Special issue introduction: culinary tourism across time and place

Abstract

ABSTRACT Culinary tourism – and cultural tourism more broadly – gained tremendous momentum in the late twentieth century. Despite challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, culinary tourism continues to thrive as a way to sample other cultures both at home and abroad. Now, more than ever, travelers demand “taste of place” experiences – opportunities to eat and drink that convey cultural meanings about the destinations they are visiting. Accordingly, scholarly interest in culinary tourism has grown tremendously in recent years. As the articles in this special issue show, culinary tourism has historically been – and remains – a potent avenue for cultural exchange and negotiation.