Learning objectives
the student must be able to:
▪ Understand, analyze and comment on written and oral texts on the geography of food and gastronomic cultures of the world;
▪ describe the elements characterizing the different cuisines on the global scene; ▪ relate gastronomic traditions and specialties to their respective geographical contexts of origin, production and consumption;
▪ identify the protagonists of the international culinary market and describe their work, contributions and value;
▪ place specific products and dishes from foreign countries in the geo-sociopolitical context;
▪ make comparisons between different culinary realities;
▪ illustrate the transformations that have occurred in the gastronomic field following the transnational and transcontinental migrations of products;
▪ report on significant events in the socioeconomic history of nutrition
Prerequisites
Basic notions of gastronomy, geography and English language
Course unit content
Geography of food. Food cultures of the world.
Characteristics, processing and consumption of foreign agri-food products and gastronomic specialties. Wines and drinks in foreign identities. Taste and flavors in 'other' cuisines.
Full programme
Geography of food.
Origins of the main agri-food productions, their diffusion and geo-political, historical and economic location.
Gastronomic cultures in the world. Introduction to the great extra-national culinary cultures.
Eating habits outside Italian borders and taste of other cuisines.
Cooking systems, conservation and methods of food consumption.
Comparative analysis of the cuisines of the continents and their historical evolution.
Spices: history, production and properties; millennial transcontinental flows and traffic.
The actors, dishes and places of contemporary gastronomy.
Asia
Middle East
The cuisines of Türkiye, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Iraq, India.
Türkiye, Ottoman imperial cuisine vs Anatolian cuisine.
Caviar, an Iranian story.
Baghdad, capital of yesterday's Arab taste.
Geography of Jewish cuisine and some specialties.
Far East
History, dishes and traditional foods of the thousand-year-old cuisines of the Indian Subcontinent, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Mondo-noodles: monograph.
Soy, seaweed and sushi revolution.
Thai and Viet cuisines, the future of oriental cuisine in catering.
The Sushi master and top restaurants.
India at the table – unique culinary kaleidoscope.Oceania
Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania, Pacific Islands.
The most recent gastronomic colonization and the Eldorado of ethnic cuisines.
Nutrition of the Australian Aborigines and the Bush Tuckers.
Cutting-edge food and wine.
Americas – 1492: Before and after
Amerindian products, their origin, evolution and use up to the present day.
Agricultural crops and their exports at a global level.
Regional cuisines of North America, heritage of the natives and the founding fathers reworked and enriched in a modern way by American chefs.
Excellent wine production: Mendoza, Napa and Maipo Valley.
Caribbean cuisines: Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Jamaica and Antilles.
The protagonists of F&B in the Americas.
Africa - Mediterranean basin
The Arab heritage.
The colonizing couscous, the French's favorite food, and the kebab.
The cuisines of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mali and Mauritania.
Sub-Saharan Africa and island areas
Agricultural production and subsistence and pastoralism systems.
Roots, poverty and extreme nutrition.
Asmarine cuisine – case study.
South Africa: food melting pot, Cape-Malay cuisine and Stellenbosch wines.
Among the Maasai of Tanzania and Kenya.
Europe
'Iconic dishes' made in Europe: Quick outlook.
International gastronomic glossary.
Bibliography
Students will refer to notes taken during lessons and to the materials available on the course website @ https://elly2024.didattica.unipr.it/course/view.php?id=4053
Furthermore, readings and handouts relating to the following reference texts will be used:Boudan, C., 2005, Le cucine del mondo, Geopolitica del gusto, Donzelli Ed.
Moulin, L., 1993, L’Europa a tavola, Mondadori.
Ulteriori testi consigliati per approfondimenti e consultazione:
Davidson, A., 2002, The Penguin companion to Food, Penguin Ed.
Standage, T., 2010, Una storia commestibile dell’umanità, Ed. Codice
Case, F., 2008, 1001 Foods You must try before you die, Cassel, Octopusbooks UK Guarnaschelli Gotti, M., 2007, Grande enciclopedia della Gastronomia, Mondadori.
Teaching methods
Lectures, cooperative learning activities, audio-video contributions, gastronomic laboratory, presentation of case studies, debates.
Seminar 'Entomophagy - Millennial food option'.
Assessment methods and criteria
Ongoing checks and final written test in person.
Other information
info at e-mail: pietro.dalessio@unipr.it
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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