For me, the local cuisine is definitely an important part of the adventure. A fine meal feeds the soul as well as the belly. Isn't that a lot of what vacations and travelling are about?

It would be if I'd have allergies.

Food in Europe is not a "concern" it's a blessing!

Food is definitely up there as one of the most important aspects of travel. It is also something you can take home with you: recipes, a good bottle of wine, jars of jam or honey. There have been restaurants and dinners that have made the whole experience worthwhile. Friends and I have even taken trips based on cuisine--a culinary adventure into Emilia Romagna comes to mind.

Those of you who think that food is one of the most important aspects (if not THE most important), what kind of culinary trips have you taken?

Let's just say that if the plane departs 20 hours late but dinner is served by the flight attendants on time, I am not going to be appeased.

One of my "dreams" is to take a cooking class in Italy or France on a future trip.

But, I did actually take a cooking class on one of my domestic trips to Santa Fe, at the SANTA FE COOKING SCHOOL. That was great fun, and I enjoyed learning different things about local cooking tips. I am now a "black belt" on knowledge about GREEN CHILLIES.

A dear friend of mine took a wonderful trip to Provence and had a 1 week "intense' cooking instruction and shared with me all the details.

This was an "upper end" class, however she learned so many interesting and wonderful thing. The experience brought a new group of friends into her life as well, that were in the French cooking class with her.

The cooking, food experience brings people together in a wonderful way.

My wife once asked a new client why he had ended his relationship with a previous vendor. The client's answer:

"When I asked my old vendor where he had eaten on his latest trip to Paris, he said he had been too busy to eat anywhere but McDonalds. I decided that if he was so dumb that he ate at McDonald's in Paris, he was too dumb to keep my business!"

Pretty dumb to judge a business associate on whether or not they are into food for food's sake. Just because a person isn't a foodie doesn't mean they would be bad in business.

Food is a very important part of travel. EXPENSIVE food and long drawn out meals is NOT. While I would never eat at a McDonalds (well OK once when my daughter was 12 and she promised her friends she would try a McDs in Italy, but that was the only time), I don't think you need to eat in fancy, expensive restaurants to get fabulous, regional food. The street food, pizza, sandwich type food, picnic food, etc. - not to mention small restaurants - maybe with bare wood or formica tables rather than linen table cloths. Those are the kinds of experiences I go for. I've said many times I'd rather eat pizza for three weeks, than eat in expenisve restaurants and only be able to afford a week. That doesn't mean food isn't important.

I also agree that long lesisurely meals does not equal (necessarily) any kind of superior experience. Or any kind of more authentic experience. "Regular" Europeans do not spend two or three hours at lunch (or dinner) every day. Maybe if they are retired or independently wealthy but most people only do that on special occasions. So while I might once in a while on a trip go for that type of meal, I generally would rather be out seeing and doing things than sitting at a table in a restaurant. Exceptions of course are sitting a cafe and people watching, resting tired feet, etc. But that's about another experience, not food.

For me, the purpose of travel is to leave all my concerns back at home and enjoy the experience.

I don't think we've ever made a reservation anywhere for a meal. We usually follow our nose when hungry and find some hole in the wall, which generally works very well.

Hi J,

>Those of you who think that food is one of the most important aspects (if not THE most important), what kind of culinary trips have you taken? <

See my trip report:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34676645

Photos at http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-pla2au

((I))

Jackie-
My culinary trips are also online:
http://www.wired2theworld.com
I've done cooking classes in Bali, Thailand and Sicily, not to mention some amazing meals in France, Spain and the rest of the world.

> I don't think we've ever made a reservation anywhere for a meal.

The only ones I have had, were when I was eating in the hotel where I stayed, and they asked if I would be eating there, when I checked in.

Keith

Just about all of my trips have been culinary trips in the sense that I read up on the food of the place and where to eat it (as well as buy to take home) and spend a lot of my time in markets. We rarely eat in big-ticket places, and try always to avoid tourist-laden spots and try to order the specials of the area. I prefer not to travel in places where the food is not interesting, although almost everywhere does have food that interests me, so I am not too limited! Before I travel, I read not only restaraunt guides but books by authors who write about the food itself. Waverly Root, Fred Plotkin, Penelope Casas, Faith Willinger, and Pat Wells come to mind for Western Europe. Andn of course, chowhound is very helpful for everything food related. Often I will read a cookbook or two on the country to which I am headed. So before I arrive I often have a list of dishes that I am eager to try. Here are a few of the places, for example, that we plan to visit in Florence next month: Alla Vecchia Bettola (one of my favorites); Cambi (also reliable); Il Guscio; Carlino Diladdarno.

Of course not the most important - otherwise you wouldn;t be traveling - you'd just be restauranting. For us - about as important as it is at home. It doesn;t determine destinations. But once we pick cities, looking at info on sites and restaurants comes next.

Not big breakfast eaters. Usually just have a casuale lunch wherever we happen to be - but not a hot dog from a stand, an actual sit down lunch - even if only a sandwich or salad. (No eating in the room, no picnics, no dragging stuff out of supermarkets - except extra beverages.)

We like to relax over dinner and the food has to be at least good (which is not the same as very expensive in most countries) - but we do plan at least one special dinner in each city as an event - just as we do at home for special occasions.

Food is not important to me, but this doesn't mean I don't try out the food of the region while I'm there, how can you not?

Although I have to admit, I don't understand how eating regional food helps you understand the people. Maybe I'm just too busy enjoying concentrated time with my friends in the region to notice? Or is it osmosis in some way?

>>I am now a "black belt" on knowledge about GREEN CHILLIES.<<

The classes at the Santa Fe Cooking School always sound great!

However, I'm going to (gently, I hope) correct your spelling - it's chile, not chillie, around here. :-)

Lee Ann

I thought Chile was a country and a chilli was a pepper, plural chillies.

thanks so much for the spelling correction ElendilPickle.


Now about the food question on the thread....is food the most important travel concern for YOU?

Food and travel is a great thread to read about.

I thought it was "chili".

((I))

We like to try local foods, but it is not a major point of the travel experience for us.

Heck, we enjoyed Costa Rica very much even though the local cuisine is, shall we say, not especially adventurous.