What our guests are saying about Zingerman’s food tours
We travel for food. Why? Certainly, the love of a good meal is part of it, but discovering the way a society farms, cooks and eats helps us better understand the people and the culture. Why do people eat what they eat? What historical events or the special geographical attributes of the land impacted the way food was gathered and produces? What do people eat for sustenance, for treats, for celebration? Learning the answers to these questions is a big part of why we travel.
That's why after our first Zingerman’s Food Tours we knew we found a kindred spirt in Kristie Brablec. Our first trip through Croatia was fantastic. Through meeting the producers and farmers and seeing their passion in continuing traditions and creating new ones, we felt a connection far beyond a simple “touristic” trip. We learned about the history of the land and people, and the cultural influences that created the food environment they have today. The personal relationships which Zingerman’s has created over the years are truly special and something a casual traveler could never experience. After that first trip, we were hooked! We’ve just finished our 5th trip — through Sicily — with Zingerman’s Food Tours have two more booked. We look forward to continuing our exploration of food and culture with Zingerman’s and Kristie!
- Leslie, CA
Hi, my name is Dana. I had such a great time on my Zingerman’s Food Tour, I offered to describe the experience for people who might be considering a tour for themselves.
The tour experience
If you think about how the Zingerman’s catalog is written, you’ll be in the right frame of mind to understand their tours: the catalog is colorful and passionate, discerning but down-to-earth, culturally curious and full of great ideas. That’s exactly what my Zingerman’s Food Tour felt like! It’s like stepping into the pages of their catalog.
I went on the nine-day tour of Italy, Croatia and Slovenia. Our group met in the afternoon and by dusk we were at a rustic, Michelin-starred trattoria on the border of Italy and Slovenia. Big shards of crisp flatbread with smoked salmon and a glass of champagne greeted us, which we enjoyed overlooking the family vineyard. A strong start, right?
One of the tour highlights for me was when we visited an Italian family farm that produces raw milk, organic cheese. We were face-to-face with their cows as they chomped the clover that makes their milk taste so good. We sat down on the farm to a taste of all their products, from plain, raw milk to aged cheeses to a big finish of ricotta and honey gelato.
On another day we walked an ancient Croatian town and took photos of vibrant murals on their walls. This walk led us to an amazing afternoon in an olive grove with a family that makes artisanal olive oil.
At a joyful family agritourismo in the hills above Trieste they made everything in-house. Charcuterie arrived on a gorgeous wood slab just yards away from their pen of hairy pigs. Then came hand-made gnocchi and a look at the family photo album. Quite a jolly evening.
In the charming hill town of Rovinj, Croatia we had time alone to shop along the winding streets of the old town, then ate a fresh seafood dinner. My favorite sea creature looked like a spiny shrimp and tasted like lobster. And I kid you not, our table was on a terraced cliff jutting out over the Adriatic. With the lights of storybook Rovinj as our backdrop, it was just stunning.
Another highlight was learning about Slovenian “orange wines” from a fabulous couple who makes local varietals. I don’t know much about wine and enjoyed asking questions then tasting the differences for myself. It also didn’t suck that their tasting room was perched high atop a natural rock formation.
I think my favorite memory is the day we spent together on the Adriatic, with a boat all to ourselves. Hearing and seeing the blue-green sea really put me in the zone.
Cultural context, not just chowing down
As you can tell, my Zingerman’s Food Tour was quite an odyssey, but I appreciated that it was not about just about scarfing as much food as possible. Actually, it was about seeking cultural insights (while scarfing tasty food.)
Why do people in this corner of Italy eat brats and sauerkraut? What’s so special about the canal where we slurped fresh oysters? Why are those people sunbathing on the sidewalk?
All of this fun was the hard work of our warm and experienced guides: Kristie Brablec from Zingerman’s Food Tours and Gábor Bánfalvi from Taste Hungary.
Ducks in a row
Awesome experiences don’t just materialize; they’re built with loving attention to detail. I’m a sucker for fun that’s well-organized, so I really liked the early communication from our guides about what to pack, where we’d meet and an invitation to ask questions.
Together, Kristie and Gábor designed an excellent pace for our trip. Some down time, but no wasted time. Our mini-bus was always waiting there for us; things just worked. You’re never standing around, thinking “…Did these Istrian goat farmers even know we were coming?” Oh yes, they knew, as we can see by the loaves of crusty bread that emerge from the stone oven. Then it’s the soft clang of bells as goats are herded from the field to the barn, so we can see them up close.
Kristie and Gábor chose the dishes we ate, the people we met and the hotels we stayed in to reflect a local “sense of place.” They built a cohesive, intentional, varied experience for us that told a story.
I’d follow those two anywhere, but the point is that you would have that same quality experience on any of the tours, offered with any of their passionate guides.
A good value
In my opinion, Zingerman’s Food Tours are a good financial value, too. I didn’t want a trip I could have planned for myself, and I’m certain I could not have created this independently. We went off the beaten path. We benefitted from their relationships with artisan producers. We zig-zagged the rural landscape of three countries. Special access and easy logistics with nice travel companions? That a good value, to me.
My tour group
Our small group size made this tour a good value, too. It meant we were able to eat together around one table. Everyone could see and hear when watching a prosciutto maker or learning to cook with truffles. I never felt part of a pack just being schlepped around, so I never tuned-out. Having a small group enabled us to see what’s authentic — not be seated in a sterile banquet room or hear the standard spiel intended for large groups.
I liked everyone on my tour, too. I’m from Seattle and made new friends who are from Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky, California, Indiana and of course, Michigan. Every one of them was a good traveler, too. Yes, we ate phenomenal meals in spectacular settings, but everyone seemed to really appreciate what Kristie and Gábor had created for us.
Flying solo
I was nervous about traveling solo, but it was a non-issue. Four of the people in my group were solo, actually, and the couples were great company too. Unlike other tour companies, Zingerman’s doesn’t charge a “single supplement,” which I found very welcoming.
The cheese stands alone It may seem strange, but I can sum up my trip by reading from the Zingerman’s catalog! Here’s how they describe my favorite cheese, Comté:
…It’s a wonderful balance of flavors that include hazelnut, brothy fench onion soup and butter. It has the most delicate hint of sweetness and a super long finish…one of the most complex and fulfiling cheeses you can buy, it eats like a meal….” And that perfectly captures my Zingerman’s Food Tour experience.
Dana - Seattle, WA
