A mélange of elements unique to these 700 islands, rocks and - TopicsExpress



          

A mélange of elements unique to these 700 islands, rocks and cays, Bahamian culture is manifested in Junkanoo shacks, at the Cay Island Rake ‘n’ Scrape Festival and in the homes of straw plaiters. We see it at local theaters and off the shorelines, where Bahamian fishermen have been practicing their craft for centuries. But the place it becomes most self-evident is the one which is often overlooked – the kitchen table, where food and drink can tell some of the best stories about The Bahamas’ history and culture. Believing that the culinary palate has traditionally been an underrated vehicle to revel in culture and the local way of life, Alanna Rodgers has been helping Bahamians and visitors develop a deeper sense of appreciation for The Bahamas through her culinary tourism company, Tru Bahamian Food Tours. Founded by Rodgers in December 2012, Tru Bahamian Food Tours offers its unique guided Bites of Nassau Food Tasting and Cultural Walking Tour of historic Downtown Nassau. Through the venture, Rodgers hopes to connect visitors and locals alike with authentic Bahamian cuisine and the chefs, artisans and entrepreneurs responsible for preparing and preserving local culinary traditions. Traveling to The Republic of Zambia, South Africa, Madagascar, Tanzania and Kenya in the summer of 2011, Rodgers was “struck by a number of realizations” while on her trip. “First of all, when we were traveling that summer, in each country we visited, it was like you had to make an effort not to be part of the local culture, the cuisine, the way of life. There was no barrier and it was an inherent part of the experience over all. “[Secondly] the level of authenticity throughout our trip and the connections we formed with people from each respective country and their stories was just so profound and so different to what I feel like the tourism experience is like here in The Bahamas,” she said. Citing a tour of a local Zanzibarian spice plantation as one of the highlights of her trip, Rodgers recalled how a “simple and rudimentary” experience, enabled her to develop a much deeper affinity for the island she was visiting. “I remember remarking to myself, ‘If that kind of impact is possible in only 45 minutes, that’s an incredibly powerful mechanism for connecting with people and creating a sense of meaning around their travel’,” she said. The notion of using food as a vehicle to highlight The Bahamas’ heritage and uniqueness seemed a viable concept to Rodgers. “No matter where someone’s from or what their interests are, he or she must eat,” she explained. “Eating is accessible to everyone and it is the one thing that all travelers do with 100 percent certainty when they travel.” So far, she and the Tru Bahamian Food Tours team have been successful. The tour is ranked number one of 83 activities in Nassau on TripAdvisor and has been awarded a 2014 recommendation by acclaimed travel guide, Fodor’s Travel. It is through this model that Rodgers hopes to change The Bahamas’ approach to tourism and revive a sense of pride and reverence for the country’s heritage. With the understanding that cuisine and culture are at the fore of the “pillars” of a differentiated tourism strategy, Rodgers has structured the Bites of Nassau Food Tasting Tour in a way that benefits both small, locally-owned businesses and guests who want a “meaningful, authentic and off-the-beaten-path experience”. Each Bites of Nassau tour group is led by one of five passionate guides who brings a wealth of knowledge and personal flair to the experience. In the space of three hours and seven tasting locations, visitors can expect to wash their meals down with historical and cultural tidbits on everything from the sponging industry to the drug lord era of the 80s. Designed to be a personalized and flexible experience, tours can operate with as few as one hungry belly to as many as 12; groups of up to 70 can also be accommodated successively. While not wheelchair friendly due to Downtown Nassau’s architectural and planning constraints, the tour can accommodate a range of dietary needs and preferences. The experience starts with a traditional Bahamian meal at Bahamian Cookin’ Restaurant and Bar, where diners savor dishes like conch fritters, steamed chicken and classic Bahamian macaroni and cheese along with factual morsels about past and current life in The Bahamas. Following lunch and on the way to the famed Graycliff property, groups learn about some of Downtown Nassau’s significant and lesser-known landmarks. Chats about piracy, slavery and underground industries in the country precede a local beer tasting (teetotalers can sample locally-brewed fever grass iced tea) followed by two of the chocolatier’s bonbons. On the short walk over to Van Breugel’s Restaurant and Bistro, foodies get a briefing on Bahamian politics as they check out hot spots like Government House and Gregory’s Arch. Spoonfuls of curried conch chowder lead tour guides to touch on the fusion of ethnicities in The Bahamas and the country’s diverse population. A quick stop at specialty tea and spice merchant Pure Caribbean gives the group a chance to refresh with a taste of iced, locally made tea while experiencing an epicurean array of spices, hot sauces, jams and local artwork. Making their way to the country’s oldest standing Greek restaurant, diners can anticipate sampling Athena Café’s famous Greek salad served with warm pita bread and slivers of information on Greek-Bahamian history and the sponging industry. The tour ends with bites of Tortuga Rum Cakes’ pineapple rum cake, which is offered as a salute to the country’s pineapple farming heritage. Rodgers estimates that, in less than two years, the Tru Bahamian Food Tours team has hosted approximately 4,000 visitors. Just over half of them have been cruise ship passengers, with the remaining numbers made up of hotel guests and a few locals. Though they don’t get them very often, the guides “consider it a special honor” when Bahamians join them for the tour. “It doesn’t happen very often and it’s important for us to be just as strong ambassadors to visitors as we are to locals,” said Rodgers. She added: “My desire is that we start building a tourism strategy that is centered upon the understanding that everything we need, we already have. It’s just a matter of taking recognition of these things and appreciating them and understanding that people care about them too and are hungry and willing to pay to see and experience them. It’s putting what we already have and what’s already central to who we are as a Bahamian community at the forefront of our tourism experience, as opposed to trying to hide it and banish it away for no one to see.” With the Ministry of Tourism’s recent push to nominate October 2014 as Culinary Month, Rodgers hopes that the move will raise awareness for the country’s “culinary history and current offerings”. Looking forward to the role that Tru Bahamian Food Tours can play, she explained: “Were honored to be the official tour partner in the countrys inaugural Culinary Month. We believe that this is an incredibly important initiative and represents a very clear step in the Ministry of Tourisms recognition of the critical role that cuisine plays in our overall destination strategy. Along with a special prixe fixed menu in select restaurants across the country and country-wide food festivals and competitions, our tour will hopefully offer visitors and locals during the month of October an opportunity to experience various dimensions of our culinary history and current offerings. To find out more about Tru Bahamian Food Tours or to book a tour, visit ift.tt/1nkzaBJ or the company’s Facebook page at ift.tt/1t58QId.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 17:41:44 +0000

Trending Topics



Recently Viewed Topics




© 2015