In a world where experience is currency and identity is curated online, food has become one of the most powerful ways we express who we are and who we hope to become, especially when we travel.
LOVED reading this piece, and thank you for the shoutout. It always sparks a little joy when you feel like your piece of work can continue the conversation, and you've done it so beautifully!!
Thank you so much for writing this, Jo. I've been thinking about this since we returned from Istanbul. I've shared some of the spices I brought back with me with other people who I know will appreciate them, and I've enjoyed finding ways to use them in my own kitchen. I've also been trying to think about what food tourism in the US might look like for me, since the thought of flying too often makes me feel guilty about my carbon footprint.
Laura, thank you so much, it means a lot! I love that you’re sharing the spices and carrying the experience into your kitchen. I totally get the tension around flying. Lately, I’ve been thinking about what food tourism close to home could look like too, there’s so much to explore here.
As a climate activist, I think about this literally every day. Airplanes are carbon bombs, no matter how you slice it, and 80 percent of humans on this planet will never set foot on an airplane. I fully believe that travel is vitally important to cross-cultural understanding, and as I witness the violence fueled by ignorance in my own country, part of me wants to urge more travel. Still, I cannot personally get on an airplane without serious climate guilt, and a feeling that my flying (in the words of one scientist who has sworn off air travel for good) "is a pastime for the privileged at the expense of the poor." When it comes to something like culinary travel, I wonder what it would look like for me and others to put the money I would spend jetting myself over to Istanbul instead toward bringing more Turkish cooks HERE. Doesn't eliminate the problem of the carbon bombs littering the air, of course; but from my standpoint it would feel a bit more ethical, to not keep hogging my membership in the privileged 20 percent.
This really resonates. I struggle with the same tension, wanting to encourage cultural exchange while feeling the weight of the climate cost. I love your idea of bringing cooks here instead of always flying there. It feels like a more just and generous kind of travel. Thank you for your comment and ideas, Siobhan!
Some of my most memorable travel experiences have been cooking classes but it’s not always easy to find good ones. I really enjoyed making manti with a young family in Antalya (in their home) that I found through Airbnb experiences. It was as much fun getting to know the family as making and eating the food. I also had a great time in Tirana cookingclasstirana.com where an entrepreneurial chef is doing a lot of fun and interesting things, mostly for locals but also tourists.
Rachel, that sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing! I love how personal and grounded both of those experiences sound. There's something so special about cooking together and connecting beyond just the food.
LOVED reading this piece, and thank you for the shoutout. It always sparks a little joy when you feel like your piece of work can continue the conversation, and you've done it so beautifully!!
Thank you and I cannot tell you how lovely it is to connect with you over this! Really love your writing and newsletter!
Thank you so much for writing this, Jo. I've been thinking about this since we returned from Istanbul. I've shared some of the spices I brought back with me with other people who I know will appreciate them, and I've enjoyed finding ways to use them in my own kitchen. I've also been trying to think about what food tourism in the US might look like for me, since the thought of flying too often makes me feel guilty about my carbon footprint.
Laura, thank you so much, it means a lot! I love that you’re sharing the spices and carrying the experience into your kitchen. I totally get the tension around flying. Lately, I’ve been thinking about what food tourism close to home could look like too, there’s so much to explore here.
As a climate activist, I think about this literally every day. Airplanes are carbon bombs, no matter how you slice it, and 80 percent of humans on this planet will never set foot on an airplane. I fully believe that travel is vitally important to cross-cultural understanding, and as I witness the violence fueled by ignorance in my own country, part of me wants to urge more travel. Still, I cannot personally get on an airplane without serious climate guilt, and a feeling that my flying (in the words of one scientist who has sworn off air travel for good) "is a pastime for the privileged at the expense of the poor." When it comes to something like culinary travel, I wonder what it would look like for me and others to put the money I would spend jetting myself over to Istanbul instead toward bringing more Turkish cooks HERE. Doesn't eliminate the problem of the carbon bombs littering the air, of course; but from my standpoint it would feel a bit more ethical, to not keep hogging my membership in the privileged 20 percent.
This really resonates. I struggle with the same tension, wanting to encourage cultural exchange while feeling the weight of the climate cost. I love your idea of bringing cooks here instead of always flying there. It feels like a more just and generous kind of travel. Thank you for your comment and ideas, Siobhan!
Some of my most memorable travel experiences have been cooking classes but it’s not always easy to find good ones. I really enjoyed making manti with a young family in Antalya (in their home) that I found through Airbnb experiences. It was as much fun getting to know the family as making and eating the food. I also had a great time in Tirana cookingclasstirana.com where an entrepreneurial chef is doing a lot of fun and interesting things, mostly for locals but also tourists.
Rachel, that sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing! I love how personal and grounded both of those experiences sound. There's something so special about cooking together and connecting beyond just the food.