9 Must Visit Destinations in 2016 for Foodies

Food is one of the most important aspects of travel, but not all destinations are made the same. If you love great food experiences, be sure to add these delicious destinations to your 2016 travel wish list.

Hawaii

One buzzword that garnered Internet notoriety in 2015 is "Poke." Poke is a Hawaiian dish made with diced tuna, which is then marinated in soy sauce and sesame seeds. According to Foursquare, it’s one of the most used buzzwords on the social media site for restaurant check-ins. Time to pack your bags and head to Hawaii to try it for yourself!

Montreal

Montreal’s obsession with poutine, the carb-laden, fry-gravy-curd comfort food dish, is reaching global proportions. BBC ranked it as the #1 top food trend prediction in 2015. This has led to a year of poutine joints popping up elsewhere in the world, offering less traditional combinations like pulled pork and kimchi. Are these poutine joints as good? Many believe there is no such thing as a good poutine outside of Montreal, so head to the source so you can do an accurate comparison – all in the name of food research, right?

Fallbrook, California

You may be wondering where on earth is Fallbrook and what does it have to do with foodies? If you follow Pinterest trends, and let’s be honest – what foodie doesn’t? -- you already know that the avocado was a huge part of the 2015 food scene. Well, 2016 is shaping up to be an even bigger year for avocados, so why not head to the avocado capital of the world. Fallbrook is near San Diego, California and even hosts an annual avocado festival. Mark your calendars – April 17th is the festival date for 2016.

Japan

With the Yen continuing to wane against the US dollar, 2016 is shaping up to be another great year for US travelers who want to eat their way through one of the best food destinations on the planet. And, with many end-of-year food trend posts pointing to a global ramen takeover, why not go to the source and eat ramen all over Japan itself!

Portland

Craft beer has been steadily gaining in popularity over the past decade. And now, many craft beer lovers are taking to brewing their own beer at home, as well. With a rich craft beer culture – over 70 craft breweries and at least one beer festival almost every month – Portland, Oregon is still at the top of foodie travelers lists for exploring this hoppy delicacy.

London

While the British food scene used to be thought of as boring, in recent years, it has shown itself to be anything but! London is home to two of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and a number of other Michelin-starred locations as well. But what is really setting the city apart these days is its street food. A number of outdoor food-truck style markets have opened in neighborhoods like Shoreditch, offering up dishes that rival even the best restaurants in town.

Singapore

Michelin announced that Singapore will be the next destination to get its own Michelin Guide. It’s expected that the 2016 edition will be available in the second half of the year. Look for a Michelin Singapore website, which will be in collaboration with Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, now headquartered in Singapore.

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh might seem like an unlikely addition to a food travel post, but the city is making culinary waves right now. With a variety of interesting restaurant openings and creative cuisine, Zagat rated Pittsburgh as the number one food city in the United States for 2015. In Zagat’s post, the author noted that as Midwest and NYC chefs continue to open spots in Pittsburgh, 2016 could be an even more exciting year for foodies.

Rotterdam

If you’re planning a trip to Amsterdam, be sure to allot at least one day to check out the new Markt Hall in Rotterdam. It’s an impressive building combining food, leisure, living and parking. It’s located in Laurens Quarter, the pre-war center of Rotterdam. This is the Netherlands’ first indoor market, featuring 100 fresh produce sellers, 15 food shops and eight restaurants. Rotterdam itself is also the center of an up-and-coming food scene in the Netherlands, another location like the UK trying to shake off its stereotype for less than stellar cuisine.

What other foodie cities would you add to this list?

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Note: Available plans and coverages may have changed since this blog was published.