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A popular trend the last couple of years is culinary travel. That’s where you travel to different locales with the express purpose of enjoying culinary treats. Some tour companies specialize in this type of travel, but with a little research, you can easily prepare your own culinary travel itinerary.

Here are a few ideas to get you started!

1. Tuscany, Italy – Renowned for its restaurants and wineries, Tuscany is an ideal destination for a culinary vacation.  There are many top rated cooking schools, such as the Coselli School of Tuscan Cuisine where you can learn to prepare local Tuscan dishes. Other ideas are to visit Chocolate Valley (between Pisa and Montecatini) or enjoy olive oil tastings in Badia di Passignano.
2. Fez, Morocco – While you might not think of Morocco for your culinary trip, you definitely should. There are many opportunities to stay at guesthouses with wonderful chefs who will show you how to prepare regional specialties like couscous, tagines and chicken pie (b’stila). You’ll also learn about regional spices like turmeric, cardamom and cubeb pepper.
3. Kirkland, Washington – Closer to home, you have a wonderful opportunity to visit the Heathman Hotel for an amazing farm to table experience. Chef Scheesher is also a farmer who gets the food for his menus from the three-acre garden. Wines are also featured from wineries in California, Washington and Oregon.
4. Catalonia, Spain – Spain is really getting into culinary tourism.  There are many interesting locales such as the elegant bed and breakfast, Catacurian located in the Priorat wine area. Here, Chef Alicia will dazzle you with her wonderful cooking demonstrations where you can learn everything you wanted to about Catalan cuisine. Also included in her packages is a chance to visit local wineries for private tastings and to learn about the area’s superior olive oils.
5. Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico – If you’ve always wanted to learn more about Mexican cooking, consider Chef Ana Garcia’s program. This talented chef has learned the art of Mexican cuisine from traditional family methods passed down through the generations. This package is bound to become very popular as Chef Ana is starring in a national television series.

Culinary travel is a tasty and fun way to learn more about the culture and traditions of the area you are visiting.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 8th, 2014 at 00:43 and is filed under Travel Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.