Hands on Food Experiences

Filed in archive Dining on November 19, 2007

In a recent New York Times article, travel writer Frank Bruni describes the method he usually uses to harvest oysters:

My usual method for harvesting oysters goes something like this: I lift my right hand. I extend it toward a neatly arranged platter on a tidily set table, taking care, at least on my better days, not to drag my sleeve through a ramekin of mignonette sauce.

Mr. Bruni goes on to explain actually harvesting oysters on Canada's Prince Edward Island. His (mis)adventure raises an interesting aspect of the culinary experience: the harvest.

Seeing this process has always been an option for travelers. People have been visiting wineries in Italy or spending a fall day apple picking in the States since time immemorial. But what about some of our finer foods.

Recreational salmon fishing has long been popular in Alaska. Further afield, tourists can get a glimpse of the earliest stages of caviar production.

Why go on such a tour? Connoisseurs would surely enjoy a trip to the source of the food or beverage they are passionate about. I'm sure a certain amount of understanding comes from watching, perhaps even partaking in, the process. For those who are just curious travelers, there is a certain joy, at least for me, in the simple natural setting in which most food is produced. Whether one goes through the actual harvesting process, like Mr. Bruni, or simply watches, I think most travelers would consider such an excursion a worthwhile pause from sightseeing. And you get to eat what you pick, catch, or brew.