PHILADELPHIA, USA

I’ve recently returned to the city where I grew up, Philadelphia. The city is known as the birthplace of the U.S. and much like the city itself, Philly’s culinary traditions are a melting pot. Philadelphia cuisine is also in large part inspired by the surrounding region. Fresh milk from Lancaster County dairies is used to make goat and cow’s milk cheeses, many in the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch style.

Kennett Square mushrooms are carmelized in flavorful soups or roasted atop wood-fired pizzas. Blue crabs are plucked from the Atlantic Ocean and brought across the river into the city from New Jersey along with juicy tomatoes, sweet corn and blueberries. And of course, we can’t talk about the Philadelphia food scene without acknowledging that there’s likely no better place to grab a sandwich, especially tender roast pork with garlicky broccoli rabe, the Italian hoagie on a bakery-fresh roll, or the iconic Philly cheesesteak.