Global Gourmet Passport

Posted by Jacqueline Church May 18, 2007

Your Global Gourmet Passport - New Column Feature!

This segment will alert you to news, trends, openings, ingredients from around the world. We'll inspire you with visits to exotic locales. All along the gourmet trail we'll learn about new food finds, rising stars and emerging food trends.

What do Shanghai and Istanbul have in common? While building my dossier for our debut, I discovered Bon Appetit's May cover "Where to Eat" around the world. Want to know the difference between a longan and a lychee? Cous cous in Israel versus Morocco? We will target new food finds (açai anyone?) as well as touch on traditional cuisine.

Still think all Italian food is the same? Really? What about all Chinese food? Why do some dumplings come thinly wrapped while others are thick? What regions favors rice over noodles and why? Know the difference between sushi and donburi? Think Japanese eat sushi every day? Just ask someone from South America about their favorite empanada. Everyone believes their country makes it the right way! (I just think they're all delicioso!)

We'll follow the food trail and bring you closer to dishes that speak to the heart of tradtional cuisine. We'll also cover the innovations and emerging trends. For now, to whet your appetites: peruse these globetrotting goodies:

• Kicking off our new segment is my coverage of the growing trend in Culinary Vacations.
• Culinary Travel Meets Slow Food
• Go Down Under (Australia) with Global Gourmet
• Okonomiyaki
• Montreal's O Noir Restaurant and Dark Dining
• Gazpacho Spain's Famous Cold Soup
• Shabu Shabu - Beyond Sushi

Allons-y!

Whether your travel is a pleasant fantasy or a real trip, check out our Travel and Culture pages, too. They're filled with tips, insights and suggestions.