Star Clippers is known for calling into smaller ports and harbours, often inaccessible by larger cruise vessels. This means that local cuisine and culture can be found just a few steps from the gang plank, with time to go ashore and wander among the locals. On board the three tall ships in the fleet, guests dine in a free seating restaurant, buffet-style for breakfast and lunch and waiter service for dinner, enjoy deck-top al fresco lunches, beach barbecues. When ashore, here are some of the notable food experiences Star Clippers’ guests can find during a tall ship cruise.

Tom Yum In Thailand

One of the most popular local dishes for guests taking Star Clippers’ sailings through Thailand is Tom Yum, a hot and sour Thai soup that has become globally popular in recent years. Tom Yum is made of stock and fresh ingredients such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed chili peppers to which chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp can be added. A big steaming hot bowl of Tom Yung costs around £3 from a Thai food stall or local restaurant.

Share A Big Fat Greek Meze

Star Flyer will spend the next two summer seasons sailing around the Greek islands, in the northern and southern Cyclades. At each island stop, tavernas cluster around the port and harbour fronts where the rich aroma of octopus, squid, sardines and fresh fish roasting on hot coals is ever present. With Greek food it’s not so much what to eat, but how. Meze is the Greek word for small dishes of traditionally prepared savoury meats, fish, vegetables and cheese. Order, eat and share plates of feta cheese sprinkled with oregano, fried meatballs, rice, meat and pine nuts wrapped in vine leaves, local sausages, giant Greek beans in tomato sauce, and dips from taramasalata to grilled aubergine or refreshing yoghurt, mint and cucumber.

Nasi Goreng, Pepes And Tum In Bali

Star Clipper sails east and westbound from Bali through Indonesia’s archipelagos throughout the summer, with plenty of time ashore to stop by roadside stall or call into beachfront restaurant where the food is always colourful and spicy. The nation’s favourite staple is Nasi Goreng, steamed stir-fried mixed with meat, chicken, shellfish or vegetables, scrambled eggs, a blend of sweet soy sauce or kecap manis and hot chili sauce. For munchies on the move, Pepes and Tum use banana leaves to package steam, boiled or fried parcels of meat, fish, tofu or vegetables, wrapped or stitched into the leaves.

Conch In The Caribbean

Big, pink lined conch shells are coveted by tourists as souvenirs while the contents, a meaty sea snail, are devoured in large numbers by locals. Conch can be found right across the Caribbean islands in salads, soups and stews while a local favourite is conch fritters, conch meat mixed with peppers, onion, spices and herbs and dropped into hot oil. With so much ocean and so many islands, seafood is ever present on Caribbean menus, but locals still crave chicken or goat, baked or cooked in stews, served with white rice and black beans, or peas. Both Royal Clipper and Star Flyer will be sailing in Caribbean waters in winter 2018/19.

Rice Balls To Ricotta

A meal in Italy can take a long time. Once seated with an enticing menu of pasta, pizza, fresh fish, roasted meats and salads, it’s hard to move again until it’s time to sail. For those wanting to explore the streets, ports, antiquities and ubiquitous shops, Italy’s version of street food includes pizza tagliata, where varieties of pizza are displayed at the counter. Just point and indicate how large or small to slice. Suppli and its Sicilian cousin, Arancini, can be found throughout southern Italy, fried balls or rolls of rice encased in breadcrumbs, filled with meat, cheese and vegetables. Easy to eat on the move, then complete the day with a coffee, an ice cream or a dolce, such as Sicily’s sponge-soaked Cassata, while waiting for the tender back to the ship.