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What is Culinary Tourism? Exploring Culture Through Food

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What is culinary tourism? Also known as food tourism or gastronomy tourism, it is all about exploring a destination through its flavors. It’s a way to get a taste—quite literally—of a place’s cultural and culinary identity.

When you decide to take a trip based on the foods and beverages that a region is known for, you’re diving into a delicious realm of travel that satiates more than just your appetite. It’s a sensory adventure where your taste buds lead the way as you discover local dishes, traditional techniques, and the stories behind every bite.

Imagine yourself wandering through vibrant street markets, sampling exotic spices, or sitting at a table with locals enjoying a home-cooked meal.

Culinary tourism unfolds in cooking classes, wine tastings, and farm-to-table experiences. It’s a chance for you to connect with a region’s history, people, and traditions.

You don’t need to be a food expert to indulge in culinary tourism; all you need is curiosity and an appreciation for good food. As you plan your next getaway, why not let your cravings be your compass and turn each meal into an opportunity to create unforgettable memories?

What sets culinary tourism apart is its participatory nature. You’re not just eating; you’re engaging with the food landscape, meeting producers, chefs, and fellow food lovers.

This kind of travel encourages immersive experiences, such as picking fresh ingredients at an organic farm or learning to make pasta in an Italian grandmother’s kitchen. The stories and skills you bring back from your journey become souvenirs that last a lifetime.

Whether it’s savoring a new taste or understanding the intricate process of making traditional dishes, culinary tourism offers an authentic slice of life wherever you go.

Explore Italy as a food destination: 10 Best Italian Cooking Vacations 2024: Buon Appetito .

Exploring Culinary Tourism

Culinary tourism is about pursuing unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences. Whether you’re munching on local street food in Mexico or enjoying a fine dining experience in Paris, you’re participating in a flavorful journey.

Definition and Scope

Culinary tourism, also known as food tourism or gastronomy tourism, taps into the desire to explore a culture through its flavors. Your culinary adventures can range from local cooking courses to winery tours, encompassing any travel experience where the primary goal is to discover new tastes and food traditions.

According to the World Food Travel Association , this form of tourism is not limited to gourmet food but includes a complete range of experiences.

History and Evolution

The concept of traveling to various destinations to experience the food they offer has historical roots.

Over time, it’s evolved from leisurely aristocratic tours of the 19th century, focusing on European haute cuisine, to a much broader scope today. You’ve got food bloggers, TV shows, and festivals that further popularize this form of tourism, making it accessible to food tourists of all types seeking a taste of authenticity.

Types of Culinary Tourism

You’ll find a delectable array of culinary tourism types to satisfy your appetite for adventure:

Food Festivals: A chance to try a variety of dishes at one go, usually themed around specific types of food or cultures.
Cooking Classes: Hands-on opportunities to learn the intricacies of a region’s cuisine.
Restaurant Tours: Guided tours focusing on a series of eateries known for authentic and innovative culinary creations.
Street Food Tours: Dive into the heart of the city’s food scene with a food tour dedicated to street food.
Winery/Brewery/Distillery Visits: Explore the world of drinks from production to the first sip.
Farm or Market Tours: Get a fresh perspective by tracing the journey of ingredients from source to plate.

The Culinary Tourism Experience

Culinary tourism spotlights the delicious intersection between exploring new destinations and savoring their unique food offerings. Your journey will lead you to taste the essence of the region’s culture and history expressed through its cuisine.

Savoring Local Flavors

Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of local gastronomy by indulging in regional specialties. Authenticity is emphasized, whether it’s a street food stall serving fresh, spicy tacos or a renowned restaurant famed for its delicate pastries. You’ll uncover the heart of your destination’s culinary identity, from traditional dishes passed down through generations to contemporary interpretations that fuse different cultural influences.

Local Specialties : Tasting iconic regional dishes.
Seasonal Offerings : Enjoying food made from ingredients at their peak.
Distinctive Food : Discovering what sets the local cuisine apart.

Culinary Tours and Activities

Get a taste of the local scene through organized food tours . These guided experiences often include a curated selection of eateries, each chosen to represent a facet of the culinary landscape. From bustling markets to high-end bistros, you’ll gain an overview of the destination’s dining spectrum. And don’t miss out on the chance to attend cooking classes , where you can don an apron and learn to recreate the flavors of your travels in your own kitchen.

Food Tours : A guided tour through diverse culinary stops.
Cooking Classes : Hands-on learning to prepare local dishes.
Market Visits : Experiencing the hub of local food culture.

Interactive Food Experiences

Step into an interactive realm where you’re more than just a spectator. Engage with local chefs during cooking classes as they share their secrets and techniques. Pull up a chair at communal tables where meals are shared and stories told, or roll up your sleeves to participate in a cooking workshop. Throughout these experiences, the dynamic of food and drink intertwines with education and community, offering you a deeper connection to the locale.

Chef-Led Workshops : Deep dives into culinary crafts.
Tasting Sessions : Sampling a variety of local offerings.
Food Festivals : Celebrating with fellow food enthusiasts.

Economic and Social Aspects

Food tourism plays a crucial role in shaping destinations’ economic and social landscapes. Tourists contribute significantly to the area’s financial well-being by indulging in local cuisine.

Local businesses, including restaurants and farms, benefit directly from travelers seeking authentic dining experiences, leading to job creation and community development.

In addition to economic impacts, culinary tourism encourages sustainable practices within the food tourism industry. Destinations frequently promote locally grown and harvested foods, which reduces long-distance transportation and minimizes consumption’s carbon footprint.

Moreover, culinary tourism fosters community and cultural connections. Sharing a meal opens doors to understanding the local culture and strengthens bonds within the community.

Global and Regional Cuisines

Exploring the world through taste lets you experience the heart of a culture. Each region’s unique flavors and cooking traditions are showcased in their cuisine, which is often a point of pride.

When you set off on a culinary adventure, you’re not just trying new foods; you’re literally tasting the culture’s history and geography on a plate. Cuisine transforms into an edible map where regional specialties provide a sense of taste of place . For instance:

Italy : Think beyond spaghetti. Each region boasts its own signature, like the creamy risottos of the north and the zestier, olive-oil-rich dishes of the south.
Japan : It’s not just sushi and ramen. Delicate flavors and meticulous presentation reflect the country’s aesthetic and philosophical ideals.
Mexico : Dive into the tapestry of Mesoamerican and European influences with dishes ranging from the complex Oaxaca moles to the coastal areas’ fresh seafood ceviches.
France: Its cuisine is a cornerstone of the world’s fine dining. From classic sauces to perfectly-executed tartes, you’ll enjoy the artistry of French cooking.

Educational Aspects

Exploring the educational aspects of culinary tourism, you’ll have the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills in food preparation and production. Through hands-on experiences and expert insights, you’ll get an in-depth look at the culinary world.

Culinary Workshops and Cooking Classes

You’re in for a treat with culinary workshops and cooking classes where professional chefs share their secrets. You’ll learn:

Techniques : Master the art of slicing, dicing, and sautéing.
Recipes : Take home new recipes to impress friends and family.
Presentation : Discover the importance of plating for a visual feast.

Brewery and Winery Tours

Next up, brewery and winery tours allow you to dive into the beverage industry. You’ll experience:

Processes : Understand the steps of brewing beer or crafting wine.
Tastings : Develop your palate through guided tastings.
Pairings : Find out the art of pairing drinks with food.

Learning About Agriculture and Local Produce

During your journey, paying a visit to farms or markets lets you appreciate agriculture and local produce . Here’s what’s on the menu:

Farming Methods : Gain insight into organic and sustainable practices.
Local Ingredients : Discover the freshest, locally sourced ingredients.
Seasonality : Learn how to cook with the seasons for optimal flavor.

In conclusion, culinary tourism is more than just indulging in a region’s food and drink; it’s about immersing oneself in the local people’s culture, traditions, and lifestyle.

Whether you’re tasting a farm-to-table meal in a rural setting or savoring a gourmet dish in a city’s bustling heart, you’re participating in a global phenomenon that fosters sustainability, boosts local economies, and deepens cultural connections.

So, the next time you ask yourself, “What is Culinary Tourism?” remember that it’s an adventure of taste that connects us to the heart of a destination and its people, making travel experiences truly unforgettable.

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Culinary tourism: The growth of food tourism around the world

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Culinary tourism is a popular type of tourism throughout the world, but what exactly is culinary tourism? Is it different from food tourism? Why is culinary tourism important? And where are the best places to travel for culinary tourism? Read on to find out…

What is culinary tourism?

Importance of food tourism, culinary tourism activities, culinary tourism in bangkok, culinary tourism in tokyo, culinary tourism in honolulu, culinary tourism in durban, culinary tourism in new orleans, culinary tourism in istanbul, culinary tourism in paris, culinary tourism marrakesh, culinary tourism in mumbai, culinary tourism in miami, culinary tourism rio de janeiro, culinary tourism in beijing, food tourism- further reading.

Culinary tourism, also often referred to as food tourism, is all about exploring food as a form of tourism. Whether that be eating, cooking, baking, attending a drinks festival or visiting a farmers market – all of these come under the concept of culinary tourism. It’s something you don’t even really need to travel to do. Heading to your nearest big city or even the next town over, specifically to eat at a certain restaurant, classes as food tourism! And food tourism has taken a new twist since the COVID pandemic too, when many people would cook or eat a variety of different foods from around the world in attempt to bring an element of travel to their own home! Who said you need to travel far to be a culinary tourist, huh?

Food tourism is a vitally important component of the travel and tourism industry as a whole. When booking a trip, people tend to consider a variety of factors – and food is high on the list of priorities. The World Food Travel Association says that money spent on food and drink while travelling accounts for 15-35% of all tourism spending. Culinary tourism is important in that it generates so much money for local economies.

Culinary tourism is also an important branch of tourism in that it can promote local businesses, as well as help to shine a light on different cuisines. For so many cultures, their cuisine is a huge part of who they are. Culinary tourism helps to celebrate this, by attracting interested tourists who are keen to try something new and share it with the world. In this way, it definitely helps to boost community pride and is a great example of cultural tourism .

This type of tourism is also important to tourists. It provides a chance to try new foods and flavours, and discover new cultures through their taste buds. Visitors who engage in food tourism come away with new recipes to try, new foods to introduce their friends to, and memories that they will always associate with their sense of taste.

There are many activities which come under the remit of culinary tourism, or food tourism. I mentioned some above, but let’s take a closer look.

Eating and drinking out: going to restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, tea shops and so on. These are all examples of culinary tourism.
Food/beverage tours: you can book onto organised food and drink tours when visiting a new city. These are run by guides who will take you to various foodie spots throughout the city – usually small businesses – to try local delicacies.
Farmers markets: visiting a farmers market at the weekend to buy fresh produce is seen as a form of food tourism.
Cooking classes: another activity you can get involved with on your travels is a cooking or baking class. You’ll often make, again, a local delicacy whether that be pierogi in Poland or pasta in Italy . Tasting sessions: brewery tours and vineyard visits (and other similar excursions) where you get to take a look at how something is made and then try it for yourself are another form of culinary tourism.

Best cities for food tourism

Most cities, major or otherwise, have excellent examples of food tourism. In fact – this goes right down to tiny towns and villages, some of which have incredible restaurants or bars that are real hidden gems. Below you’ll find some of the world’s best cities for culinary tourism, however, with examples of the sort of thing you can do there!

Thai food is some of the best food around, and Bangkok has a lot of restaurants suited to all budgets. Eating out in Bangkok is a brilliant example of culinary tourism. One of the best things you can do here is try the local street food! Wang Lang Market is one of the most popular places for street food, with fresh food filling the lanes from snacks to full-on meals. Silom Soi 20 is another great spot in central Bangkok, perfect for the morning.

Looking for somewhere really unique to eat in Bangkok? Head to Cabbages and Condoms , a themed cafe decorated with (you guessed it) condoms. The restaurant say they were ‘conceptualized in part to promote better understanding and acceptance of family planning and to generate income to support various development activities of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA)’.

Tokyo is a very popular city, and one of the best ways to experience food tourism here is to book onto a food tour. Tokyo Retro Bites is a fantastic one, giving you a feel of old-style Tokyo at the quaint Yanaka Market. This is a walking tour which includes drinks and 5 snacks, lasting 2 hours. It starts at 11.30am meaning it’s a great chance to have lunch somewhere a bit different!

This beautiful Hawaiian city has so many fun places to eat (and drink!) while visiting. One of the best things to do in terms of culinary tourism is to eat somewhere you wouldn’t be able to eat at home – and try new flavours or dishes. Honolulu is the perfect place to do this. Some interesting eateries include:

Lava Tube – based in Waikiki, this 60s-kitsch style bar offers pina coladas served in giant pineapples, $5 Mai Tais, delicious food and plenty of fun decor.
Suzy Wong’s Hideaway – this is described as a ‘dive bar with class’ and is a great bar to visit to watch sports games.
MW Restaurant – this is a really famous and creative place to eat in Honolulu – the mochi-crusted Kona Kanpachi comes highly recommended and helped shoot the chef, Wade Ueoka, to fame.

Hailed as the world’s best food city, a list of places for food tourists to visit has to include Durban in South Africa . Bunny Chow is a local delicacy that you cannot miss while visiting Durban. It is now available elsewhere, but the original is usually the best so be sure to try some while in the city. The dish is half a loaf of bread hollowed out and filled with curry – delicious. This article shares 5 fantastic spots to get Bunny Chow in Durban !

As one of the culinary capitals of the US, New Orleans is incredibly popular with foodies. The city is a hotspot for food tourism, thanks to the various cultural roots here: Cajun, Creole and French. There is a whole range of tastes to try. You could spend your time here *just* eating and still not scratch the surface when it comes to the amazing restaurants, cafes and eateries in NOLA. Some foods you have to try include:

Po’boys: fried shrimp, generally, but sometimes beef or other seafood – served on a fresh crusty roll.
Gumbo : this is a stew, again usually containing seafood, alongside bell peppers, onion and celery.
Crawfish etouffee: a French crawfish stew served over rice.
Muffuletta: a Silician-American sandwich served on a specific type of bread.
Side note, you can do a haunted pub crawl in NOLA . Would you?!

Being split across two continents, it is no surprise that Istanbul as a city has a huge range of delicious food-related activities. From kebabs sold on the street to 5 star restaurants serving the finest hummus, Istanbul is a fantastic destination for food tourism. Book onto the ‘Two Markets, Two Continents’ tour – you’ll visit two markets, as the name suggests, on the two continents. The tour includes a Bosphorus ferry crossing between the two districts of Karaköy (Europe) and Kadiköy (Asia). You’ll enjoy breakfast, tea and coffee, meze, dessert and so much more during this 6.5 hour tour .

The city of love – and the city of bakeries! Fresh baguettes, simple croissants, delicious eclairs… the list goes on. There are so many of them dotted around, whether you want something to grab and snack on while you head to the Eiffel Tower or if you want a sit down brunch, you’ll find one that suits you perfectly.

And that’s not all. Paris, also famous for its snails, soups and frogs legs, has so many fine dining opportunities. You’ll be spoilt for choice in terms of Michelin star restaurants: Boutary, ASPIC, 114 Fauborg and so many more. There are also some fantastic food tours in Paris . If you have the cash to splash out, fine dining in Paris is a brilliant culinary tourism activity…

Moroccan food is delicious. And you can try making it yourself during a cooking class in Marrakech ! Visit a traditional souk and try your hand at some tasty recipes – you never know, you might have a hidden talent. Some tours even include shopping for ingredients, so you can visit a traditional market too; these are a sensory dream with so many smells, colours, sounds and sights.

India is another country where street food is king. Mumbai has plenty to offer, and one culinary tourism activity you can do is to spend an afternoon trying as many dishes as possible while simply wandering through the city. If you’ve never tried a vada pav before, this is the place to do so: it’s essentially deep fried mashed potato in a bun with various chutneys, and it is exquisite. Many people are surprised to learn that one of the most popular British foods – chicken tikka masala is not commonly found in India, but fear not, there are many other dishes that are just as goods or if not better!

Miami is known for its food – and Cuban food is a big deal here. Take a traditional Cuban cooking class , or head to one of the many, many Cuban restaurants here . There is something for every budget, and your tastebuds will certainly thank you. It is also close to Key West, a wonderful place to visit for a day or two. They’re big on sea food here, and walking tours which incorporate seafood are high on the list of recommended things to do in beautiful Key West.

You cannot go to Rio and not try cahaça. This is Brazilian brandy made from sugar canes, and it is a big deal over here. Culinary tourism isn’t limited to food – it includes drink too, so head to one of Rio’s many bars and try a caipirinha. You can even book an organised pub crawl , which includes free shots and drinks, around the city. This is perfect if you want to explore at night knowing you’ll be safe and always have transport on hand.

Peking duck is the highlight of Beijing food. Quanjuede is world-famous for its Peking duck, and it’s not too expensive. There are branches worldwide now, though, and much of culinary tourism is about experiencing something you won’t be able to elsewhere. Speak to the locals when you’re there and ask where their favourite place is for Peking duck. That way you’ll know you are supporting a great local business; as mentioned, food tourism is great for boosting the economy this way!

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Culinary Tourism

CULINARY TOURISM: “Eating Out Of Curiosity”

—“the intentional, exploratory participation in the foodways of an Other” (Long, 2004) “Exploring the world through food.” Also known as gastrotourism and food tourism.

The phrase “ culinary tourism ” was coined by folklorist Dr. Lucy Long to explore the meanings, motivations, and implications of seeking food experiences different from our usual ones. She introduced it at scholarly conferences in 1996 and first used it in print in 1998. It was later the title of Long’s edited volume (2004) and has since been adopted internationally by the tourism industry to refer to highlighting food as a tourist destination and attraction. Long has also applied her concepts to food-related programs throughout the world, to educational strategies in museums (particularly the Smithsonian Institution Folklore Festival), and to tourism initiatives. She developed a model for culinary tourism in the Bowling Green Tourism Trail (Ohio) that focuses on introducing tourists to the food culture of the area.

Long’s model of culinary tourism offers ways in which tourism can be used for cultural education and interpretation as well as for economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This “eating out of curiosity” also offers a way of exploring the world. Food opens up new cultures for us. It offers a window into the lives of other people, other times and regions, religions, belief systems, and social classes. Such exploration can be done through cookbooks, cooking shows, grocery stores, family recipes, and everyday meals in our own kitchens as well as through travel, fine dining restaurants, and exotic or gourmet foods. This understanding of culinary tourism also makes us aware of the power food has to carry memories, affirm relationships, construct identity, and encourage artistic self-expression.

Most of us approach new foods with a certain amount of curiosity: will it taste good; will it make us sick; can it really be eaten? But some of us also approach new food as an adventure, as an opportunity to try new experiences. This spirit of adventure characterizes culinary tourism. “Eating out of curiosity” introduces us not only to foods that are new to us, but also to a way of exploring the world. Food opens up new cultures for us. It offers a window into the lives of other people, other times and regions, religions, belief systems, and social classes. And such exploration can be done through cookbooks, cooking shows, grocery stores, family recipes, and everyday meals in our own kitchens as well as through travel, fine dining restaurants, and exotic or gourmet foods.

“Culinary tourism is about food as a subject and medium, destination and vehicle, for tourism. It is about individuals exploring foods new to them as well as using food to explore new cultures and ways of being. It is about groups using food to “sell” their histories and to construct marketable and publicly attractive identities, and it is about individuals satisfying curiosity. Finally, it is about the experiencing of food in a mode that is out of the ordinary, that steps outside the normal routine to notice difference and the power of food to represent and negotiate that difference.” ( Long, 2004)

Culinary Tourism , edited by Lucy M. Long, Univ. Press of Kentucky, 2004.

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What is Culinary Tourism?

Every culture has its unique culinary signature. These diverse tastes and textures represent an unspoken language, revealing insights into the local heritage and traditions.

Unraveling these gastronomic narratives, we find ourselves immersed in the evolving trend of culinary tourism.

So, what is culinary tourism?

Culinary tourism involves traveling beyond one’s neighborhood to savor exceptional food and drink experiences reflecting the local cuisine, heritage, or culture.

But there’s more to it than just indulging in different dishes. Culinary tourism is a delightful intersection of travel, culture, and gastronomy, bringing the tourism experience to life through the richness of flavors.

What is Culinary Tourism? : An Overview

Economic impact of culinary tourism, the cultural exchange in cooking classes, the allure of culinary tourism, culinary tourism: a rising trend, influence of celebrity chefs and media, emerging platforms and innovative approaches, cycling tours: culinary landscapes on wheels, deepening the culinary experience: gastro-tourism, authenticity: the heart of culinary tourism, final words.

Food tourism emerged prominently in 2001 when Erik Wolf, the president of the World Food Travel Association , recognized it as an exploration of food being the purpose of tourism.

The idea wasn’t just about gourmet dining but to encompass all unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences.

Culinary tourism falls under the broader category of cultural tourism, different from agritourism which is a subset of rural tourism.

However, both are interconnected, for the roots of cuisine trace back to agriculture.

What is Culinary Tourism - 2- ExploreTouristPlaces.com

Moreover, culinary tourism isn’t just limited to regions famous for their food.

Every tourist typically consumes meals three times a day, establishing food as a critical economic pillar of the tourism industry.

From attending cooking classes, food or drink tours, and food festivals to visiting farms, markets, and producers, culinary tourism offers a gamut of experiences.

Notable countries like Ireland, Peru, and Canada are making substantial investments in developing this form of tourism, witnessing an increase in visitor spending and overnight stays as a result.

As per the information from the World Food Travel Association, the expenditure on food and beverages represents between 15% and 35% of the total spending on tourism.

This makes the food tourism industry a vital player in boosting local economies.

This contribution leads to more visitors, more sales, increased tax revenue, and the development of greater community pride.

A rising trend in culinary tourism is cooking classes.

They offer formats from short sessions to multi-day courses, focusing on the cuisine of the host country for foreign tourists.

What is Culinary Tourism - ExploreTouristPlaces.com

Many classes include market tours, providing a culturally enriching experience.

These classes, often held in local homes, offer foreign tourists a glimpse of daily life, allowing for a rewarding cross-cultural exchange.

Culinary tourism offers a multitude of benefits for travelers, such as opportunities to try unique and authentic dishes, immerse in local food culture, learn the history and traditions behind the food, and support local economies.

Food is not just about sustenance; it’s an art form, a cultural statement, and a narrative of history.

When we explore culinary tourism, we are not just eating – we are participating in a storied tradition.

We are making connections between the food, the people who prepared it, and the land it came from.

We are breaking down borders and experiencing cultures in the most delicious way possible.

Recent years have seen a significant surge in the popularity of culinary tourism.

The 2013 American Culinary Travel Report highlighted growth in U.S. leisure travelers seeking unique dining experiences, from 40% to 51%, between 2006 and 2013.

While this research focused on American tourists, it strongly indicates a global trend.

The increased interest in culinary tourism owes a great deal to the impact of celebrity chefs and media.

Shows highlighting regional cuisines, and popular food programs, have whetted the appetite of many tourists to try the dishes they see on the screen.

Social media platforms add another layer to this phenomenon, with tourists sharing mouth-watering photos and enticing descriptions of their culinary adventures, influencing their network to explore similar experiences.

The rise of the internet and social media has also given rise to innovative platforms and approaches for culinary tourism.

What is Culinary Tourism - 3 - ExploreTouristPlaces.com

For instance, platforms like ‘Eatwith’ and ‘Feastly’ offer food lovers the chance to experience top-quality home-cooked meals in the homes of local hosts.

These ‘peer-to-peer dining apps’ provide a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in a foreign culture and experience its cuisine with newfound friends.

A fascinating trend in culinary tourism is the advent of culinary cycling tours.

For instance, in New Zealand, cycling tours guide tourists through vineyards where they can visit wineries and cellars at their leisure, all while enjoying the breathtaking scenery.

This concept, known as ‘beercycling,’ has also taken off in Belgium, where tourists can visit breweries, partake in gourmet beer-cooked meals, and enjoy an assortment of cheeses.

As consumers seek new experiences, the quest for authenticity becomes increasingly vital.

Authentic food is simple, natural, ethical, rooted in the region, and beautiful—all critical elements of a food tourism destination.

Moreover, food provides a ‘time oasis’ for people to connect with their loved ones amidst busy travel schedules, further enhancing the travel experience.

In the quest to answer what is culinary tourism, we find ourselves exploring a fascinating blend of travel, culture, and gastronomy.

This trend goes beyond mere eating to learn about the dishes’ origin, preparation, and cultural significance.

From attending cooking classes and food tours to engaging with locals through peer-to-peer dining platforms, culinary tourism provides a rich and diverse gastronomic journey.

In its essence, culinary tourism allows us to explore the world through our taste buds, experience new flavors, learn about different cultures, and create lasting memories.

So, the next time you plan your holiday, consider adding a culinary element—it could offer the most delicious insights into your destination’s culture.

What is Culinary Tourism?

Dedicated Food Tours and Experiences

Culinary tourism coupled with cooking lessons, countries known for their fantastic offerings to food tourists.

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Culinary Tourism

Reference work entry
First Online: 01 January 2019
Cite this reference work entry

Lucy M. Long 3

102 Accesses

Cultural tourism ; Food tourism ; Gastronomic tourism ; Sustainable tourism

Introduction

Culinary tourism is the focus on food as an attraction for exploration and a destination for tourism. Although food has always been a part of hospitality services for tourists, it was not emphasized by the tourism industry until the late 1990s. It now includes a variety of formats and products – culinary trails, cooking classes, restaurants, farm weekends, cookbooks, food guides, and new or adapted recipes, dishes, and even ingredients. While most culinary tourism focuses on the experience of dining and tasting of new foods as a commercial enterprise, it is also an educational initiative channeling curiosity about food into learning through it about the culture of a particular cuisine, the people involved in producing and preparing it, the food system enabling access to those foods, and the potential contribution of tourists to sustainability.

Culinary tourism involves numerous issues; many...

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Long, L.M. (2019). Culinary Tourism. In: Kaplan, D.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1179-9_416

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Culinary Tourism: Exploring the Rise of Food Travel

BY Bridge House Tavern Team
November 6, 2023

Last updated on December 2nd, 2023 at 12:39 pm

In a world where adventure and exploration have become synonymous with cultural discovery, one travel trend has left an indelible mark on the global wanderlust community – culinary tourism. Gone are the days when travel was solely about sightseeing; today, it’s equally about savoring the world, one delicious bite at a time. Culinary tourism, the art of traveling for the love of food, has seen an extraordinary rise in popularity in recent years. It’s a trend that transcends traditional dining, immersing travelers in diverse cuisines, local flavors, and the rich stories that accompany every meal.

Culinary tourism is no longer confined to a niche audience of food enthusiasts; it’s a global phenomenon that has captured the imaginations of both seasoned globetrotters and budding explorers. From bustling food markets in Bangkok to quaint family-run trattorias in Tuscany, food travel has evolved into a movement that celebrates culture through cuisine. This blog will delve into the world of culinary tourism, exploring the reasons behind its meteoric ascent, its profound impact on local economies, and the delightful journeys it offers to food connoisseurs and curious travelers alike. Join us on a delectable voyage as we uncover the secrets and wonders of culinary tourism, where every meal becomes a memorable chapter in the travelogue of life.

What is Culinary Tourism?

Culinary tourism, often referred to as food tourism or gastronomic tourism, is more than just a trend; it’s a dynamic way to explore the world through the palate. At its core, culinary tourism is a form of travel that centers on food experiences, going beyond mere dining. It’s about immersing yourself in the local culinary culture, savoring traditional dishes, and discovering the stories and traditions behind each bite.

As travelers increasingly seek authenticity and meaningful encounters, culinary tourism has gained prominence. It involves partaking in food-related activities like food tours, cooking classes, and market visits, allowing you to engage with local communities and experience a destination’s culture through its cuisine. From indulging in street food delights in Bangkok to sharing a communal meal with a family in a remote village, culinary tourism offers a deeper, more sensory travel experience that transcends borders and brings people closer to the heart of a place.

The Global Trend of Food Travel

Food travel, once an obscure niche, has evolved into a global phenomenon. With the advent of social media and an increasingly adventurous spirit among travelers, exploring the world through its culinary treasures has gained widespread appeal. Statistics reveal a remarkable surge in food tourism, with more and more people seeking to satiate their wanderlust through unique gastronomic experiences.

In recent years, food travel has transcended its label as a niche interest and become a mainstream trend. The rise of global foodie culture has been fueled by the widespread sharing of food experiences on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and food-focused travel blogs. As a result, destinations renowned for their culinary heritage have seen a surge in visitors eager to taste their way through local markets, street food stalls, and high-end restaurants. This trend isn’t just about satisfying taste buds; it’s about immersing oneself in the culture, history, and stories that each dish and ingredient carries. Food travel offers a genuine, sensory journey that transcends boundaries, connecting people to the essence of a place through the universal language of cuisine.

Destinations for Food Travel

When it comes to food travel, the world is a treasure trove of culinary wonders waiting to be explored. From the bustling streets of Bangkok, where fragrant curries and street food reign supreme, to the romantic alleyways of Florence, where traditional Tuscan dishes delight the senses, there’s no shortage of destinations for food enthusiasts.

Asia is a hotspot for culinary tourism, with countries like Japan offering intricate sushi experiences and India serving up a vibrant tapestry of flavors. In Europe, destinations like France and Spain entice travelers with their renowned wine regions, while Greece beckons with its Mediterranean delights. South America is celebrated for its diverse cuisines, from the mouthwatering meats of Argentina to the ceviche of Peru. Whether you’re a gourmand seeking Michelin-starred dining or a street food connoisseur eager to sample local favorites, these destinations offer a wealth of flavors and experiences for food travelers looking to embark on a global gastronomic journey.

Immersive Food Experiences

Culinary tourism is all about more than just eating; it’s about engaging all your senses and delving into the heart of a culture. Immersive food experiences take center stage, allowing travelers to go beyond the plate and participate in the culinary traditions of a region. Whether it’s a bustling food market in Marrakech, a pasta-making class in Tuscany, or a tea ceremony in Kyoto, these experiences offer a deeper connection to the places we visit.

These hands-on encounters allow travelers to learn about the origins and preparation of local dishes directly from the experts. They often come with heartwarming stories, cultural insights, and memorable encounters with local chefs and artisans. The joy of rolling sushi with a master in Tokyo or baking fresh bread in a traditional Moroccan oven isn’t just about the food itself but also the shared moments and knowledge that come with it.

You’ll Also Like: Tips For Hosting A Party For Foodies

The Impact of Food Tourism on Local Economies

Culinary tourism is not just a feast for the senses; it’s also a significant boon for local economies. As travelers explore the world’s culinary delights, they contribute to the economic prosperity of the destinations they visit. This symbiotic relationship between food tourism and local economies is more than a passing trend; it’s a sustainable engine of growth.

Restaurants, street food vendors, farmers, and food producers benefit from the influx of culinary tourists. The increased demand for local cuisine often leads to the growth of new eateries and food-related businesses. For many regions, this can result in job creation, supporting local communities, and preserving culinary traditions. The economic ripple effect extends to food markets, wineries, and artisanal producers, promoting entrepreneurship and helping small-scale producers thrive. As travelers savor the flavors of a destination, they are, in turn, providing a substantial boost to the local economy, ensuring that culinary traditions endure and communities flourish.

Incorporating Video Content

In the age of digital storytelling, video content has become an integral part of sharing our experiences with the world. When it comes to culinary tourism, the power of video to capture the sights, sounds, and flavors of your journey is unmatched. Whether you’re documenting your street food adventure in Mumbai or your wine-tasting escapade in Napa Valley, video adds a dynamic dimension to your travel narratives.

To make the most of your culinary travel blog, consider incorporating video content. You can edit videos online using user-friendly tools and platforms, which allow you to enhance the quality of your videos, add captivating visuals, and narrate the stories behind your culinary adventures. These videos not only engage your audience but also provide a more immersive experience, allowing your readers to savor the sights and sounds of your food travel journey. So, grab your smartphone or camera, explore the world’s culinary wonders, and bring your experiences to life through video content that captures the essence of your gastronomic explorations.

Food Travel Tips and Recommendations

As culinary tourism continues to soar, avid food travelers are not just collecting recipes; they’re crafting a flavorful flyer of global gastronomic experiences that showcase the richness of cultures through the universal language of cuisine.

Embarking on a culinary journey is an exciting adventure, but it requires some strategic planning to make the most of your food travel experience. Here are some valuable food travel tips and recommendations to ensure your gastronomic exploration is memorable and satisfying.

Research Local Cuisine: Before your trip, familiarize yourself with the local cuisine of your destination. Understand the signature dishes, ingredients, and food culture. This will help you make informed choices and fully immerse yourself in the culinary experience.

Try Street Food Safely: Street food is a highlight of food travel, but it’s essential to prioritize food safety. Look for vendors with a steady flow of customers, as high turnover often indicates freshness. Also, carry digestive aids just in case.

Explore Food Tours: Joining a food tour is an excellent way to discover hidden culinary gems and local food secrets. Knowledgeable guides can lead you to the best eateries and provide insights into the history and culture of the cuisine.

Embrace Dietary Preferences: Whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or have dietary restrictions, communicate your preferences to locals and restaurant staff. Many places are accommodating, and you can enjoy unique dishes that align with your diet.

The Future of Culinary Tourism

Culinary tourism, a trend that has flourished in recent years, is poised for an exciting future. As travel continues to evolve, so does our approach to food exploration. Here’s a glimpse into what the future holds for culinary tourism.

Sustainability Takes Center Stage: A growing awareness of environmental issues and ethical food sourcing will drive the culinary tourism industry towards sustainability. Travelers will seek eco-friendly dining options, support local and organic food producers, and strive to minimize their carbon footprint.

Tech-Enhanced Food Travel: Technology will play a crucial role in enhancing the food travel experience. From augmented reality food tours to AI-driven restaurant recommendations, travelers will have innovative tools at their disposal to make their culinary journeys more immersive and convenient.

Culinary Diplomacy: Food will continue to serve as a bridge between cultures, fostering understanding and peace. Culinary diplomacy will gain prominence, with initiatives that promote cross-cultural exchanges and collaborations between chefs and food enthusiasts from around the world.

Conclusion

Culinary tourism isn’t just about food; it’s a journey of the senses, a celebration of culture, and an exploration of the world’s diverse flavors. As we’ve explored in this blog, the rise of food travel is not a passing trend but a transformative movement that connects people, stimulates local economies, and fosters a deeper understanding of our global community. With the ever-expanding reach of technology and a growing commitment to sustainability, the future of culinary tourism promises even more exciting adventures and opportunities to discover the world through its culinary treasures. So, pack your bags and your appetite, and embark on a culinary journey that will not only tantalize your taste buds but also enrich your understanding of the world we share.

At Bridge House Tavern, we’re more than a team of food enthusiasts; we’re a culinary journey waiting to be savored. Our five-member crew is on a relentless quest to explore, create, and share the wonders of the gastronomic world.

Culinary Tourism: Exploring the Rise of Food Travel

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Savoring the World: The Growing Popularity of Culinary Tourism

by Dennis Nunes | Mar 9, 2023 | Ecuador Traditions | 0 comments

Food is an integral part of any culture; for many people, it is the centerpiece of their travel experiences. As travelers become increasingly interested in immersing themselves in local cultures, culinary tourism has become a popular trend worldwide. Food has become a significant factor in deciding travel destinations, from street food to fine dining. In this article, we will explore the rising popularity of culinary tourism, its benefits, and why Ecuador is a destination that decision-makers in the tourism industry should consider. So, let’s savor the world and discover the intersection of food and travel.

Statistics and Trends

According to a World Food Travel Association report, the global culinary tourism market was valued at $8.8 billion in 2019, with a projected growth rate of 16.8% by 2025 . This growth is driven by a rising interest in food culture, a desire for more authentic travel experiences, and the increasing availability of information about local cuisine through social media and online resources.

The same report also highlights the popularity of culinary tourism among millennials , who are more likely to prioritize food experiences when traveling than other age groups. Millennials are known for their interest in food and willingness to spend money on unique dining experiences, making them a key demographic for the culinary tourism industry.

Culinary tourism statistics and trends by Galagents

Another trend in culinary tourism is the emergence of food-focused travel apps and websites , such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, OpenTable, EatWith, LocalEats, and FoodSpotting, which provide travelers with detailed information on local cuisine, restaurants, and food tours. These apps and websites are top-rated among younger travelers who use technology to plan and customize their trips.

The Benefits of Culinary Tourism

Culinary tourism offers numerous benefits for both travelers and destinations. Culinary tourism allows travelers to explore a new culture through its food. Sampling local dishes and drinks can be a way to connect with locals and gain a deeper understanding of a destination’s history, traditions, and way of life.

Culinary tourism can also be a way to support local economies and promote sustainable tourism. By patronizing local restaurants and food producers, travelers can contribute to the local economy and help preserve culinary traditions. Moreover, by choosing locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, restaurants can promote sustainable agriculture and reduce their carbon footprint.

For destinations, culinary tourism can be a way to differentiate themselves from competitors and attract new visitors . Food is a unique aspect of a destination’s identity, and promoting local cuisine can help showcase a destination’s cultural heritage and authenticity. Culinary tourism can generate additional revenue and create jobs in the hospitality and food industries.

Ecuador: A Culinary Destination to Consider

Regarding culinary tourism, Ecuador may not be the first destination that comes to mind, but it is certainly worth considering. Ecuadorian cuisine reflects the country’s rich cultural diversity, influenced by indigenous, African, and Spanish traditions.

One of the most iconic dishes in Ecuadorian cuisine is ceviche, a marinated seafood dish typically served with popcorn, and it´s not the same as the Peruvian ceviche . Other popular dishes include locro, a hearty potato soup with avocado and cheese, and churrasco, a grilled beef dish served with rice, beans, and plantains.

Ecuador also boasts a vibrant street food scene , with vendors selling everything from empanadas and tamales to roasted guinea pigs and fried plantains. In addition, Ecuadorian cuisine is known for its exotic fruits and beverages, such as chirimoya, naranjilla, and canelazo, a warm drink made with cinnamon, sugar, and fruit juice.

Moreover, Ecuador’s geographic location makes it an ideal destination for culinary tourism . The country is home to diverse ecosystems, ranging from the high Andes to the Amazon rainforest and the Pacific coast. Each region has its own culinary traditions and ingredients, making Ecuador a gastronomic paradise for food lovers.

In conclusion, culinary tourism is a growing trend reshaping the travel industry . From millennials to food enthusiasts, travelers increasingly seek authentic culinary experiences to explore a destination’s culture and heritage. Culinary tourism also offers numerous benefits for destinations , including increased revenue and the promotion of sustainable tourism. With its diverse culinary traditions and unique ingredients, Ecuador is an ideal destination for food lovers seeking an immersive culinary experience . As the world continues to recover from the pandemic, culinary tourism may be the key to reinvigorating the tourism industry , and Ecuador is a destination that should be noticed. So, let’s pack our bags, savor the world, and explore the endless possibilities of culinary tourism.

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22 Culinary Tourism

Lucy M. Long (Ph.D., Folklore, University of Pennsylvania) runs a nonprofit Center for Food and Culture and teaches food studies at Bowling Green State University in the tourism and American culture studies programs. She is the author of Culinary Tourism: Eating and Otherness (2003) and Regional American Food Culture (2009) and has published on a wide range of topics connected to food, ranging from Appalachian food and music to Irish soda bread to Korean restaurants.

Published: 21 November 2012
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A product of both world history and contemporary mass culture, culinary tourism is a scholarly field of study that is emerging as an important part of the tourism industry. Also known as gastronomic tourism, tasting tourism, and simply food tourism, culinary tourism refers to adventurous eating, eating out of curiosity, exploring other cultures through food, intentionally participating in the foodways of an Other, and the development of food as a tourist destination and attraction. In culinary tourism, the primary motivation for travel is to experience a specific food. Culinary tourism parallels the globalization of food production and consumption and reflects issues inherent in tourism. It has the potential to address some of the controversial issues in tourism in general, such as questions of authenticity, commodification of tradition, identity construction, intellectual property and intangible heritage, as well as the ecological, economic, and cultural sustainability of food cultures in response to tourism.

Culinary tourism is both a scholarly field of study and a growing trend within the tourism industry. It is defined as adventurous eating, eating out of curiosity, exploring other cultures through food, intentionally participating in the foodways of an “other,” and developing food as tourist destination and attraction. 1 Also referred to as gastronomic tourism, tasting tourism, and simply food tourism, it is seen as tourism in which experiencing a specific food is the primary motivation for travel. 2

This essay offers an overview of these perspectives, using a folkloristic framework for understanding tourist behaviors as a way a balancing the exotic and the familiar. A product of both world history and contemporary mass culture, culinary tourism reflects the globalization of food production and consumption as well as issues surrounding tourism in general. Questions of authenticity, commodification of tradition, identity construction, intellectual property, and intangible heritage, and the ecological, economic, and cultural sustainability of food cultures in response to tourism are hotly debated. In some minds, culinary tourism offers solutions to some of these issues by suggesting a framework for exploring other people’s connections to food, as well as offering strategies to insure cultural, economic, and ecological sustainability. 3

Origins of Culinary Tourism: Eating out of Curiosity

People have always eaten food out of curiosity, both for sustenance and to explore new tastes. Food scholar Fabio Parasecoli quotes sociologist Claude Fischler and psychologist Paul Rozin in describing two conflicting impulses that have propelled the development of new foods and new cuisines: neophilia , “the curiosity to try new food, based in humans’ omnivorous nature,” and neophobia , “the concurrent fear of being poisoned.” 4 Such curiosity has been a driving force in the history of food, introducing new ingredients, recipes, preparation methods, and cooking styles. Culinary tourism suggests the process by which novelty is incorporated into a food culture by the movement from exotic to edible to familiar and finally to palatable. New foods are perceived as strange and different (exotic) and possibly not edible. Once they are perceived as an item that can be eaten (familiar), then evaluations of its tastiness can be made. Chinese food in the United States, for example, was initially seen as too exotic to be considered food when first experienced by California gold rush miners in the mid-1800s. Once Americans got used to the idea of eating it, it became a part of their familiar “culinary universe,” and taste preferences might then determine their choice of consuming it, rather than fear that it was too unknown. Similarly, restaurant owners might then add something exotic in order to stir curiosity again. This may explain the common pattern seen in the United States in which Cantonese-style Chinese restaurants are first accepted, then are followed in some areas by restaurants offering various regional styles of Chinese food. Donna Gabaccia makes cross-ethnic dining central to her interpretation of American food in We Are What We Eat (1998). 5

World historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto suggests a similarly long view of culinary tourism in his book Near a Thousand Tables: A History of Food (2002). He identifies eight “revolutions,” or paradigmatic shifts in the ways humans use and think about food, including the rise of agriculture and herding, the development of cooking and manners, and long-distance trade and industrialization. These transitions are not successive chronological periods, but tend to overlap, survive in pockets of populations, and leave behind vestiges of each stage. His history suggests that “eating out of curiosity/exploratory eating” has always occurred but in different manners and with different meanings. In the eighth and final phase, the postindustrial, Fernández-Armesto helps to explain the emergence of culinary tourism as an intentional exploration of the “other” for the purpose of pleasure and satisfying curiosity. This phase is characterized by “the internationalization of the palate and the rise of fusion cookery reflect[ing] multiculturalism.” 6

The industrial world offered new mobility to people to cross cultural boundaries—both voluntarily for pleasure, education, or commerce and involuntarily for safety, health, lifestyle, or occupational opportunities. This has literally brought together individuals from different backgrounds to living in close proximity and sharing their everyday lives, including their foodways. We smell our neighbors’ dinner cooking; we see new vegetables in the supermarkets; we visit restaurants serving cuisines completely foreign to us—these all make us curious about things we might not have known even existed before. Geographer David Harvey characterizes the state of the modern world, particularly since the 1950s, as one of “space-time compression.” 7 Food cultures are also compressed in the sense that many of us (particularly in the United States) now have access to ingredients, dishes, cooking styles, and food philosophies from across the world. Although literature and travel writing might have piqued our curiosity before, we can now actually satisfy that curiosity and experience these new foods. This intentional mixing of ingredients and styles has created numerous fusion dishes and even cuisines. Simultaneously, hybrid dishes have emerged from expediency (cost, availability, ease of preparation) that then may become the focus of curiosity. Reactions against industrialization could also encourage culinary experimentation, particularly with foods that were seen as more authentic and natural. The countercultural revolutions of the 1960s and 1970s saw an openness to new cultures and new experiences as well as a celebration of diversity and nonconformity, all of which helped open up peoples’ palates to new tastes. 8

Eating out of curiosity now occurs in a wide variety of forms—commercial and public as well as informal and private. They also include educational explorations into other cultures and places as well as pleasurable excursions into new tastes. Contemporary global culture encourages adventurous eating, and numerous new products featuring “exotic” foods are being marketing in grocery stores and restaurants.

Cookbooks and other culinary literature could perhaps be seen as the first virtual media for culinary tourism, offering readers a window into other people’s food. Although these were originally meant to function as primers for cooking skills and housewifery, they also offered vicarious eating, enabling readers to imagine new tastes. Many cookbooks today include portraits of the culture surrounding the recipes, giving histories, biographies, maps, and luscious photographs that whet the appetite. Cookbooks featuring regional food traditions are particularly popular throughout the United States and Europe. Even though many of these present gourmet updates of traditional recipes or innovative recipes using local ingredients, they also reflect a shift toward looking inward to explore the complexities within a nation, as well as a concern with place as significant to human experience. Food writing moved in the early 1990s from reviewing restaurants to exploring the pleasures of new foods and new cuisines, as well as accounts of travels for and with food. Today, food periodicals frequently feature exotic (or at least, new) foods and ingredients, along with new ways of cooking and serving food. For example, the cover of the January 2007 issue of Food and Wine heralds “100 tastes you must try in 2007.” Even non–food-centered periodicals often include foods or eating experiences based on culinary curiosity. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a major fashion magazine included an article in which the author describes how “after a few wrong turns, [he] finds his way to some of China’s most delicious, authentic, and innovative cuisine—and the perfect roast duck.” 9

New media have also been primary venues for satisfying one’s curiosity about food. Televised cooking shows, like cookery books, opened new culinary worlds for thousands of people who would never be able to travel to experience those foods. Julia Child, though not the first television chef, broke new ground in 1963 with the premier of her program, The French Chef , in which she showed American housewives how to “tame” gourmet French cooking. Cooking shows, though popular, tended to remain the domain of day-time programming for stay-at-home adults (wives, particularly) until the Food Network was established in 1993. This brought new foods and cuisines into the home and helped transform the perception of cooking from a domestic chore into a culinary art. By 2004, cooking shows were wildly popular among all ages and genders, and the Food Network created shows dedicated to exploring new and exotic foods. One of the most popular culinary adventure shows was Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour , which aired in 2001 and 2002, and visited locales ranging from Tokyo and Southeast Asia, to Portugal and the Basque region of Spain, Mexico, Kansas City, Brazil, and Australia.

Films, like television, have always included food and eating as part of the setting for action and as metaphors for characters’ emotions and relationships. My Dinner with Andre (1981), for example, consisted entirely of two characters talking over a meal. Films that focused on food preparation and consumption, though, tended to be rare, and even in the 2010, there are a limited number that actually center action and character development around food. Babette’s Feast , (1987), about a woman who cooks for a Danish community of ascetics, has inspired adventuresome home cooks to recreate her nineteenth-century Parisian banquet. Another film that uses eating our of curiosity as a theme is Sideways (2004), an American comedy in which two middle-aged men travel through California’s wine country, exploring possibilities in their own lives as they explore wine and fine dining. Numerous other films have stirred audiences’ curiosity about food and cooking, most notably, Big Night (1996), Eat, Drink, Man, Woman (1994), and the award winning, Julie and Julia (2009).

Also riding this wave is an emerging genre of literature made up of memoirs and fiction based on exploring food. Memoirs, in particular, have become popular and usually use food as a tangible way to organize and make sense of memories. Often set as an exploration of food in a new place, this exploration is a metaphor for discovery of the self. Some of the most influential ones include, M. F. K. Fisher’s The Gastronomical Me (1989), Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence (1991), and Ruth Reichl’s Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table (1998) and Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table (2001). Of particular relevance to culinary tourism is Jeffrey Steingarten’s The Man Who Ate Everything (1997), in which the author, food critic for Vogue magazine, sets out to taste and learn about foods that he disliked. Even though he does not acquire a liking for them, he eats them out of curiosity, a sense of adventure, and an exploration of his own culinary universe. More recently, Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (2007) explores a year of living off of locally produced food in the Virginia mountains, tapping into more recent concerns about connecting one’s food to environmental and community sustainability. A similar thread in many of these memoirs is a search for identity, family, and community through food. An excellent example is food scholar and writer Laura Schenone’s The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family (2008), in which a desire to learn to make ravioli like her grandmother did takes the author on a culinary tour through Italy—and a discovery of herself.

Restaurants, cooking classes, and folklife festivals also cater to the search for new culinary pleasures. Eating out in the United States has become much more common today, not just for special occasions but also for nourishment, and is a major source of entertainment. As palates become more cosmopolitan, restaurants offer more and more tastes, oftentimes adding dishes from a variety of culinary cultures to the menus. A brochure for an exclusive restaurant in the Washington, D.C. area, for example, boldly claims: “Tour the world’s finest cuisines, presented with flair and accompanied by premium spirits and wines.” As our tastes have broadened, cooking classes and “tasting” events have become popular. Classes in the United States may still focus on culinary skills drawn from French cooking, but many now focus on learning techniques and styles from cultures across the globe. These often teach iconic dishes (Chinese stir fry, Japanese sushi, Thai noodles) that have become popular through the restaurant scene so that they can be reproduced at home. Since food is a window into culture, eating out of curiosity can also be a way of exploring the culture surrounding a food. Educators, museums, and other cultural institutions and culture scholars have long used food to introduce belief systems, aesthetics, lifestyles, and traditions of other cultures. For example, the Smithsonian Institution’s annual Folklife Festival includes foodways as an integral part of every cultural group presented at the festival. Many people come because they are curious about particular foods, and leave with an understanding that food is a much more complex—and richer—topic than they realized.

Food in the Tourism Industry

The tourism industry was slow to recognize the potential of food as an attraction and destination, treating it instead as one part of “hospitality services.” This is understandable, however, if we define tourism as travel for pleasure, and realize that the hardships and dangers early travelers had to endure rarely made it a pleasurable experience. A number of cultures have traditions of people traveling to places specifically to eat the food produced there. Northern Spain, for example, is famous for the varieties of beans associated with each village, and knowledgeable eaters travel to restaurants in those regions serving specialty dishes made from those beans. Consumers insist that the beans taste differently if transported elsewhere, and that a full appreciation of them requires consuming them in situ, in the place they are grown. Wine, similarly, has attracted consumers who want to sample the wine in its place of origin and production. Such travels can perhaps more accurately be called food pilgrimages since they include an element of seeking the authentic as an almost sacred quest for knowledge and personal transformation. 10

The countries most associated with both domestic and international culinary tourism are France, Italy, and Spain. All have highly developed cuisines, as well as native populations that are knowledgeable and willing to travel within their own countries for food experiences. They also boast historical and contemporary cultures of wine consumption, often tied to strong family traditions of vineyards and vintners. Today, Australia, New Zealand, China, Thailand, and Singapore have become major food destinations. Canada and the United States are also vying for their share of the tourism market. In most cases, wine tourism is leading the way in the tourism industry bringing in tourists usually willing and able to pay for higher-priced hospitality services. This has encouraged the development of fine-dining, gourmet food establishments, and, in some instances, is forming the basis for the emergence of new cuisines—for example, the Niagara region of Canada, Southern Appalachia in the United States, and the New Global Cuisine based in Hong Kong. 11

Individual businesses within the tourism industry are developing products in response to recognizing this interest. Wineries and restaurants, for example, began promoting themselves as tourist destinations, often adding overnight accommodations for guests. In the early 2000s, travel companies began including food as a focus, offering tours to famous restaurants or to eating experiences in regions well known for their food, and in the 2000s, businesses emerged that focused on culinary tours. With names such as Culinary Adventures, The Globetrotting Gourmet, Crete’s Culinary Sanctuaries, and A Cook’s Tour, these companies are obviously focusing on food as a destination. Guidebooks and travel brochures are also emphasizing food. For example, the Lonely Planet—World Food series is specifically “for people who live to eat, drink and travel with local recipes and culinary dictionary.” 12 These include maps, photos, recipes, and cultural and historical context so that readers can explore the food culture knowledgeably and respectfully.

New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, and Canada have led the way in establishing culinary tourism within the tourism industry, and have tied industry developments with scholarly research and assessment on the subject. Each nation has established its own organizations overseeing culinary tourism. The United States has been slower to recognize food’s potential, and has tended to focus more on the business and management side with less attention to cultural issues. For example, the International Culinary Tourism Association, based in Oregon, focuses on strategies for creating and marketing products and offers expensive certification programs for members. 13

Although tourism initiatives are becoming more aware of the potential for everyday foods to attract visitors, their emphasis is primarily on fine-dining, innovative foods that deliver satisfying taste experiences and justify tourist expenditures. Any food associated with a place, however, can become the focus of culinary tourism, for example, maple syrup in New England, beef in Argentina, lobster in Maine, crawfish in Louisiana, or grits in the Southern United States. Some cities become associated with particular foods—Cincinnati chili, Kansas City or Memphis barbecue, Boston baked beans, Philadelphia cheese steak—and are using those foods in their tourism marketing. Tourists frequently intentionally eat those foods in order to better “experience the place,” and restaurants catering to tourists frequently market the foods in that way. Iconic foods are also featured on tourist souvenirs such as clothing, key chains, and other trinkets.

Culinary tourism is closely related to other varieties of tourism. It can be included under cultural tourism, in which tourists travel to experience another culture. In these instances, food is used as a way to discover everyday life as well as to share a sense of community with members of that culture (or with the tour group). Festivals often offer sites for cultural tourism, presenting specialty dishes intentionally selected to represent a cuisine. Also closely related is agritourism, which consists of farm tours, possibly observing or participating in farm activities, such as milking cows or harvesting a crop, or tours of food processing and manufacturing establishments, such as canneries, cheese making, or factories. For obvious reasons, agritourism tends to focus on rural areas, while culinary tourism is frequently urban with access to restaurants.

Heritage tourism is also relevant to culinary tourism. Living history museums, notably Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia and Plimouth Plantation in Massachusetts, often allow for the exploration of foodways of the past with demonstrations of food preparation. Interpreters may give explanations along with such activities as cutting apples, baking bread, or working in the garden. In some venues, visitors are given the opportunity to participate or to at least taste some of the results. Extreme tourism, in which tourists test boundaries of safety or social and cultural appropriateness, sometimes includes food, involving ingredients not usually considered “normal” or edible in the tourist’s home culture. Ecotourism, in which the focus is on exploring the natural environment without damaging it, can be related to culinary tourism by including meals utilizing locally produced and organic foods. Culinary tourism is also frequently now tied to sustainable tourism, offering a way to keep money in host communities, provide employment to local residents, and teach understanding of the culture among tourists. Later I will discuss the ways it attempts to resolve the twin challenges of tourism: competitiveness and endurance of resources.

Culinary Tourism—Scholarly Literature

Scholarship on the intersection of tourism and food is surprisingly recent, with the late 1990s and early 2000s marking the publication of most foundational studies. Research initially divided into two strands. The first was humanities-based, using qualitative, ethnographic research that explored both food and tourism as socio-cultural constructions. The focus tended to be the meanings and impacts of those constructions. The second strand was an applied one, using social science, business, and marketing models with quantitative methods to clarify and resolve issues surrounding food within the tourism industry. Although these two strands still exist, sometimes in opposition to each other, tourism scholars and individuals working within the industry (particularly outside the United States, notably in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain) have recently recognized the need to bridge the two. Research on sustainable tourism tends to merge the two approaches.

Geographer Wilbur Zelinsky was perhaps the first scholar to discuss the concept, which he termed “gastronomic tourism.” In a 1985 article, he used a novel quantitative method of surveying telephone book listings of ethnic restaurants to map culinary regions in the United States and Canada. His research was concerned with explaining the prevalence of particular ethnic groups as restaurateurs. 14 Nevertheless, a number of scholars within the humanities picked up on the term and sought to explore the meanings of “eating the other.” 15 For example, a cultural studies dissertation by Jay Ann Cox examined Mexican foods in an Arizona folklife festival as well as the stereotypes presented in salsa advertisements. 16 Consuming Geographies: We Are Where We Eat, by David Bell and Gill Valentine, offers excellent summaries and critiques of various theories and publications. They use the phrase “kitchen table tourism” to refer to the possibilities offered by modern technology (specifically, the Internet) for vicariously experiencing other food cultures. Their chapter on the global explores numerous issues involved in culinary tourism from a cultural geography perspective. 17 Another excellent discussion of these issues is provided by cultural studies scholars Bob Ashley, Joanne Hollows, Steve Jones, and Ben Taylor in their important food studies text, Food and Cultural Studies . Among other things, they address the application of Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of social distinction as an explanation for the modern trend in acquiring knowledge of the culinary other as cultural capital to assert identity and class difference. They point out that multiple interpretations should be recognized, and that consuming the other is tied to numerous cultural processes. Their delineation of five of those offers a useful model for research: production, regulation, representation, identity, and consumption. 18

Zilenski’s work on restaurants established those institutions as significant sites for food and tourism. Numerous publications touch on this intersection without referring specifically to tourism, and my own formulation of culinary tourism grew out of research on Korean restaurants in the United States. 19 The edited volume by anthropologists David Beriss and David Sutton, The Restaurants Book: Ethnographies of Where We Eat , also uses restaurants as the “ideal postmodern institutions” for exploring the many challenges facing us today, including tourism. 20

I first used the term “culinary tourism” in 1996 conference papers at the Association for the Study of Food and Society and the American Folklore Society. The favorable reception by colleagues led to a journal article in 1998, and an edited volume, Culinary Tourism: Eating and Otherness , in which I offered a framework for broadening our understandings of both tourism and food as cultural, social, and personal constructions. My definition of culinary tourism draws from folklore, sociolinguistics, cultural anthropology, and philosophy of aesthetics: “the intentional, exploratory participation in the foodways of an other—participation including the consumption, preparation, and presentation of a food item, cuisine, meal system, or eating style considered to belong to a culinary system not one’s own.” From this perspective, culinary tourism deals with the negotiation of exotic and familiar foods by individuals—tourists as well as producers. Foods have to be different enough to elicit curiosity, but familiar enough to be considered edible. Also, exoticness or “otherness” is a matter of personal perspective involving multiple factors. Culture, ethnicity, region, time (past, future, and festive), ethos or religion, socioeconomic class, gender, and age can all offer foods that are different for an eater. For example, kosher foods might be exotic for non-Jews; alcohol for under-age teenagers; stews cooked in an iron kettle over an open fire for modern day eaters; vegetarian foods for an omnivore; quiche for “real men.”

This approach to otherness expands the possibilities of what foods are available for tourism. I adapt John Urry’s “tourist gaze” 21 as a way of seeing the potential exoticness in common, everyday foods, moving beyond gourmet dishes to recognizing the potential meaningfulness of the everyday—“exoticizing the familiar.” My model for culinary tourism also shifts the focus from food (the product that is consumed) to foodways, the total network of activities surrounding food and eating. This network includes procurement, preservation, preparation, presentation, consumption styles, contexts for eating, cleaning up, conceptualizations about food, and symbolic performances. Individuals attach different meanings to foods partly because they have different memories associated with these components. For example, a fish caught in the local river during a family vacation might be the same product as one shipped in from a commercial distributor, but it carries memories of people and events that give it different emotional weights. The model also suggests that venues for tourism extend beyond the usual sites for consumption of food to include a variety of venues, both virtual and “real”: cookbooks, cookware shops and catalogues, grocery stores, films, literature, television cooking shows, advertising, festivals, farms, classes, and so on. The folkloristic approach to culinary tourism recognizes that aesthetic and sensory memories shape individual’s responses to new experiences, and that individuals constantly reconstruct their perceptions of identity, community, and culture.

Culturally grounded food studies scholars also began addressing culinary tourism in the mid-1990s. The 11th conference on The International Commission for Ethnological Food Research held in Cyprus in 1996 focused on the role of colonization in culinary tourism as well as connections between migrations, immigrations, and the geographic distribution of particular foods and foodways. The proceedings were published in 1998, edited by Irish folklorist Patricia Lysaght, and articles provide historical as well as ethnographic perspectives. A more recent exploration of these issues can be found in a special issue of Food, Culture and Society , titled “Food Journeys: Culinary Travels in Time and Space.” Articles in this volume explore “a wider range of temporal and figurative journeys,” using travel “as a metaphor for reflection, memory, exchange and otherness.” They utilize a critical theory approach recognizing that “accounts of eating practices therefore have an intimate and intricate relationship with colonial discourse, and with differential power relations in general.” 22 In this publication, Kaori O’Connor analyzes food as not only a central tourist attraction but also a metaphor for the tourist identity that has developed around Hawaii, while Daisy Tam uses Bourdieu to develop a theory of Slow Food that actually centers the self as part of a system with responsibility to the rest of that system, a positioning that forces individuals to look outward and that holds the possibility for culinary tourism to enable positive shifts in human’s relationships to others. 23

Meanwhile, scholarship within tourism studies began addressing food as an attraction and destination in the mid-1990s. Scholars in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand defined food tourism as a particular genre of tourism having as its primary motivation “the desire to experience a particular type of food or the produce of a specific region.” 24 This definition was later expanded to include “visitation to primary and secondary food producers, food festivals, restaurants and specific locations for which food tasting and/or experiencing the attribute of specialist food production regions are the primary motivating factor for travel.” 25 Thus, a volume on wine tourism offered a cross-disciplinary perspective drawing from business, social science, and policy approaches. A 2003 work, Food Tourism Around the World , also edited by Hall and Sharples, explored motivations, models, and implications for culinary identity as well as regional economic development. The book offers management and marketing perspectives but also recognize the role of culture as a useful tool for marketing. The authors also focus on location as significant to food tourism, stating that even though it can be “exported” it still retains a spatial fixity: “The tourists must go to the location of production in order to consume the local fare and become food tourists.” 26 This conclusion differs from the humanities approach in which individuals can explore other foods through a variety of venues without actually traveling away from home.

Another influential volume, Tourism and Gastronomy (2002), edited by Anne-Mette Hjalager and Greg Richards, examines gastronomic tourism as a force for economic development and cultural transformation. Authors discuss issues such as the potential for gastronomy and tourism to serve as radical, activist disciplines, the importance of intellectual property, regional and national identities, and the connections between globalization and localization. The editors conclude by pointing out that tourism and gastronomy are both emerging disciplines with similar dichotomies in practice from small-scale, artisanal production to industrial mass production. They also call upon globalization to be interpreted as a potentially beneficial force, noting that fears of it fail to recognize the dynamic character of both gastronomy and tourism. Portugal’s protectionist stance toward globalization has, in their opinion, stifled the local food culture. By contrast, Spain’s ability to develop brand names for regional cuisines not only allows for more creativity but is also more realistic.

In another formative publication, Priscilla Boniface has sought to explain why food and drink have recently become attractions in their own right, placing the question in historical context as well as a contemporary reaction to industrialization, modernity, and globalization. She suggests that this shift represents more than just the discovery of a new niche in tourism. It is a shift in the culture of tourism itself, implying that tourism is no longer based on a separation from the quotidian, but instead a blending between holiday and the everyday. Taking a cultural perspective on “tasting tourism,” Boniface recognizes that culture drives tourism, which in turn provides a medium through which society works out issues of identity and power. Building upon the ideas of cultural critic Henri Lefebvre, who emphasized the disconnection of modern man to his modes of production and even consumption, Boniface sees food tourism as a seeking of authentic experiences through food—resulting from the peculiarities of modern life. Boniface raises the possibility, though, that this very modernity is what makes us recognize and appreciate the past, the rural, and the non-industrialized. Finally, she identifies five “driving forces” acting as motivations for food tourism: anxieties over food safety and social uncertainty; a need to show distinction, affluence and individualism; curiosity and wish for knowledge and discovery; the need to feel grounded amid globalization; and the requirement for sensory and tactile pleasure. Her work is particularly useful for humanities scholars of culinary tourism who are exploring the constructions of the meanings of culinary tourism. 27

The publications mentioned previously emphasize the positive opportunities offered by recognizing food in tourism, but a 2004 article by Erik Cohen and Nir Avieli points out that food can also be an obstacle to tourism. In this useful assessment of the state of food tourism both as an industry and a field of scholarship, they observe that unpleasant food experiences can lead to cultural misunderstandings and that the use of food as an attraction can actually have harmful effects on the host culture. 28 By 2010, scholarship in tourism recognizes culinary tourism not only as a significant industry trend but also as a subject crucial for understanding the implications of tourist productions and behaviors.

Many of the issues surrounding culinary tourism concern tourism in general. Although food presents some unique challenges, it also offers a medium for exploring these issues. Because it is so multifaceted and easily holds a variety of meanings simultaneously, food helps in understanding the complexities of tourism as both a human impulse and an industry building upon that impulse. This section first addresses some of the common criticisms of tourism and then explores the two biggest challenges facing culinary tourism in the future: competitiveness and sustainability.

One of the most fundamental criticisms is that tourism is categorically a colonialist enterprise in which individuals with power and wealth exploit other cultures for their own pleasure, entertainment, or edification. That exploitation means that individual members of other cultures are stripped of their personhood and perceived as less than the tourist. Similarly, tourism puts “others” on display, turning them into an object to be looked upon. This issue in culinary tourism translates into asking what it means to eat an “other,” a food perceived to be exotic or somehow different from one’s own food culture. Eating does not necessarily lead to understanding or respect for that culture. 29 My formulation of culinary tourism as a means of developing an experiential understanding of the humanity of others also addresses this concern. By approaching food, a basic and universal need, as a cultural, social, and personal construction, we can identify our commonalities as well as the logic behind our differences. 30

Philosopher, Lisa Heldke, addresses the colonialist issue in her book, Exotic Appetites: Ruminations of a Food Adventurer (2003). She points out that eating other cuisines poses a philosophical dilemma. On one hand, it represents imperialism in that it is only with wealth that we are able to experiment with food. But, she continues, “for me to decide to eat only foods of my own ethnicity is to close my doors, not to allow any foreign influence in. It is also a decision to impoverish my life by remaining ignorant of other cultures.” Her answer is to continually question ourselves—our motivations, our responses, our attitudes and relationships to that food and the people behind them: “we cannot eat just once and be done with it. The meanings of our actions do not remain constant, but shift and change with the changes in their context.” This consciousness allows us to become “anticolonialist food adventurers.” 31

A recent trend in culinary tourism initiatives may reflect a shift in attitude among tourists that reflects awareness Heldke encourages. Cooking classes and educational culinary tours turn tourists into students of that culture. Although these types of activities tend to be high-priced, and the knowledge these tourists gain might be for their own enhancement “back home,” they are acting in a way that reverses the typical host-tourist relationship. In this case, the host has knowledge and skills that the guests want and respect, and many individuals involved in such tourism feel that it creates a more equitable relationship than the usual tourism one. To describe this particular attitude of respect, even reverence, for the food of an “other,” I have suggested the term “food pilgrimage.” Individuals on food pilgrimages seek original contexts in which to experience a food cultural as authentically as possible. Seeing the food “in situ” offers the opportunity to understand it as a whole system connected to a specific time, place, and people. Such tours can lead to a “transcendent” experience with food, and food “pilgrims” often feel that they have undergone a positive transformation in some way.

Another major criticism of tourism is that it leads to a weakening of cultural identity, that, by putting a culture on display as part of a tourist attraction, that culture becomes a commodity, and identity becomes little more than a brand name. Proponents of tourism, however, point out that individuals frequently become more aware of their identity through tourist activities. Furthermore, if tourists are respectful of that identity and show an appreciation for it, they can actually encourage pride and a desire to preserve identity. Kevin Meethan, for example, states that tourism actually reinforces “locality, or the specificity of places and cultures.” 32 Since foodways are an expression of identity, culinary tourism offers an especially potent means of affirming that identity. George Ritzer’s work on McDonaldization asserts that globalization has often stimulated local cuisine rather than stifled it, and Richard Wilk observes that tourism in Belize has recently encouraged the development of a Belizean cuisine. 33

These positive interpretations of tourism make sense if we think of “differential identity” as identities constructed out of contrast with another identity. The differences between cultures help us identify what characterizes them, and which of those characteristics are significant. Culinary tourism plays a role in this process by emphasizing the unique foodways of a culture. This happens on a variety of levels. Regional identities based on real or imagined attachments to a geographic space can actually be recognized as well as constructed through food. Barbecue has become iconic of the American South, and scholars are now demonstrating that variations in barbecue meats and sauces reflect regional differences within that larger region. 34 Food can also offer a commonality around which individuals can feel a sense of attachment to a place, so that consuming that food becomes a symbolic means of acting upon that attachment. Clambakes in New England often serve that purpose as well as others. 35 Furthermore, food is also being used to develop a definition of a region. A new cuisine is developing in Southern Appalachia, for example, that features local produce and foods from nature—mountain trout, blackberries, morels. In order to appeal to culinary tourists, these foods are sometimes “fancied up” and removed from their cultural histories. Grits, for example, might be referred to as “Appalachia polenta,” or “traditional” foods such as fried green tomatoes and ripened tomato slices are paired with fresh mozzarella and basil leaves. 36

Ethnic identities have also been constructed and affirmed through culinary tourism. Restaurants, festivals, church fairs, and cookbooks all offer venues for culinary tourists to experience these foods. 37 Tourism also allows for ethnic identity to be situational, a highlighting of that identity rather than others also held by the hosts. For example a Middle-Eastern restaurant in Detroit where there is a large population of Lebanese-Americans, might be run by family who has lived in the United States for several generations and intermarried with non-Lebanese, but for purposes of the restaurant, they highlight their Lebanese ancestry. Similarly, since Korean food was slow to be accepted in the United States outside major cities on the east and west coasts, many Koreans highlighted their Asian heritage and opened restaurants serving Chinese or Japanese foods. There are numerous other examples of ethnic foods that were initially exotic tourist items that have become familiar and accepted within mainstream food culture and have perhaps then led to both a recognition of that ethnicity and further exploration of that cuisine—Italian pizza, Mexican tacos, Spanish tapas, Chinese chop suey and chow mein, Thai pad thai, and so on.

The adaption of foods for culinary tourism reflects another frequent criticism of tourism in general, that it manipulates cultural traditions, commodifying and “trinketizing” (turning them into trivial souvenir objects), stripping them of their original meanings and cultural power. Also, as a force in globalization, tourism is correspondingly leading to homogenization of cultural differences. Since many tourists seek familiar foods when they travel, popular restaurant chains have been established throughout the world, in some cases supplanting local food practices and spawning local imitations. Some scholars have challenged the interpretation that this leads to homogeneity. James Watson, for example, has demonstrated that McDonald’s in Asian countries are given culturally specific meanings and functions by local residents. 38

Culinary tourism can actually be a force in encouraging both globalization and the affirmation and preservation of local foods since such tourists actively seek foods different from their familiar ones. Tourists can provide practical incentives for maintaining culinary traditions by creating markets for them. This leads to “tourist cuisines or dishes,” that are either inventions of new dishes or adaptations of traditional ones in order accommodate tourist tastes and expectations. For example, restaurants in southern Appalachia now offer updated versions of traditional foods such as grits and cornbread, using organic or exotic ingredients. Similarly, chefs in Singapore have developed a new fusion cuisine specifically in response to tourists. Emphasis also tends to be on celebratory foods rather than common, everyday ones since these are often considered more distinctive, tastier, and higher priced. This can then dilute the meanings of that food. The luau in Hawaii, for example, has become a tourist production with stereotypical foods, shifting from the sacred meanings held within the community to simply a party and feast for the tourists. 39

The tendency to adapt foods for tourists raises questions about authenticity, a quality felt by some tourism scholars to be a primary motivation for many tourists. 40 Authenticity, however, presupposes that there exists an original, pure version of a food culture that has remained static and free of outside influences. Recognition of the dynamic nature of culture in general has led instead to questions concerning how to define a food culture, how to preserve it without also stifling it, and ownership of it.

Food is now recognized as intangible heritage and, as such, can be protected under international law. UNESCO includes it as part of cultural heritage. Preservation of this heritage, however, is very complex, as seen in the example of a town in Italy, Lucca, which attempted to ban all ethnic foods in restaurants in order to preserve their local specialties. Critics pointed out that the cuisine they were trying to protect had itself been developed from “foreign” foods originally (tomatoes, for example). Also, some local residents protested, saying that they wanted to be able to be innovative and creative in their food preparation and consumption. Again, the role of tourism was seen in this discussion as both an affirmation of the food heritage and a threat to it.

Food is also now recognized as intellectual property, meaning that ownership is being contested for cuisines, recipes, cooking styles, and even ingredients. Geographical indicators are used in many countries to designate the accurate origin of a food product, beginning with France, which established the Appellation d’ Origine Controllee in the early 1900s to protect cheeses and wines. This is based on the older concept of terroir (“taste of place”) and allows regions to claim certain types of produce as belonging to them. An arm of the government also sets standards by which any produce from a designated region can carry an AOC stamp of approval. Such geographical indicators directly benefit and are benefited by the culinary tourism industry in that they guarantee quality and authenticity. Tourism marketing then tends to treat them as a brand by which products can be known.

Many scholars of tourism now call for a more nuanced view of tourism that acknowledges these criticisms but also recognizes that tourism can offer both benefits and costs to all participants involved either directly or indirectly. Participants include tourists (guests), the host community, the government of the host community, the tourism suppliers or businesses connected to supply, and the natural environment. Each participant has their own perspective, so that what benefits one may be a cost or harmful to another. To further complicate matters, definitions of success might differ according to each perspective. As tourism scholar, Erve Chambers notes, tourism is complex, involving numerous players who construct their own meanings from tourist activities. 41 Although, more powerful nations and individuals have the opportunity to develop infrastructures and financial capital for a tourism industry, these “contradictions of tourism” exist regardless of who the tourist is.

These concerns are being addressed in the field of sustainable tourism, which argues that by carefully managing the resources for tourism (local economies, ecologies, and cultures) the tourism industry will not only help those resources endure but will also sustain itself. Culinary tourism offers a potentially powerful tool for sustainability. Similar to Slow Food’s vision of promoting food that is “good, clean, and fair,” it can encourage culinary “destinations” and “attractions” that are locally produced with environmentally friendly methods, and provide employment for members of the host culture. An issue arises from the culinary tourism industry’s frequent focus on gourmet ingredients or preparation methods appealing to elite, high-paying customers. In order to be competitive in the tourism marketplace, businesses need to offer something that is distinctive and unique and also has the highest margin between profit and production possible. This can mean that producers (chefs, farmers, restaurant managers) are brought in from outside the local culture, sometimes creating “leakage” (profits leave the host community) and culturally unsustainable products. For example, a gourmet restaurant in a small, culinarily conservative town, might bring in the occasional outside customer but not appeal to local eaters. Rather than creating an appreciation for local food culture, the tourism actually dismisses it. The folkloristic approach to culinary tourism attempts to counteract this possibility by promoting an understanding of the host culture’s cultural history, placing their food traditions within that history, and presenting them in ways that emphasize their local meanings. The Bowling Green Culinary Tourism Trail is a successful example of this “exoticizing the familiar.” Another approach to ensuring that culinary tourism is sustainable calls for a number of local food producers and distributers to collaborate, ideally with other public and private sectors to offer a systematically planned destination with a diversity of attractions. A cooperative of growers in Michigan provides an excellent example of such “clustering,” as it is called in the tourism industry.

As both a scholarly field of study and an initiative within the tourism industry, culinary tourism is complex and multifaceted. It also offers unique insights into not only numerous issues facing us today, but also possibilities for resolving those issues. Perhaps of utmost significance is its potential for encouraging the recognition of the power of food. It reflects our personal and cultural histories and ties us to all the external and internal forces shaping our lives. As food scholar Fabio Parasecoli points out in relation to food and tourism: “A deeper awareness of the political, non-neutral nature of semiotic processes defining codes and modalities of cultural exchange can help tourists to shift their location not only physically, but also culturally. Having a better grasp of the various signifying networks that make tourists define a phenomenon, in our case a dish or a product, as ‘typical’ or ‘local’ might help them learn how to occupy the subject position of the otherness, without losing the awareness of their own location.” 42 As such, culinary tourism offers the opportunity to explore not only other foods and cultures but also our own lives through food.

1. Respectively, Lisa M. Heldke, Exotic Appetites: Ruminations of a Food Adventurer (New York: Routledge, 2003) ; Lucy M. Long, ed., Culinary Tourism (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2004) ; C. Michael Hall, et al., eds., Food Tourism Around the World: Development, Management and Markets (London: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003) .

2. Ane-Mette Hjalager and Greg Richards, eds., Tourism and Gastronomy (London: Routledge, 2002) ; Priscilla Boniface, Tasting Tourism: Travelling for Food Drink (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003) ; C. Michael Hall and Liz Sharples, “The Consumption of Experiences or the Experience of Consumption? An Introduction to the Tourism of Taste,” in Hall, et al., Food Tourism Around the World , 1–24 .

3. Long, Culinary Tourism , 37–44; C. Michael Hall and Liz Sharples, Food and Wine Festivals and Events Around the World (London: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008) .

4. Fabio Parasecoli, Bite Me: Food in Popular Culture (Oxford: Berg, 2008), 142 .

5. Donna R. Gabaccia, We Are What We Eat: Ethnic Food and the Making of Americans (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998) .

6. Felipe Fernández-Armesto, Near a Thousand Tables: A History of Food (New York: Free Press, 2002), 223 .

7. David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change (Oxford: Blackwell, 1989) .

8. Warren Belasco, Appetite for Change: How the Counterculture Took on the Food Industry (1989; repr., Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1993) .

9. Jeffrey Steingarten, “Lost in Beijing,” Vogue (June 2008): 178–181, 203 .

10. Lucy M. Long, “Food Pilgrimages: Seeking the Authentic and Sacred in Food” (paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Food and Society, Boston, MA, June 2006) .

11. David J. Telfer and Atsuko Hashioto, “Food Tourism in the Niagara Region: The Development of a Nouvelle Cuisine,” in Hall, et al., Food Tourism Around the World , 158–77 ; Lucy M. Long, “Culinary Tourism and the Emergence of an Appalachian Cuisine: Exploring the Foodscape of Asheville, NC,” North Carolina Folklore Journal 57, no. 1 (2010): 4–19 ; Rosario Scarpato, “Sustainable Gastronomy as a Tourist Product,” in Hjalager and Richards, Tourism and Gastronomy , 132–53 .

12. See, for example, Bruce Geddes, Lonely Planet World Food Mexico (Hawthorn, Australia: Lonely Planet, 2000) .

13. For more information on ICTA, see Eric Wolf, Culinary Tourism: The Hidden Harvest (Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2006) .

14. Wilbur Zelinsky, “The Roving Palate: North America’s Ethnic Restaurant Cuisines,” Geoforum 16, no. 1 (1985): 51 .

15. Rogert Abrahams, “Equal Opportunity Eating: A Structural Excursus on Things of the Mouth,” in Ethnic and Regional Foodways in the United States: The Performance of Group Identity , ed. Linda Keller Brown and Kay Mussell (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1984), 19–36 .

16. Jay Ann Cox, “Eating the Other: Ethnicity and the Market for Authentic Mexican Food in Tucson, Arizona” (Ph.D. diss., University of Arizona, 1993) .

17. David Bell and Gill Valentine, Consuming Geographies: We Are Where We Eat (London: Routledge, 1997), 6, 185–207 .

18. Bob Ashley, et al., Food and Cultural Studies (London: Routledge, 2004), vii .

19. Brown and Mussell, Ethnic and Regional Foodways ; Lucy M. Long, “Culinary Tourism: A Folkloristic Perspective on Eating and Otherness,” Journal of Southern Folklore 55, no. 30 (1998): 181–203 .

20. David Beriss and David Sutton, eds., The Restaurants Book: Ethnographies of Where We Eat (Oxford: Berg, 2007) .

21. John Urry, The Tourist Gaze: Leisure and Travel in Contemporary Societies (London: Sage, 1990) .

22. Daisy Tam and Nicola Frost, eds., “Food Journeys: Culinary Travels in Time and Space,” Food, Culture and Society 11, no. 2 (2008): 129 .

23. Kaori O’Connor, “The Hawaiian Luau: Food as Tradition, Transgression, Transformation and Travel,” Food, Culture and Society 11, no. 2 (2008): 149–72 ; Daisy Tam, “‘Slow Journeys,” Food, Culture and Society 11, no. 2 (2008): 207–18 .

24. C. Michael Hall, “Wine Tourism in New Zealand,” in Tourism Down Under II: Towards A More Sustainable Tourism , ed. G. Kearsley (Otago: University of Otago Centre for Tourism, 1996), 109–19 .

25. C. Michael Hall and R. Mitchell, “Wine and Food Tourism,” in Special Interest Tourism: Context and Cases , ed. N. Douglas and R. Derrett (New York: Wiley, 2001), 308 .

Hall, et al., Food Tourism Around the World , 10.

Boniface, Tasting Tourism , 23–25.

28. Erik Cohen and Nir Avieli, “Food in Tourism: Attraction and Impediment,” Annals of Tourism Research 31, no. 4 (2004): 755–78 .

29. Amy Bentley, “From Culinary Other to Mainstream American: Meanings and Uses of Southwestern Cuisine,” in Long, Culinary Tourism , 209–25 ; Abrahams, “Equal Opportunity Eating,” 19–36.

Long, Culinary Tourism , 32–34.

Heldke, Exotic Appetites , 163, 172.

32. Kevin Meethan, Tourism in a Global Society: Place, Culture, Consumption (Basinstoke: Palgrave, 2001), 114 .

33. Richard Wilk, Home Cooking in the Global Village: Caribbean Food from Buccaneers to Ecotourists (Oxford: Berg, 2006), 172 ; George Ritzer, The McDonaldization of Society (Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 1993) .

34. Lolis Eric Elie, ed., Cornbread Nation 2: The United States of Barbecue (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009) ; Lucy M. Long, Regional American Food Culture (Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Press, 2009), 138–39 .

35. Kathy Neustadt, Clambake: A History and Celebration of an American Tradition (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1992) .

Long, “Culinary Tourism,” 4–19.

37. Susan Kalcik, “Ethnic Foodways in America: Symbol and the Performance of Identity,” in Brown and Mussell, Ethnic and Regional Foodways , 37–65 .

38. James L. Watson, ed., Golden Arches East: McDonald’s in East Asia (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1997) .

O’Connor, “The Hawaiian Luau,” 149–71.

40. Dean MacCannell, The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class (New York: Schocken, 1989) .

41. Erve Chambers, Native Tours: The Anthropology of Travel and Tourism (Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 2000), 122 .

Parasecoli, Bite Me , 144–45.

Boniface Priscilla. Tasting Tourism: Travelling for Food Drink . Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003 .

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Hall, C. Michael, and Liz Sharples. Food and Wine Festivals and Events Around the World . London: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008 .

Hall, C. Michael, et al. Wine Tourism Around the World: Development, Management and Markets . London: Butterworth Heinemann, 2002 .

Hall, C. Michael, et al. Food Tourism Around the World: Development, Management and Markets . London: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003 .

Heldke, Lisa M. Exotic Appetites: Ruminations of a Food Adventurer . New York: Routledge, 2003 .

Hjalager, Ane-Mette, and Greg Richards, eds. Tourism and Gastronomy . London: Routledge, 2002 .

Long, Lucy M. “ Culinary Tourism: A Folkloristic Perspective on Eating and Otherness. ” Southern Folklore 55, no. 3 ( 1998 ): 181–204.

——. “ Culinary Tourism and the Emergence of an Appalachian Cuisine: Exploring the Foodscape of Asheville, NC. ” North Carolina Folklore Journal 57, no. 1 ( 2010 ): 4–19.

——, ed. Culinary Tourism . Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2004 .

Lysaght, Patricia, ed. Food and the Traveller: Migration, Immigration, Tourism and Ethnic Food . Cyprus: Intercollegiate Press, 1998 .

Wilk, Richard. Home Cooking in the Global Village: Caribbean Food from Buccaneers to Ecotourists . Oxford: Berg, 2006 .

Wolf, Erik. Culinary Tourism: The Hidden Harvest . Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2006 .

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Search Restaurant Business

How to attract culinary tourists

We are known as an ethnic neighborhood restaurant. What can I do to attract culinary tourists?

– Liliana Ramos, Owner, Los Mariachis, Brooklyn, NY

“Culinary tourism” can mean a variety of things. Lucy Long, editor of the book Culinary Tourism gives examples ranging from going on a food and wine tour of a region, to sampling a cuisine from far away in a local restaurant, to structuring a vacation around a cooking class. What these experiences have in common is a quest for an authentic interaction with another culture through food, a unique and memorable experience.

Long suggests several ways of presenting the restaurant experience in ways that will “stir curiosity and attract customers. First, if the food is a type that is unfamiliar to the targeted clientele, it needs to be presented as both edible and palatable. That can be done by using several strategies: framing it as tasty food; describing it in a tasty way; juxtaposing it with familiar foods; explaining what it is; changing ingredients to be more familiar to those customers. These strategies help customers feel ‘safe’ trying new foods. Also, though, if the food is a type that's already familiar, it can be ‘exoticized’ in similar ways—explaining or describing the history behind it, its meanings and uses within its own culture; [and] presenting it in an artistic way.”

Often culinary tourists just “discover” your place—someone happens upon you, has a phenomenal experience, and blogs, tweets, posts, and just plain talks about their experience. That’s great!

Even if that discovery does not happen naturally, you can plant the seeds for culinary tourists to find you and fall in love with your restaurant:

Go online. Culinary tourists hang out on the web sharing their finds and debating the virtues of one another’s favorites. Try forums on chow.com, seriouseats.com and local sites like citysearch.com. Let readers know about you and encourage your regulars to post reviews.
Emphasize a high margin signature item. Culinary tourists often focus on finding “the best” example of a favorite food. Promote positive reviews of a signature item and highlight it on the menu. A trek in search of “the best taco ever” may resonatewith culinary tourists more than a trip to a good Mexican restaurant.
Market to tour operators and partner with competitors. In terms of formal culinary tourism, hold a tasting for tour guides and collaborate with other operations to form ready-to-market experiences like a dine around, crawl, or series of short talks and tastings.

Restaurant Business wins 2 Jesse H. Neal awards for excellence in B2B journalism

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6 Delectable Trends in Culinary Vacations You Won’t Want to Miss

Culinary vacations (sometimes called culinary travel, culinary tourism , or cooking vacations) are the experience of exploring different cultures and cuisines through food and drink.

Food has a unique way of connecting people and anchoring them in the present moment, which is why memories of delicious culinary experiences can linger in your mind for years to come.

Culinary travellers seek out authentic, local ingredients, traditional recipes, and unique culinary experiences, like cooking classes, market tours, and wine tours and tastings.

Whether indulging in flavourful curries in Sri Lanka, mastering the art of soba noodle-making in Japan, or breaking bread with Buddhist monks in South Korea, your taste buds will be spoiled, and your culinary horizons expanded.

Culinary Delights

Tasting local street food in thailand.

Thailand is known for its delicious street food, and culinary travellers can explore the many food stalls and markets that offer a variety of dishes. Some popular street foods in Thailand include pad Thai, papaya salad, grilled meats, and seafood.

Participating in a cooking class in Italy

Italy is known for its cuisine, and culinary travellers can learn how to make traditional Italian dishes by participating in a cooking class. Classes can be found all over the country, and travellers can learn how to make pasta, pizza, and other classic Italian dishes.

Exploring the markets of Morocco

Morocco has a rich culinary history, and travellers can explore the country’s vibrant markets, or souks, to taste local flavours and ingredients. Some popular Moroccan dishes include tagine, couscous, and pastilla.

Visiting wineries in France

France is renowned for its wine, and culinary travellers can explore the many wineries and vineyards throughout the country. They can sample different types of wine and learn about the wine-making process from local experts.

Trying sushi in Japan

Japan is famous for its sushi, and culinary travellers can explore the many sushi restaurants and markets throughout the country. They can taste a variety of sushi types, including nigiri, maki, and sashimi.

Culinary travel allows travellers to immerse themselves in the local culture and gain a deeper appreciation for the role that food plays in a country’s history and identity. It is a delicious and unique way to travel.

Emerging Trends in Culinary Travel

As we become more conscious travellers, culinary vacations are taking new shape. Here are six emerging trends in food tourism .

1. Sustainable and Local Cuisine

More and more travellers are looking for authentic and sustainable food experiences that highlight local and seasonal ingredients. This trend involves eating farm-to-table, foraging, and cooking with local chefs.

2. Fusion Cuisine

Fusion cuisine combines different culinary traditions to create unique and exciting dishes. Travellers are increasingly seeking culinary experiences that blend traditional flavours with modern techniques.

3. Food Tours and Classes

Culinary tourism is now more accessible, thanks to the growth of food tours and cooking classes. Travellers can learn about local cuisine and culture while also enjoying delicious food.

4. Street Food

Street food has always been a popular aspect of culinary travel, but it’s gaining even more popularity. Many travellers seek street food tours and experiences that allow them to taste local flavours from vendors and food trucks.

5. Technology and Social Media

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in culinary travel:

Social media platforms like Instagram are used to share pictures and recommendations of local cuisine.
Apps and websites are used to find the best restaurants, markets, and food experiences in a given area.

6. Culinary Health and Wellness Vacations

Many travellers are also looking for healthy and wellness-focused culinary experiences as part of wellness travel experiences. This trend includes farm-to-table cooking classes, juice retreats, and vegan and vegetarian cooking workshops.

Culinary Vacations Companies

There are many, many reputable culinary vacation companies around the world that offer a range of culinary experiences, cooking classes, food tours, and more.

Here are five we like. Bon appetit!

The International Kitchen

The International Kitchen offers cooking classes and culinary tours in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and other countries. Their programs include hands-on cooking classes, market tours, wine tastings, and cultural excursions.

Edible Destinations

Edible Destinations offers food and wine tours, cooking classes, and culinary vacations in various destinations worldwide. They offer tours in Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America, among other places.

Intrepid Travel

Created with the culinarily curious in mind, Intrepid offers local experiences with a foodie twist, combining their classic grassroots travel style with a culinary focus and includes plant-forward options .

Cookly is a global cooking platform that connects travellers with local cooking classes, food tours, and culinary experiences. They offer classes and tours in over 150 destinations worldwide, from Italy to Thailand.

Tasting Escapes

Tasting Escapes offers food and wine tours, cooking classes, and culinary vacations in Italy, France, Spain, and other European countries. They offer hands-on cooking classes, wine tastings, truffle hunts, and more.

7 ways plant based protein can help you reach your..., napa valley: epicurean wonders from vine to table, brewing innovation: the caffeine-free coffee alternative that’s turning heads, 5 over the top dining experiences for 2024, culture & connection through food tourism: my experience at the..., hot trend: open fire culinary experiences from georgia to tulum, privacy overview.

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Please note you do not have access to teaching notes, who are the culinary tourists an observation at a food and wine festival.

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research

ISSN : 1750-6182

Article publication date: 31 May 2013

The purpose of this paper is to provide psychographic and demographic profiles of people interested in culinary tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted in the First Lubbock Wine Festival in Texas, incorporating Values and Lifestyles (VALS‐2). A questionnaire was designed to investigate the classification of culinary tourists' lifestyles and values in terms of three primary motivations such as ideals, achievement, and self‐expression including culinary tourists' activities and demographic characteristics. Factor and reliability analyses were used.

A five‐factor solution resulted in idealist, achiever, explorer, belonger and innovator. Ideals‐motivated groups were identified by idealist and belonger. Self‐expression‐motivated groups were identified by explorer and innovator. Achievement‐motivated group was identified by achiever.

Research limitations/implications

The study offers new insights and conceptualizations relevant to the analysis of culinary tourism markets, focusing on the needs and psychology of culinary tourists.

Practical implications

A better understanding of the needs and wants of culinary tourists may help tourism marketers increase the effectiveness of their promotional campaigns by targeting the appropriate audience and tailoring their messages to its psychological needs.

Originality/value

By providing a basis for predicting attitudes and behaviors of culinary tourists, this study extends the existing body of research by segmenting culinary tourists based on motivations while making travel decisions.

Tourism research
Tourism management
Demographics
Psychographics
Culinary tourism
Wine tourism
Segmentation

Sohn, E. and Yuan, J.(J). (2013), "Who are the culinary tourists? An observation at a food and wine festival", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research , Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 118-131. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-04-2013-0019

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New restaurant brings serious culinary cred where you'd least expect it

“I think they know who I am,” I said to myself when I arrived at Alara on a recent Thursday and was immediately escorted to the chef’s table . I hadn’t specified the chef’s table when I made my reservation, but before I knew it, I had a front-row seat to chef Mark Bodenstein's brand-new open kitchen. (The chef's table, in case you didn't know, offers diners a chance to sit at a table that's practically inside the kitchen.)

So yeah, they did know I was that food guy from The Enquirer. It happens. But what really surprised me was their confidence. Should they have really offered me such an intimate experience with the kitchen just two weeks after opening? Should they have worried the whole thing would turn into an episode of "The Bear," with cooks shouting, dishwashers crying and Bodenstein getting locked in the walk-in, shouting obscenities as he tried in vain to punch his way out?

The reason for their confidence is clear. This isn't Alara's owner Looking Glass Hospitality 's first rodeo. Nor chef Bodenstein's. Not by a long shot. Looking Glass owns several area restaurants, including S.W. Clyborne Co. Provisions & Spirits , Tahona Kitchen + Bar , Fretboard Brewing and Toast & Berry .

If Bodenstein's name sounds familiar, it might be because he once owned NuVo, a popular upscale restaurant in Covington. Before that, he worked as sous chef at Lilly's Bistro, in Louisville, under chef and owner Kathy Cary, one of the pioneers of the farm-to-table movement, though she closed shop in 2020 after 46 years in business. Lilly's received two James Beard Awards while Bodenstein was there.

– At the Table: Sign up for Keith Pandolfi's weekly food newsletter –

My wife, Amy, was running late, so I ordered a La Louisiane – a drink I've never seen in these parts. Once the house cocktail of the historic New Orleans restaurant La Louisiane, which opened in 1881, it's a rye-forward drink with Benedictine, sweet vermouth, absinthe, Peychaud’s bitters and Luxardo cherries. I suppose it's pretty similar to a Sazerac, but the sweet vermouth and herbal complexity of the Benedictine make it even better.

Sipping my drink, I watched as Bodenstein conducted his kitchen staff and inspected and garnished each dish. A cook was trimming what looked like hen of the woods mushrooms in a bowl before Bodenstein directed him to use a cutting board, instead. Cheeseburger sliders for the happy hour crowd sizzled on a flattop to my right. An expediter grabbed a whole branzino, hollowed out from head to tail to accommodate three branzino tacos, and whisked it away to a table. The energy of the place made me feel almost giddy.

The vibe at Alara

Alara is located in Madison Square, a mixed-used development just off Red Bank Road in the front yard of the Medpace medical campus. And yes, it's weird that what I once thought of as an improbable restaurant destination is now home to a food hall known as Element, a cocktail bar called Placebo and a luxury hotel called The Summit, which houses a restaurant called Overlook Kitchen & Bar . But with Alara, a spot that any major Downtown U.S.A. would be happy to have, Madison Square now has some serious restaurant cred.

It's hard for me to write about Alara without resorting to the same adjectives I've used for many recent write-ups of new restaurants that have opened in Greater Cincinnati this year. Like The Davidson , the dining room is opulent with plush banquets and elegant chandeliers. Like The Aperture , its open kitchen is the star of the show. Like Atwood , the seafood is excellent. And yes, some of the food is pricey, but I dare say those prices are reasonable given the portions I saw coming out of the kitchen.

I asked Looking Glass CEO Scott Schmidt (pinch-hitting as an expediter the night we dined at Alara) who his customer base might be, and he told me it would be diners from Madisonville, Hyde Park and Oakley. Given its proximity to I-71, he hopes people from the outer suburbs will show up, too. He also said a lot of NFL teams and other athletes stay at The Summit when they're in town, so don't be surprised if you see Patrick Mahomes eating a steak here sometime in the near future.

What to order at Alara

The menu is categorized into several sections. The Prime Meats menu, which includes lamb chops, a crown roast of pork, tomahawk steaks and a wagyu beef sampler, ranges from $60 to $175, not including market-priced dishes. Pastas range from $25 to $49 and large plates (which are quite large and feature pork shank tacos, chicken Milanese and king salmon) cost $38 to $54.

As soon as Amy arrived, we ordered from the small plate menu a creamy, vinegary wagyu tartare with Kewpie mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and shallot and vinegar caviar served with crunchy, oversized potato chips ($20). The smoked carrot hummus with black molasses ($15) and the pork buns with house-made pickles and barbecue sauce ($18) are on my list for my next visit. Other enticing items include a jumbo shrimp and lobster tail cocktail ($36) and Korean hot dogs with wasabi mayo and "soy pearls" ($19).

After finishing the tartare, Amy and I agreed to go big or go home with the chilled seafood platter. But when the catering-tray-sized dish arrived at our table, I suggested we could call up some friends to come help us out.

The dish was extraordinary with its fresh scallop and tuna crudo, succulent lobster tail, plump shrimp and king crab salad, each served on a scallop-shell dish along with four sauces that proved worthy accompaniments. The cocktail sauce was bright and citrussy with a belt of horseradish. A yuzu-tamari sauce tasted heavenly with my lobster tail, the mignonette was tangy and a remoulade allowed me to construct a DIY version of shrimp remoulade, one of my favorite Creole dishes .

Despite my concerns, we put a sizable dent in the platter before calling it quits. I then shifted from sea to land by ordering the pot roast agnolotti ($29). The dish didn't disappoint with its perfectly cooked agnolotti (think large-format ravioli) filled with tender, slow-cooked pot roast, tossed with seasonal mushrooms and vegetables, all in a luxurious, cheesy potato sauce.

Amy's New Zealand king salmon with charred broccoli ($46) came out like a Technicolor dream with the fish's bright orange flesh. Noting the marbling, Schmidt told us it was Glory Bay salmon and that Alara is the only place in Greater Cincinnati you can get it. The salmon was ridiculously good and the lightly charred broccoli, with just the right amount of sea salt, showed that Bodenstein cares as much about his vegetables as he does his high-end meats and fish.

Glancing around the dining room as I settled up the check, I noticed a family with a few younger kids in tow sitting at a circular booth. They looked like they were happy. I figured that this was a big night out for them and that everything had gone as planned. I wondered if there might come a day when those kids are fully grown and ask their parents, “What was that restaurant in that weird office park you took us to when we were kids? It was really good."

Alara, 5410 Medpace Way, Madisonville, 513-272-5313, alaracincinnati.com .

'Hometown hero' Emeril Lagasse makes surprise stops in Fall River. Here's why he was here.

FALL RIVER — It was just a typical Sunday for a few local eateries, then BAM! In walks one of Fall River's most famous former residents , celebrity chef and James Beard winner Emeril Lagasse.

"We were very loud on Sunday and it switched to murmurs really quickly," said Andrew Ferreira, co-owner of Europa Pastries and Coffee Shop , which received a surprise visit from Lagasse amid their morning rush.

The city native was in town doing research for his first Portuguese restaurant he plans to open in New Orleans late this summer. Research included a trip back to his roots for a culinary tour of popular Portuguese spots in the Providence, Fall River and New Bedford areas.

He and his Emeril Group team, which manages his 10 restaurants, flew in from New Orleans on Saturday, starting their tour at O Dinis in East Providence.

During his stop at O Dinis, Lagasse spoke to restaurant owner Natalia Paiva-Neves about growing up in Fall River and cooking Portuguese dishes with his mother, Miss Hilda.

And on Sunday his entourage made their rounds in the Spindle City, which included at least two stops on Columbia Street.

"I froze when I finally registered that it was really him. I said 'This is not real, is it?'" said Ferreira, who said he did a double take upon catching Lagasse's reflection in the mirror as he went about his daily routine of preparing coffee.

A sweet start at Europa Pastries

While there, Ferreira said Lagasse educated his colleagues on Portuguese traditions and culture of the Fall River area. Ferreira, his sister Erica Couto and her husband, Kevin, then chatted with him about the pastries their bakery is most known for.

So it's no surprise Lagasse's Europa order included their award-winning pastel de nata, or Portuguese custard cup.

Report: Fall River's Emeril among world's most popular chefs. Where is he on the list?

According to Ferreira, Lagasse wasn't at Europa very long, taking his treats to go, but he made a lasting impression on staff and customers all the same.

"It was brief, but it was enough to be star-struck and in awe that he was here," said Ferreira, who grew up watching Lagasse's TV show "Emeril Live!" every day and emulating the city-born chef.

"He was super nice. Anyone that came up to him he would speak to," Ferreira said. " He's definitely considered a hometown hero for a lot of those people."

Taste of Portugal at Sagres

A bit further up the cobblestoned sidewalks of Columbia Street, Lagasse and his crew dined that same day at Sagres Restaurant, well-known for its upscale, authentic Portuguese cuisine.

Victor DaSilva and his brother Manuel Ferreira, co-owners of the decades-old city staple, got a heads up about a week ago about Lagasse's visit.

"Somebody called in a reservation for Emeril Lagasse and we thought it was a joke," said DaSilva, whose disbelief dissipated as Emeril's table of six walked in the door.

The superstar chef sought a sampling of traditional Portuguese food and wines, leaving it up to DaSilva and Ferreira to order up an array of their most-loved entrees and appetizers.

Lagasse's Luso buffet at Sagres included shrimp and littleneck appetizers, followed by grilled octopus, one of Sagres' best sellers.

The spread also featured two types of cod fish dishes — baked cod (bacalhau) and Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa — Carne de Porco a Alentejana (marinated pork sautéed with littlenecks and potatoes) and Sagres' signature sirloin steak, the best measure of any good Portuguese eatery.

As with any customer who comes into his restaurant, DaSilva said "you always worry about making sure everything goes right," but he wouldn't call the experience nerve-wracking.

"They were really cool, very nice people," said DaSilva, whose restaurant has recently drawn other familiar faces such as former Patriots players Rob Ninkovich and Matt Light. "They said they loved the food, they loved Fall River, they loved the people … and that they'd love to return."

After their meal, the brothers shared a table with Lagasse, where they discussed the joys and challenges of the restaurant industry.

"I told him the people of Fall River are very proud of him," DaSilva said. "He's a big ambassador for the city, and in this case Portuguese food as well."

According to DaSilva, Lagasse was most gracious to the room full of excited customers and staff who exchanged words and took photos with the Fall River icon.

"He was very friendly. I think he felt like he was around his people here," said DaSilva, noting that some customers reminisced about how they knew his family.

What other Fall River-area spots did Emeril visit?

Lagasse's Sunday stops also included Portas Da Cidade Restaurant and Lounge in Westport, which shared a photo of their encounter with the memorable patron on Facebook.

"It was an honor and privilege to have Chef Emeril Lagasse and his team dine with us this afternoon. Chefs Ruben, Joe, and Emanuel made sure that everything is top notch as usual," read the Westport eatery's post.

On Monday, Lagasse continued his tour of Fall River hotspots by dining at the T.A. Restaurant on South Main Street, enjoying some Azorean cuisine and taking photos with restaurant managers. He also hit up Nick's Hot Dogs for a quick bite and visited Portugalia Marketplace , which has been host to numerous TV food shows and distinguished chefs over the years.

"He left us by saying, 'It’s not goodbye, it’s see you soon,’" read a Facebook post by the Twelfth Street shop.

Lagasse's multi-day stretch of restaurant hopping in Greater Fall River also included several other local businesses, who shared photos with their special guest. Lagasse was spotted at Fall River's Caldeiras Restaurant, Mee Sum Chinese restaurant, Mello's Chourico and Linguica and Sarmento's Imports, as well as Saraiva Enterprises in New Bedford.

Fall River strong: From Rhodes scholars to MMA fighters, 10 notable city natives

Emeril’s Fall River roots

Born in Fall River in 1959, Lagasse worked his way up from the kitchens of Fall River to kitchens all over the world.

An alumnus of Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School's culinary arts program, he started out washing pans at Carreiros Barcelos bakery on Bedford Street and cut his teeth at places like the Quequechan Club and St. John's Athletic Club in Fall River, as well as Venus de Milo in Swansea.

He went on to attend Johnson & Wales University in Providence, which set him on a path to an impressive culinary career spanning 33 years.

His famous New Orleans restaurant Emeril’s has spawned more than 20 restaurants nationwide. The celebrity chef has also hosted multiple award-winning TV cooking shows where he rode a catchphrase craze to national fame (“Bam,” “kick it up a notch,” “pork fat rules”), written cookbooks, and even played himself in a sitcom.

Fall River beginnings: Emeril Lagasse opens up about losing his 'second mom’

SouthCoast serving as inspiration for new restaurant

Lagasse's newest addition to his restaurant portfolio — the reason for his SouthCoast trip — will be named 34 Restaurant & Bar.

The number name reflects that father and son are the 3rd and 4th Emeril Lagasses. The celebrity chef's father was Emeril Jr.

The New Orleans restaurant, which he is planning with his son, 21-year-old chef E.J. Lagasse, will serve as a love letter to their Portuguese heritage.

With Providence Journal reports.

Merriman's Kapalua restaurant in Maui shares culture of kindness through rich culinary history

MAUI, Hawaii -- Lead by culinary pioneer Peter Merriman, Merriman's Restaurant showcases island grown and harvested foods with aloha spirit at the forefront.

"I think aloha spirit is just respect, it's that everybody is equal," said Peter Merriman, the owner of Merriman's Kapalua. "Aloha is love and so that's the love we have for one another."

He added, "There's a lot of places that have beautiful beaches, right? Hawaii has beautiful beaches, beautiful weather, and beautiful people."

Peter Merriman has been a culinary pioneer in Hawaii for over 30 years. Known as the original "locavore," Peter is a vocal champion of Hawaii's farmers, ranchers, and fishermen.

"About 1986, we started working with farmers, and then in 1988, I opened my own restaurant on the Big Island of Hawaii in Waimea, it's called Merriman's," shared Merriman.

Peter's restaurants reflect the flavors of Hawaii's multiculturalism.

"I started encouraging...farmers to grow stuff meant for consumption here in Hawaii, just for the flavor," expressed Merriman. "As we started to do that, then we started realizing, 'Oh my goodness, not only is this really great tasting food, but also it's good for the economy.'"

Fast forward to the present day, Merriman's survived the devastating Lahaina wildfires and started helping the community immediately.

"You know that you got a restaurant full of food and no electricity, right so that food's not going to last. And then, you're starting to hear that there's a lot of hungry people out there that don't have any place to eat," recalled Merriman.

"Our people just put a grill in a parking lot and started grilling off the food and handing it out to people. And we were doing up to 2,000 meals a day," he added.

The community work sparked a new motto for the restaurant: "It's nice to be nice."

"To be able to help your community is a true healing process for so many people. And I'm so proud of our people here, because they worked hard every single day, to feed the community," said Merriman.

For more information, visit here .

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USA TODAY 10Best

From farmers markets to food halls, where to go for the best epicurean excursions

April 24, 2024 // By 10Best Editors

By 10Best Editors April 24, 2024

Whether we're in our own cities or exploring a new region of the country, we often explore with our taste buds. So, we set out to find the best food outlets the United States has to offer across four categories: farmers markets, food halls, public markets, and food tours.

A panel of experts made their nominee selections, then our readers voted for their favorite places to get food — whether it's meant to be enjoyed right then and there or used to prepare an incredible meal at home.

Click on each category below to see the full winners list:

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Best Farmers Market: Worthington Farmers Market in Worthington, Ohio

Readers have crowned Worthington Farmers Market with the winning title of Best Farmers Market for 2024

Nearly 100 vendors from the Columbus area converge for the year-round Worthington Farmers Market that adapts to the seasons. In summer, May through October, farmers and producers of high-quality food and plants, sell al fresco in the Old Worthington Historic District. The rest of the year, the market goes indoors at The Shops at Worthington Place.

Full list of winners: Best Farmers Market »

Best Food Hall: Mother Road Market in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Mother Road Market wins Best Food Hall for second year in a row

Get your kicks at Oklahoma's first food hall, located right on historic Route 66. In addition to more than 15 vendors serving up everything from sushi to Cajun cuisine to Brazilian fare, the Kitchen 66 Takeover Cafe offers a rotating opportunity for budding food entrepreneurs to strut their stuff.

Full list of winners: Best Food Hall »

Best Food Tour: Columbus Food Adventures in Columbus, Ohio

Enjoy an array of food experiences with Columbus Food Adventures

From neighborhood walking tours to by-van excursions and private tours, Columbus Food Adventures offers a full menu of ways to meet the area's rich culinary scene. Whether you're a meat-lover, brew-hound, taco fiend, or gastronomic globe-trotter, there's a tour to fit your appetite.

Full list of winners: Best Food Tour »

Best Public Market: Milwaukee Public Market in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee Public Market offers a number of ways to experience the market, from prepared food to live demonstations

Billed as "a gathering place where great taste is always in season," Milwaukee Public Market offers local baked goods, cheeses, meats, produce, and prepared eats. Choose goodies from nearly 20 vendors and enjoy your selection in the Palm Garden seating area on the second level. Or learn how to make your own fare at Madam Kuony's demonstration kitchen, where cooking classes are offered multiple times weekly.

Full list of winners: Best Public Market »

Congratulations to all these winners! Remember to visit 10best.usatoday.com daily to vote in more of our Readers' Choice Awards.

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Your New Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Leave it to Rick Martínez to take everyone’s favorite cookie and make it even better with butterscotch-y, brown-buttery piloncillo.

By Mia Leimkuhler

Piloncillo chocolate chip cookies are shown in close-up to reveal melted chunks of chocolate and crystals of sea salt.

I have never met Rick Martínez — I would love to, ideally with Choco in tow — but I consider him my cookie godfather. In 2017 he wrote about his favorite brown butter chocolate chip cookies for Bon Appétit; I made them and won third place in New York magazine’s staff holiday cookie contest that year. I’ve made the cookies a million times since, to the point that friends refer to them as “those cookies.” Rick does a lot of things well (like grilled chicken and brown butter glazed radishes and refried beans ), but damn if that man doesn’t know a chocolate chip cookie.

His new recipe for piloncillo chocolate chip cookies , then, deserves a red carpet rollout, blaring trumpets and ticker tape confetti. Grating the piloncillo (unrefined whole-cane sugar) is admittedly a bit of a chore, but the depth of flavor it adds to the cookies — notes of caramel, butterscotch, molasses, brown butter, even honeysuckle and anise — is well worth the elbow grease. It also adds texture, as the larger pieces of broken piloncillo render like bits of toffee inside the finished cookies. These are destined to be “those cookies.”

Featured Recipe

Piloncillo Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Shifting from sweet to savory, David Tanis’s spring chicken with mushroom and lemon is a perfect excuse to go wild with all those fresh, leafy herbs at the market: dill, tarragon, parsley, chives and mint. Or go all in on your favorite (for me, that would be evergreen and ever-ready parsley). Leftover herbs can go into Melissa Clark’s all-purpose green sauce — which, incidentally, would be delicious on leftover chicken.

Spring is also springing in this seared fish with creamed kale and leeks from Alexa Weibel, where the sautéed leeks do double duty, first infusing the cream that dresses the kale, and then mixing in with the rice to form a pale green pilaf.

Springtime also means fava beans. But as much as I love those beautiful, tender little beans, I don’t love the shelling and peeling it takes to get to them. Thankfully, the fava beans in Ifrah F. Ahmed’s fuul (Somali-style fava bean stew) come from a can, and I’m going to try it with the frozen favas I have stashed in my freezer next to the peas. (It’s always springtime in the freezer.)

Pasta amatriciana isn’t springy, per se, but something about Kay Chun’s recipe feels perfectly suited for blue skies. Maybe it’s the colors: the pale pink of the guanciale, the vermilion sauce or — a true sign of the shifting seasons — the glass of dry rosé I want to drink with it.

Lastly, I’ve had a strong hankering for nachos lately. (This is misleading; I almost always want nachos.) Ali Slagle’s loaded vegan nachos aren’t any more work than your standard loaded nachos , and the result — crunchy chips and all the necessary nacho building blocks draped in a creamy, smooth cauliflower-based queso — can be devoured by meat-eaters and non-meat-eaters alike. I love diving into these vegan nachos knowing that the “cheese” sauce is actually a vegetable, a real “gold stars for me” moment.

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Rich piloncillo, used in place of brown sugar, adds unparalleled depth to baked goods and even savory dishes.

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Eating in New York City

We asked, you answered: Here are the restaurants our dining-obsessed readers would rank the best in the city.

Pete Wells, our dining critic, has unveiled his annual ranking of the 100 best restaurants in New York City .

At Shaw-naé’s House on Staten Island, the owner and chef Shaw-naé Dixon serves up Southern classics and a warm welcome to her “living room.”

Once the pre-eminent food court in Flushing, Queens, for regional Chinese cuisines, the Golden Mall has reopened after a four-year renovation. A new one in Manhattan is on the horizon.

Restaurant X and Bully Boy, in business 27 years, closes

It's the end of an era. After 27 years and many months of speculation, Restaurant X and Bully Boy in Congers , the last Peter X. Kelly-owned restaurant in Rockland, has closed.

Kelly quietly shuttered it a few weeks ago in anticipation of a sale. The 5.3-acre property is listed for $2.8 million.

The trailblazing chef — and a pioneer of fine dining in Rockland County — had been trying to sell the property, which was known for its lavish brunches, gracious service, and many a special occasion meal, for a while. The reason, according to Kelly, is changing demographics and the challenges of the industry. Kelly said the restaurant business is at a precarious point right now. "Especially since the pandemic; there's just not a lot of people looking for a 250-seat restaurant," he said.

As for what's next? Clarkstown Town Supervisor George Hoehmann said there have been a few different options discussed, with housing one of them.

While the site is in a commercial zone, it could qualify for the town's Active Adult Residence floating zone for senior housing.

More: Rockland smashburger with maple onion bacon jam is Muchnick's 'Best Thing' she ate this week

If some kind of development does happen, it's likely the building, which for 40 years operated as Bully Boy restaurant before Kelly bought it in 1997, will be demolished, according to Hoehmann.

Though he wasn't surprised by the sale, he said the loss will reverberate throughout the community. "Peter was a great supporter of many charities," he said, "Everything from Little League to nonprofits. His presence will be missed enormously.

"Restaurant X will occupy the pages of history in Rockland."

Jane Zemon, CEO of The Arc Rockland echoed the same sentiment. "Peter Kelly's unwavering commitment to culinary excellence and community engagement has been an inspiration," she said. "For decades, Restaurant X's generous donations of delectable cuisine to The Arc Rockland’s premier fundraiser, A Taste of Rockland, have left a lasting impression.

"Its closure not only creates a void in the culinary scene for the county but also in the hearts of those who have benefitted from its philanthropic contributions."

News of the closing also saddened many local residents including lifelong Rocklander Mike Kohlbrenner whose memories of Restaurant X go way back. “Growing up in the '60s and '70s, Bully Boy Chop House was known as one of the best, if not the best restaurant In Rockland," he said. "My parents went there for every special event dinner.” Later in life, Kohlbrenner frequented all of Kelly’s restaurants, starting at Xaviars in Garrison and continuing to Xaviars and Freelance Café in Piermont, Restaurant X in Congers and X20 in Westchester.

“As a Valley Cottage resident, Restaurant X is just down the road from me” he added. "I continued my parents’ tradition and went there for all special dinners and lunches with family — Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries. I will miss it, for sure, and may now need to cross the bridge more often to go to Yonkers."

The Kelly legacy

Kelly, too, admits the situation is bittersweet. "I’ve had an incredible opportunity to work in Rockland and be part of the county for a long time. Of course when anything ends it’s always difficult but I feel like I’ve been part of celebrations and family get togethers and have been a part of educating the community about fine dining," he said.

And that won't end, he said. "I'll continue to be in the community and be a part of it."

More: Westchester restaurant selected by Michelin Guide as 'recommended'

Chef Kelly at one time owned three area restaurants: Xaviars, which he opened with a 10-course tasting menu in 1987 in Piermont, and Freelance Cafe & Wine Bar next door, where he introduced small plates and dining at the bar in 1989. (Both were sold in 2017).

With each opening, Kelly, who was 23 years old when he opened his first restaurant, Xaviars at Garrison, cemented his stake in Rockland County and upped the Lower Hudson Valley's culinary game. His Yonkers waterfront spot Xaviars on the Hudson, which he opened in 2008, remains open (Xaviars at Garrison closed in 2003).

News of Restaurant X's potential sale was first reported three years ago at a time when Kelly, who filed for bankruptcy protection in the fall of 2019 was then asking for $2.3 million for the 5.1 acre parcel.

"I'm just trying to survive," he said at the time. "We went through the worst of the pandemic and we're just trying to get to the other side. It's not easy." (Kelly is no longer in bankruptcy.)

What's next

Along with continuing to operate X2O Xaviars on the Hudson, Kelly has also taken over the food and beverage program at Apropos Restaurant at The Abbey Inn in Peekskill , which recently was awarded a "Recommended" listing by Michelin . He started the job this past January and oversees all food and beverage service including weddings, events, corporate and social catering.

He's since introduced all new contemporary American cuisine menus, which, as is his trademark, includes a majority of ingredients from the Hudson Valley. The wine list has also been completely revamped and a new look has been applied to the dining room down to the china, table lighting, artwork, and stemware. He also hired Adrian Glaza as the new executive chef.

As for Rockland, Hoehmann is quick to point out that though Chef Kelly will no longer own a restaurant in the immediate vicinity, there are plenty of other great eateries in the area, with more coming soon. "Plus, we can all always cross the bridge and see Peter in Yonkers."

"Peter Kelly is legendary," he added. "And we wish him he best as he transitions to other opportunities.

"And we’ll see what's next for this piece of property."

Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter .

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Austin Restaurant Openings

A Fun Tongue-in-Cheek Restaurant Explores What American Chinese Cuisine Really Means in Austin

Yellow Ranger and new bar Golden Horn are opening in North Loop

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A new casual American Chinese restaurant is opening in an also-new neighborhood bar from the team behind beloved dives like Barfly, Bender Bar, and Violet Crown. Restaurant Yellow Ranger and bar the Golden Horn can be found underneath Barfly’s at 5420 Airport Boulevard in North Loop starting on Thursday, April 25.

Through Yellow Ranger, chef Jeremy Young and the team are distilling what American Chinese food in the country truly is right now. It’s a casual counter-service restaurant within the bar that serves lunch and dinner. The American Chinese bar food menu will include noodles, fried dumplings, green beans, and egg rolls for dine-in and takeout. And then there will be daily dine-in specials, of which they’re really excited about. Young teases future items such as chicken laimen (Chinese ramen), bao stuffed with mapo tofu, pork-and-shrimp dumplings, a kimchi hot dog wrapped in croissant dough, smoked eggplant wok dish, and oysters with oolong kombucha. These will be shared via an in-person board and its Instagram account .

Young originally wanted to hone in on his Chinese heritage for the restaurant. But as he explored his family’s history, translating Mandarin recipe cards and looking back at his childhood, he realized that the idea wasn’t true to who he was. “I didn’t immigrate here from China with their culinary traditions in hand,” he writes over email. It felt wrong focusing on centuries-old family culinary traditions for this venture, or as he puts it, “It would be hollow and false to tell that story as if it were my own.”

To readjust, Young turned to his food memories. That meant joyful moments at strip mall buffet restaurants where he’d build trays of every possible type of dish from pizza to fries to lo mein to egg rolls. That was more aligned with the cuisines he knew. “I’m more interested in being myself, in exploring this bizarre cultural fusion in which I feel so, so comfortable,” he writes.

Thus, Yellow Ranger’s American Chinese culinary focus. “At this point, American Chinese food deserves to be celebrated in its own right, separate from ‘authentic’ or ‘traditional’ Chinese cuisine,” Young writes. His great-grandfather Tom Jai Chong invest in and also worked at Chicago Chinese restaurant King Joy Lo , which was revolutionary for serving American Chinese and general American food at the same time in the early 1900s .

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The restaurant’s name is obvious to people who grew up in the 1990s. “ The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers were everything,” Young writes. Since the menu’s culinary cues came from his childhood, “it only made sense that the name would too.”

Young recounts playing with his friends when he wanted to act as the Red Ranger, but he was told, “‘no, man, you have to be the Yellow Ranger ‘cause you’re the Asian one.’” He adds, “Kids weren’t the most racially sensitive creatures back then.” He named the restaurant after this character he was told he had to be as a way of “owning that identity now,” he writes. “What once made me different, an ‘other,’ an outcast, is now my guiding light.”

Young grew up in Los Angeles, where he began cooking as a teenager. When he went to San Francisco for college, he worked at fine dining restaurants, which made him decide to make a career out of it. That’s when he moved to Austin, where he ended up at Japanese restaurant Ramen Tatsu-ya. Through his seven years at the company, he worked his way from a line cook to eventually becoming the director of culinary operations for the entire company. Young left in late 2019, joined New American restaurant Emmer & Rye for a year, and then moved to Nashville at the beginning of the pandemic with his wife Megan Valigura. That’s where the couple, with chef-partner Drew Dunston, opened their own restaurant Tootsie Lou’s Tacos . They ran that for a bit but eventually moved back to Austin, where he started thinking about his next project.

Back in Texas, Young was talking with his friend, Pete Adamski, who was the general manager of Austin bar Violet Crown Social Club. He connected the chef to Marcos Canchola, who owns several dive bars around town, including Violet, Barfly’s, Bender Bar, Pour House Pub, now-closed Mugshots , and Pour House Pints and Pies. Young was already well acquainted with one of them, the Hideout Pub, because that was his go-to bar where he met his wife. Canchola was working on opening the Golden Horn, and was looking for a food component. “The connection was immediate and the partnership seemed fated,” Young writes.

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Much like its siblings, the Golden Horn is a neighborhood dive bar. It’ll serve draft beers, draft cocktails, frozen drinks, wines, spirits, and nonalcoholic options. The physical space is warm and inviting, with lots of wood, leather, signage that’s hand-painted or for vintage beers. There are darts and pool tables too. It took over what was long-time restaurant Burger Tex , which opened in 1973 and closed in 2020, found on the ground floor of the building. (Adamski is now its general manager.)

The rest of the Yellow Ranger team includes also-former Tatsu-ya people. There are chefs Zane Frisch and Kyle Harris, who had worked at many other Austin places including New Texan restaurant Lenoir, now-closed wine restaurant Apothecary , and New American spot Launderette. The general manager is Epiphany Kidwell. Matt Thompson worked on the design branding. Abraham Mong fabricated the menu board, Kim Raynes Smith fashioned the noren curtains separating the space. And then YiMay Yang is the photographer. Ahead of fully opening Yellow Ranger, the restaurant held pop-ups since January.

Yellow Ranger’s initial hours will be from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday; and then from noon to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The goal is to eventually expand hours with daily services. Golden Horn’s hours are from noon to 2 a.m. daily.

Yellow Ranger

The golden horn, austin barbecue sandwich mini-chain closes cedar park restaurant, where to drink and eat for cinco de mayo in austin, valentina’s tex mex bbq is being sold to new owners.

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What is Culinary Tourism? Exploring Culture Through Food
Definition and Scope. Culinary tourism, also known as food tourism or gastronomy tourism, taps into the desire to explore a culture through its flavors. Your culinary adventures can range from local cooking courses to winery tours, encompassing any travel experience where the primary goal is to discover new tastes and food traditions.
Culinary tourism: The growth of food tourism around the world
Food tourism is a vitally important component of the travel and tourism industry as a whole. When booking a trip, people tend to consider a variety of factors - and food is high on the list of priorities. The World Food Travel Association says that money spent on food and drink while travelling accounts for 15-35% of all tourism spending.
Culinary Tourism
CULINARY TOURISM: "Eating Out Of Curiosity" —"the intentional, exploratory participation in the foodways of an Other" (Long, 2004) "Exploring the world through food." Also known as gastrotourism and food tourism. The phrase "culinary tourism" was coined by folklorist Dr. Lucy Long to explore the meanings, motivations, and implications of seeking food experiences different from ...
Meet The Tastemaker Who's Defining Countries' Entire Culinary Tourism
An ultimate tastemaker. Enter: Eric Pateman. Pateman is known as one of the world's top experts on culinary tourism and is recognized as Canada's leading ambassador of Canadian cuisine. In ...
What Is Food Tourism?
In the beginning, we defined food tourism as "The pursuit and enjoyment of unique and memorable food and drink experiences, both far and near." (Erik Wolf, Executive Director, Culinary Tourism: A Tasty Economic Proposition, 2001). This was our industry's first white paper that explained what food tourism is and how it can benefit industry ...
The Rise of Culinary Tourism: Exploring Global Destinations Through
Savoring Journeys: The Growing Phenomenon of Culinary Tourism. FREMONT, CA: In an age where travel experiences are increasingly sought for authenticity and uniqueness, culinary tourism has emerged as a delectable trend, allowing travelers to savor the flavors of a destination's culture and history.As plates become passports and local dishes become a means of exploration, the intersection of ...
What is Culinary Tourism?
Culinary tourism involves traveling beyond one's neighborhood to savor exceptional food and drink experiences reflecting the local cuisine, heritage, or culture. But there's more to it than just indulging in different dishes. Culinary tourism is a delightful intersection of travel, culture, and gastronomy, bringing the tourism experience to ...
Culinary tourism
Culinary tourism. Culinary tourism or food tourism or gastronomy tourism is the exploration of food as the purpose of tourism. [1] It is considered a vital component of the tourism experience. [2] Dining out is common among tourists and "food is believed to rank alongside climate, accommodation, and scenery " in importance to tourists.
Culinary Tourism as an Avenue for Tourism Development: Mapping the
Culinary tourism, also referred to as 'food' or 'gastronomic' tourism (De Vera, 2019), has emerged as a major theme in recent tourism studies (Ellis et al., 2018).The experiential potential that food entails has stimulated a growing interest in food tourism among stakeholders (Andersson et al., 2017).Likewise, it has become a deciding factor in selecting a destination to visit and a ...
Learning through culinary tourism and developing a culinary tourism
Erik Wolf is Founder and Executive Director of the World Food Travel Association. He is a highly sought speaker, thought leader, strategist and consultant on food and drink tourism issues. He is also the publisher of Have Fork Will Travel and author of Culinary Tourism: The Hidden Harvest.He is a highly sought speaker on food and beverage tourism and has been featured in numerous media outlets.
What's New in the World of Food Tourism & Culinary Travel?
4. Cherry Blossom Festival - Japan: While not exclusively a food festival, the Cherry Blossom Festival, also known as Hanami, is a significant event in Japan, celebrating the blooming of cherry blossoms in spring. During this time, people gather under cherry blossom trees to have picnics and enjoy various traditional Japanese foods and snacks. 5.
What is Culinary Tourism?
What is Culinary Tourism? Culinary tourism, aka food tourism, is a new and vibrant category of specialized tourism where people go places in order to sample authentic cuisine and truly immerse in the experience of living in that place through the food. Quite often, this also includes local beverages, cheeses, chocolates, etc.
The role of luxury gastronomy in culinary tourism: An ethnographic
This paper investigates the role of Michelin-starred chefs as change-makers and advocates of tourism activities in both rural and urban areas. We conducted a longitudinal ethnographic study in 35 French Michelin-starred restaurants (1, 2, and 3 Michelin stars) in France from 2014 to 2018.
Culinary Tourism
Culinary tourism, also known as food tourism and gastronomic tourism, is simultaneously a scholarly field of inquiry, a niche within the tourism industry, and a human impulse to "eat out of curiosity" and try new food experiences. ... in which he surveyed telephone book listings of ethnic restaurants in order to map culinary regions in the ...
Culinary Tourism
Culinary tourism is the focus on food as an attraction for exploration and a destination for tourism. Although food has always been a part of hospitality services for tourists, it was not emphasized by the tourism industry until the late 1990s. It now includes a variety of formats and products - culinary trails, cooking classes, restaurants ...
Culinary Tourism: Exploring the Rise of Food Travel
Culinary Tourism: Exploring the Rise of Food Travel. BY Bridge House Tavern Team. November 6, 2023. 454 Views. Last updated on December 2nd, 2023 at 12:39 pm. In a world where adventure and exploration have become synonymous with cultural discovery, one travel trend has left an indelible mark on the global wanderlust community - culinary tourism.
Savoring the World: The Growing Popularity of Culinary Tourism
Statistics and Trends. According to a World Food Travel Association report, the global culinary tourism market was valued at $8.8 billion in 2019, with a projected growth rate of 16.8% by 2025. This growth is driven by a rising interest in food culture, a desire for more authentic travel experiences, and the increasing availability of ...
Culinary Tourism is Heating Up as More Travelers Plan Food-Focused
Culinary tourism or gastro-tourism is exploding, a concept where travelers choose their destination based explicitly on its cuisine. Whether it's wine tasting in Napa Valley, visiting Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, or taking cooking classes in India, food-focused adventures have become a hot trend in the travel industry.
Culinary Tourism: The Intersection of Food and Travel
The Impact and Future of Culinary Tourism. Culinary tourism has significant potential as a driver for sustainable and responsible tourism. It can stimulate local economies by promoting local products and services, preserve culinary heritage and traditions, and encourage sustainable practices through farm-to-table experiences and organic food tours.
Culinary Tourism
World historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto suggests a similarly long view of culinary tourism in his book Near a Thousand Tables: A History of Food (2002). He identifies eight "revolutions," or paradigmatic shifts in the ways humans use and think about food, including the rise of agriculture and herding, the development of cooking and manners, and long-distance trade and industrialization.
How to attract culinary tourists
"Culinary tourism" can mean a variety of things. Lucy Long, editor of the book Culinary Tourism gives examples ranging from going on a food and wine tour of a region, to sampling a cuisine from far away in a local restaurant, to structuring a vacation around a cooking class. What these experiences have in common is a quest for an authentic ...
6 Delectable Trends in Culinary Vacations You Won't Want to Miss
Here are six emerging trends in food tourism. 1. Sustainable and Local Cuisine. More and more travellers are looking for authentic and sustainable food experiences that highlight local and seasonal ingredients. This trend involves eating farm-to-table, foraging, and cooking with local chefs. 2.
Who are the culinary tourists? An observation at a food and wine
- The purpose of this paper is to provide psychographic and demographic profiles of people interested in culinary tourism., - The study was conducted in the First Lubbock Wine Festival in Texas, incorporating Values and Lifestyles (VALS‐2). A questionnaire was designed to investigate the classification of culinary tourists' lifestyles and ...
Alara restaurant puts Madisonville on the culinary map in Cincinnati
The Prime Meats menu, which includes lamb chops, a crown roast of pork, tomahawk steaks and a wagyu beef sampler, ranges from $60 to $175, not including market-priced dishes. Pastas range from $25 ...
Emeril Lagasse embarks on culinary tour of Fall River, New Bedford area
The New Orleans restaurant, which he is planning with his son, 21-year-old chef E.J. Lagasse, will serve as a love letter to their Portuguese heritage. With Providence Journal reports. It was just ...
Merriman's Kapalua restaurant in Maui shares culture of kindness
MAUI, Hawaii -- Lead by culinary pioneer Peter Merriman, Merriman's Restaurant showcases island grown and harvested foods with aloha spirit at the forefront. "I think aloha spirit is just respect ...
Best food halls, farmers markets, and food tours in the US
From neighborhood walking tours to by-van excursions and private tours, Columbus Food Adventures offers a full menu of ways to meet the area's rich culinary scene. Whether you're a meat-lover, brew-hound, taco fiend, or gastronomic globe-trotter, there's a tour to fit your appetite. Full list of winners: Best Food Tour »
Your New Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Piloncillo Chocolate Chip Cookies. View Recipe →. Shifting from sweet to savory, David Tanis's spring chicken with mushroom and lemon is a perfect excuse to go wild with all those fresh, leafy ...
Congers NY Restaurant X and Bully Boy closes after 27 years
It's the end of an era. After 27 years and many months of speculation, Restaurant X and Bully Boy in Congers, the last Peter X. Kelly-owned restaurant in Rockland, has closed. Kelly quietly ...
New Chinese Restaurant Yellow Ranger and Bar Golden Horn Open in Austin
Yellow Ranger's initial hours will be from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday; and then from noon to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The goal is to eventually expand hours with daily services. Golden Horn's hours are from noon to 2 a.m. daily. New Chinese American restaurant Yellow Ranger and new neighborhood dive bar ...

What is Culinary Tourism? Exploring Culture Through Food

Exploring Culinary Tourism

Definition and Scope

History and Evolution

Types of Culinary Tourism

The Culinary Tourism Experience

Savoring Local Flavors

Culinary Tours and Activities

Interactive Food Experiences

Economic and Social Aspects

Global and Regional Cuisines

Educational Aspects

Culinary Workshops and Cooking Classes

Brewery and Winery Tours

Learning About Agriculture and Local Produce

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Culinary Tourism: Exploring the Rise of Food Travel

What is Culinary Tourism?

The Global Trend of Food Travel

Destinations for Food Travel

Immersive Food Experiences

The Impact of Food Tourism on Local Economies

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Food Travel Tips and Recommendations

The Future of Culinary Tourism

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