Go beyond the restaurant with these food experiences in Europe

Food is central to travel: it gives us a flavour of a place, its customs and the people who live there. Yet, some of the most rewarding culinary experiences have nothing to do with restaurants. Food cultures and practices are shaped by the landscape, the seasons and generations of know-how, whether it's foraging in mountain forests or harvesting the fruit of ancient trees. And travellers can get involved, too, taking part in hands-on experiences that offer an insight into local traditions — from fermenting in Devon to catching crayfish in Sweden. Here are eight of the best.

Catch and cook in the fjords

Norway

With more than 60,000 miles of coastline skirting deep fjords and some of Europe’s most far-flung islands, Norway has long had a fishing-focused culture. And you don’t have to be a trawlerman or expert angler to take part.

You’ll find various ‘catch and cook’ experiences along the coast, including from Stavanger, at the mouth of Lysefjord, in the south west. Local operator Fjord Expedition takes guests out onto the water to cast lines and draw in traps, seeking anything from pollock and mackerel to crab and shrimp.

You’ll receive expert guidance on fishing technique and handling the catch, and have the chance to pick seaweed, too. Afterwards, learn to cook dishes such as shellfish soup or barbecued fish. Back in Stavanger, check into the harbourside Hummeren Hotel, which has its own pier and a maritime vibe.

Tread grapes in the Douro Valley

Portugal

Introduced to Portugal by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago, winemaking has shaped both the Douro Valley’s culture and its steeply terraced landscape. The region’s wineries can be visited year-round, while from August to September the focus shifts from cellar to vine.

Grape Escapes offers trips to a wine estate where guests can take part in the harvest. Days begin with mata-bicho — a traditional breakfast of onion soup, grilled sardines, corn bread and olive oil. Then, kitted out in a harvester’s scarf and straw hat, you’ll pick grapes before lunch, tours and wine-tastings.

A highlight is grape treading in lagares (large stone tanks) — an age-old method where everyone links arms and presses the grapes underfoot. Traditionally it’s done to music, glass of port in hand. Afterwards, retreat to the Quinta da Pacheca hotel, which has views over the valley and rooms shaped like giant barrels.

Learn fermentation in Devon

England

Ferments and pickles are a key way to preserve produce and boost gut health, a cornerstone of food cultures the world over. And you can learn to make sauerkraut, kimchi and more from scratch at River Cottage in the bucolic East Devon countryside.

Having evolved from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s TV series of the same name, the working smallholding has seasonality and sustainability at its heart. The on-site restaurant and workshops use ingredients from the kitchen gardens and sourced from the surrounding area.

Full-day fermentation courses led by expert Rachel de Themple focus on the likes of sauerkraut, pickles and fermented batters such as dosa and blini, or gut-friendly condiments including various types of kefir, kimchi and miso made with British ingredients. River Cottage chefs prepare lunch using homegrown produce and ferments from the larder. At the end of the experience, you’ll have jars of your own creations to take home.

Hunt for truffles in Piedmont

Italy

Hidden in the forests of Piedmont you’ll find an elusive delicacy: truffles. The northwestern region is arguably Italy’s top truffle spot, brimming with the black variety in summer, and the more highly prized white variety in autumn. Truffle mania peaks in October and November when chefs shave the flavoursome fungi over everything from fresh pasta, pizza and risotto to crudo (raw meat or fish) and eggs.

Go straight to the source by heading out with a licensed trifolao (truffle hunter) and their trained dog. Book via local operators or hotels such as La Villa, 40 minutes’ drive from Asti, whose skilled hunter works a wooded reserve close to the hotel grounds. You’ll learn what kind of trees truffles grow around, plus tips on spotting, preserving and serving them.

Time your visit to coincide with Alba’s White Truffle Fair (10 October-6 December), when the town is filled with markets selling white truffles, local wine and other produce.

Join the olive harvest in Crete

Greece

Olive harvesting is a time-honoured annual ritual in Greece, and on the island of Crete it’s performed much as it has been for generations.

Eleonas Country Village, in the foothills of central Crete, is a family-run estate offering stays in stone-built cottages amid the olive groves and carob trees — some with private pools or hot tubs. Each November, the multi-day olive-harvest experiences involve mornings spent plucking fruit from the trees by hand. A rustic lunch of local cheeses, flavoursome vegetables, fresh bread, wine and (naturally) olives follows. Then, the just-picked fruit is taken to the press, where guests can watch it being made into extra virgin olive oil. Days end with a communal feast and a gathering around the fire, where stories are shared over glasses of raki.

Crack crayfish in Stockholm County

Sweden

For Swedes, Midsummer isn’t the only outdoor celebration of the season. August and September bring another beloved tradition: kräftskiva, or crayfish parties. The ritual marks the short period when crayfish are caught, with friends and families gathering to eat, drink and be merry. And travellers can take part too. Expect novelty hats, kitschy decorations and the messy de-shelling of the fiddly crustaceans.

At Myssjö Gård — a farm on an island on Stockholm County’s Lake Yngern — you can catch the creatures yourself. You’ll be taken out onto the water on a raft to lay the traps before hauling them in the next day and returning to shore to boil up your catch.

The owners can set up a party on the porch, in the barn or on the raft, but bring your own decorations, drinks and additional ingredients. The only property on the island, Myssjö Gård offers accommodation, including cabins floating on the water and tree-suspended tents.

Cook over fire in County Down

Northern Ireland

At the 230-acre Finnebrogue Woods estate, you can learn to cook outdoors over fire amid the wooded hills of County Down. The estate runs a range of wild cooking experiences, using age-old techniques and local ingredients. You can learn to butcher and prepare game such as venison, rabbit or pigeon; build and use a rotisserie; and even construct a smoker to infuse meat and fish with flavour.

Wild Celtic Cooking sessions, led by resident chef Rory Gorman, focus on using ashes, embers and open flames with ingredients foraged from the surrounding woodland, culminating in a meal that’s prepared and eaten as a group. Beyond food, there’s also a programme of bushcraft experiences. Guests can stay on the estate’s campsite, where pitches are set among the trees and facilities are minimal. Naturally, campfires are encouraged. Evenings often focus on a communal hotpot, enhanced with foraged ingredients.

Forage for food in the Alps

France

Alpine cuisine is known for cheese-laden indulgences, but the hills are alive with a natural larder of wild herbs, nuts, berries and mushrooms, all waiting to be harvested.

Undiscovered Mountains offers a three-day introduction to autumn foraging in the high-altitude meadows, lakes and woodland of the Hautes-Alpes in southeastern France.

Each day has a different focus, with foraging walks out into the wooded peaks to find herbs and plants, nuts and berries. All are led by local chef and wild food specialist Stéphane Bertrand-Pellisson, who teaches participants how to track and identify species, from wormwood plants to rowan berries and walnuts.

The mushroom hunt is led by a local pharmacist — a profession that, in France, involves training in mycology — and everything collected is turned into a fungi feast. At Stéphane’s restaurant at the farmhouse base in the Champsaur Valley, lunch showcases the gathered bounty, with preserves and ice creams made from wild ingredients.