TOP 10 food travel destinations
AREA CULINARY
DELIGHTS
APPLES AND APPLE BUTTER:
There’s a very long-established
apple-growing region here. Tour orchards throughout the area and pick
your own apples in the early fall. Pick
up a jar of apple butter at the Western North Carolina Farmer’s Market
or at Moose Café, where it is served
daily on hot biscuits.
E
xperience some of the
country ’s most acclaimed
whitewater rafting, hit one of
the farmer’s tailgate markets to taste
summer’s simple pleasures, or simply
enjoy some al fresco sidewalk cafe
dining and people watching.
There are just certain flavors that
simply scream Asheville, whether
it’s a creative Southern dish with an
organic twist or a unique regional specialty like Appalachian apple butter or
mountain trout caviar. Asheville has
long been ahead of the curve when
it comes to farm-to-table dining, one
of the few cities in America to have
several farm to table restaurants when
others had only a trendy one or two.
CANDY ROASTER SQUASH: This big
20-40 pound very sweet squash from
the mountains has an orange flesh
perfect for baking.
MOUNTAIN TROUT: In streams and
rivers and even farms of the Blue
Ridge Mountains, this variety of trout
can be found. Unlike other species of
trout, this fish has pink flesh. In 1948,
the first commercial trout farm in
the South began outside of Asheville
- the Sunburst Trout Farm. Today,
restaurants throughout the area use
this fish in recipes year-round.
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN RAINBOW
TROUT CAVIAR: Fresh water caviar is
a regional delicacy with a mild taste.
Sunburst Trout Company caviar can
be found in dishes at Asheville area
restaurants.
48 FOOD TRAVELER | SUMMER 2013
PHOTOS: EXPLOREASHVILLE.COM
Asheville, NC
ARTISAN CHEESE: Farms throughout
the region also produce specialty
cheeses, including several awardwinning varieties. The newly developed Western North Carolina Cheese
Trail connects nine area farms and
creameries where visitors can see the
animals, learn more about the cheesemaking process and purchase local
cheese to take home.