The stroopwafel perfectly encapsulates a culinary trend that we’ve seen many times before: the transformation of a simple, everyday treat into a highly sought-after culinary delight. You see it in the histories of typical Tuscan dishes like ribollita, French cassoulet, and even truffles—humble beginnings with a later elevation to haute cuisine. While this Dutch cookie may […]
Author: Jessica Spiegel
Exploring Dutch Cheese: A Comprehensive Guide
A quick peek at the average grocery store’s cheese selection might lead you to think that the list of Dutch cheeses consists of only one or two types: Gouda and Edam. These are, to be sure, the most popular Dutch cheeses, but the cheese world in the Netherlands is diverse—and delicious. Cheesemaking in what is […]
Why a Food Tour is the Best Way to See the Lower East Side
One of the best ways to learn about the world also happens to be delicious—through food. Here at Devour, we also believe that a food tour is truly the best way to see the Lower East Side! Some dishes or ingredients can give us insight into a past that’s truly past. In most cases, though, […]
Gluten Free Florence: Complete Guide to Restaurants, Dishes & a GF App
Italy is a country where things like pasta and pizza can seem like crucial components of the national identity, so you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s maybe not the ideal destination for gluten-free travelers. Luckily, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth! And that’s particularly true if your itinerary includes places where pizza and […]
Sauternes Wine: Why This Versatile White Wine Is a Must-Try
In the United States, sweet wines have had something of a bad reputation since about the 1980s, when cheaper versions of fine European dessert wines became popular. Those wines were often cloyingly sweet (and headache-inducing), so it’s no wonder people still tend to shy away from bottles in the sweet wine section of the store. […]
What is Mortadella? A Tale of Counterfeits, Pop Culture & One Delicious Snack
There are some Italian meats that need almost no introduction (lookin’ at you, prosciutto), but there’s so much more variety available for an antipasto plate in Italy and elsewhere—and not even prosciutto has a backstory that includes both Sofia Loren and a catchy 1970s US television jingle. That colorful tale belongs only to mortadella, the […]
15 Best Things to Do in Bologna: A Checklist for Curious Travelers
Bologna, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, sits about 73 miles almost due north from Florence. Its population is slightly larger than Florence, but it doesn’t have the Tuscan capital’s world-famous reputation for art or history and so isn’t always on the radar of travelers in Italy. Unless, of course, you’re a foodie. In that […]
Florence on a Budget: Where to Stay, What to Eat, & More
Most travelers, regardless of economic status or travel style, love finding a good deal. Given Italy’s popularity as a tourist destination, however, it can be a little more challenging to travel on a limited budget. Challenging—but by no means impossible. Visiting Florence on a budget may mean planning a trip for a different time of […]
Tuscan Cheese: A Guide to Caciotta, Pecorino, Ricotta, & More
When you get a basic overview of Italian food, you’ll quickly realize how regional the cuisine is. So regional that one dish can change in subtle yet meaningful ways between neighboring towns, let alone entire regions. So, when a cheese connoisseur headed for Tuscany starts looking into what uniquely Tuscan cheeses they should try, they […]
The Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Florence
Once upon a time, if you asked the average Florentine waiter for a meat-free meal and then took issue with the bits of pancetta in your greens, you’d hear something like, “That’s not meat, it’s flavor”. Completely devoid of the sarcasm you might assume would accompany such a retort. Yes, Florence loves its carne. But […]