TY - JOUR
T1 - Scary Food
T2 - Comodifying Culinary Heritage as Meal Adventures
AU - Gyimóthy, Szilvia
AU - Mykletun, Reidar Johan
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - This article portrays the changing status and use of a traditional Norwegian meal, Smalahove, in designing tourist experiences. Against all odds, this peculiar relic of Nordic gastronomy (salted, smoked and cooked sheep's head) has become a part of the destination brand of Voss, a small West Norwegian township, renowned for its topographic qualities related to extreme sports. In order to understand the recent success of Smalahove, we studied various culinary experience concepts offered to visitors. Based on data from a mixed-method case study approach, we found that entrepreneurs in the Voss region had developed a new commodifi cation approach to a culinary heritage. Smalahove is marketed not only as a nostalgic and authentic rural dish, but also as a challenging culinary trophy appealing to thrillseeking consumers. The implications of the Sheep's head case are twofold. First, it represents new commercial potentials for marketing ‘extreme' culinary specialties. Second, it is an example of innovative rural destination branding, by which local dishes are not mere idyllic expressions of an agricultural past, but an opportunity to open up potential new avenues for the co-branding of rural destinations and regional food products.
AB - This article portrays the changing status and use of a traditional Norwegian meal, Smalahove, in designing tourist experiences. Against all odds, this peculiar relic of Nordic gastronomy (salted, smoked and cooked sheep's head) has become a part of the destination brand of Voss, a small West Norwegian township, renowned for its topographic qualities related to extreme sports. In order to understand the recent success of Smalahove, we studied various culinary experience concepts offered to visitors. Based on data from a mixed-method case study approach, we found that entrepreneurs in the Voss region had developed a new commodifi cation approach to a culinary heritage. Smalahove is marketed not only as a nostalgic and authentic rural dish, but also as a challenging culinary trophy appealing to thrillseeking consumers. The implications of the Sheep's head case are twofold. First, it represents new commercial potentials for marketing ‘extreme' culinary specialties. Second, it is an example of innovative rural destination branding, by which local dishes are not mere idyllic expressions of an agricultural past, but an opportunity to open up potential new avenues for the co-branding of rural destinations and regional food products.
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U2 - 10.1177/1356766709104271
DO - 10.1177/1356766709104271
M3 - Journal article
VL - 15
SP - 259
EP - 273
JO - Journal of Vacation Marketing
JF - Journal of Vacation Marketing
SN - 1356-7667
IS - 3
ER -