In the article the basic concepts of gastronomic tourism as a specific type, its place among the world’s tourism destinations, its classification, historical background. But the degree of practical interest does not coincide with the theoretical development of the problem field. First of all, remains ambiguous concepts that describe the existence of cultural aspects of food. The second problem is the lack of theoretical understanding of gastronomic culture. She studied mainly on the empirical level rises as a result, a set of rules and disparate phenomena. Not studied mechanisms of gastronomic culture. Konventsiynist nutrition standards and food habits no doubt. However, historically and culturally changing not only the rules gastronomic culture, but also the mechanisms of representation and distribution. Investigation of these mechanisms is impossible without a comprehensive analysis that takes into account not only the empirical realities tribute specific food, but also the value-semantic context in which prevails gastronomic culture.
This scientific study represents one of the first attempts to develop a national science methodology for comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of gastronomic culture and gastronomic tourism and its ways of representation on materials Ukrainian culture.
Gastronomic Culture – specific system of cultural norms, principles and patterns that embodied in methods of cooking in a set taken in this cultural products and their combinations, practice eating, reflection on the processes of cooking and eating.
Keywords: heuristic potential of the concept of «gastronomic culture», cultural nutrition analysis, construct a «national culture», gastronomic tourism, local, national and local economic development.