Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: TOURING THE WORLD THROUGH FOOD (MARTEL)

Department: College Courses

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 1

Description: Have you noticed ingredients like okra used in wildly distinct cuisines like Cajun dishes and Indian dishes? Have you always wondered why unique ingredients are a common denominator across cuisines with seemingly no connections? In this course, we will take a deeper dive in the building blocks of dishes, including fundamental ingredients, and explore which cuisines use them and how they are prepared in different cultures. We will analyze what drives their usage in unrelated dishes to understand the fundamental question: what is the essence that makes food taste good? Many ingredients are commonly used in different cuisines around the world. In this course, we will examine the building blocks of dishes and compare their uses across different cultures. Select ingredients will be introduced with a historical approach, highlighting how trade and globalization have affected their prevalence. We will then build on this historical foundation and discuss different cultures’ preparation of these ingredients and how they are used in different dishes. This course aims to broaden students’ perspectives of foods from different cultures. Students will learn to adapt a cultural and historical framework for understanding the history and preparation of food. Learning and assessment will center on participation in class discussions, reflective essays, and a final project synthesizing the knowledge of different cultures and cuisines.