After spending days exploring Philadelphia's historical landmarks, I decided to tour a culinary landmark: the Reading Terminal Market.

Philadelphia is famous for the historical events that led to the formation of the United States of America. Here, the founding fathers declared independence and later signed the Constitution. Many visitors come here to relive those momentous events and walk in the footsteps of giants.

Tip: The market can get very crowded, especially on weekends. Arriving early will give you the best experience without the large crowds.

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But Philly is much more than a window into the past. Today’s Philadelphia offers a lot of food, culture, and entertainment. A visit to this city is incomplete without trying the variety of Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches, visiting a museum, or catching a symphonic performance.

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Food Tasting Tour at Reading Terminal Market

A great way to learn about a city is to join a walking or food-tasting tour. During my first visit to Philly, I joined the Taste of Philly food tour and was rewarded with a great experience.

The selection of tastings was very good, but our guide, Jim, provided excellent commentary and local lore.

Tip: Parking can be a challenge. There is a parking garage above the market that offers discounted rates with validation from the market.

At the beginning of the tour, we left the market and gazed at the building from outside, learning about its beginnings as a train station. We then ventured into the terminal building and admired the huge murals on the walls and the elevated platform where the trains stopped.

Interesting Fact: Reading Terminal Market opened in 1893 and is one of the oldest continuously operating farmers markets in the United States.

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After this short history lesson, we returned inside and started sampling some delicious foods. We began with a taste of French Vanilla Ice Cream from L.D. Bassett. It was delicious and a very good start.

Interesting fact: Lewis Dubois Bassett started making ice cream using mule-powered churn in 1861.

Our next stop was at Pearl’s Oyster Bar, where we tried their Snapping Turtle Soup. It was very tasty, but I was unsure if it had real turtle meat.

Next, we enjoyed a Pretzel at Miller’s Twist. They make chewy pretzels from fresh dough in many flavors. It is said that you can have one of their creations for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Then, I got to taste a Buttermilk Cake for the first time at Beiler’s Bakery. Very rich and creamy flavor – I am hooked.

Interesting fact: The original Philly Cheesesteaks did not have any cheese in them. The cheese was added 10 years later in the 1940s.

The tour ended with our guide giving us a "Kiss." This chocolate treat was from Mueller Chocolate Co. and is said to be the inspiration for Hershey’s Kisses. I had visited this vendor earlier and bought several boxes of assorted truffles as gifts and for myself. They have an amazing variety of treats.

Interesting Fact: The market has been featured in several films, including "National Treasure" starring Nicolas Cage.

The 90-minute tour was very good but could have been better. I think there should be more tastings, including Philly Cheesesteak tastings. How can you have a Philly food-tasting tour without a taste of Cheesesteaks? To be fair, they mention on their website that this tour is more about the history than the food.