Southern Foodways appears on Fridays as part of our collaboration with the Southern Foodways Alliance, an organization based in Oxford, Mississippi, that "documents and celebrates the diverse food cultures of the American South." Dig in! Culinary Tourism is a thing—a big thing. So big, it has its own industry group: the International Culinary Tourism Association. Municipalities work to sell their local food scene as tourist-worthy. The National Trust for Historic Preservation names a Dozen Distinctive Destinations each year, cities chosen in part for their culinary diversity and draw. All in all, this probably is a bandwagon worth jumping on because when culinary tourism thrives, it’s local restaurants, artisans, and farmers who benefit. Engaging in culinary tourism is actually pretty easy....
Continue reading »
In yesterday's New York Times, Taylor Holliday says the best way to know a place is to learn how to cook the local foods: Ever since a trip to Vietnam two years ago, during which I toured the exotic food markets of Nha Trang with the hotel chef at the Ana Mandara resort and learned how to make my own rice paper for spring rolls at cooking schools in Hoi An, I have been convinced that there is no better way to get to the heart of any city than through its cuisine. And that means not just eating it, but shopping for it, cooking it and beginning to understand it. Step off the expected tourist track for as little...
Continue reading »
