John Irving

Shaken, stirred, salted, or flavoured with mollusc – the tide is turning on the marine-flavoured cocktail, writes John Irving.

Mitteleuropa meets the Med in the Italian port city of Trieste. John Irving explores its unique blend of Latin, Slavic and Germanic traditions - one buffet at a time.

Italy's claim to being the greatest of the world's cuisines has one key weakness: breakfast. But, argues John Irving, there's more to the story than first meets the eye.

The cultivation of rice in Italy sparked political conflict and the wonder that is risotto, writes John Irving.

There’s emotion, nostalgia, and chance encounters for John Irving on his voyage into the unknown, from Italy to Istanbul.

Smeg has turned its kitchen appliances into covetable objets d’art. John Irving meets CEO Vittorio Bertazzoni, the man driving the company’s creative evolution.

Versilia could be Italy’s best-kept secret. John Irving finds much about Tuscany’s northern resort region to woo the discerning traveller.

How is it that a doughy disc topped with pretty much any food you can imagine has so completely captured the world’s appetite? John Irving surveys the popularity of pizza.

Genoa, the coastal town that gave the world pesto, Christopher Columbus and Renzo Piano, holds surprises around every corner. John Irving explores its labyrinthine lanes.

Siena, famed for the Palio horse race which runs this month, is a medieval gem and a sure-fire winner in the arts and culinary stakes, writes John Irving.

Polenta has come a long way from its roots as a peasant staple writes John Irving...

A sense of faded grandeur once cast a pall over Turin, but after a facelift and an infusion of creativity the former Italian capital exudes dynamism and could just be the country’s best-kept secret.

Even if you don’t know your tortellini from your tortelloni, there’s an Italian cooking class to suit in a Tuscan farmhouse or a Piedmontese palace. John Irving rolls up his sleeves.

The Roman glitterati flock to the Argentario coast for summer hedonism in clifftop villas. John Irving returns every year for the area’s wild beauty, its famed bottarga and a taste of la dolce vita.

John Irving raises a glass to the original aperitivo as we know it, the Italian concoction of herb-charged wine...

Italy’s relationship with chinotto has been a bittersweet affair...

Welcome to the Maremma, a former wild frontier that’s home to charming medieval villages and restaurants rich in regional tradition. John Irving introduces his favourite corner of Tuscany.

The Aztecs may have first cottoned on to cocoa and it has become a calling card for the Swiss and Belgians but Turin is the real chocolate capital of the world, writes John Irving.

Once the seaside destination of Italy’s jet set, the Riviera di Ponente today moves at a quieter pace that’s ideal, writes John Irving, for exploring Liguria’s history, culture and, of course, food.

Head to the heel of the boot and succumb to Puglia’s simple charms, from its dream-like landscape and rustic cuisine to rolling olive groves and distinctive conical trulli.