Classic Dutch apple pie (appelgebak) accompanied by a large dollop of whipped cream (slagroom), is an Amsterdam culinary highlight and arguably the best is served at Cafe Papeneiland on the Jordaan Eating Tour. Photo \/ Paul MarshallWHISKEY GALORE \u2013 Northern Ireland<\/p>\n
Amid the green fields on Northern Ireland\u2019s County Antrim coast near the world-famous Giant\u2019s Causeway, where the winds blow and the water is clean and pure, is a small town that is home to Old Bushmills, the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world, established in 1608. Take a tour to learn more about the whiskey-making process – one that takes malted barley, grinds it up into a mash with water and then distils it before putting it in oak casks to mature. The tour finishes with the best bit \u2013 a taste test in the distillery bar. No Northern Ireland whiskey experience is complete without a visit to a local pub or two, and well worth a visit is the Bushmills Inn, where you can enjoy a glass of 25-year-old Bushmills Malt from the inn\u2019s private cask by the cosy glow of an open peat fire. www.bushhmills.com<\/b><\/p>\n
Various whiskies inside the distillery bar, ready for a taste test at the end of a tour. Photo \/ Paul MarshallTHE BIG CHEESE \u2013 Italy<\/p>\n
With its fine local produce of hams, handmade pastas and balsamic vinegars, the Italian province of Emilia Romagna has a rich culinary tradition. But its most famous product is undoubtedly Parmigiano Reggiano, a hard, granular cheese with a rich, nutty and slightly salty flavour. Better known as parmesan cheese, this \u201cKing of Italian cheeses\u201d has been in existence for around 700 years and is so valuable that it was once accepted as currency. Dotting the hills and valleys around Parma are the dairies and cheese houses where the prized wheels of cheese are produced using a method little changed over the centuries. The Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Consortium conducts visits and guided tours to the region\u2019s cheese-making dairies where you will discover what makes Parmigiano Reggiano so special, including its long and careful aging process of up to 24 months or more. www.parmigianoreggiano.com<\/b><\/p>\n
In the half-light of a cheese house near Parma, a Consortium master checks the progress of the Parmesan cheese for ageing. Photo \/ Andrew MarshallTHE SPIRIT OF NORMANDY \u2013 France 160<\/p>\n
Just over an hour\u2019s drive from Paris is Normandy\u2019s Pays d\u2019Auge region \u2013 a picturesque landscape of small villages, rolling meadows, russet-coloured apple orchards and half-timbered farmsteads. This is where highly-prized apple-based drinks such as robust ciders and especially Calvados are produced. This fiery apple brandy takes its name from a ship that sailed in the ill-fated Spanish Armada of 1588, and has been distilled with typical French passion for more than 400 years. To learn more, enjoy a tour at Manoir d\u2019Apreval, a family-owned estate surrounded by a lovely apple orchard in the village of Pennedepie (10km east of Deauville) that creates a line of fine Calvados and ciders made in small presses from 17 varieties of apples. Double distillation, in addition to the apples originating in the Pays d\u2019 Auge region are requirements for Calvados to achieve the AOC label (Appellation d\u2019Origine Contr\u00f4l\u00e9e), the highest honour that can be bestowed on a French product. www.apreval.com<\/b><\/p>\n
A selection of Calvados for sale inside the shop at the Manoir d\u2019Apreval. Photo \/ Paul MarshallPINCHOS TIME IN LA RIOJA – Spain<\/p>\n
Right in the heart of La Rioja\u2019s capital city of Logrono s Calle del Laurel, famous for some of northern Spain\u2019s finest pinchos bars. Pinchos (also called pintxos) are the Basque region\u2019s take on tapas, basically snack-size portions of food, from simple tortilla Espanola (potato omelette) or anchovies on bread, to more elaborate miniature creations of haute cuisine. They are usually cheap, and when paired with a glass of local red wine, usually cost only a few euros. For an expert\u2019s view and to learn more about the marriage of Rioja wines and pinchos, book a guided tour to sample Rioja and pinchos pairings in a variety of bars with Jose Berger, otherwise known as the Wine Educator. \u201cGoing out for pinchos is a great social activity, and I love nothing more than getting a group of friends together and visiting some favourite spots,\u201d says Jos\u00e9. www.eleducadorenvinos.com<\/b><\/p>\n