Culinary Tourism
The regions that have a special relationship with food and wine draw millions of visitors every year to become "Culinary Tourists" seeking to enjoy the food and beverages. This may be locations such as New Orleans, or the Napa Valley.
Over the years we have been supporters of New Orleans, especially after the devastating Hurricane Katrina. Their love of food has to be enjoyed to understand. Like most famous cuisine developed with a long history of social conditions, environment and economics.
This is especially true for the many flavors of barbecue and smoked meats in the States around Louisiana, as with the culinary delights that the humble Crawfish provides to New Orleans. A drive around these Southern States is a lesson in history, as well as a in culinary skills.
Having been fortunate to sample diverse cuisines in over 80 countries, it is a delight to get away from American bland chain restaurants offering billions of the same, to memorable places that provide truly local dishes, painstakingly prepared by cooks with a passion, and not High School kids paying their bills till they find another job. The "nose" and skill of the cook not needing an electronic timer, and frozen packets of factory produced ingredients, ready in seconds.
In Europe the practice of Culinary Tourism is second nature, and most are probably unaware that choice of food influences many of their travel, and vacation decisions. A lover of French Wines looks at a map of Bordeaux, and thinks of the wine. Tuscany, Rhine and around Europe, you can't look at a vacation area without thinking of food and beverage. Visitors don't flock to Munich in October to celebrate the architecture.
Similarly when we have visitors on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay the most requested delight is a pile of fresh cooked Blue Crabs, showered with Old Bay seasoning. Even with the facilities of Chef's Studio and tens of thousands of recipes from around the world, it's the local Crabs that visitors crave for.
I must admit that on a recent visit to New Hampshire a obligatory weekend was spent in the search for the best in Lobster. With Lobster at $4.75 a pound retail who would not indulge. There is nothing like fresh lobster, which was in the sea a matter of hours ago, and not in chilled water tanks for several days, even weeks.
Anyone who loves Shrimp too can never enjoy the Supermarket purchased, farm raised in distant lands, and fed on God knows what. Gulf Shrimp, or those from the Outer Banks of North Carolina have a totally different taste and texture.
Same with Steak. An aged steak in Kansas City is a s far away from the dyed, preserved meats on the supermarket shelves, and don't need a notice on what percentage of "water product" is allowed in the meat. Ever looked at how much "water product" is in the ham you have in your sandwich? Often as high as 35%!
The importance is that none of these items described needed investment to enjoy. Unlike a theme park, or man made attraction the Crabs were already there, long before man. So were the Lobsters, Crawfish, maybe not the Steaks, but you get the picture. There is an abundance of natural aspects of tourism that we neglect to promote the man made offerings. That is the basis of Culinary Tourism!