The 8 best islands for food

By Megan Padilla

updated 3:56 p.m. ET Aug. 28, 2007

It’s the catch phrase of the gourmet traveler: “You haven’t tasted real oysters (substitute tzatiki, pad Thai) until you’ve tried them on Jersey (substitute Santorini, Ko Samui). But it’s true: Although we have access to international food in our big-city restaurants, nothing compares to going straight to the source. We’ve searched the globe for some of the best food experiences that the world’s islands have to offer. And we have to confess that while we did it, we got pretty hungry. Plus, it brought a flood of memories to each and every one of us, from the Caribbean (potato-and-lentil-stuffed roti) to the Aegean (creamy buffalo mozzarella with sliced tomatoes ripe off the vine, drizzled with pale green first-pressed olive oil). Get out there and eat.

Ko Samui, Thailand
If you only know one Thai dish, it’s probably pad Thai. But just as we promised, you’ve never really eaten pad Thai until you’ve tried it from a street vendor in Thailand. Continue to expand your palate on Ko Samui off the east coast of Thailand. If you don’t speak the language, your best bet is to recruit and trust local Samuians to take you to their favorite restaurants, perhaps Bangpo Seafood in the Mae Nam area, where seafood, fresh or dried, and coconuts find their way into nearly every dish. Start with khoei jii, an appetizer that’s made from shrimp paste, shallots, garlic, coconut meat and ground chilies spread on a coconut shell and then grilled.

Then there’s a thick stir-fry made with waay, small octopuses that are used fresh or dried, coconut milk and fresh herbs. But we think you’ll have the most fun signing on for one of the Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts’, or SITCA’s, daily two-and-half-hour cooking classes where you start by shopping in the local markets for items you’d be hard-pressed to find at home, such as the carrot-length, bright-green veggie the locals call “stink bean.” Best of all, at the end of the session you get to feast on it all. Learn different dishes every day, or if you really want to tackle Thai food, take SITCA’s 12-day intensive course, offered every month and limited to four students. Rates for the half-day sessions are about $50. www.sitca.net; www.samuitourism.com

Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Is it just us or do you, too, get intense cravings for authentic Mexican guacamole at least twice a day? You know the stuff: fresh avocados mashed in a stone bowl with tangy lime, sea salt, cilantro and garlic. Isla Mujeres, just off the coast of Cancun, is one of our favorite islands on which to taste this concoction. But let’s not sell the island short; it also excels at tikin xic, a Maya recipe for fish flame-grilled to perfection. Try it near Playa Lancheros on Isla’s south coast (bring at least three hungry friends to split one fish).

The island is also known for its ceviche mixto – a little bit of everything from the sea. Raw fish and shellfish are chopped into tiny pieces and marinated in lime juice, which effectively “cooks” the fish, and then chilies, tomato, garlic and other spices are added. It is often served with fried corn tortilla chips; you can smell the hot corn wafting in the air. Order the ceviche at Picus Cocteleria right on the Caribbean Sea close to the ferry terminal. If you’ve had enough fish, head instead to the taquerias scattered about downtown (we recommend Super Taqueria Medina, which offers five different salsas at your table and has an excellent rotisserie). www.islamujeresturismo.com

Oahu, Hawaii
When you travel to Oahu, you have arrived at the culinary epicenter of the Pacific-Asian world. In Honolulu you’ll find Asian-based dishes with a bit of Americana (dare we say, SPAM) thrown in, as well as an island twist based on local ingredients. Join Hawaii Food Tours’ Hole-in-the-Wall Tour (www.hawaiifoodtours.com; rates from $99). It’s offered every day but Sunday and is your chance to taste the treats that local chefs seek on their day off. You might try a Hawaiian plate lunch, Chinese dumplings, pastries, Thai noodles, barbecued meat satay, Vietnamese summer rolls, Bento Boxes or crack seed, a snack of dehydrated fruit that was introduced by the first Chinese plantation workers.

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But for strictly Hawaiian fare, don’t miss Helena’s Hawaiian Foods, where the menu hasn’t changed much in 60 years. Order the pipikaula ribs. These double-thick, kalbi-cut beef short ribs are salted, air-dried and cooked so they are crispy on the outside and juicy inside. www.visit-oahu.com

Sicily, Italy
An informal poll of ISLANDS editors shows that Sicily is the island that most ignites the four-o’clock hunger pains. It’s a landscape best experienced by taste, where trees produce olives that wind up as delicate oils; almonds and pistachios find their way into pastries; and juicy white plums are made into preserves. The earth yields ripe melons eaten in spring, ruby-red strawberries best enjoyed with a bit of aged balsamic vinegar, and tender grapes that are crafted into biodynamic wines. And that’s just the beginning. We haven’t even gotten to the cheese, the fish or the pasta.

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Hands down, Sicily is our land of milk and honey. No matter where you travel on the island, the largest in the Mediterranean, you’re going to eat well. After all, Sicily is divided into 20 regions that all participate in Slow Food, the 21-year-old, Italian-founded organization that is committed to the connection between the pleasure of food and its origins; www.slowfood.com. If your island dream means you cook as well as eat, then head for the island’s heart, midway between Palermo on the north and Agrigento on the south, and into the kitchen of cookbook author Anna Tasca Lanza on her family’s 1,200-acre country estate and winery, Regaleali-Tasca d’Almerita; www.absoluteitalia.com. After dinner, stay overnight and enjoy a cooking demonstration the next day. Or come for five days to cook, shop, walk the countryside and dine in village trattorias. www.italiantourism.com

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