“With this tour we’re trying to transcend language barriers and make the market and Latin American cooking and cuisine something to celebrate as part of our shared city,” said David Naczycz, co-creator of Urban Oyster.
The Brooklyn-based tour company has introduced the hidden treasures of craft beer, food trucks, the Navy Yard and more through their explorations of Manhattan and Brooklyn. With the Immigrant Foodways Tour set to launch this Saturday, they will shed light on the Jewish and Latin American cultures of East Williamsburg, and identify the foreign delicacies present in the Moore Street Market and along Graham Avenue, also known as “Avenue of Puerto Rico.”
Immigrant Foodways is the result of one year of gathering oral histories of local shop owners. The tour will be a tasty education of the Moore Street Market’s formation, and will examine the changes to New York’s food system brought in by 20th century immigrants. Groups of 14 will be led to five or six weekly changing tastings, and will sample exotic foods such as empanadas and morcilla, or blood sausage.
By the tour’s conclusion, participants will be educated in Latin American cuisine, and will leave ready to select and prepare plantains and other dishes. A complimentary booklet of recipes will be provided to each participant. Co-founder Cindy Vandenbosch said, “It feels great to give this tour because we’re helping people who come on the tour connect with stories, cultures, and foods of immigrants from countries ranging from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic to more recent arrivals, including Mexican and Ecuadorian immigrants.”
Look for Urban Oyster’s “Eat Like a Local” tour to arrive in July!
Tickets for Immigrant Foodways Tour cost $39 per person, and include all food tastings, a bottle of water, a recipe book, and more. For directions and to purchase tickets, visit urbanoyster.com.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram