Shore thing
Galicia on Spain's north-east coast may be pretty windswept and rainy, says David Eyre - but that just means you've got to spend a lot more time indoors enjoying its culinary offerings, not least the staggering seafood

Chilli reception
Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio have such a strong hold over our idea of proper Italian cooking that the rest of the country hardly gets a look-in these days. Matthew Fort heads south for Basilicata, to find out what we're missing

Big cheeses
Le fromage is such an obsession in the Jura, says Jon Henley, that you'd be forgiven for expecting the locals to reek of the stuff. Their meals certainly do

Pot bellies
They pole vault over water, speed skate on frozen lakes, and live right on the North Sea. No wonder the inhabitants of Friesland are partial to hearty one-pot soups and stews, says Alasdair King