This was published 7 years ago
Best places to eat in the Middle East and Africa: The ultimate foodie hit list
Fragrant aromas, rich flavours and brightly-coloured spices combine to create the heady tastes of Africa.
Hungry travellers on tour with Frying Pan Adventures.
TOUR: GYPSIAN BOUTIQUE TOURS, MOROCCO
If you are interested in exotic cultures, want to immerse yourself in local cuisine and would like someone else to take care of the arrangements then an 18-day Cultural Tour of Morocco with Gypsian Boutique Tours could be just the ticket. With a group size of 6-12 people you'll travel between Casablanca, Essaouira, Marrakech, Fes and the sands of the Sahara feasting on everything from pigeon pastillas to honey-soaked pancakes. See gypsianboutiquetours.com.au
MARKET: NEIGHBOURGOODS MARKET, CAPE TOWN
Cape Town, South Africa: The Old Biscuit Mill at the Neighbourgoods Market. Credit: Alamy
Ground Zero for the Cape Town food scene is a repurposed factory space called the Old Biscuit Mill, an area that is now the home to two restaurants by the country's number one chef, Luke Dale-Roberts, as well as the pop-up Neighbourgoods food market that takes place every Sunday. From stalls selling fresh meats and vegetables to local purveyors of oysters, wood-fired pizzas and more, there's a buzz at Neighbourgoods each week of a city on the cusp of foodie obsession. See neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za
TOUR: REAL FOOD ADVENTURE OF ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
You can probably thank Israeli celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi for the growing interest in food from the Middle East. With cookbooks such as Plenty, Plenty More and Jerusalem, Ottolenghi has helped bring classic dishes from his sometimes troubled homeland into the mainstream. Take a look around at your local cafes: shakshuka, or Arabic-style baked eggs, are always on the menu; pickled vegetables are popular; people are appreciating the subtle beauty of hummus. There is, however, no better place to sample the cuisine of Ottolenghi and his countrymen than Israel and the Palestinian Territories, a region with thousands of years of history that have been shaped by influences from not only the Middle East, but North Africa and Eastern Europe – and the evidence is on your plate. See intrepidtravel.com
CULTURE: GOLD, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
If you eat only at one place in Africa make it GOLD, as their set 14-course menu will take your tastebuds from Table Mountain to Timbuktu. From Kenyan Irio patties to Namibian venison pots, Algerian kofta kebabs to Cape Malay chicken GOLD has the continent covered. In between courses you'll be entertained by Mali puppets and have the chance to participate in an interactive drumming circle. This is Africa at its culinary and cultural best. See goldrestaurant.co.za
TOUR: FRYING PAN ADVENTURES, DUBAI
Unfashionable as it may be, the Deira area of Dubai is a bustling hub of migrants from across the Middle East, many of whom have brought with them the cuisines of their homeland. It's mouth-watering, but it's also a little intimidating, which is where Frying Pan Adventures comes in. Local food blogger Arva Ahmed takes hungry travellers on nightly tours of her favourite neighbourhood, stopping in for all of the treats that make the local Dubai food scene so amazing. There's falafel from a Palestinian restaurant, sweets from a Lebanese bakery, "pizza" from an Egyptian store, pistachio ice cream from a Syrian fast food joint, meat stew and rice from a Yemeni restaurant, and finally minced meat kebabs and fresh bread from a bustling Iranian eatery. See fryingpanadventures.com
CONTRIBUTORS: Larissa Dubecki, Michael Gebicki, Ben Groundwater, Ute Junker, Nina Karnikowski, Kerry van der Jagt, Craig Tansley, Lee Tulloch
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