The yum trail

It’s not hard to see why food tourism is becoming a major player in today’s travel industry, as we all get more satisfaction from our travels when eating is involved.

FOR many, the best thing about travelling has nothing to do with exploring new places or visiting iconic landmarks. No, the most fulfilling experience you can gain from travelling is eating local fare.

It’s the most natural and easiest thing to do. After all, we need to eat, and food is available almost everywhere and at any time.

Food tourism or culinary tourism is a key player in today’s travel industry as it helps to provide a more enriching tourist experience. It goes hand-in-hand with agritourism, which is one of the sectors in the industry that’s said to be a major focus in the country next year.

However, food tourism extends beyond just sampling traditional dishes and learning how to make them. It’s also about trying things that are unique to the city or country which has little or even nothing to do with local heritage.

For example, eating KFC at Christmas in Japan. For several decades now, serving fried chicken from the fast food giant during Christmas dinner has become customary among modern Japanese families, and it’s all because of a commercial.

It is said that folks who do not pre-order their barrel of chicken for Christmas would have to wait in line for many hours at the restaurants.

If you ever visit Japan during Christmas, you could either avoid fried chicken or join in the line to see what the fuss is all about.

Here are a few food experiences from around the world that are worth trying. If you have had similar experiences, or would like to share other unique food experiences, let us know on our social media pages (@star2dotcom on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).