Devour Tours

This is Crema Catalana, and it’s actually older than crème brûlée… no matter what the French say.

The first written recipe appears in a Catalan cookbook from 1324, making it one of the oldest recorded desserts in Europe. It was traditionally made on Saint Joseph’s Day, March 19th, which is why it’s still sometimes called Crema de Sant Josep. The French version came centuries later, first appearing in print in 1691

In Catalonia it’s eaten year-round as an everyday dessert, but its roots are tied to Saint Joseph’s Day in spring. It’s served cold from the fridge with a hot caramelized top, and that contrast is the whole point.

Unlike crème brûlée, Crema Catalana is usually cooked on the stovetop instead of baked, which gives it a lighter, silkier texture.

If you see Crema Catalana on a menu in Barcelona, don’t skip it.

Big thanks to our guide and for helping us make this video! If you join our Tapas, Taverns & History Tour, this is where you’ll enjoy a traditional crema catalana for dessert. 🍮

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Are you visiting Spain this year? Tell us in the comments :)

Today is National Donut Day (we stand divided on silly food holidays but not on our love for donuts), and one donut we love is the Berliner from Portugal.

The Berliner is a pillowy, jam-filled fried dough ball that made its way to Portugal and never left. If you’re visiting Portugal, especially in summer, you have to try them.

This simple pastry has its roots in World War II, when many German Jews fled to Portugal (which remained a neutral country throughout the conflict). According to historians, they brought the recipe for filled and sugar-coated doughnuts with them and recreated it on Portuguese soil.

Like many modern residents of Portugal, these wartime refugees apparently spent quite a bit of time by the sea, especially during the scorching summers, and the tradition of eating bolas de Berlim on the beach was born.

Over time the recipe evolved, and the original fruit filling was replaced by egg custard: a core element of many classic Portuguese desserts.

A German Berliner is essentially a hole-less yeast doughnut, usually with fruit jam in the middle, which bears a strong resemblance to the Portuguese bola de Berlim. The main difference is that, in Portugal, it’s traditionally filled with a thick yellow custard (creme de ovo) rather than jam. It’s also usually covered in a generous layer of granulated sugar.

Modern bolas de Berlim come in other varieties, too. The most common of which is stuffed with chocolate and hazelnut spread, instead of creme. They’re sometimes also available without filling (simples), or with Kinder Bueno cream.
If you ever come across a version with dark brown alfarroba (carob) mixed into the dough itself, we highly suggest giving it a try.

Today you can find bolas de Berlim in many cafés and supermarkets. However, the most common place to enjoy them is still on the sand – a unique tradition that makes summer days just a little bit sweeter. But, we’re not suggesting that you bring a case of bolas de Berlim in your bag. For the full experience, you have to buy them once you’ve already arrived at the beach.

Keep your ears open for the singsong voices of vendors shouting “Olha a bolinha!”.

PS: On our Ultimate Lisbon Food Tour we dig into these, and many more iconic Portuguese dishes and treats. Join us: https://devourtours.co/4w7NKk6

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Sangria might be the drink many people know by name, but tinto de verano is the drink everyone orders in Spain.

(PS: Check the comments for our full guide on what to order in Spain 😛)

It's simpler, lighter, and so refreshing on a hot afternoon. With only a few simple ingredients (red wine, soda water, and fresh citrus) it's a fan favorite that comes together in less than two minutes.

Come have a drink with us in Madrid: https://devourtours.co/4e4cp13

DM us FLORENCE for our list of top places to eat and drink in the city 💛

The Ponte Vecchio takes you over the Arno and into what feels like a different city in Florence. Oltrarno (literally meaning “beyond the Arno”) was where the artisans lived when the merchant families took the north bank. It was filled with leather workers, picture framers, and gilders. Some of their workshops are still here, in the same buildings, doing the same work.

Why does it feel different and special than the “usual” side of the river? Piazza Santo Spirito fills up in the evening with locals rather than tour groups. The Brancacci Chapel holds frescoes that Masaccio painted in the 1420s and Michelangelo came to study as a student.

And yes, here is where you can find many of the the city’s sought-after wine windows (which we visit on our Oltrarno Food tour: https://devourtours.co/4kpqOpu

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(Read 'til the end for our list of the 10 restaurants in Rome that are worth planning your trip around...)

Five “Italian” dishes that don’t exist in Italy, and what to order instead.

Fettuccine Alfredo → Fettuccine al b***o e parmigiano. Just butter + Parm.

Pepperoni pizza → Pizza diavola. Fair warning: order “peperoni” in Italy and you’ll get bell peppers. Ask for diavola and you’ll get thin rounds of spicy salami.

Chicken parm → Cotoletta alla milanese. A golden, crackly-crisp cutlet which is a traditionally veal, pounded thin and fried in butter. Or pollo alla cacciatora: chicken braised low and slow in tomato, olives and fresh herbs.

Neapolitan ice cream → seasonal gelato. Skip the three-stripe tub and try flavors like zabaione, gianduia, pistachio, basil and lemon, or stracciatella (cream gelato ribboned with shards of dark chocolate).

Italian dressing → A drizzle of olive oil, a splash of balsamic, maybe a pinch of salt, some herbs. That’s all you really need.

Come taste the difference on one of our Italy food tours: Rome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany and more https://takewalks.co/3WIn9dx

PS: Here's our list of the 10 best restaurants in Rome that no trip would be complete without (where you can eat these dishes that are the 〰️real deal〰️): https://takewalks.co/4dGKSlQ

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For those who want more than a day trip to the Amalfi Coast, we have something special for you... Overnights. 🍋

Our guides have spent years uncovering the moments most visitors drive right past, and they’ve designed this two-day journey to let you linger in every one.

An archaeologist leads you through Pompeii’s frozen streets. A vineyard lunch on Vesuvius pairs homemade courses with wines grown in volcanic soil. Arrive in Positano at golden hour and set off on a private sunset cruise. The next morning, sip limoncello at a family-run lemon grove perched above the coast, then boat to Cetara, a quiet fishing village still producing an anchovy elixir the ancient Romans would recognize.

For all the details: https://takewalks.co/3ZpbRvH

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Spanish Cider (or rather, Basque cider) might be one of Europe’s most underrated drinks.

Sagardoa as it’s called in Basque is traditionally enjoyed in a sagardotegi (cider house), where long communal tables, giant barrels, and generous pours are all part of the experience. And yes, there’s technique involved.

A few things to know before your first pour:
- It’s poured from high above the glass to aerate the cider and bring out its flavor.
- It’s meant to be shared. Traditionally, everyone takes turns catching a splash straight from the barrel.
- The food matters just as much as the cider. Locals pair cider with things like chargrilled steak, cod omelets, gildas, anchovies, local cheese with quince paste, and plenty of pintxos along the way.

DM us the word “CIDER” for the ultimate San Sebastián guide packed with favorite spots to eat, drink, and experience the city like a local. 🍎

And if you’re ready to taste it all firsthand, join a San Sebastián food tour for pintxos, Basque cider, amazing people and vibes. (Including our newly launched Supper Club!). https://devourtours.co/3JlLt1a

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Italy’s drink menu goes way beyond wine and Aperol Spritz.

Craft beer is booming all over the country.

There are way more kinds of spritz than you think, and also so many cocktails and digestivos you just have to try.

So yes, drink the wine, but don’t stop there.

And get as adventurous with what you eat as what you drink.

Work your way through our regional eating bucket list, city by city.

DM us "EAT ITALY" and we’ll send it over.🍴🍷

Tramezzini were born in 1920s Venice, inspired by British tea sandwiches, and then became a staple of the city.

They're made with soft white bread, crusts off, stuffed generously with fillings like tuna and artichoke or rich, creamy crab. Some bars make around 50 varieties a day!

You order at the counter, pair yours with a Spritz, and eat standing up the way Venetians do.

DM us the word "VENICE FOOD" and we'll send you our list of the top 5 bars for the best sandwiches in the city, perfect for a little morning or afternoon pick-me-up as you explore.

If you want to go deeper, join us on a food tour, where we explain the ins and outs of eating in Venice: bacari, cicchetti, pasta, spritz, wine and everything in between: https://devourtours.co/4cgGwkN

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