ImmerseThrough
tours are all about
the concept of
cultural immersion
through food
Since 2010 I have done one or two immersethrough tours a year, starting with trips in Northern Thailand and in Burma, and then later on travels in the Republic of Georgia. The idea is always to engage with local food and agricultural traditions, often with some hands-on food preparation and cooking, and always with meals (sometimes feasts) of local food and drink and plenty of conversation.
— Naomi Duguid • Writer, photographer, traveler, story teller, home cook; author of THE MIRACLE OF SALT
And for me, immersion is almost always associated with travel, with crossing borders, engaging with people and with their culture, and making myself vulnerable.
The lens through which I most often immerse myself is food. I have spent the last thirty-five plus years travelling researching writing and photographing to make cookbooks, so food traditions and staple foods are what turn me on: flatbreads, rice, grains of all kinds, salt, agricultural landscapes…and markets everywhere and anywhere.
the tour
The ImmerseThrough tours are informal with the emphasis on flexibility and direct hands-on experience. I always work with a friend who has deep knowledge of food traditions of her country, and of the cultural and historical terrain. We engage with farmers and food-producers such as cheese-makers and wine-makers, and we stay in comfortable but usually not deluxe hotels, especially not in smaller towns and villages. We travel by road in a large comfortable van with a very experienced driver. This gives us the flexibility to make a stop or vary our route, if we decide there is something interesting to check out.
the schedule
I’m delighted to be heading back to Georgia in September 2024 for another Immersethrough trip. Georgians have maintained a rich culture and distinctive language for centuries, despite the pressure of large and often aggressive neighbors on all sides. Georgia’s food and its remarkable centuries-old wine culture are now becoming better known to outsiders, as is the Georgian tradition of hospitality, especially at the table.
You’ll see all this in action if you are able to join me on my next immersethrough trip to the Thailand in January 2025.
Georgia
Wednesday September 25 to Sunday October 6, 2024
