December 17, 2018

A Food & Wine Lovers Guide to Crystal Cruises

Picture of Nick Cabugos
Nick Cabugos

Creative Director, Montecito Village Travel

For Many Travelers, What You're Toasting with Is Just as Important as What You're Toasting To

This travel to-do list showcases the world's most eminent wine regions and world-class cuisine on board and ashore. No matter your preference or palate, the menu of opportunities is expansive and luxurious with Crystal voyages.

Crystal journeys explore the world’s most breathtaking places, and, more deliciously, some of the world’s most mouthwatering cuisines.  Beyond experiences that take you to the heart of the vine-covered hillsides and exploring the ways winemaking enhances the very culture of a town or region, there are endless opportunities to savor varietals that have brought distinctive fame to their respective winelands – like Napa Valley’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Spain’s Tempranillo – as well as lesser known treasures found only in the regions where they’re produced.

"From breakfast all the way to late night snacks, the food on the Crystal Symphony is top notch. I love all the alternative dining options and the burger bar upstairs is not to be missed." - Chris Weatherhead, VP of Hotel Relations and Marketing, Montecito Village Travel

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Catalan Cooking & Wines of the Templar in Port-Vendres, France

The formidable Knights of the Templar began cultivating wines in the 13th century, toward the end of the fated Crusades, where the Terres des Templiers winery and vineyards now sit along the Côte Vermeille (Red Coast).

Their techniques are still used today, producing fine dry wines that pair beautifully with the spice of Catalan cuisine. The property’s chef will guide you through a workshop creating paella, a classic dish of Catalan flavors, and the perfect way to energize your day spent exploring the estate’s grounds and surrounding region.

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Budapest, Hungary

When in Hungary, try comfort food on the go. Lángos are everything to love in a snack. Doughy flatbread fried until it is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, then slathered in sour cream, grated cheese or garlic butter (NOTE: you don’t have to choose – try them with all three!). Some are served with sausage on top, but all are perfect grab-and-go comfort food to fuel your discoveries in Budapest.

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Bordeaux, The Heart of Frances Famed Wine Region

Bordeaux is best-known for its glorious châteaux, mouth-watering cuisine and incomparable wines. Surrounded by the world’s most famous vineyards, this world-renowned wine capital is bound to please even the most discerning bon vivant. No matter your preference or palate, the menu of opportunities is expansive and luxurious aboard Crystal Cruises. 

Carry on to Oporto in Portugal, where you can sample ports from all over the region. Spend the afternoon at Solar Vinho do Porto, an Oporto tasting room housed in a gracious, rose-clad villa. After your wine tasting, wander through historic Ribeira, the recently restored riverside district and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Prepare to indulge when sampling Spanish Wines

Rioja from the Basque region complements the earthy spices of curry and chili, while Tempranillo is ideal for carb heavy treats like pastas and flatbreads. Back on board the ship, the globally-inspired cuisine of world-renowned master chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa is prepared by Nobu-trained chefs, on the Crystal Serenity.

Regarded for his innovative approach to sushi, Nobu blends classically styled Japanese foods with distinct Peruvian and European influences. While The Sushi Bar offers an assortment of Nobu’s inventive sushi and sashimi, including Salmon Tartar and Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeño, Silk Road presents his celebrated dishes such as Grilled Wagyu Beef Rib-Eye with Wasabi Pepper Sauce and his signature dessert, a Bento Box filled with Chocolate Soufflé Cake with Shiso Syrup and Sesame Ice Cream.

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Oktoberfest in Munich

A tradition of welcoming celebration since 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig I married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen and the royal couple invited the citizens of Munich to attend festivities in honor of their union.

This inclusive gesture from nobility toward the town’s commoners was a grand one for an era when the two factions typically kept to their own circles, and it was not lost on the people of Munich, and beyond city borders. Since that first group toast on the fields in front of the city gates, Oktoberfest has been a beloved tradition throughout Bavaria, bringing locals and tourists together over frosty steins and traditional feasts for the region’s grandest party of the year.

Oktoberfest is a cultural phenomenon that will captivate any visitor – the world’s largest beer and folk festival for more than 200 years. This all-sensory event is cloaked in colorful tents lined with the finest beer purveyors in Germany and surrounding region. Music fills the open-air fairgrounds and lederhosen and dirndls are the dress code du jour (though not at all required).

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A Traditional Singaporean Breakfast

There are dozens (or more!) traditional dishes that illustrate Singaporean traditions, with the added bonus that many of the best ones are easily available in outdoor markets and food stalls along your exploration of the city. And while surely every local has their own favorite and definitive dish, they virtually all agree on the one customary breakfast in this lovely Asian melting pot.

Kaya Toast & Soft-Boiled Eggs is the go-to first meal of the day for Singaporeans, with thick cuts of fluffy white toast slathered in coconut or egg kaya and butter, served with soft-boiled eggs seasoned with dark or light soya sauce. Fancier takes on the classic can include Jiam Tao Loh Tee which uses French baguette instead of toast.

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