The Cultural Cuisine Passport Challenge

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The Cultural Cuisine Passport Challenge

 


This year, 2020, has shown to be a terrible year for travel. With COVID-19 having achieved a “pandemic” designation, people all over the world have canceled their plans to fly, drive, cruise in a ship, or ride in a train. With these cancellations, people are no longer adventuring in far off lands to sate their pallets with foreign cuisine and delicacies.

According to one survey, 88.2% of travelers stated that gastronomy and food were the primary choice for their travel destinations. This does not come as a surprise though, does it? I mean people travel for all sorts of reasons – historical significance, architecture, art, sporting events, business, outdoor activities, and so on – but what are people usually most excited about? You got it – the food!

To compound the problem, local restaurants that offer foreign culinary options may no longer be in operation or may have their offerings altered. So, without the ability to travel freely and try all the new foods for ourselves, how are we supposed to satisfy our foreign food cravings while stuck in our homes?

The remedy to this issue is “The Cultural Cuisine Passport Challenge.”

You are probably asking yourself, “what on earth is this challenge?” Well, simply put, you craft a faux passport out of construction paper or similar materials and you cook different cultural meals from the comfort of your own home. When you complete a certain meal or type of food from a foreign destination you can use markers or colored pencils to draw in your own customs stamp for that destination.

To make it easier for you follow these instructions:

IN ADVANCE...

1. Select a country you want to “visit”

2. Pick a meal or food you would like to try from that country by doing an online search

3. Mark the date of the meal on your calendar

4. Create a grocery list for the items needed – shop safely at local store or order online

THE DAY OF...

1. Have recipe accessible

2. Prep food – thaw, wash, clean, and cut

3. Recruit help from those you live with or do it solo

4. Cook the food or meal

5. Take photos of the finished product and share them on social media or with family and friends

6. Eat the final product

7. Draw a deluxe customs stamp in your “passport”

8. Challenge yourself or those you know to take part (create an award/reward system)

                                                             


Taking part in this challenge will help you improve kitchen and culinary skills, to connect and interact with foreign cultures, relieve stress from the inability to travel, eat a variety of healthy nutrients that you might not usually get, and do this and more from a safe location.

Even though COVID-19 made 2020 a bust for travel, you can still get that taste of foreign fair by means of your own cooking and crafting. And, in the end, you may surprise even yourself.

 

Bon voyage, and happy travels!

 

 

DY

 

References:

https://venngage.com/blog/88-2-of-people-travel-the-world-to-get-their-hands-on-this-infographic/

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 7, 2020 at 12:24 PM

    I love this idea! The fact that 88.2% of travelers indicated that their PRIMARY reason for travel is food is incredible... it really proves foods immense impact on everyones lives. I really like that you included such a fun twist to the idea of trying different foods. I can admit that I often fall into a trap of eating the same foods every couple weeks because it's just what I'm used to! It's as if I'm on a cycle menu that's mostly italian/american foods... which is why I'd love to try this activity. I especially think this activity would be so fun with kids. Introducing different tastes will help with pickiness, and it'll be a perfect opportunity to give the kids a brief history on different cultures.

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