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About Global Taste

Hotel with sunset view on a beach in Thailand

Great Tours. Terrific Service. Unbeatable Prices.

Global Taste is not your average tour company. We combine personality, professionalism, and expertise to create uniquely fun and fascinating culinary adventures.

Our custom tours are the best in the business. Nobody else offers the options we do. With Global Taste, you can customize your journey to suit your exact taste at a price you can afford.

Our small group tours are ideal for foodies searching for a great vacation in Thailand. We cap our groups at 14 people, which keeps things personal and creates a great group dynamic. Our group tours provide exceptional services and are the most affordable culinary vacations available anywhere in the world.

Southeast Asian warrior god at Wat Arun in Bangkok

We Value Responsible Tourism

Global Taste is one of Thailand's leading responsible tourism operators.

Since Global Taste's inception in 2008, we've held the belief that responsible tourism is the only acceptable form of tourism.

By ensuring that tourism is a force for good, Global Taste helps pave the road for improved lives. Responsible tourism creates meaningful jobs, fosters positive inter-cultural dialogue, preserves cultural heritage, and makes environmental conservation economically feasible.

For many reasons, our role as agents of sustainable development greatly adds to our customer's experience and sense of satisfaction.

Global Taste's management places great value in going beyond what is expected of a culinary tour company. We embrace the higher level of expectation placed upon us as pioneers in responsible tourism.

A portion of every tour goes to supporting the following organizations:

http://www.thaistudentcharity.org - The SET Foundation is a terrific charity that provides scholarships, books, uniforms and other materials to severely disadvantaged Thai students.
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/asia_pacific/where/thailand/index.cfm - The World Wildlife Fund supports wildlife preservation and ecological conservation all over the world.
http://www.fahdiow.net - Faddiow formed after the 2004 tsunami. This charity works does excellent youth and community development in Thailand's south.
http://www.baangerda.org/index.html - This community in Thailand provides essential services to HIV positive orphans.
http://www.oxfam.org - Oxfam International does tons of great work. By campaigning and doing fieldwork in poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, and other issues, Oxfam International makes a huge difference worldwide.

Delicious Thai pineapple growing from the ground

Delicious Fried Catfish salad, from Phisanulok, a Thai classic

Eat Locally and Eat Fresh = Be Happy and Be Healthy!

You don't need to venture far back into human history to find a time before tin cans. 1810 was the year to be exact; the year Frenchman Nicolas François Appert won 12,000 francs for inventing 'canning' as a technique for preserving food.

Hurray for food preservation. It enabled Napolean's invasion of Russia!

This history lesson reveals a fact obfuscated by modern life: 10 generations ago all food was local. Eating locally wasn't a matter of choice or luxury; it was a matter of survival.

Eating locally isn't always easy these days, but it does have tons of great benefits. Here are five:

Local produce isn't coated in preservatives. This adds up to less toxins and more nutrition in every bite.
It helps develop rural economies by keeping money in the community.
Eating locally supports local farmers investment in responsible land management and biodiversity.
Unspeakably large amounts of carbon emissions haven't been spent in every apple's delivery or in processing plants.
Local food tastes better. It ripens naturally and was harvested recently. A winning combination.

Thailand is one of the best places on the planet to eat fresh, local cuisine. The tropical weather, the Chao Phraya and Mekong river systems, and time-honed agriculture techniques are among many reasons Thailand produces great fresh food all year round.

Come to Southeast Asia with Global Taste to experience the best of local Thai cuisine. On our tours we offer dishes that you can't find anywhere in the world outside Thailand. Touring with Global Taste means you help support and learn about local food!

We recognize the benefits of sustainable land management, organic produce, eating locally, and of course eating well, and we wish to share these passions with you!

Our People

Ben Finkelstein on a motor scooter in Thailand

Ben Finkelstein - Co-Founder

Ben grew up in New York City loving his family, his friends, the Mets, and Asian cuisine.

Upon graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2005 Ben found himself teaching English in Phitsanulok, Thailand. He taught in a community college, a Buddhist Monastery, and a private language school. During his three years of living and traveling in Southeast Asia, Ben recognized (and enjoyed!) the importance of local cuisine. Trying everything from stinky tofu to spicy fried frog was (usually) a joy, but always provided some level of insight regarding the country's people and their history.

Following up on his love for Thailand and his passion for its unparalleled cuisine, Ben founded Global Taste in 2008.

You can feel free to reach him at ben@globaltastetours.com.

Sam McChesney touring a temple in Thailand

Sam McChesney - Co-Founder

Sam was introduced to the wonderful world of extraordinary cuisine growing up in Toronto, Canada. Some of his earliest memories include learning about the great European and Asian culinary traditions in the family kitchen. Specifically, he remembers his first bite of his own homemade hot red curry. This aromatic dish got him hooked on developing a life long love for great flavors and exciting culinary experiences.

Sam has cooked in many restaurants across Canada, including Toronto's Safari and Bloor St Bistro. For the past three years he has lived in Asia, learning Mandarin. For Sam one of the main allures of traveling throughout Asia has been the sampling of terrific and 'exotic' cuisines. From steamed flying fish in Indonesia, to red hot wild boar curry in Thailand, to snake blood soup in Taiwan (R.O.C.), he has never looked back and awaits eagerly the grumble of his stomach for the next culinary adventure.

Sam can be reached at sam@globaltastetours.com.

Hunter Provyn - Cultural Liaison and Gourmet

In a previous life I was a systems and information engineer for a government contractor in Columbia, Maryland.

In 2005 I decided I wanted to see if a change of venue and career would satisfy my soul. I had been to Thailand on vacation and thought someone like me would enjoy the lifestyle, the cuisine, the people, and the challenge of a new language.

What I didn't even consider was how rewarding teaching could be with students that are cheerful, respectful and enjoy the time they spend with you. In the meantime, I've been able to devote more energy to my cycling hobby. After my first year in Thailand, I spent several months going on cycling adventures in Europe and Asia. It was grueling, but also rewarding to the eyes, the mind, and most importantly, the stomach. One of my philosophies since moving to Thailand is that I won't eat (or do) something, unless there is a chance I will relish it. That is the passion I bring to my work, and hopefully, to you.

Feel free to contact Hunter at hunter@globaltastetours.com.

Jason Blatt the web master with girlfriend

Jason Blatt - Webmaster

Jason grew up in the incredibly average city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His first job in food service was washing dishes at age 14 in an upscale Italian eatery, where he quickly learned how to serve and, more importantly, cook. He also managed food stands at Hersheypark during the summers (and still insists that deep-fried perogies are 'gourmet').

An upbringing heavy in video games and Jolt cola caused Jason to attend college at the Universitry of Pittsburgh, where he majored in computer engineering. During this time he conintued to cook and wait tables at a mix of Indian, Italian, and American restaurants in order to pay for school. Working at a bar/grill gave Jason some of his best friends and memories, and is something he feels everyone should experience in life, if only for a short time.

Jason currently works full time as a web developer, but has been know to stop in at his old jobs to drink and occationally cook a shift.

You can contact Jason Blatt via his website cortexture.net.

Emily Cantor - Public Relations and Culinary Specialist

Emily grew up in what one might call a "food-centric" family and has enjoyed eating and cooking since she was very young. How food-centric you may ask? Pulling strings to sneak into the annual Fancy Food Show in New York City became a treasured family tradition.

After graduating from Boston University in 2005, she embarked on a year abroad backpacking through South-East Asia and India, during which she sampled (and sometimes gorged herself on) the delicious and diversified local cuisine of big cities and small villages alike. She maintains that some of the most incredible delicacies on earth can be found in South-East Asia, and is counting the days until she returns (NYC's Thai food just doesn't cut it after the real thing).

Emily is a sommelier and may be reached at emily@globaltastetours.com

Miss. Akejitia Masamran "Jah" - Director of Asian Relations

Jah grew up in the 'Rose of North,' Chiang Mai. She was born on the (supposedly) auspicious day of November 21th, 1985. However, she assures her friends that she 'doesn't believe in that stuff.'

Jah recently graduated from Bangkok University with a degree in Communications. Her first job out of university was as a talent scout for a giant telemarketing company. She even managed to find herself in a few television ads.

Jah is an excellent communicator with a real knack for language. She is an engaging and entertaining guide and terrific cultural liaison. Come with Global Taste and get to know Jah and her friends!

Contact Jah at jah@globaltastetours.com.

Friends and Links

Below you'll find a list of great resources for Thailand tours and travel. Also, great sites writing about Southeast Asia's food and cooking affairs.

Visit www.trycookingthai.com . A great website offering recipes and an inside look at Thai cuisine.

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