The Great Oxford Food Tour

When given the chance to attend a free food tour hosted by the most charismatic RA on Oxford University's campus, one simply cannot say no. 

So that’s how Alexis and I spent our afternoon in between classes and workshops. 

Our first stop of the day was the infamous G&D’s (we went to the George and Davis’ location, not George and Delia). For just £3.10 ($3.90), I procured a scoop of ‘gold mine’ ice cream in a waffle cone. The one decision I had made about my Oxford trip is that I would be bold and try just about anything. I picked my flavor and ran with it. And boy am I glad I did. ‘Gold mine’ ice cream has a chocolate base with Biscoff cookies incorporated into it. The chocolate was the perfect flavor, not too sweet where I could only endure a bite, but also not that horrid bitter taste of some chocolate ice creams that leave a bad taste in your mouth. On top of that, the spiced cookie within gave a slight variance in texture and added a warmness to the dish. G&D’s is the perfect spot to go for a summer time pick me up, or really for any time at all. 

Next off, we trekked to Gloucester Green, an open air market. Initially I was told it was open Tuesdays and Thursdays, then Tuesday through Thursday. But after some brief googling, I found that it is open Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I’m rather glad I went with a group, because had I visited on my own, I probably would’ve showed up to an empty market. 

When we first arrived, I was immediately drawn to the colorful tapestries and records for sale. Not only does Gloucester Green offer the wonderful food, like I expected, it also has incredible produce and local treasures. 

Once we finally made our way to where the food was sold, we spotted a dumpling stand. In need of some good Chinese food, Alexis and I agreed that it would be our first stop. I put in an order of five vegetable dumplings for £3 ($3.78) to share and was not disappointed. I took my first bite and was greeted by the warmest of sensations. Freshly cooked, our dumplings were an authentic experience through and through. The veggie mix allowed for a perfect texture and was light enough for us to be able to keep on going. As we strolled past countless vendors, nibbling on dumplings, I couldn’t help but notice something: The filling was infused with spices - I’ve yet to put my finger on which ones however - that gave the dumplings and unexpected depth and warmness. I was definitely not disappointed. 

As we continued walking, I audibly gasped when I spotted a stand solely dedicated to gnocchi. And looking to mix things up, we settled on an order of bolognese gnocchi, seeing as neither of us had tried such a combination. £6 ($7.53) later, we were handed the most decadent to-go box I’d ever had the pleasure of holding. We split our order in two and meandered toward a little bench in the shade. Upon my first bite, I had fallen in love. The gnocchi was light and pillow-like, unlike the dense, chewy gnocchi I’ve suffered through in the past. And even better, the bolognese was divine— the beef was perfect, and the sauce complimented the gnocchi perfectly. I was undoubtedly pleased with our second choice.

After having such fabulous, rich food, it would only make sense that we found ourselves a little parched. While Alexis settled on a bottle of water, I found my way over to a fresh pressed juice stand. Though it's not something I'd usually gravitate towards, I was intrigued. The special of the day was a blend of watermelon, cucumber, apple, and mint. And while I believe that a trip through a strainer would've enhanced the experience, I was very pleased. The flavors were fresh and cooling on a particularly blistering summer afternoon.

Our final stop on the tour was the famous covered market, opened in 1774. There, our gracious and hilarious guide, Cameron, offered to buy the group tins from Ben's Cookies. First, Alexis and I split a dark chocolate chunk cookie. I personally found it to be a bit too rich, but was pleased. However, we then decided to give the milk chocolate and orange cookie a chance. While I've never had such a flavor combination, I knew that it was quite popular here in England and was interested. Words cannot describe how thrilled I was by our decision. The tanginess of the orange complemented the sweetness of the chocolate, resulting in a cookie that melted in your mouth, while a myriad of flavors danced on your tongue. 

Once again, we'd like to give special thanks to Cameron for leading such a wonderful tour and helping us cross off three locations on our bucket list in only a day x