More and more people are traveling to new places for one specific reason: food. Whether you’re a blogger, a foodie, or just someone who loves to try new things, it’s becoming really popular to go to a specific city or region just to eat your way through.
But there are two different types of people who travel to eat, the food tourist and the food pilgrim. While one isn’t better than the other, there are things to consider with traveling just to eat.
What’s the Difference?
A food tourist is someone who just likes to eat and try new things while they travel. They haven’t necessarily done any research before, so they don’t know what to expect, but they’re excited to see what ends up on their plate.
The food pilgrim, however, is highly calculated and has done extensive research on the place’s culinary traditions. Food pilgrims might even just book a trip solely based on a food they want to try.
The Downside
While it can be so fun and educational to eat traditional meals when you travel, the problem becomes when people exoticize and exploit the food that locals actually eat, making it harder and more expensive for the people who live there to access it. Just beware that something might be traditional, but it might not be OK for you to eat and promote it.
