Celebrating Local Cuisine
When food is a passion it becomes a compulsion, to not just taste local produce but explore deeper into the culture behind it. To wander through aromatic street markets or wind through snow-capped mountains to savor an ancient family recipe that has been handed down through the generations.
It might be the road less traveled, but the invitation to Grandma’s Lunch comes from a long-lived mountain community that belongs to the Da Qin minority in China. The path winds through fields of fruit trees and blooming Sichuan peppercorn trees, passing ancient ruins and watchtowers. Grandma is waiting, a smile on her face and a bubbling pot on the stove, the fragrant spices filling the room. This is a unique chance to taste a recipe that follows its own journey back in time, accompanied by seasonal produce that has been picked fresh for the occasion. With each mouthful comes a discovery, about the family's indigenous farming methods and health benefits of each ingredient.
In contrast to ancient traditions, some of the best dishes are improvised. This is where travel takes an unexpected turn, through aromatic stalls at a Mediterranean farmers’ market. The chef who accompanies you knows where each vegetable has been growing just the day before. Each is scrutinized, smelled and sampled and only the finest are chosen for a personal menu at the chef’s table that evening, paired with just the right wine to bring out the flavor – and the realization that this is a chef who doesn’t eat to live, he lives to eat.
From the market to the ocean, with the sun still sleepy and the horizon hazy. The calm waters of the Laamu Atoll lap the traditional wooden dhoni as a local fisherman sets the course for a prime fishing spot to lure a fish. Once caught, the fish is prepared with a little lemongrass and ginger, wrapped in a banana leaf and barbecued for a lunch on a deserted sandbank. No big stories, just simplicity, which is arguably the most difficult outcome of all.
For those inspired by local cuisine, there is also the opportunity to learn a few cooking secrets first hand. Going on a journey through the different cooking regions of Douro Valley uncovers the mysteries of how food is prepared and combined, but also how it impacts health, well-being and the community on a local and global scale. Here, sustainable food preservation is done the old-fashioned way, through pickling, salting, dehydrating and smoking.
With food comes romance. For some, that might mean relaxing into oversized beanbags on a private deck at Dining on the Rocks (go for the ultimate Table 100) with champagne and handmade samosas watching the sun dip into the horizon at Six Senses Samui. For others, it might take on a more Arabic form, with mezze and lamb served on a sugary sand beach under giant Bedouin tents. There’s no pressure to even go out. Sometimes the most memorable evening starts with the least drama, a cozy in-villa barbecue with just each other, the twinkling stars and sound of the waves for company. After all what is the purpose of good food if not a chance to pause, reflect, give thanks and celebrate life?
Live this experience first-hand in our properties
Cambodia
Six Senses Krabey Island
China
Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain
Fiji
Six Senses Fiji
France
Six Senses Residences Courchevel
Indonesia
Six Senses Uluwatu, Bali
Maldives
Six Senses Laamu
Oman
Six Senses Zighy Bay
Portugal
Six Senses Douro Valley
Spain
Six Senses Ibiza
Thailand
Six Senses Samui
Thailand
Six Senses Yao Noi
Turkey
Six Senses Kaplankaya
Turkey
Six Senses Kocatas Mansions, Istanbul
Vietnam
Six Senses Con Dao
Vietnam
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay
Discover related experiences
Families and Kids
Multi-room suites and villas, and activities that get the whole family back to nature including panda volunteering and turtle hatching.
Culture and Discovery
Hospitality is never just about a place to stay but the opportunity to immerse into new cultures and discoveries to feel the purpose behind your travels.