The best way to get under the skin of a place is through its food. Many places are cultural melting pots, with cuisines that reflect those who have immigrated over the centuries and brought with them their own food traditions. As tourists, however, it can be hard to sift through restaurant listings and find the most authentic. That’s where a food tour comes in. Accompanied by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic local guide, you’ll be taken right to the heart of the culinary scene. Keen to partake? Here are eight food tours you should take around the world.

Barranco, Lima, Peru

The Peruvian capital’s food scene has really taken off in recent years, with exciting new restaurants and a significant improvement in food quality. The Lima Gourmet Food Company will show you around the upscale Barranco and Miraflores neighborhoods. After an energizing coffee at an artisan roastery, you’ll visit a market where you’ll have the chance to try some of the country’s signature fruits. In a pretty café garden, taste the addictive butterscotch flavor of lucuma milkshake. Learn how to make ceviche and mix the perfect pisco sour. The tour culminates in a dessert flight served in the enchanting setting of the pre-Incan ruins of the Huaca Pucllana, located right in the heart of the city.

Tbilisi, Georgia

Georgians are famous for their hospitality and much of their entertaining revolves around food and drink. This tour explores the food culture in its capital, Tbilisi. One of the highlights is the opportunity to tuck in to a plate of steamed khinkali; these dumplings are the national dish. As part of the tour you’ll experience a classic Georgian feast known as a supra, which for centuries have brought families and communities together. They’re led by a tamada, who punctuates the proceedings by leading a succession of toasts. Charge your glasses as you learn about the country’s long tradition of viticulture. Wine has been produced here for around 7,000 years, stored in the ground in terracotta pots called khevri.

New York, New York, U.S.

Food tours are rarely cheap, but this culinary excursion does things differently. As a participant, you’ll pay only for what you eat, though the backstory to each item’s religious and cultural significance is offered free of charge. New York City’s Lower East Side has been shaped by immigrants, and its eateries still reflect the foods they brought with them. You’ll have the opportunity to visit the Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery, which has been selling potato knish since 1910, and fans of the movie When Harry Met Sally can check out “what she’s having” at Katz’s Delicatessen. Grab some steamed dumplings, kosher pickles, bialy and bagels. At the end of the tour, tip your guide as you see fit.

Palermo, Italy

Ditch the diet! Carb-heavy Sicilian food dominates the menu during this evening walking tour through the streets of Palermo. Serving up a range of tasty street foods from arancini (stuffed rice balls) to panelle (chickpea fritters), this is one excursion that requires an empty stomach. Throw in some ricotta-filled cannoli and a brioche col gelato – the local’s favorite ice cream sandwich – and you won’t need a dinner reservation either. Nevertheless, you’ll need to steel yourself to consume smelly pani ca’ meusa; this veal offal in a bun snack is an acquired taste and isn’t for the faint-hearted. But you will have bragging rights and a tale to tell the folks back home if you manage to stomach it.

Hong Kong

The Temple Street Night Market has been a fixture in Hong Kong’s Jordan/Yau Ma Tei district for more than a century and remains a stellar choice for visitors hoping to understand the local food scene. This tour centers on some of the market’s most popular dai pai dongs – street food eateries. Seafood is a speciality and to ensure everything’s as fresh as possible, the fish swim in tanks as they await their fate. Snack on curry fish balls, grab a bowl of hot noodles, munch on dim sum and dip crispy fried wontons in a deliciously tangy sweet and sour sauce. You’ll also have the chance to learn what an egg puff is and see how it’s made.

Cape Town, South Africa

The Bo-Kaap is one of Cape Town’s most vibrant neighborhoods, famous for its Instagrammable houses painted in bold colors. But it’s also one of the best places in the city for foodies. The area was once known as the Malay Quarter, after the Southeast Asian laborers and slaves that lived here. Combine a walking tour and cookery workshop to get a handle on the social and cultural changes that shaped this part of Cape Town and its largely Muslim population. You’ll be shown how to blend spices to create the perfect masala. Afterwards, learn how to make rotis, samosas, dhaltjies and chicken curry before sampling the results of your hard work.

Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaca is often considered the epicenter of Mexican cuisine – sure to delight even the most discerning foodies. This is the home of mole, a rich sauce that comes in a variety of forms and effortlessly elevates so many dishes. Street foods such as tlayudas and memelas satisfy those on the go. The former is a crispy corn tortilla topped with refried beans, cheese and meat, while the latter uses masa harina in its oval base. If you’re blessed with an adventurous palate, you might also try chapulines – deep-fried, salty grasshoppers. Let Me Encanta guide you around the city’s markets and backstreets, imparting information about its history, culture, and signature dishes as you get to grips with authentic Oaxacan cuisine.

Porto, Portugal

Porto’s Rabelo boats once carried precious cargoes of port wine across the River Douro from the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia. Though they now carry tourists on sightseeing cruises instead, the city retains a thriving wine industry and you’ll enjoy a tasting masterclass as part of this comprehensive tour. You’ll also call in to one of the city’s oldest mercearias (grocery stores) where you can dive in to the contents of a charcuterie and cheese board. Canned sardines, another Portuguese staple, are on the menu in a former flower shop; afterwards, move on to an authentic tasca (tavern) to sample bifanas (pork sandwiches). Later, taste the Jesuíta pastries baked by the Moura family’s confeitaria, who’ve used the same recipe for more than 130 years.