Culinary tourism is a new phenomenon that is rapidly becoming popular not only in our country, but throughout the world. Why do many people strive not to ordinary beaches, excursions and walks, but to explore the culinary traditions of other countries?
A new direction - tourism to the kitchen
In addition to several boring traditional types of tourism, such as beach, ski, extreme, excursion, there has been a recent trend towards the development of gastronomic tourism. Exploring the culinary traditions of other countries turns out to be as interesting as taking excursions in museums. In the end, going abroad, you somehow come across a different culture, history and, of course, a different cuisine. Someone succumbs to the charm of unfamiliar tastes and becomes a sincere admirer of local cuisine, while someone prefers not to take risks and chooses traditional, familiar dishes from the average European menu.
But this is the case with ordinary tourist trips. With regard to culinary tourism, the main focus here is on food. Cooking methods, traditions, recipes, selection of ingredients - all those zest that give this or that national cuisine its originality and uniqueness. The opportunity to bring home not trivial magnets and souvenirs, but new culinary knowledge, attracts more and more tourists.
Where to go for recipes?
Traditional gastronomic destinations are Southeast Asia and Western Europe. As for the first route, Thailand is the most attractive, where enterprising residents have opened a lot of culinary schools with short courses. The program of such a course is usually designed for 1 day, during which students visit the city market, buy groceries, learn the basics of Thai cuisine and, finally, prepare a few main courses and dessert under the guidance of a chef. There are such schools in any major city in Thailand, so you don't have to say goodbye to your favorite beach for a long time to study. The cost of such a course fluctuates around 1-2 thousand rubles. But there is also Japanese, Chinese, Indian cuisine. Naturally, as in the case of Thailand, it is better to get acquainted with their specifics directly in their homeland.
Remember that Thai cuisine is famous for the abundance of spices that are essential in the hot climate of this country. Be careful when trying food, especially if you don't like spicy foods.
If Asian culinary traditions are not to your liking, then Western Europe is at your service. Italy and France are especially popular among gastronomic travelers. Indeed, it is France that is considered the birthplace of haute cuisine, and thanks to the culinary programs of actress Yulia Vysotskaya, Italian dishes in our country have become almost native. By the way, Julia organizes gastronomic tours in Italy and France. The week-long trip provides its participants with the opportunity to get acquainted with the traditions of local culinary schools, taste the specialties of the best restaurants, and take part in master classes by the country's leading chefs. The cost of such training will, of course, be significantly higher than the price of a one-day course in Thailand or China.
The province of Provence can rightfully be called the culinary center of France. Provencal herbs and olive oil are famous all over the world.
Of course, before embarking on a culinary tour, it is better to arrange an acquaintance with the cuisine of the country you are going to, "on the shore". Otherwise, it may turn out that you will learn a lot of amazing recipes, but you will not be able to apply them at home, because you simply will not like specific dishes.
