culinary walk to sample the city’s flavours including such local specialities as Tarte à la Praline with its signature pink, gooey filling,” Hawke adds. Other Lyonnaise favourites to try include quenelles (dumplings), Gras Double (tripe with onions) and perhaps the best-known dish of all, Coq au Vin.
Also don’t miss the new International City of Gastronomy museum, set in a former hospital on the riverside.
THE DETAIL Try the seven night Active & Discovery on the Rhône cruise aboard Avalon Poetry II from Port-Saint-Louis to Lyon. (Visit avalonwaterways.co.uk)
BITTA KURUVILLA
Executive Chef – Holland America Line
Of all the docking points in Asia, Taipei is a favourite of Bitta Kuruvilla, whose childhood in Kochi, India inspired a love of cooking with spices and bold flavours. Both are in plentiful supply at Miaokou Night Market in Keelung, an open-air festival of food that’s close to the cruise port. “It’s good for local specialities such as Ding Bian Cuo – a soup containing seafood, meat and strips of rice flour batter. Other street food dishes worth sampling are Sautéed Beans with Frogs’ Legs, followed by Pao Bing – a shaved ice dessert,” he says. Another delicacy is Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings, which passengers can learn to make on a Food Market & Dumpling Lesson excursion. Holland America is further embracing culinary traditions in its ports through the all new Port to Table initiative, which will bring local chefs on board to showcase regional cuisines.
THE DETAIL Find out more about a 14 night Taiwan and Japan cruise aboard MS Westerdam from
Shanghai to Hong Kong (via Taipei).
(Visit hollandamerica.com)