Marijke's blog

So, I’arrived at the airport, more than two hours in advance for a change. I’m about to leave rainy Amsterdam behind and spend a busy weekend under the Tuscan sun!

I’m invited by the tourist board,of the Costa d’Argento, in the Tuscan Maremma region for a three day trip to get to know the area. I’ll tackle this experience as a true curious food lover and keep you updated about my finds!

Document of the “Mercats de Barcelona” (in Spanish), describing four different routes through the city, all with a different perspective, to enjoy the large variety of markets.

Though the document is in Spanish, you may still be able to distill the address details of the different markets and get a general idea of the story behind each of the routes

1. Route past the markets of the past – no longer existing yet still recognizable through architecture and other references.

2. Route past the iconic markets – all markets in Barcelona are important, yet some are more significant than others.

3. Route past the “nous mercats” – build during the 50′s of the 20th century

4. Route past the modernist markets – build around the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, in modernist style.

source: Mercats de Barcelona

Ruta_dels_Mercats_Barcelona

Now here’s a nice challenge for the times to come. The Lonely Planet, still the ruling travel guide from the 21st century, has come up with a list of  ‘top 10 foodie holidays’.

The title is tempting, and so it the content. The problem is though, that they do not describe what I would call full fledged foodie holidays. I think a foodie holiday would entail several different types of culinary activities involving local or special food.

What the Lonely Planet does come up with, is a list of culinary icons of 10 different countries; the dishes that are part of the culinary identity of a country.

In fact, they actually rephrase their title by saying: “Eating can be the best part of travelling. To get you inspired, here are some of the world’s most mouth-watering iconic national dishes.” Huh.

Here’s what’s on the Lonely Planet’s delicious list:

• Tapas in Barcelona, Spain – an endless range of great bite-sized snacks.
• Doner kebab in Istanbul, Turkey - traditionally slices of grilled mutton are served on a bed of fragrant rice, nowadays many people choose the fast-food variety, where the meat is rolled into a large pita bread.
• Pasta in Naples, Italy – by the 18th century Napels was the world’s pasta capital. Combined with the fact that here the combination of pasta and tomato was first put on the menu, you could call Napoli the birthplace of the modern pasta consumption.
  
• Steamed dumplings in Shanghai, China - it’s the inside that counts.
• Feijoada in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - a spicy stew made out of pork and black beans.
• Gumbo in New Orleans, USA – seafood or smoked meats are made into a thick broth,  served over rice.
• Nasi Goreng in Penang,Malaysia - stir-fried rice with vegetables chicken or seafood, egg and ketjap, a sweet soy sauce.
• Curry in Mumbai, India - typically contains seafood and curry.
• Couscous in Casablanca, Morocco – ground durum wheat is what the couscous grains are made from, and here you eat them as a base for a spicy stew.
• Hot dog in New York City, USA - forget about all the ip & trendy dining venues for a moment and get yourself a hot dog at a one of the many street vendors, smothering it in all kinds of sauces amd other condiments.

There aren’t any addresses provided, so that leaves a beautiful task to us curious food lovers, doesn’t it?!

Lonely Planet’s top 10 foodie holidays – travel tips and articles – Lonely Planet.

Chocolate pod

Love chocolate? Love to know more about chocolate, its history, how it grows, it’s processed and what all kinds of different companies do with it? Check out the list below or go directly to the chocolate museum list @ www.curious-food-lover.com. Here you will find the most extensive overview of the chocolate museums of the world, offering many opportunities to add the taste of more chocolate knowledge to your travels. The museums can be large professional affairs, or small initiatives from artisanal chocolatiers, yet all of them will be able to spice up your travel to some extend. Of course I would love to hear/read about your experiences at any of these museums!

• » Le Musee du Chocolat (chocolate museum)
  Location: Paris (Île-de-France), France
• Activity type(s) courses & workshops → short courses/workshops museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty chocolate → chocolates → general confectionary → type: candy

• » Cadbury World
  Location: Dunedin (Otago), New Zealand
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → chocolates; • chocolate → bean cultivation & processing

• » Cadbury World
  Location:Bournville (England), United Kingdom
• Activity type(s):• museums; • places to shop
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → general

• » Caffarel Chocolate Museum
  Location:Torino (Piemonte), Italy
• Activity type(s):• museums
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Candy Americana© Museum
  Location:Lititz (Pennsylvania), United States
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate; • cooking → kitchenware

• » Choco-Musée Erico
  Location:Québec (Québec), Canada
• Activity type(s):• museums
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → general

• » Choco-Story (the chocolate museum)
  Location:Brugge (Flanders), Belgium
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • virtual travel → visit websites – various
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → bean cultivation & processing; • chocolate → general

• » Choco-Story
  Location:Prague (Hlavní Mesto Praha), Czech Republic
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → Extended historical period: Ancient And Classical Periods, 3500 B.C.E.–500 C.E.; • chocolate → bean cultivation & processing; • chocolate → general

• » Chocoexhibition (Ritter Sport)

• Location:Waldenbuch (Baden-Württemberg), Germany
• Activity type(s):• courses & workshops → short courses/workshops; • museums → single specialty museum; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → chocolates

• » Chocoladetempel (Côte d’ Or)
  Location:Halle (Flanders), Belgium
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Chocolate Cafe & Museum
  Location:Put-in-Bay (Ohio), United States
• Activity type(s):• museums; • places to eat & drink → ice cream parlor; • places to eat & drink → coffee shop
• Culinary specialty:• coffee; • chocolate; • confectionary → type: ice cream

• » Chocolate city museum (Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce)
  Location:Burlington (Wisconsin), United States
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → bean cultivation & processing; • chocolate → general

• » Chocolate Museum (Chateâu Chocolat: Real Chocolate Place)
  Location:Seogwipo (Jeju), Korea, South
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Chocolates Clavileño (Hnos López Lloret, S.A.)
  Location:Villajoyosa (Valencian Community), Spain
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • production facilities → chocolates producer; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → chocolates

• » Chocolatrium (Chocolaterie Cluizel)
  Location:Damville (Haute-Normandie), France
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • production facilities; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Csokoládé Múzeum
  Location:Budapest (Budapest), Hungary
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to eat & drink → on-site eating/drinking
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » De Chocoladefabriek (expected to open in 2013)
  Location:Amsterdam (Noord-Holland), Netherlands
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate
• » El Museo del Chocolate (Chocolates Comes)
  Location:Sueca (Valencian Community), Spain
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • production facilities → chocolates producer; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Gemeentemuseum Weesp
  Location:Weesp (Noord-Holland), Netherlands
• Activity type(s):• museums → regional history museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate; • eating & drinking → tableware → porcelain – general

• » Hacienda “La Luz” (El Primer Museo del Cacao y el Chocolate “Dr. Otto Wolter Hayer”)
  Location:Comalcalco (Tabasco), Mexico
• Activity type(s):• farms & gardens → botanical garden; • museums; • production facilities
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → plantation – country of origin → Country of origin: Mexico; • chocolate → general

• » Hershey Museum
  Location:Hershey (Pennsylvania), United States
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate; • chocolate → general

• » Imhoff-Stollwerck-Museum (Chocolate Museum Cologne)
  Location:Köln (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Germany
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → general; • eating & drinking → tableware

• » Ishiya Chocolate Factory
  Location:Sapporo (Hokkaidō), Japan
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → bean cultivation & processing; • chocolate → general

• » Le Musée découverte du chocolat (Chocolats Hautot)
  Location:Fécamp (Haute-Normandie), France
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • production facilities → chocolates producer; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate; • confectionary → type: ice cream; • pastry

• » Le Musée du Chocolat de la confisserie Bromont
  Location:Bromont (Québec), Canada
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to eat & drink → on-site eating/drinking; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → chocolates; • chocolate → general

• » Le Paradis du Chocolat
  Location:La Côte-Saint-André (Rhône-Alpes), France
• Activity type(s):• museums
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → general

• » Maison Cailler (Atelier de Chocolat)
  Location:Fribourg, Switzerland
• Activity type(s):• courses & workshops → short courses/workshops; • museums → single specialty museum; • places to eat & drink → on-site eating/drinking
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Musée Art du Chocolat
  Location:Lisle-sur-Tarn (Midi-Pyrénées), France
• Activity type(s):• museums
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → general

• » Musée du Chocolat
  Location:Eupen (Wallonia), Belgium
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • production facilities → confectionery; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → bean cultivation & processing; • chocolate → general

• » Musée du Chocolat
  Location:Barcelonnette (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur), France
• Activity type(s):• museums
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → general

• » Musée du chocolat (Des Lis chocolat)
  Location:Nemours (Île-de-France), France
• Activity type(s):• museums; • places to shop → delicatessen
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate; • herbs, spices, condiments & flowers → type: poppy

• » Musée du Chocolat (Chocolaterie Bovetti)
  Location:Terrasson-Lavilledieu (Aquitaine), France
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Musee du chocolat Sao-Tome (Chocolaterie du Drakkar)
  Location:Bayeux (Basse-Normandie), France
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → chocolates; • chocolate → general

• » Musée Les Secrets du Chocolat
  Location:Geispolsheim (Alsace), France
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to eat & drink → on-site eating/drinking
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → chocolates; • chocolate → bean cultivation & processing; • chocolate → general

• » Museo del Chocolate
  Location:Astorga (Castille and León), Spain
• Activity type(s):• museums
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → general

• » Museo del Chocolate Valor
  Location:Villajoyosa (Valencian Community), Spain
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → general
• » Museo del Cioccolato
  Location:Norma (Lazio), Italy
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → general

• » Museo Storico Perugina (historic museum Perugina)
  Location:Perugia (Umbria), Italy
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Museu com a História da Prawer
  Location:Gramado (Rio Grande do Sul), Brazil
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • production facilities; • places to eat & drink → on-site eating/drinking
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Museu de la Xocolata
  Location:Barcelona (Catalonia), Spain
• Activity type(s):• courses & workshops → short courses/workshops; • museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → general

• » Museum of Cocoa & Chocolate
  Location:Bruxelles (Région de Bruxelles-Capitale), Belgium
• Activity type(s):• courses & workshops → demonstration; • museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → chocolates; • chocolate → general

• » Nederlands Bakkerijmuseum Het Warme Land
  Location:Hattem (Gelderland), Netherlands
• Activity type(s):• museums
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate; • cooking → kitchen techniques – general → baking

• » Nestlé museo de chocolate
  Location:Tocula (México), Mexico
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Pannys Amazing World of Chocolate (Phillip Island Chocolate Factory)
  Location:Newhaven (Victoria), Australia
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to eat & drink → on-site eating/drinking; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → chocolates; • chocolate → bean cultivation & processing; • chocolate → general

• » Planete Musée Chocolat
  Location:Biarritz (Aquitaine), France
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to eat & drink → on-site eating/drinking; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Red October Chocolate Factory Museum (“КРАСНЫЙ ОКТЯБРЬ”)
  Location:Moscow (Moscow), Russian Federation
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Ritter Sport Colourful Chocoworld
  Location:Berlin (Berlin), Germany
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to eat & drink → on-site eating/drinking; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Schokoladenmuseum (Halloren)
  Location:Halle (Sachsen-Anhalt), Germany
• Activity type(s):• courses & workshops → single topic workshop; • museums → single specialty museum; • production facilities → chocolates producer
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Schokoland Alprose (Chocolat Alprose SA)
  Location:Caslano (Ticino), Switzerland
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » SchokoMuseum (Rausch Schokoladen)
  Location:Berlin (Berlin), Germany
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to eat & drink → on-site eating/drinking; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » SchokoMuseum in SchokoLand
  Location:Peine (Niedersachsen), Germany
• Activity type(s):• museums
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate → general

• » Shiroi Koibito Park
  Location:Sapporo (Hokkaidō), Japan
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • production facilities → bakery; • places to eat & drink → on-site eating/drinking
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate; • pastry → cookies – general

• » The Chocolate Museum (Walkers chocolate emporium)
  Location:Ilfracombe (England), United Kingdom
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to eat & drink; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » The Chocolate Museum (Le Muséé du Chocolat)
  Location:Saint Stephen (New Brunswick), Canada
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » The Chocolate Museum
  Location:Havana (La Habana), Cuba
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • places to eat & drink → on-site eating/drinking
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » The Silky Oak ‘Chocolate Thru’ the Ages’ Museum
  Location:Napier (Hawkes Bay), New Zealand
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • tours → factory tour
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » WAWI Schoko-Welt
  Location:Pirmasens (Rheinland-Pfalz), Germany
• Activity type(s):• museums → single specialty museum; • production facilities → chocolates producer; • places to shop → chocolatier
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

• » Wiener Schokolademuseum (Heindl)
  Location:Wien (Wien), Austria
• Activity type(s):• courses & workshops → short courses/workshops; • museums → single specialty museum
• Culinary specialty:• chocolate

http://www.guidevietnam.com/travel/vietnamese-food-cooking-courses.html

• » Carp Fair (Where Country Meets City)
  Location:Carp (Ontario), Canada Activity type(s):• festivals & events → single specialty festival Culinary specialty:• general → agriculture
• » Richmond Fair (Richmond Agricultural Society)
  Location:Richmond (Ontario), Canada Activity type(s):• festivals & events → single specialty festival Culinary specialty:• general → agriculture
• » Festival Franco Ontarien
  Location:Ottawa (Ontario), Canada Activity type(s):• festivals & events → single specialty festival Culinary specialty:• cuisines → country of origin: France
• » Ottawa Greekfest
  Location:Ottawa (Ontario), Canada Activity type(s):• courses & workshops → single topic workshop; • courses & workshops → short courses/workshops; • festivals & events → single specialty festival Culinary specialty:• cooking → general – country of origin; • cuisines → country of origin: Greece; • nuts, seeds & oils → oil type: olive oil
• » Ottawa Turkish Festival
  Location:Ottawa (Ontario), Canada Activity type(s):• festivals & events → single specialty festival Culinary specialty:• cuisines → country of origin: Turkey
• » Canada Day
  Location:Ottawa (Ontario), Canada Activity type(s):• festivals & events Culinary specialty:• cuisines → country of origin: Canada; • sugar & sweetners → type: maple syrup
• » Italian Week of Ottawa
  Location:Ottawa (Ontario), Canada Activity type(s):• festivals & events → single specialty festival Culinary specialty:• cuisines → country of origin: Italy
• » Carnival of Cultures
  Location:Ottawa (Ontario), Canada Activity type(s):• festivals & events → carnival Culinary specialty:• cuisines → multi-cultural cuisines
• » Toonik Tyme (Iqaluit Spring Festival)
  Location:Iqaluit (Nunavut), Canada Activity type(s):• festivals & events Culinary specialty:• cuisines → indigenous cultures → North America; • fish & fish products → fish – country of origin → Country of origin: Canada; • fish & fish products → fishing
• » Festival du Voyageur
  Location:Winnipeg (Manitoba), Canada Activity type(s):• festivals & events Culinary specialty:• cuisines → country of origin: Canada

Though it is an article from 2007, it is another example of the growing market for culinary tourism – American travellers becoming more demanding when looking for culinary activities like cooking schools and courses in Italy.

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/italys-top-cooking-schools

Another theme for culinary activities; visit the bars around the world which either serve either perfectly prepared classic cocktails or the other way around, classic cocktails re-interpreted in a 21st century style.

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/go-list-2009-7-best-bars