Food Tourism worth exploring

By NDUBI MVULA, Lusaka

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 food ways of another and the development of food as a tourist destination and attraction.

History has it that as an emerging travel trend, culinary tourism became prominent in 2001 when Erik Wolf, president of the International Culinary Tourism Association (ICTA), presented a white paper about culinary tourism to his organization.

The paper evolved into a book that documented the growing interest in food and wine tourism and how requests for culinary tours could drive local businesses and restaurateurs to meet the growing demand.

As it is with any given sector of tourism, be it sports, cultural, aqua, space, wildlife, golf, conference, and many other too numerous to itemise, the goal of culinary tourism is to educate and inspire food and wine enthusiasts while giving the traveller a chance to explore the local area and learn about local food trends.

These trends are solely based on the different kinds of cooking techniques and food history.

Travellers can do so by participating in a cultural immersion experience at select destinations around the globe.

There is even what is known as Culinary tours and travel packages which include a wide range of activities related to cooking, food sampling, food trends, wine making and baking.

In addition to restaurant weeks in different cities, dining events and cooking competitions, culinary tourism encompasses culinary experiences, such as winery and brewery tours, tours of restaurants and food manufacturing plants, conferences and events with culinary professionals and cookbook authors, and ethnic food tastings.

With the many types available, travellers interested in eating, sampling wine and beer, cooking, baking and learning about the history of certain foods can choose from a variety of culinary tourism packages at renowned destinations and sites around the globe.

Ever heard of a place in Chisamba called Fringilla farms? This place for many year now has been a travellers venue to look for whenever on the Lusaka –Kabwe road, all because the pleasant and mouth-watering food atmosphere that attracts traveller.

Sylva catering is yet another local establishment specialised in a variety of local or indigenous food stuff such as chimpapila (bean leaves), impupu (pumpkin seeds), chikanda, chibwawa (pumpkin leaves), nsima and many other rich and nutritious Zambian dishes.

However, on the international scene, it is noted French food lovers may consider cooking classes in Paris or attending a French cooking school as a guest. Italy, Spain and other countries in the Mediterranean offer farmhouse cooking vacations, where visitors can live in a farmhouse or villa for an extended period of time and learn about local and regional cuisine.

Some destinations offer culinary tours and specialty dining experiences, where travellers visit various restaurants, cafes and bistros, meet with chefs and take part in food seminars or events.

Dotted round the globe are some of the Culinary institutes and chef training schools, such as The Culinary Institute of America, the United States' premier culinary college, which offer programs and events for food lovers who want to learn about the local restaurant industry, emerging food trends and food preparation techniques.

On its potentiality, the International Culinary Tourism Association (ITCA) states that culinary tourism is growing exponentially every year what with the steady increase in interest of food channels, travel shows featuring local and regional cuisine, food documentaries and online culinary travel shows, more consumers are travelling to various destinations just to enjoy a new food and wine experience.

It is, after a bit of this information on this yet another exciting line of tourism venture, consumers interested in sampling wide range of culinary tour or culinary vacation be it local or foreign they are liberty to work out an itinerary with a travel agent specialized in specialty travel.

The internet also does hold vital information on local cooking schools and cooking vacation packages in preferred destination of Zambia and beyond the borders.

A little bit of this and that food sampling will definitely make one's tour worth a life time change in what the next door pot of holds.