Reflections on fusion cuisine: Gastronomic tourism of Kolkata

Food is a quintessential part of a tourist experience at a destination. Theme food festivals and food activities lead towards the formation of Gastronomic Tourism which is currently part of special interest tourism. The study aims to advance the understanding of gastronomic tourism using netnography. The data was obtained from TripAdvisor Kolkata Food Tour with maximum reviews. Kolkata, the cultural capital is famous for its rich culinary heritage which blends flavours of various cultures to form a unique fusion cuisine which attracts culinary tourists from across the globe. A blend of British and Indian culinary traditions has created a distinctive food culture which has evolved even in the post-colonial era. Tourists at a destination look for the origin of the gastronomic food, legends and stories about the food. The data analysis states that gastronomy has a major role in how tourists experience the destination and how some travellers return to the destination to savour the unique food.