Food Tour in South Eastern Turkey - in the search of Culinary Heritage

Abstract

Culinary tourism is the subset of Cultural tourism. Culinary tourism (food tourism) is experiencing the food of the country, region or area, and is now considered a vital component of the tourism experience. Dining out is common among tourists and “food is believed to rank alongside climate, accommodation, and scenery” in importance to tourists. World Food Travel Association defined culinary tourism as “The pursuit and enjoyment of unique and memorable food and drink experiences, both far and near.” Food tourism is usually linked with other subsets of cultural tourism e.g. heritage tourism. According to Lucy M. Long (2004) ‘culinary tourism is about food as a subject and medium, destination and vehicle for tourism. It is about individuals exploring foods new to them as well as using food to explore new cultures and ways of being. […] Finally, it is about the experiencing of food in a mode that is out of the ordinary, that steps outside the normal routine to notice difference and the power of food to represent and negotiate that difference’. Culinary experience is inevitable part of any journey, for pleasure or for business. However only small number of tourists seeks for real local food. It is not so easy to find it in tourism destinations, where restaurants are tourist-oriented. You need to go off beaten sightseeing track, make some internet researches before or have a local friend or colleague, who will help to discover authentic tastes in places oriented for locals.