LONDON, Feb 16 — The tastemakers at National Geographic Traveller UK have compiled a list of 17 "must-visit” culinary hotspots to visit in 2019 that includes Lyon, Bologna, Cusco and Zanzibar.

Along with familiar gastronomic destinations like Lyon, France — home of the late chef Paul Bocuse — and Bologna, Italy (famous for its tagliatelle al ragu or Bolognese sauce), the issue takes readers to an onion festival in Roscoff, Brittany and to The Hague for a traditional Dutch family meal.

"A lot of us travel in the hope of a good meal. But if you’re going to truly follow your appetite, it helps to know which destinations can be relied upon to deliver. We’ve picked out those places that have good eating woven into their very fabric — where memorable meals are the norm, not the exception,” said editor Glen Mutel in a statement.

Between destinations, the magazine includes stories that deconstruct the secrets of the South-east Asia’s spicy noodle dish laksa, a primer on how to use za’atar and tips on making the best Portuguese custard tarts.

Here are the 17 culinary destinations as chosen by NatGeo:

South Australia: McLaren Vale

Italy: Bologna

Sweden: Gothenburg and West Coast

Lebanon: Beirut

Ireland: Boyne Valley

Peru: Cusco

California: Sonoma County

Spain: San Sebastian

South Africa: Western Cape

Argentina: Mendoza

Mexico: Baja California

France: Lyon

Tanzania: Zanzibar

Thailand: Chiang Mai

India: Mysore

China: Chengdu

Sri Lanka: Galle

The National Geographic Traveller Food supplement is included in the March issue of the magazine and also has a website. — AFP-Relaxnews