Explore the connections between culture and food.
Exploring global food culture allowed learners to learn about diverse cultures and their unique food traditions. It provided opportunity for learners to broaden their horizons, develop cultural awareness, and appreciate the diversity of our world.
The class began with discussions about curiosity and open-mindedness. They talked about the nature of curiosity, the role for questioning, ways in which they could seek out different experiences and world views, and how these supports develop empathy. They reflected on how they typically approached new ideas, new situations, and new foods, and set a goal for how they personally might approach the next learning task with curiosity and an open mind.
The class spent the next class discussing how food and culture intertwine. They shared stories about their own traditional dishes, ingredients, cooking techniques and dining customs. Then, in groups, the learners reviewed articles and videos exploring the concept of the intersection of culture and cuisine and how food shapes our identity. They explored the rituals, values, and language attached to eating in various cultures representative of the class, and they learned how food and eating are used as social connections to celebrate, commemorate, and create bonds.
Each group chose three or four specific dishes from distinct cultures representative of their group that they would make for a class feast. They found recipes, researched the required ingredients, and determined whether those ingredients could be accessed in Manitoba or whether they would need to make substitutions. They also prepared presentations for the class, explaining what they had learned about the dish and its connection to culture and naming the dishes using the language of the cultures they were exploring. As their audience was their own classmates and their purpose was similar, they considered which modes and forms might work best for the class. They spent the week of the feast preparing their dishes and sharing their presentations to the class. On the day of the feast, they finished cooking and shared their meals with the class.
As a final learning task, the learners were asked to reflect on what they had learned about the world and its connection to food and about their own curiosity, open-mindedness, empathy, and sense of community.
In summary, exploring global food culture allowed learners to see the world through the lens of food. It promoted cultural awareness, fostered curiosity, and encouraged learners to embrace diversity and celebrate the richness of global food traditions.
