Mouth-watering walks through British capitals
New walking tours in some of the United Kingdom’s capital cities are spicing up the nation’s reputation for forgettable cuisine, while serving a side of cultural history.
London: A new 2½-hour guided walk in the East End tastes the wares at nine Bengali restaurants and markets on Brick Lane, starting with pappadum and beer and ending with colorful sweets. Along the way, participants learn how to eat fish curry and rice with one hand at one of the 80 percent of the country’s “Indian” restaurants that are actually Bengali.
They also discover how the neighborhood, known as “Banglatown,” has changed over time. Once a haven for French Huguenots, and later 19th century Jewish and Irish immigrants, Brick Lane began to attract a Bengali population in the mid-20th century; the local mosque was once a synagogue and before that, a church. Bengali street signs and decorative lampposts also distinguish the area.
The Eating London tour, called Brick Lane: Flavors of India & Beyond, departs daily at 2:30 p.m. and cost is $60 adults, $50 teens and $36 ages 4 to 12. www.eating londontours.co.uk
Edinburgh: Secret Food Tours’ new three-hour walk through Old Town features six stops for dishes such as salmon tart, creamy Scottish cheese, venison chorizo and scones with jam, butter and tea. There’s also a sampling of haggis, ameliorated with neeps and tatties (mashed turnips and mashed potatoes), plus tastes of a single-malt lowland whisky, a locally made gin and a daily “secret” dish.
The itinerary and narrative tidbits start at St. Giles’ Cathedral, seat of the Church of Scotland, and include the lively pub scene of Grassmarket, formerly a site of public executions; a photo op at Edinburgh Castle, a royal residence from the 12th to 17th centuries; and the streets of the Royal Mile, which lead from the castle to Holyrood Palace. Tours depart at noon daily; the cost is $77 adults, $72 teens and $64 ages under 13. www.secretfoodtours.com/edin burgh
Cardiff: Started in 2016, food journalist Sian B. Roberts’ four-hour Cardiff Tasting Tour offers six stops for samples of Welsh and international cuisine. Local delicacies include cockles, laverbread (a seaweed puree), bara brith (fruit bread), clarksies (meat pies), cheeses and truffles, with ales, cider and Prosecco to wash them down.
Roberts also shares some of the history of landmarks such as Cardiff Castle, the National Museum Cardiff and Principality Stadium, the home of Welsh Rugby. Tours take place at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays; the cost is $88 per person. www. lovingwelshfood.uk