How to explore the world, one dish at a time

Then if these glimpses of global flavors inspire dreams of travel, USTOA tour operators can help make them a reality. Whatever cuisine you want to try, tour companies vetted and backed by USTOA have the expertise to take the planning and logistics off your hands, so you can relax and enjoy the journey.

Discover the unique flavors of 3 featured cities

USTOA's Global Kitchen season 2 offers fun, fast-paced videos from local chefs and food experts who sample flavors of diverse cities including Québec City, Canada; Cali, Colombia and Chongqing, China. The one thing these cities' foods share is their distinct sense of place. From local ingredients to the cultural traditions that created them, these foods immerse you in each destination.

Here are highlights you'll want to check out.

Unique sweet and savory treats in Québec City, Canada

Follow food columnist Allison Van Rassel as she tastes sweet and savory items that seem familiar, but with a uniquely Québécois twist. Ingredients and culinary influences rooted in the foodways of the region's Indigenous Nations blend with Québec's French heritage to create dishes worth savoring.

You'll witness a celebration of winter as locally sourced maple taffy is pulled over fresh snow by La Petite Cabane à Sucre de Québec's Rebecca McWhirter. You'll also watch the creation of a famous Gerry Burger (named for Québécois rock singer Gerry Boulet) at La Baraque à Frites: fried chicken on a grilled brioche bun with crispy bacon, pickles and Buffalo mayo sauce. Then enjoy seeing a mouth-watering grilled cheese sandwich made on a crisp gaufrette (waffle) with Charlevoix cheese and sautéed apple at Chez Maude.

Bountiful fruits and thriving markets in Cali, Colombia

Journey to the Pacific region of Colombia, where the city of Cali, known worldwide as the salsa capital, draws from its indigenous roots, Spanish Colonial history and incredibly diverse local ingredients to create street food you need to explore on foot.

Chef Catalina Vélez brings you to La Alameda Market, where you'll find an amazing variety of fruits not found anywhere else in the world, like the chontaduro fruit (from chonta palm trees), which must be cooked before it's eaten with salt and honey. You also get to watch how tamales are made from cornmeal dough (masa), filled with pork and/or chicken, potatoes, carrots, peas, onion, garlic, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and hogao (a traditional Colombian sauce), then wrapped in plantain leaves and cooked. Vélez then samples a local treat called cholados from a street cart: shaved ice topped with fruit syrup, fresh local fruits and coconut, drizzled with condensed milk.

Spicy meals in Chongqing, China

Take a trip through the neighborhoods and night markets of Chongqing, China with Chef Charlie Yang and content creator Matt Soren. They watch cooks create glutinous rice balls and sample Chongqing's signature xiaomian: a spicy noodle dish tossed in chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns.

Yang and Soren visit a night market featuring dishes where visitors choose their own culinary adventure. This includes Chongqing's renowned "hot pots," communal meals that diners cook themselves using meat and veggies in bubbling broth with chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns, plus barbecue stalls where diners choose skewers of local meats, seafood and veggies like lotus root and eggplant to be grilled on the spot.

Try your hand at global recipes

Before traveling, immerse yourself in international cuisines through the online Global Kitchen Cookbook, with recipes from the featured cities:

• Buenos Aires: Beef Empanada Baked in A Wood-Fired Clay Oven
• Germany: Swabian Maultaschen
• Malta: Ricotta Pastizzi
• Finland: Lohikeitto Salmon Soup
• Calgary: Cedar Planked Prime Rib Roast of Alberta Beef
• Hong Kong, China: Olive Oil Sour
• Yucatan: Cochinita Pibil
• Madrid: Madrid Contemporary Cocido
• Türkiye: Kadinbudu Köfte
• Chongqing, China: Mapo Tofu
• Québec City: Crispy Waffle Grilled Cheese with Apples, Onions and Melted Cheese
• Cali, Colombia: Torta de Pandebono

Plan your culinary adventure

While all the cities in the series are very different, they share one important quality: a food scene worth traveling the world for. To find the best food around the globe, you need a guide who knows where to find top local restaurants and markets. Plan your next trip with a USTOA tour operator member who can draw on their expertise and connections to help you taste dishes worldwide, while you explore the culture and history that inspired them. Learn more at USTOA.com.