Food isn’t just something which fuels our travels – for some of us, it’s why we travel, and that’s why Time Out’s shiny new list of the world’s best cities for food is so darn enticing.
New Orleans claimed the crown, thanks to a smorgasbord of influences like Spanish, French, Vietnamese and African flavours, but African countries had a strong presence on the roundup in their own right, with four claiming a spot in the top 20.
The first of these was Cape Town, which came in at number four. According to Andrew Hallett, Time Out South Africa’s Content Director, Cape Town’s cuisine is ‘as varied as they come – there really is something to cater to all tastes (and budgets) in the Mother City. With influences from Asia, Europe and across Africa, our city is known for packing a punch when it comes to flavour.’
The must-try dish? That’d be a Gatsby, a gargantuan bread roll stuffed with hot chips, salad and fillings of your choosing into a gloriously authentic, messy bundle of lip-smacking flavour.
Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, came in seventh place. Local expert Joyce Oladeinde said: ‘In Lagos, food is woven into culture, history, and daily life. The city’s dynamic food scene reflects the country’s diverse heritage, from smoky suya from Northern Nigeria to rich Igbo delicacies like Ofe Nsala, a spiced white soup made with catfish.’
North African cities claimed the other two spots, with Marrakech coming in eleventh place. Paula Hardy, Time Out’s local expert in Marrakech said a must-try is ‘tangia, lamb shank cooked in an urn-shaped terracotta pot with smen (fermented butter), preserved lemon, garlic, cumin, ginger and saffron. Its nickname is bent r’mad, ‘daughter of ashes’, because it’s cooked in the ashes of fire that heats the hammam. Chez Lamine serves the original recipe.’
Lastly, Cairo claimed sixteenth place. According to local expert Lauren Keith, the city is known for delicious plates that date back to the era of the pharaohs, such as koshary – macaroni, rice and lentils topped with chickpeas, spicy tomato sauce, vinegar and fried onions – and molokhia – finely chopped jute leaves stewed in broth with coriander and roasted garlic. Yum.
Fill up on the full list, as well as our guides to the world’s best sandwiches, steaks and pizzas.
Did you see that this is officially the best pizza on the planet, according to Time Out?
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