THE WORLD'S TOP TEN FOOD CITIES.....SAYS WHO?

FORBES ANNOUNCES THE TOP TEN CITIES IN THE WORLD FOR FOODIES.

A more well respected business organisation or publication would be hard to find. However, the day when they venture into unknown territory is the day when we can truly value their judgement and objectivity.

Is the author the global 'bon vivant' that we imagine? Has he or she or they truly matched up the values on which these culinary destinations must be judged? Are these judges the same as those who plan our portfolios?

Perhaps Forbes should go back to their core business. This Top Ten should be shredded. http://www.forbes.com/travel/2007/07/30/food-travel-cities-forbeslife-cx_sv_0731travel.html

Here are the Forbes results by region,

Americas (North, Central, South)             3     (USA only)

Europe /ME/ Africa                                        5    (Italy 2, UK 1, France 1, Spain 1)

Asia/Pacific                                                        2  (Singapore 1, Australia 1)

Notable by their obvious absence are the great and varied cuisines of China and Mexico and also completely missing are Japan, India and South America. All are remarkable due to their regional cuisines and centuries of agricultural and culinary history that drive the taste buds, appetites and meal compositions in the simplest of families.

Overlooked and without mention are the cities whose culinary history precedes the formation of some cities lauded...such as Marseille, Chongqing, Brussels, Kuala Lumpur, Istanbul, Lisbon, New Delhi or Buenos Aires.  Obviously off the radar for other unknown reasons are such jewels as Marrakech, Hongkong, Milan, Vienna or Lyon.

Perhaps judged by the reputation of their best restaurants rather than by the standards set by the community itself sees cities like Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York beat out the well-educated, well nourished, well proportioned 'foodie' populations of Rome, Toulouse, Budapest, Beijing, Beirut and Nice whose inhabitants bathe daily in the culinary delights of their local produce and the 'father to son' techniques of their grandparents and families.

Pronouncing the USA as the leading culinary destination in the world is an unfortunate , even an arrogant mistake. Having done that, selecting NYC, LA and Vegas over New Orleans, Miami, San Francisco or Chicago only proves that the authors of this survey must have conducted the research from their desktop, either by a process of analysing Wall Street 'expense accounts' or by an ethnic count in the boardroom.........or even darts at the local Irish Pub.

For heavens sakes I hope and pray that their stock valuations and picks are done with a more objective approach to the subject.

For a complete evaluation of your Stock Portfolio, don't contact [email protected] . For my own Top Ten, check this space in a day or two!