The Best New Culinary Experiences for 2018

Most travelers are looking to experience local flavor on their vacation—whether it’s a margarita in Mexico or a cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu.

The quest for new, exotic tastes is sure to be a must on vacations in 2018 as well.

In fact, according to a recent Booking.com survey, nearly half of all travelers are looking for new food and drink experiences when they travel next year and many tour operators are catering to those desires.

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Trafalgar is adding a unique new farm-to-table experience to its Italy program in Rome.

Travelers will skip the lines and crowds to explore the Missionary Ethnological Museum after hours where guests will have dinner in the Pope’s secret garden, (the Cortile del Giardino Quadrato), outside the museum. There they will enjoy ingredients produced from the Pope’s farm in Villa Barberini estate in Castel Gandolfo.

The exclusive menu includes dishes from Olive Ascolane, Saltimbocca alla Romana and crisp Satrico white wine from Casale del Giglio.

London is fast becoming a foodie destination, and adding to the city’s culinary appeal is a new floating restaurant, Darcie & May Green, made up of barges individually designed by legendary pop artist Sir Peter Blake.

The eatery, located outside Paddington Station, is open nearly all day, serving up flat whites and banana bread in the morning, then local craft beers and live music as the day goes on.

READ MORE: Travelers Are Gobbling Up New Foodie Tours

Culinary tourism is growing in popularity alongside another type of travel: Cannabis tourism.

So now, foodies traveling in certain parts of the U.S. can stop in for a different kind of “experience.”

Gourmands will delight in the fact that award-winning pastry chef, Mindy Segal, who spent 30 years working at Michelin-Starred Charlie Trotter’s, has taken her vast knowledge and applied it to the creation of innovative edible candies made from dark chocolate, almond toffee and peanut butter and jelly caramels.

Mindy’s Artisanal Edibles can be found at dispensaries around Illinois.