Gastronomy Tourism
Even if in recent years gastronomy and culinary
arts had boosted its popularity, its acceptation as a discipline becomes
fact not in a recent history, but in ancient history. Sicilian Greek Orchestrates
who has been admitted as eponym of term, finds the title of ‘Gastronomia’ acceptable
for his book he has written down in fourth century B.C., in which he introduced
food and wines in Mediterranean region. Actually, it can be said that he was
the one who has systematically mentioned for the first time that geography has
a voice on foods that society who inhabits on it would put away.
The word of ‘Gastronomia’, consisting of the Greek words
of ‘gaster’, and ‘nomos’, meaning stomach, and law, was indeed in accord with
the spirit of the book. This book which shows that soil, and climate determines
stomach laws, had also underlined that a city without gastronomy couldn’t be identified.
Thus, gastronomy became a discipline which is practiced with acceptance that
all features of food and drinks were being knitted with historical, artificial,
and cultural elements; as for in time, starting of this historical development
process, it became a science which includes all the characteristics of food and
beverage to be understood, practiced, and developed detailedly.
Journeys Upon Flavor
In old times when distances were long, the world was
very big, and transculturation took long years, special stomach laws arise out
of geographical differences was undoubtedly one of the most interesting things
for travelers of the era. Tasting a fruit that wasn’t grown on their own soil
for the first time was meant to experience the first example of Gastronomy
Tourism too, and maybe traveling to a country one more time, and coming just to
taste that fruit again.
Despite limited sources in its field, it will not be
wrong to assume that gastronomy tourism started this way. Thousands of years
ago, the importance attached to the Silk Road was pretty related with
being able to reach to spices, olive oil, and wine all of which were acquired
only in that geography. As for new world, traveling to Silk Road, or to any
place in the world to reach unique flavors is very easy anymore, and modern
travelers who are aware of this blessing, are no longer neglect turning their
travelling stops into taste stops by following their antic ancestors’
footsteps.
What is Gastronomy Tourism?
Today, experiencing cuisine culture also became a
reason as important as exploring historic fabric, and getting to know about cultural
heritages of a city, among people’s reasons for participating into tourism
movement. Therefore, sea-sand-sun trio isn’t the sole purpose of a holiday for
a good number of travelophiles anymore. At this point, gastronomy tourism is on
the rise, alternatively to classic holiday concept. Gastronomy tourism,
Culinary Tourism, or Food Tourism which includes people who want to enrich
their travels with extraordinary food experiences; has been described as ‘the pursuit,
enjoyment of getting experience to unique and unforgettable flavors far and
nearby ’ by World Food Travel Association established in 2003, Portland,
Oregon. Despite description of association doesn’t distinguish far, or nearby,
for many people Gastronomy Tourism is the epitome of a flavor stop at a
distance that would be stood for at least one night; also, the key of exploring
local restaurants, dinner wagons, and ethnic neighborhoods that are crammed
into a joyous holiday.
Gastronomy Tours
Numerous answers can be found to the question of “What
is Gastronomy?’. Gastronomy which can be somewhat mixed up into fields like
chemistry, literature, biology, history, philosophy, sociology, science, nutrition,
and agriculture, deepened its meaning that was already deep, further with its
tourism potential. All other kitchen experiences accompanying to a meal like food
sources, food facilities, food preparation, food presentation, food hygiene, became
able to find place to themselves under the roof of Gastronomy. Through Gastronomy
tours, when a group of travelers traded in a local farmer bazaar, or found
a chance to help their homeowners in making a dish, or dishwashing, felt the
enjoyment of having a much more effective, cozy, and accordingly, appealing to
multiple senses, unforgettable experience than eating at any restaurant.
As for tourism companies that want to create
that kind of far-going kitchen experiences, they started to provide facilities
like walking tours, and food organizations. By means of Gastronomy tours, a cafilla
of bicycles are able to set their course to flavor stops; savor of picnic,
breakfast, lunch or dinner at awarded restaurants on their destination.
Gastronomy Tourism and Turkey
Food culture is the leading one among the top features
which secludes a community from another. While communities in the cold climate under
tough agricultural conditions turn to a more carnivorous diet, communities that
are located in Mediterranean climate zone feed mainly more with greens.
When it comes to our country, alongside of its natural beauties, historical and
cultural heritage, it has a mounted and important position in terms of its
attractiveness for gastronomy tourism with it experiencing four seasons.
Especially endemic flavors that are special to eastern
counties of our country are much more blended with their cultures. At Sanliurfa,
the city where our company was established at, and gained inspiration to choose
our name, there is no one who doesn’t know about story of the Pool of Abraham,
and Mount Nemrut that became legendary with Steak Tartar A La Turca.
Sanliurfa, as a region where has almost all the
characteristics of South Eastern Anatolia, underlies its cuisine culture by its
dishes that are with superabundant sauce, very harsh-tasting, and pretty spicy.
Along with legumes family, wheat, being called as ‘cracked wheat’ is used to
add in soups, and cold dishes. Natives of Urfa get a big kick out of
entertaining their guests and treating them various foods. Probably for this
reason, various foods of Sanliurfa are too numerous to be counted. These
indigenous foods of this region like Ayran Çorbası (Ayran soup), Hamurlu
(Doughy), Pıt Pıt (Burghul Flour), Sarı Çorba (Yellow Soup), Çağala Aşı (Green
Almond Food), Pakla Aşı (Bean Food), Hıttı Bastırması, Soğan Tavası (Onion Skillet),
Su Kabağı (Calabash), Bütün Balcan (Whole Eggplant), Sarımsak Aşı (Garlic
Food), Kaburga (Rib), İsot Çömleği (İsot Pepper Pot), Bamya Çömleği (Gombo
Pot), Acır Annaziği (Gherkin), Tatlı Bamya (Sweet Gombo), Erik Tavası (Plum
Skillet), Lolaz Dürmüğü (Lolaz Wrap), Saca Basma, Döğmeç (Hard Wheat), Ekmek
Aşı (Bread Food), Kenger (Acanthus Food), Semsek, Has Dolması (Appanage Stuffing),
Mumbar Dolması (Stuffed Sheep Sausages), and Acı Bastırması, are all indicators
of how rich the Urfa cuisine, and how generous are natives of Urfa in a manner.
Kaliru Tourism, as pioneer of uptrend Gastronomy
Tourism in the World, at Turkey, also through Gastronomy Tours it organizes,
and its subsidiary, Grupye.com, aims for bringing together the country’s
cuisine which has a diversity worked with culture, with travelers who are
devoted to their gusto. Both works with restaurants that are experts in their
fields, hotels and catering firms, and makes discovery of indigenous foods
possible to its customers by offering them the most important flavor stops
throughout their personal travels.
What Can You Do by Getting Involved in Gastronomy
Tourism?
There are a good number of options available for you
to make your travels a heaven on earth with Gastronomy lead that opens a field
in Tourism sector.
Walking Tours
Walking tours in high demand at destinations like
İstanbul, İzmir, Bursa, Sanliurfa, Mardin, and Kapadokya (Cappadocia) are very
popular both between domestic tourists and foreign tourists. Tours taking two
or three hours, focus on just one theme. Group members, within the frame of
their determinated focus, have the change to taste various flavors at more than
one stops on their walking route. Dessert, chocolate tasting, and craftsmen
restaurants are among the most popular stops of walking routes, and wine,
beer, or any types of local alcohols can accompany to foods.
Local Homeowners
As most of gastronomy tours’ aim is to provide an
authentic and unforgettable food experience, entrepreneurs go to creative ways
to satisfying this demand. Visiting the local homeowners as one of these
creative ways is the favorite of travelers who want to taste homemade
and local flavors. Local home owner visits which are made by deals made with cooks
who are trustworthy, willing to open up their houses to travelers who are keen
on to discover new things, and put a plate on their dinner tables for them, too,
are named as ‘Farmhouse Cooks’. Tours generally start with food shopping and
goes on by cooking together. Such organizations promise an also cozy, as well
as extraordinary experience to guests, which they cannot experience in a
standard tour.
The mission of travel companies on these tours is to
provide communications reached out to be good quality for participants to be
able to have the best experience. Alongside nice food experiences, travelers
establish a connection with other tourism types, and new people.
Rural Zone Tourism
Even if cities claim of a large part of gastronomic
tourists search for ‘exceptional dining’ experience that is called as
exceptional food, rural areas catch visitors’ attention who are prone to get
information on food sources, and how foods are made, far more. Rural Zone
Tourism proffered to customers who want to have a gastronomy experience
indigenous the area where is traveled to, leads travelers to vineyards, farms,
bazaars, and production facilities.
Travelers who find the opportunity to experience
everything they can taste at first hand have information about practices such
as grape picking from vineyard, cheesemaking of milk, fruit-vegetable picking
and processing, selling homemade, and handmade food and drinks.
Sometimes, this, and such rural zone tourism
experiences link up with also other fields such as eco-tourism or organic
agriculture. Some rural zone facilities even allow for tourists to stay for
the night.
If you are keen on to give flavor to your travels, and
taste cuisines indigenous to destinations you travel to, you can find cuisines above
local flavors at the route you want to travel, make reservation to their menus
through our subsidiary, Grupye.com (www.grupye.com). Or you can take part in
our gastronomy tours, presented through Kaliru Tourism website, www.kalıruturizm.com.tr
We wish you adventures with good appetite…