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This month . . .
Food and Culture
Exploring The Flavors of Your Community
For
thousands of years, immigrants to this country have brought foods,
culinary practices, beliefs about edibles, and related traditions
along with them. Indigenous groups have their own unique "foodways."
(This concept can apply to a culture, region, or historical period.)
Although it may seem as though burgers, fries, and shakes
make up our national cuisine, a tremendous diversity of foods
and cooking customs flourish in our midst.
Now
that most school gardens have been put to bed (except for the
enviable warm-climate variety), and visions of Thanksgiving feasts
prevail, consider engaging students in the fascinating study of
food and culture. By examining what different groups eat; how
they prepare it; and the role of edible fare in celebrations,
social lives, and belief systems, students will have a unique
lens
on history and culture. Such a project can also be an ideal springboard
for exploring and appreciating ethnic and regional diversity.
In this issue, we suggest ways to uncover the foodways represented
in your classroom and broader community. By engaging with and
interviewing community members, and creating a thematic cookbook,
students will hone communications skills. When they look beyond
our own harvest celebration and explore related festivals throughout
the world, they'll begin to grasp the power and many faces of
the people/food connection. And that's just for starters.
Read on for ideas and inspiration.
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Food
and Culture
Food
for Thought: Digging into
Family Traditions
To prompt
students' thinking about foodways, start with a focus on special dishes
their families prepare (or purchase) for Thanksgiving or other harvest
festivals, celebrations, or holidays.
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In
preparation for student-to-student interviews about family cuisine
and customs, have the class brainstorm questions they might ask
their partners. For instance, What does your family eat for ____?
Do any of the dishes (recipes) have family stories or folklore behind
them? What are they? Which foods are linked to your ethnic or cultural
heritage? What do you know about their history? Which is your favorite
dish? Why? Which recipes include fruits and vegetables from a home
garden?
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Assign
students, questions in hand, to try digging up answers at home.
They should take notes so they can share their findings with partners.
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Back
in the classroom, pair students up and have them take turns questioning
each other, using the list they generated as a guide. Next, each
pair should discuss how their families' food traditions compare.
Once each pair has a chance to share highlights with the rest of
the class, ask the group what they've discovered or what generalizations
they can make about food, cooking, and culture. Make a class chart
of new questions the exercise inspired and brainstorm how students
might find answers.
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Alternative
Activity - If you have diverse ethnic groups represented in
your classroom, have each student keep a list of all the foods they
eat in a week (or during a holiday week). Next, have pairs or small
groups compare lists and discuss observations and "ahas"
that emerge. You may also want to explore questions such as, How
did a particular culture (e.g., Mexican) come to value certain plant
foods (corn products, beans, and rice)?
Conducting
Community
Interviews
Once students have
examined the food and culinary traditions represented in their classroom,
challenge them (individually or in small groups) to interview someone
who has emigrated, or whose parents emigrated, from another country
to the United States. This could be a family member or other adult
from the community. (If they can't locate a person that fits this
bill, they might interview a chef who specializes in an ethnic cuisine.)
Depending on your students' abilities and available resources, they
can document the interviews by taking notes or making audio- or videotapes.
(They'll need to get permission from their subject for the latter
options.)
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In
preparation for interviews, ask students to pose questions that
can help them gain a better understanding of a culture's food heritage.
For instance, What
are foods, herbs, and spices are typically found in dishes from
your culture? What
drinks are characteristic? What special cooking techniques are used?
Can
you tell me about a favorite dish (recipe) and any story or folklore
that goes with it? What
food crops are commonly grown in the country and how do they influence
the cuisine? How does the climate or geography of the country influence
what's grown and eaten?
- Before they schedule
their own sessions, have youngsters discuss what it takes to be a
good interviewer. As students share thoughts, you may want to suggest
some items from the chart below. Also consider
conducting a role-play exercise so students can practice interviewing
skills prior to their visits.
- Once the interviews
are complete, challenge students to organize and creatively present
what they've uncovered. The outcome could be a booklet, edited video,
skit, or presentation using Hyperstudio or other computer software.
Alternatively, have the group plan a classroom or community feast
or multicultural food festival in which each student or group prepares
an ethnic dish they've learned about. They can also display and talk
about specific ingredients or share related stories they gleaned from
the interviews.
Hooked on exploring
people/food relationships? The Curriculum
Connections section has activities for helping youngsters dig
deeper!
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Tips for Conducting a Good Interview
- Greet
your interviewee by reminding them who you are, why you want
to talk with them, and what you hope to find out. If applicable,
get
permission to audio- or videotape the interview.
- Ask questions
that require more of an answer than a "yes" or "no."
Choose more open-ended questions that allow the interviewee
to answer in his or her own words.
- Be sure
to take cues from your interviewee. Ask questions based on
answers they give you. Follow your question sheet, but don't
be afraid to expand from the discussion.
- If the
person is telling a story and you think of another question,
don't interrupt; jot it down and come back to it.
- Write
a thank-you note to the person you interviewed and immediately
put it in the mail.
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Copyright©
2003 National Gardening Association
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Contents
Pg.
1: Food and Culture
Background
Digging into Family Traditions
Conducting
Community
Interviews
Pg.
2: Curriculum Connections
Create
a Classroom or
Community Cookbook
Home in on Harvest
Festivals
Where in the
World?
Food Plant Origins
Pg.
3: Resources
Web Sites We Like
Products
for Exploring
Plants, Culture, and Cuisine
Related
Articles
Cultivating
History Lessons
Ethnobotany:
The People/
Plant Connection
Cultivating,
Cross-Culturally
The
Eyes Have It:
Exploring Potatoes
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