Today is Día de Reyes (Kings’ Day), also known as Epiphany, and in Catalonia, as in many places with Catholic traditions, we celebrate the Magis’ visit to the baby Jesus with a tortell de reis (roscón de reyes in Spanish), or kings’ cake. Made of brioche and shaped like a crown, the cake is filled with marzipan made from marcona almonds, wonderfully fragrant with orange-flower water and studded with jewel-like candied fruit – such as orange, cherries, melon or quince – as well as pine nuts and sugar. Most people purchase their tortell at a bakery and eat it for dessert at the end of their family lunch on Dia de Reis, as it’s called in Catalan. The Gremi de Pastisseria de Barcelona, a Catalan association of professional bakers, estimates that some 1 million tortells will be eaten in Catalonia this year.

When it comes to cultural identity, France carries the flag for universalism. This ideal aims to unite French citizens regardless of their ancestral roots, country of origin, or religion. You are French first, not a hyphen that encompasses multiple identities (i.e. Franco-Algerian.) In Marseille – a city which proudly differs from the rest of France – universalism isn’t universally practiced, since many Marseillais embrace their blend of cultural heritage. Franco-Congolese chef Hugues Mbenda does this skillfully at his delicious duo of restaurants, Kin and Libala. Both are housed in one location in the city center, a two-for-one-special born from a collaboration with Hugues’s partner, Mathilde Godart. By day, Libala serves up lip-smacking street food while Kin parades gastronomic plates at nightfall. Both mix Mediterranean and Congolese ingredients.

There’s one thing about the very popular Copacabana bar Pavão Azul that remains a mystery, even after 60-odd years of business: its name. Pavão azul means “blue peacock” in Portuguese, but even the owners don’t know where this curious name come from. Some customers who have been frequenting the bar since it opened in the 1950s say that it was named after the bar in the movie “Casablanca” – except that that place was actually called the Blue Parrot. What’s not a mystery is the bar’s popularity. Once just a regular old botequim – a small bar serving simple food – Pavão Azul was discovered by food critics thanks to its patanisca.

If you go to Rio’s Café Lamas to see where leftist organizers met during Brazil’s military dictatorship, go to Majórica to eat steak where the city’s business and political elites gather today. Located on a residential street in Rio’s Flamengo neighborhood, the restaurant from the outside looks like a three-story house, but for the neon red cursive sign with its name. It was founded in 1963 by two brothers from the Spanish island of Majorca. When we last interviewed the owners in 2015, it was being run by the daughter of one brother, together with (then) 79-year-old Galician-born Ernesto Rodriguez, who worked his way up from being the restaurant’s janitor back in 1965.

‘Tis the season of the Japanese New Year’s trinity: osechi, oseibo and nengajo. Like newsy Christmas cards, the nengajo is a recap of family or personal news mailed in postcards during the weeks preceding the end of the year and efficiently delivered all over Japan promptly on January 1. The winter gift-giving season is in full swing, with companies and individuals sending oseibo gifts as thank-you expressions for kindnesses over the year. Most gifts are food or household items like cooking oil or soap. The best of the traditions is osechi ryori, traditional New Year’s cuisine. Osechi is not something one can find in a restaurant because it’s eaten only one time a year, at home or when visiting others at home.

In a city with no shortage of postcard views, Bar Urca’s may get the title for most picturesque in Rio. The eponymous residential neighborhood where the bar is located faces Guanabara Bay, where a colorwheel of boats and yachts bobble on the slow waves leading up to the seawall. Across the bay, the iconic Christ statue watches over everyone from atop Corcovado peak behind the neighborhood of Botafogo.

Palermo is in the midst of a gastronomic evolution mirroring its own colorful heritage. Ancient Greek influences, Arab spices, Norman opulence, and Spanish traditions have long made Sicily’s largest city a chaotic mix of cultures. In recent years, this blend has been elevated by a new wave of chefs and restaurateurs who reinterpret tradition while staying true to the essence of the island. While classic trattorias and osterias that have served generations remain bastions of tradition, a younger generation of innovators is emerging, making 2024 a year of fun eating in Palermo.

Sometimes the wine is so good, you forget about the food on your plate. And sometimes, the simplest bite has you forgetting your expensive wine, the people you’ve come out to dine with, and maybe even your own name. Your friends around the table are all laughing, and you have no idea about the joke. For a few seconds, you're lost in primitive aesthetic bliss, pure satisfaction, and something akin to communion with the universe. Here are a few moments from 2024 when we got lost in food, oblivious to the jokes and comments of our competitions at tables in Barcelona, La Garrotxa (in north Catalonia), and Galicia.

Eating in the Greek capital is always an adventure. In 2024, our best bites spanned from small bites and snacks to drinks and full-blown feasts – there’s a perfect bite for every moment in Athens, just waiting for intrepid eaters to seek it out. The following list is something of a sensory walk through the city: you’ll find salty seafood and iced treats ideal for hot summer days, the perfect cocktail spot in the vibrant neighborhood of Neos Kosmos; creamy, traditional-style Greek yogurt; and beautiful, modern takes on traditional dishes. It’s almost too much to fit into one year – we’re excited to keep eating our way through Athens in 2025.

Throughout this year, food has been a shelter and a source of comfort and healing. From tacos that put us at ease with their tender meats and flavorful salsas, to drinks that cooled us down and helped us sharpen our weary minds, the following are the bites that, for us, were some of the best in town in 2024. - María Ítaka A little space that feels familiar despite its very recent opening, La Frijolería specializes in all things beans, which are one of the ultimate comfort foods in our cuisine. Ironically, before La Frijolería opened its doors, it was hard to find a restaurant in town where beans were served as anything other than a side dish. But now our cravings can rest assured that they will be fulfilled.

Great food, art scattered around the city – from fantastic museums and ornate subway stations to public squares and alleys – and its inhabitants' warm and joyful temperament all make Naples one of the most loved destinations in Italy. The city is busier than ever, but its also starting to feel the strain of its popularity, crowded with tourists looking for the best selfie spot and the most delicious sfogliatella or pizza a portafoglio. Our recommendation: slow down the pace, skip the interminable queues and overhyped spots, and search for quieter ones to savor a few blissful bites.

2024 was, for me, a year of travel, with just about as much time spent outside of Lisbon as inside. When I spend a lot of time on the road, I feel even more compelled to cook when I’m at home, so some of my best bites this year were things I prepared myself. But in the course of reporting for Culinary Backstreets and other outlets, I visited Lisbon restaurants both new and familiar, and scanning through an iPhone library of dishes both homemade and cooked by the pros, the following stood out. - Austin Bush

There’s no denying 2024 has been a year of political discontent that has permeated into all aspects of life in Tbilisi – including the culinary. Massive protests against the incumbent Georgian Dream party started in spring when it pushed forward a controversial law that many saw as emulating a Russian one and pushing the country towards Moscow-style autocracy. Even bigger protests broke out more recently when the ruling party announced they are suspending Georgia’s efforts to join the European Union, further fueling fears about the country’s orientation. For the CB crew, the political turbulence made this year one to revisit small backstreet joints that have withstood the test of time, such as Old Time Pub, the watering hole serving sausages and beer from Soviet times, and the pelmeni stronghold of Dumplings N1 that’s been serving some of the city’s best Slavic dumplings for over a decade.

2024 was another challenging year for Turkey and Istanbul, as the ongoing economic crisis and ensuing rampant inflation made it increasingly difficult for many locals to get by in the city and for foreigners to find bargains, even if they are arriving with dollars or euros. Nevertheless, Istanbul's dining scene remains as vibrant as ever, with exciting new spots opening in addition to the discovery of places that had been waiting for us for years. In an always-fascinating city with infinite possibilities, Istanbul proved once again why it is one of the world's premiere culinary destinations.