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Eat and drink your way around the world...

Written by The Leap on 08 / 03 / 2018

Gap Year Advice

Eat and drink your way around the world...

We've told you how to hike around the world now it's time to eat your way around. Here's how you can celebrate our favourite food and drink days in true traveller style.

World Malbec Day - 17th April

Let's start as we mean to go on - wine. For those non-wine connoisseurs among you, Malbec is a type of grape used to make certain red wines. Malbec originated in France but now roughly 70% of Malbec wine is produced in Argentina. This means you have two options for where you will spend World Malbec Day but only one option for activity - drink lots of Malbec wine.

International Houmous Day - 13th May

Houmous originates from all over the Middle East. However, traditionally it is considered a staple part of Greek food. For International Houmous Day get yourself over to Greece. Eat houmous with olives and pitta bread in the sun with a view over the Aegean Sea. Greece has so much to offer, from the history and culture of Athens to the party scene of Mykonos and the beaches of Skopelos.

World Milk Day - 1st June

Ok so you might think this is a bit of a strange one but the majority of milk consumed around the world comes from cows…. what country holds cows as scared - India. This only means one thing, spend World Milk Day in India paying homage to the sacred cow. Hindus' consider cows sacred and have huge respect for them, when wandering the streets you'll find cows roaming alongside you!

International Sushi Day - 18th June

This traditional Japanese dish has become much loved around the world. What better way to enjoy International Sushi Day than to gorge on proper sushi in its birthplace - Japan. A fun fact for you... the word sushi actually means 'sour-tasting' not raw fish like many people think.

World Chocolate Day - 7th July

World Chocolate Day

I don't know about you but I don't need much excuse to eat chocolate. But if you are looking for one, there's no better than World Chocolate Day. Many people believe that South American countries such as Ecuador and Peru are the biggest producers of cocoa but surprisingly the Ivory Coast is right at the top of the list. They produced 2,010,000 metric tonnes in 2017. Ecuador came in a reputable 4th producing 270,000 metric tonnes in the same year. With so much to offer Ecuador would be my top destination for World Chocolate Day. After tasting the delights on offer you can escape exploring the Galapagos or into the Amazon jungle.

Want to visit Ecuador?

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International Beer Day - 1st Friday in August

International Beer Day

It has to be a European city. Anywhere from Brussels to Prague will offer an endless assortment of different beers to try and quirky establishments to drink them in. Gather up a group of friends and head over for the weekend to really celebrate International Beer Day in style.

International Coffee Day - 29th September

Coffee is produced in tropical climes all around the world, from Madagascar to Guatemala and Indonesia but there's one real leader in the market, Brazil. In 2016 Brazil produced 2,595,000 metric tonnes, to put that in context the second biggest produced was Vietnam at 1,650,000 metric tonnes. This means you need to book a holiday to Brazil in September to celebrate International Coffee Day in the home of coffee.

World Chicken Day - 2nd Thursday in October and World Egg Day - 2nd Friday

World Chicken Day

Yes that's right, in World Food Days the chicken comes before the egg! Australia is the world's biggest consumer of chicken so if you're looking for an excuse to head down under you're in luck. Enjoy a good old chicken BBQ in the evening of the 2nd Thursday in October then wake up to eggs for breakfast on Friday. The perfect way to set yourself up for some exploring down under.

World Porridge Day - 10th October

World Porridge day has a wonderful history to it. The first World Porridge day was held in 2009 to raise funds for Scotland based charity Mary's Meals who provide life-saving porridge to starving children in developing countries. Get yourself up to Scotland, set yourself up for the day with a hearty bowl of porridge and donate some money to enable children in developing countries to also enjoy a good meal that day.

World Pasta Day - 1st November

World Porridge Day

Italy is the home of pasta. From lasagne and spaghetti to rigatoni and fettucine, you name it you can find it in Italy. You've not tasted good pasta until you've had it hand-made by a pastaio from a boutique ristorante italiano in a back street of Venice or Rome.

International Tea Day - 15th December

Be it black, green or oolong, the tea you are drinking will either come from India, Sri Lanka, China or, quite surprisingly Kenya. Ella in Sri Lanka (got to be the hottest destination of 2018) is home to some of the most scenic tea plantations and if you go between March and November you can help out with some tea picking. Perfect timing for International Tea Day on the 15th December. Whilst in Sri Lanka you might as well make the most of the country and nip from the beautiful plantations to Udawalawe national park to see the elephants or take the scenic train down to the idyllic beaches.

Let's face it...

We all love food and drink and will take any excuse to indulge, it would be rude not to on an International day. Make sure you fit these into your travel plans in 2018...

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