The World Is a Kitchen

Culinary Travel Heats Up!

Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) gave those of us interested in culinary tourism a big Valentine’s gift this year: the results of its first-ever comprehensive culinary travel survey. The results, not surprising to those of us in the know, and those of you trying to book culinary tours and classes here and abroad, are that this is a booming segment of travel that is continuing to grow.

Defining culinary activities as cooking classes, dining out for a unique and memorable experience, visiting farmers markets, gourmet food shopping, attending food festivals, participating in winery tours, driving a wine trail, tasting locally made wines, and attending wine festivals, the statistics show that of 27 million American leisure travelers, 17% have participated in a wine or food-related trip in the past three years and that 60% have the intention of such a trip in the near future. That’s a mouthful, no pun intended. While many of these activities are not the focus of many a travelers vacation, but a secondary by-product of the region they are visiting, the report also talks about the “serious” culinary traveler. If you are reading this, then you are probably in that category.

The serious culinary traveler seeks out these experiences when planning their travel, rather than have it be serendipitous. And they are more likely to immerse themselves in their surroundings, by visiting local parks and museums and places of historical significance, in addition to the culinary side of their destination. Many of the culinary tours I have written about on this blog in the 6 months we have been up and running, are tapped into this idea and offer tours that are well-rounded, but with a definite culinary bent.

What this all means for you? That you will begin to have more competition for spots on culinary tours, in classes and in schools. But the market is gearing up to meet the demand and new opportunities are arriving each week. So keep your eyes peeled, and make sure you take advantage of our archives and our resources when booking your next tour. (Oh, and don’t forget to read our book, The World Is a Kitchen, for ideas!)

USA Today Reports on Cooking in Thailand

On January 3rd, USA Today reported on a cooking school in my favorite Southeast Asian city, Bangkok. The article focuses on the Blue Elephant Cooking School, but mentions several other venues as well, including The Oriental, where I had my first cooking school experience five years ago. Because I am not familiar with the Blue Elephant, I did a little research for you and found that it is located in one of Bangkok’s best restaurants in the heart of the city.

The Blue Elephant offers two classes a day, six days a week: morning class starts at 8:45 a.m. with an introduction, then students accompany the chef to the Bang Rak morning market. Upon returning, the class is divided into Theory and Practicum. A lecture and demonstration is followed by hands-on cooking, and then…lunch. The afternoon class begins at 1 p.m. and follows the same line as the morning class, with the exception of the visit to the morning market. Each day features 4 different dishes, so you can learn 24 dishes in a week’s time for a very reasonable price. Standards such as Tom Kha Kai, chicken satay, and Thai beef salad are on the class menu, as well as the more unusual pumpkin in red curry with beef, salmon soup with ginger, and a banana pudding.

Cooking Class Program & Menu
Vegetarian Cooking Class Program & Menu

Cost:
2,800.00 Baht per person, per class ($78)
5,000.00 Baht per person for a package of two courses ($139)
10,000.00 Baht per person for a package of five morning or five afternoon courses ($278)

BLUE ELEPHANT BANGKOK
Cooking School and Restaurant
233 South Sathorn Road, Kwaeng Yannawa, Khet Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
Tel: +66 (2) 673 9353

News on Culinary Tourism

Last week, The Citizen in New York ran an article on culinary tourism by Laura Boyce. She writes how food has been added as an impetus to travel, much like historic sites, museums, and great scuba diving waters. Although she focuses more on eating the food of a region, rather than learning about it through a class, she notes that restaurants, farmers’ markets, and specialty purveyors are giving people a new reason to travel.

Check it out the full story at:

http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2007/01/04/news/lake_life/lakelife01.txt