A taste of Asia, starting in the kitchen

SINGAPORE It's early in the morning on Pulau Ubin, a small, sparsely inhabited island off the coast of Singapore, and Ruqxana Vasanwala is busy picking wild pepper leaves, young cashew nut leaves and torch ginger flowers. A little later, back at an old village house, she uses these and many other jungle herbs to teach a group of urbanites on a corporate bonding session how to cook nasi kerabu, a traditional Malay dish of cooked rice tossed with lots of shredded fresh herbs. Vasanwala, who set up her home-based company Cookery Magic in 2001, started the classes in April and is attracting groups of tourists looking for a more authentic culinary experience. While culinary tourism appeared in Europe a few years ago, it is still a recent trend in Asia, catering mainly to the higher end of the tourist market, professionals said. "The increase of quality Asian restaurants in western countries has raised awareness of Asian cuisine and made it very popular. Our clients now want to learn more about the origin of these cuisines and how to replicate a delicious meal at home," said Judith von Prockl, managing director of Gourmet On Tour, a Britain-based travel agency. She added that "for the discerning gourmet traveler, who has already been to the classic gourmet destinations such as France and Italy, Asian destinations represent a more exotic, adventurous option." The current top destinations for culinary tourism in Asia are Thailand, Vietnam and China, each famed for the diversity of their regional cuisines. "Thailand tends to attract tourists that have not been to Asia. If you're really adventurous, you will go to Laos," said Robert Carmack, author of cookbooks on Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Encouraged by friends and readers' interest, the Australia-based Carmack set up the Globetrotting Gourmet with his partner in 2001. Since then he has seen an increasing number of players in the market, as well as participants. "We don't organize many tours, only a few each year, but they're always fully booked with other people on a waiting list. We also have a lot of returns," he said. While he started with Thai regional cuisines, he is now seeking more unusual destinations. Later this month, he will take a group to Thailand's remote Isan region before going to Laos to visit the capital, Vientiane, and Luang Prabang, a Unesco world heritage site. Among some of the peculiar dishes is the giant Mekong catfish named pla beuk that can be caught only a certain time of the year, usually in May, and which is frozen for yearlong consumption. Most culinary tours aim to highlight the rich and diverse authentic cuisines of each country, with trips to local markets, food stalls along with reputed restaurants and nights in deluxe hotels. "I find a nice, comfortable hotel is essential if you're going to challenge people during the day with authentic foods and dishes," Carmack said. Carmack explained that many of his guests are seeking the "real, authentic" flavors of Asia. "Too many international hotels homogenize their dishes to please overseas clients. You don't taste the real flavor, they always tone down on spice," he said. International hotels have been quick to pick up on the trend, increasing their cooking school programs. In Hanoi, the Sofitel Metropole's Spices Garden runs small classes five days a week, and the executive chef, Didier Corlou, said the number of participants has been increasing in the last year. Top-end restaurants are also cashing in as sought-after chefs, like Jereme Leung of Shanghai's hot Whampoa Club, lend their name to occasional lessons. Culinary tours do not come cheap as visits to top restaurants and stays in boutique hotels tend to cater to the higher end of the market. For example, next May, the Los Angeles based tour operator Imperial Tours is running a 12-day culinary and cultural tour of China for $7,730 per person based on double occupancy. The tour includes five cooking lessons or demonstrations in renowned cooking schools or by top chefs, like Leung, and meals in carefully selected restaurants like the Sens & Bund, the newest restaurant of the twins Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, Michelin 3-star chefs. Von Prockl said culinary tours in Asia offer better value for money: "Luxury accommodation, high-end service and dining are more affordable in Asia compared to same service levels in European destinations." "Food is a common language and culinary holidays are the perfect option for the more experience hungry traveler, who wants to participate in, rather than observe, another culture," she added.