The cuisine of Morocco and the act of ‘breaking bread’ together is deeply ingrained in the country’s culture and heritage.
Tagines of all varieties, flaky pastries filled with dried fruit, cous cous flavoured with saffron, myriad breads, and of course, the ubiquitous sweet mint tea. The diversity of produce and recipes in Morocco is impressive and you’ll experience the whole picture in the souks and Jemaa El-Fnaa square in Marrakech.
The evening street food markets of the square are a feast for the senses. Pyramids of spices, sit alongside stalls of dried figs, dates, apricots and confectionary. Smoking hot plates sear lamb kebabs and char peppers, which are served with cous cous or flat breads.
Outside Marrakech, in the Berber villages of the Atlas mountains, each family makes its own dough, which is then cooked in the community oven. Bread, in all its forms, is an important part of the Morrocan diet, and if you join us on our Morocco adventure you’ll have the opportunity to share homemade bread with a local family on their rooftop in the mountains.
All of these culinary delights are set against a backdrop of the country’s most famous drink: mint tea. You’ll enjoy hot, sweet mint tea, served with the greatest of care from a highly decorated teapot and, of course, from a height to allow the air to pass through.
Join us on our MTB adventure in Morocco to discover a foodie paradise!
Several thousand miles away from Morocco, in north-west Canada, fresh local produce is the order of the day in the Yukon. The wild natural environments of this vast region provide an abundance of fresh ingredients that our talented chef then lovingly crafts into the most mouth-watering dishes.
Wild salmon plays a big part in Yukon cuisine in summertime, as does wild elk and moose. But it’s not all about meat! There’s a wonderful diversity of fruit and vegetables available – tomatoes, asparagus, squash, corn, leaves, berries – there’s something here for every palate and preference. With all this incredible produce, and the skill of the chef at our mountain lodge, the result is a very healthy, delicious menu each day of the week.
It’s not only about your three daily meals, however. You’ll enjoy healthy homemade trail snacks too.
The Yukon is also home to several craft breweries, and you’ll have the opportunity to sample these at dinner, but more importantly, as you relax in the hot tub after a big day on the bike!
For the freshest local produce, head north to the Yukon.
As you e-mountain bike through Istria, from the lush green of the interior, to the turquoise blue of the Adriatic coast, you’ll also experience a wonderful culinary journey.
The most prized delicacy of the Istrian interior is the truffle. In the oak forests around Motovun and Grožnjan, if you know where to look, you’ll find both black and white truffles, and these feature heavily in the local cuisine. From truffle scrambled eggs at breakfast to chocolate mousse with truffle for dessert, it’s truffles three times a day here!
To accompany your truffle-fest, you’ll also enjoy local olive oil, seasonal asparagus, delicious charcuterie, and Istrian cheeses, and meat slow-roasted over an open fire.
As you move towards the Adriatic, seafood becomes king, along with a heady selection of wines, including the Malvazija Istarska. This is an interesting grape because it’s a white grape that is blended with other grapes, such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, to make a red wine.
After a day traversing the Kamenjak peninsula, we’ll settle down in our favourite restaurant on the harbour of Rovinj to feast on fish and shellfish caught the very same morning, washed down with a nice glass of locally produced wine.
On our menu of foodie MTB & E-MTB adventures, we can’t forget our home base here in the Highlands of Scotland.
We’re blessed here in the north of Scotland with easy access to both land and sea, and our food and drink speak of both of these environments. In the hands of great chefs and local producers who have a real love and respect for their source ingredients, the culinary landscape of Scotland is a rich and varied one.
The rugged landscape of the Highlands is most suited to farming hill sheep or some hardy breeds of cattle, as well as deer. This gives us a platter of the finest lamb, beef, and venison which can be paired with seasonal vegetables and sauces made from local soft fruits.
We also have a tremendous selection of local cheeses, from oatmeal-encrusted Crowdie, to some pungent blues.
The cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean are perfect for langoustine, scallops, and mussels, and you can enjoy the freshest of these, along with our famous smoked salmon, in our favourite coastal restaurants in Shieldaig and Plockton.
Of course, we also have to mention the clear, pure fresh water we have in our rivers and streams which are a key ingredient in making our national drink: whisky. They say there’s a whisky to suit every taste, but we’ll let you decide! There are also great local gins and craft ales, if that’s more up your street.
See where your Highland culinary adventure could take you.
Like much of Italy, Tuscany is synonymous with great food and, in particular, fine wine. It was this, as much as the superb singletrack, that drew us to create an e-mountain bike adventure in the hills of coastal Tuscany and the island of Elba.
What’s interesting in this part of Tuscany is that, although you’re on the coast, the food is characteristically mountain fare. Tagliatelle with wild boar ragù, Fiorentina steak, pecorino cheeses, fennel salami, and a variety of olive oils. These feature much more heavily on the menu than the fruits of the sea. For those, you must head to Elba island which, fortunately, we do on our E-MTB tour in Tuscany!
On Elba you can enjoy local delicacies such as fresh spaghetti vongole, fritto misto, and cozze (mussels), as well as tartare of fresh sole.
Then there’s the wine. Viticulture is a hugely important part of the local economy in Tuscany and the Maremma is no exception. You’ll pedal through vineyard after vineyard on this tour, and we’ll also stop off for an afternoon of wine tasting at a local winery. It would be rude not to! The family will talk you through their red and rosé wines, largely from the indigenous Sangiovese grape, and their whites made from Ansonica and Vermentino grapes. All paired with local cheeses and salamis.
The cuisine and wines of Maremma make this E-MTB tour in Tuscany absolutely knock-out!
Finally, we have to mention the Vipava Valley, dubbed Slovenia’s ‘Natural Larder’, and where we have crafted a 4-day mountain bike tour to make the most of the abundance of exceptional local food and wine.
The climate and ‘terroir’ in this corner of Slovenia are perfect for producing a variety of delicious wines, such as Ribolla Gialla, Sauvignon Blanc, and Malvasia, and no other region boasts or values as many old indigenous varieties as the Vipava Valley. The most prevalent indigenous grape variety in the Vipava Valley is Zelèn, which produces a straw-coloured white wine.
Aside from sublime wines, you will also enjoy a range of local dishes, with influences from many of Slovenia’s neighbours, particularly Italy. Specialities include, dry-cured meats, warming vegetable soups, dumplings, strudel, and pasta. These combine with local cheeses, fresh vegetables, and an abundance of orchard and soft fruits.
During your short mountain bike tour in the Vipava Valley you’ll understand that ‘well-fed’ has a very special meaning here!
