Foodie Cities: The Top Gourmet Journeys You Can Take Around Asia
Besides simply traveling to
marvel at the sights and sounds of each city, increasingly so travelers are
looking for customized
trips that cater to the foodie in them.
Whether directly or indirectly, part of this growing interest can be linked to
the rising trend
of food and drink festivals that have attracted
both locals and tourists in the region.
With a myriad of rich and
exotic cuisines around the world, one’s trip nowadays is never complete without
a gourmet itinerary that'll ensure the best culinary experience. So if you're
planning your next trip to Asia this year and love savoring local food, here
are just some of the best gourmet journeys you should take up.
Japan
(Tokyo & Kyoto)
Nishiki Market, also known as Kyoto's Pantry,
offers a variety of food essentials, as well as clothing and other daily needs.
When we think of Japan,
rice, miso soup, sushi and seafood almost immediately come to mind. Besides
that, seafood and vegetables are also often deep fried in a light batter
to become what they term as tempura. Noodles such as soba noodles and udon
are also a common speciality with restaurants serving up different variations
based on seasonal ingredients.
With the Jacada Gourmet Tour of Japan, you'll get
to experience Japan's gastronomic delights with a travel itinerary that'll take
you through some of these key highlights. Starting off in
Tokyo, you’ll learn how to pick the freshest catch at the
famed Tsukiji fish market before attempting to make your very own
sushi and soba noodles. Not forgetting, you'll also join a traditional tea
ceremony to learn all about the age-old practices of tea in Japan.
Next up in Kyoto, Japan’s
well-preserved imperial city, you'll enjoy a different take on Japanese
cuisine. Besides visiting the renowned Fushimi sake breweries,
you'll join a private culinary class and learn all about a
traditional 'Shojin' meal typically eaten by Zen Buddhist monks. Lastly, while
in Kyoto, a visit to the bustling Nishiki market is a must where you'll find
plenty of locally-produced food items like skewers, Japanese sweets,
pickles, dried seafood and sushi. Before it all ends though, there will
also be a quick stop to Osaka, known as the "Kitchen of Japan"
for a taste of their celebrated street food.
Thailand
(multi-city tour)
Thai cuisine is often known
to be made with a delicate balance five flavors: sour, sweet, salty,
bitter, and spicy. You can also expect various dishes to have strong aromatic
notes with a slightly spicy taste, all of which has made Thai cuisine popular
among tourists. Some famous dishes nationwide include tom yum soup, pad
thai (rice noodles served with peanuts and chili flakes), and basil
chicken.
For this multi-city
tour, you'll join Thai chefs from the Blue
Elephant and Amita Cooking Schools, and partake in several different activities
that will take you on quite the culinary journey into Thailand's
vibrant cuisine. From a street food tour of Bangkok's specialities to visiting
the world-famous Damern Saduak Floating Market, no day will be left unoccupied.
Besides that, you will also take a vineyard tour while riding on an elephant's
back, visit an oyster and mussel farm for your own pick, and learn some secrets
of Thai seafood dishes.
Vietnam
(from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh)
Vietnam is no doubt a
melting pot of cuisines waiting to be discovered and relished. Its cuisine is
often considered one of the healthiest for the limited use of oil and generous
use of fresh herbs and vegetables. Typically it also incorporates ingredients
such as fish sauce, shrimp paste and soy sauce.
One of the most popular
dishes, also Vietnam's national dish, is known as pho (a broth
with rice noodle, herbs and meat) and this is usually made in slightly
different variations across the regions. For region-specific dishes, in Hanoi,
you'll find bun cha (rice noodle with grilled marinated pork),
while in Ho Chi Minh, dishes take some influence from the French. Here you'll
find banh mi (a baguette-like sandwich) as well as ban
xeo (a savory crepe).With this Flavors
of Vietnam tour, you get to spend ten days immersed in the
country’s culinary scene, sampling everything from delectable street food to
gourmet fusion dishes and meals from specific regions. You'll also go behind
the scenes and learn what goes into these mouth-watering dishes through
visits to fresh food markets and trying your hands at cooking classes.
To top it off, you'll get
to put on a farmer's hat, join a local family at their farm and get right into
it plowing the fields for a better understanding of Vietnam’s agriculture
industry.
Australia
(Tasmania)
Tasmania is unique in the
sense that it has only recently been enjoying a foodie
culture of sorts. With most items locally-produced, a lot of
the ingredients are incredibly fresh and go from farm to table relatively
quickly. Food is typically focused on seafood with items like salmon, oysters
and scallops. The cool climate also makes Tasmania an ideal spot for wine and
cider production, responsible for some of the leading brands in Australia.
For the Tasmania
Gourmet Food Safari, while you'll only be staying in one
spot on Hobart’s beautiful waterfront, the six days tour
will nonetheless introduce you to all sorts of Tasmanian food and provide
a behind-the-scenes look into how it's made. Each day will be a journey of
discovery to meet producers, chefs, winemakers, cheese-makers, foragers
and many others who're involved in creating a great meal from start to
end. So expect lots of lively chats, personal one-on-one interactions
and good old fun.
Besides that, you'll also
get to discover art and wine at MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, taste
freshly shucked oysters, and have hands-on experiences with putting together
some of the dishes. All in all, it's an Australian culinary journey worth
experiencing.
Tarandip Kaur
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tarandipkaur/2018/04/27/foodie-cities-gourmet-journeys-you-can-take-around-asia/#5c2ee99a6aff
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