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Luxury travel blog » Culinary Tourism

Culinary Tourism, the wonderful world of food and travel

The Rise of Culinary Travel

Has the world changed? Is everyone a food connoisseur now? Culinary tourism, also known as food tourism, gastronomic tourism, culinary travel or any other food-related moniker you want to throw at it - has emerged as a huge travel trend over the past few years, and why not?

We all have to eat when we travel. We might as well eat well. But what exactly is culinary tourism?

What is Culinary Tourism?

Essentially culinary tourism means combining a love for food with a love for travel. If you're a travel-passionate foodie, you have an endless amount of options such as:

Food and Wine Tours

Does the idea of visiting the Champagne region of France touring famous champagne houses such as Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin and Moët & Chandon get your travel motor purring? (It does mine. Learning more about champagne is SO on my list.)

Or are you more interested in local food tours? Whatever your taste (or taste buds), culinary tourism has something for you. Almost every city and region has companies that specialize in food tours. Not into organized travel? Design your own food and travel itinerary. It can be anything you want, from seeking out white truffles in Alba, Italy, to plotting out the perfect Paris croissant walk.

Cooking Lessons:

Many travellers dream about a week in Tuscany learning how to make savoury risottos and rich tuscan soups. Personally, I'd rather eat pasta than learn how to cook it but that's because I'm lazy. Though I did enjoy that cooking class my husband and I took in Mexico last year.

Thailand (the Oriental Hotel has a famous food school) and Italy seem to be top destinations for this type of culinary tourism but you can seek out cooking classes wherever you go.

Culinary tourism, cooking class in Mexico Now that's a mouthful

Authentic Cuisine:

Is your idea of culinary tourism more about meandering through local markets sampling grasshoppers in Mexico or buying fuchsia-coloured dragon fruit (a personal favourite) in Thailand?

Food markets and food stalls are a great way to experience local culture, but do keep hygiene in mind, especially when dealing with sidewalk food stands.

One popular place for food-themed travel is Singapore, where hawker food stalls are a way of life, and where good sanitary standards are required.

Culinary tourism fine dining Azul restaurant Grand Velas
Anticipation

Restaurants:

Fine dining is probably the most popular way to enjoy culinary travel. It's certainly mine. Many travellers now make a point of researching restaurants in the destinations they plan to visit, from 3 Michelin star establishments to hole-in-the-wall standouts.

Just make sure you reserve early. The more popular a place, the more people who want in (try dropping in for high tea at the Plaza in New York unannounced one Sunday if you don't believe me.)

culinary tourism, high tea Park Hyatt Now this is sightseeing

Going Local with the Dinner Party Trend:

Here's a new direction culinary tourism is heading in - eating with the locals in their home. FYI: No, you can't just pick a doorway and waltz on in - that could get you arrested. There are companies that specialize in just this type of food tour such as Eat With.

I just tried EatWith in Tel Aviv and it's definitely worth checking out - a unique way of getting beyond the tourist sites, sampling some local flavours and getting to know some (hopefully) interesting people.

Adventure Food Travel

Yes, adventure food travel is a thing. My most adventurous food moment was probably eating chicken anus at a Japanese restaurant in Korea. (Twice. It's chewy.)

I've eaten brain for breakfast in Mexico City; haggis (a traditional Scottish dish made from calf or sheep offal mixed with suet, oatmeal, and seasoning and boiled in a bag) in Edinburgh; and enjoyed the stinkiest fruit in the world, Durian, which is so smelly it's not allowed on some airlines.

But that's nothing, they are as many adventure food experiences as there is sushi in the sea, and you're only limited by your own gag reflex.

culinary tourism food festivals shellfish
Shellfish love is not selfish love

Food Festivals

Here's another great way to combine food and travel - with the humble food festival where travellers, locals, restaurant owners and chefs all mingle. If you love oysters, the Prince Edward Island Shellfish Festival will let you sample some of the best oysters in the world. (Is there anything better than a malpeque oyster? Seriously. I don't think there is.)

There's a Lemon Festival in Menton, South of France; a Garlic Festival in Chilliwack, British Columbia; an Icewine Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario ... and I could go on and on, just as you can go on and on attending food festivals around the world.

Culinary tourism, agrotourism in Nicaragua That's fresh!

Agrotourism

Another niche in the culinary tourism realm is Agrotourism. On farm stays, food-minded travellers can get back to basics, learning more about where food comes from, how it's harvested and prepared. If you've ever wanted to milk a cow, this is your chance.

Experiential Food Travel

This is a new word for an old way of travelling. Think of your grandpa flying up to a fishing lodge (or heading down to the local stream) to catch, cook and eat. This type of experiential food travel gives you a whole new appreciation of what goes into your mouth.

When I went out to harvest my own oysters in Prince Edward Island, I realized that 1) oysters really are a live food and 2) I prefer them chilled with lemon than out of a lukewarm sea, while my urban food foraging experience in Cape Town, South Africa, showed me how much food lies, literally, at our feet.

culinary tourism, historic cafes of montparnasse Montparnasse, cafes with a past

Historical Food and Travel

Combining history, food and travel has given me an excuse to drink in every historical hotel bar in Paris, not to mention relive the decadent 20s in the historic cafes in Montparnasse and dine in some of the most elegant restaurants-with-a-past in Budapest. Not only is it fun, It's also not as tiring as regular sightseeing because you are getting your history lesson while sitting down.

So there you have it. Even if you don't consider yourself a food fanatic, injecting a little bit of culinary tourism in your plans can enhance your trip and make it something to drool over. That said, it's time to pack your bags, make your reservations and let the lip-smacking travel begin.

A Chocolate Christmas in Switzerland

December 26, 2020 by Carol Perehudoff Leave a Comment

Zurich's chocolate chic, street scene winter

Celebrating all things chocolate in Switzerland and around the world.

Filed Under: Culinary Tourism, Switzerland

The strangely fascinating world of Thai rice

April 15, 2019 by Carol Perehudoff 3 Comments

Thailand rice display with purple rice and flowers

Here’s how you can delve into some fascinating rice customs, festivals and rice dishes in Thailand.

Filed Under: Culinary Tourism, Thailand

East Toronto restaurants, where to eat in Riverside and Corktown

November 2, 2018 by Carol Perehudoff 2 Comments

Where to eat in Toronto east side Tabule Riverside

If you’re wondering where to eat in Toronto’s East End, check out the happening areas of Riverside and Corktown. Here’s a bit about the area and a selection of East Toronto restaurants to visit.   Toronto’s East End “I’m carrying a birthday balloon and I just peed my pants,” a woman says as she speed […]

Filed Under: Culinary Tourism, Toronto

Top wine regions in Italy

February 28, 2018 by Carol Perehudoff 12 Comments

Vineyards

If you’re interested in wine tastings, vineyards and wine tours in Italy, you need to know where to go. With more than 300 grape varieties and 20 different wine regions, this boot-shaped country can make your head spin before you’ve even had a drink. Don’t worry. Help with trip planning is at hand. Here are […]

Filed Under: Culinary Tourism, Europe, Italy

Best foodie places in Toronto

February 9, 2018 by Carol Perehudoff 2 Comments

Small prawn plate at a restaurant in Toronto

Toronto is famed for its range of restaurants. To help you plan your trip, here are some of the best foodie havens in Canada’s largest city.   Best foodie places in Toronto for visitors Toronto is delicious, there is no doubt about that. And one of the best ways to devour Canada’s largest city is […]

Filed Under: Culinary Tourism, Toronto

Where to eat in Siem Reap – a Khmer food adventure at Park Hyatt

March 14, 2017 by Carol Perehudoff 15 Comments

Khmer food, Seafood amok

If you’re wondering where to eat in Siem Reap, check out my Khmer food adventure at the Park Hyatt Siem Reap. Who knew it could lead to a cultural connection? Where to eat in Siem Reap – a Khmer food adventure “Angkor Wat is great, but I feel like I’m only seeing temples, not getting to […]

Filed Under: Cambodia, Culinary Tourism

Love affair with oysters in PEI

July 16, 2016 by Carol Perehudoff 4 Comments

Are oysters in Prince Edward Island, a shellfish-rich province on Canada’s East Coast, the best in the world? Call me crazy, but I say yes. Here’s why my love affair with oysters in PEI continues. Canada is a lucky country. The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has the best oysters in the world. Yes, yes, […]

Filed Under: Culinary Tourism, PEI

Saskatoon restaurants, Saskatchewan terroir

May 27, 2016 by Carol Perehudoff 17 Comments

Saskatoon Prairie and Saskatoon restaurants

Are you heading to the Canadian prairie province of Saskatchewan? Looking for Saskatoon restaurants that offer a true local experience? From hemp bread to aged silver ribeye, here’s where to savour some superb Saskatchewan terroir.   Saskatoon restaurants, Saskatchewan terroir It’s official. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a prairie city in Canada’s midwest, has become a culinary destination. BECAUSE THERE IS STUFF HERE TO MAKE […]

Filed Under: Culinary Tourism, Saskatchewan

Mr Jones bar, Dominick Hotel NYC: cocktails anyone?

March 25, 2016 by Carol Perehudoff 13 Comments

Mr Jones bar Trump Soho NYC

Visiting New York City? Checking out Soho? Experience the evolution of the cocktail revolution at Mr Jones bar in the Dominick Hotel, NYC Well, the Trump Hotel Soho is gone from Manhattan and rebranded as the Dominick Hotel. What remains are the cocktails.   Am I not supposed to be doing this? One of the bartenders at […]

Filed Under: Culinary Tourism, New York, USA

Lyon restaurants and who is this man I call my husband?

March 20, 2016 by Carol Perehudoff 29 Comments

Lyon Restaurants city view

Visiting Lyon, France? Often called the Food Capital of the World, it’s the perfect place to dive lips first into food tourism. Here are some of the best Lyon restaurants (and what they taught me about my husband).   Lyon restaurants, a romantic food adventure As I often say to my husband (at least when he’s not […]

Filed Under: Culinary Tourism, Europe, France

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