1. Eat a whole roasted turbot on the Basque coast of Spain

They don’t call turbot the king of fish for nothing. Throw a dart into any pile of menus from three-star Parisian restaurants and you’ll hit a dish prepared with turbot. But the best way to experience the fish is to go the whole hog (well, whole fish). The fish should be so fresh it’s practically still breathing, grilled over smouldering embers. An open fire, though more poetic, would just kill the delicate flavour. The only seasoning needed is salt, and perhaps a bit of olive oil. That’s it really – even pepper might be overdoing it. The best way to attack a plate of roasted turbot is with your hands. Your fingers will be glued together by the gelatine in the fish flesh by the end, but you need only to lick them to release them again. The best place in the world I know for this is Elkano, a fishing village about half an hour outside of San Sebastian. There, practically everything they serve comes from the sea you gaze at from your table by the window. Art on a plate in Spain

2. Eat a fugu

Do this preferably at a specialised restaurant that serves only fugu, most likely in Japan. The key to minimizing your risk – there is after all no known antidote to pufferfish poison – is only trust the hands of the true professionals. Look for the kind of specialist chef who serves tens of thousands of fugu a year, not a hobbyist. Or to put it bluntly, avoid the kind of hack who sees a fugu once or twice a year at best. (What, you still don’t know what a fugu is? Don’t even talk to me.)

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3. Try khao chae, in Bangkok, at the height of summer

The best time to visit Thailand and Southeast Asia is from November to February, when the climate is the most temperate. But if you go then you’ll be missing khao chae, possibly Thai cuisine’s most interesting dish. Khao chae comprises hand-polished rice cooked al dente, floating in a pool of jasmine-scented cold water, and is served with an array of side dishes, such as stuffed sweet peppers enrobed in a delicate egg net, dried candyfloss meat, stuffed shallots, fresh green mango, and many fragrant herbs. Take a spoonful of the cool rice in the fragrant water, and a bite or two of the sides. Khao chae is Thai cuisine at its most subtle, complex, refreshing and intricate, hardly the usual macho make-it-hot-hot-hot Thai food you think you know. It will surprise you. You may love it. You might even hate it, but woe betide the foodie who has yet to try it.

4. Go Dungeness crabbing in Washington State

Delectable Dungeness crabs are so plentiful here that, in the season, practically all you need to do is dip your shiny bucket into the water and you will pull up a few. Build a fire on the beach, steam or boil the crabs, and eat them with your fingers.

5. Spend a week in New Orleans

New Orleans has the most vibrant food culture in the USA. Everyone is a foodie, and you won’t find two people who can agree on the best place for gumbo, or ‘poboy in town. Try oysters roasted over an open flame at Dragos. Try gumbo at Liuzza’s by the racetracks. Try a ‘po’ boy just about everywhere and then make up your own mind. New Orleans is a proud city still struggling to get back to her feet after having been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Go there, eat the food, spend the money, and revel in the “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” attitude of that town. That’s how you can do your part to help, and you’ll have a lot of fun doing it, too.

6. Eat a Yangcheng hairy crab, preferably in or near Yangcheng Lake in China

Hairy crabs are one of the great Chinese delicacies. They are not totally hairy, just hairy around the legs. They have an extraordinary flavour that’s difficult to describe. I would just say that its reputation as a great delicacy is absolutely deserved. However, after the meal, don’t forget to drink ginger tea, or have a dessert featuring ginger. Hairy Crabs are very high in Yang energy, and ginger, a Yin food, will help balance it. You’ll catch a cold otherwise. Trust me on this.

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