Mediterranean Cuisine and Ingredients Experiential Learning

For humans, food not only sustains life but also defines identity in numerous ways. Food is an essential aspect of culture and has an evolution and development that begins with human history. The course offers students an overview of Mediterranean cuisine identifying different macro areas and analyzing them starting from historical and cultural background with special emphasis on the different cuisines of the countries facing the Mediterranean sea, their mutual and external influences, and the traditions they developed during centuries. Students will learn about food in Ancient Mediterranean society and the influence of geography, culture, religions on all the changes involving food and food production. The Course will also include an overview of the cuisines of Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia, Liguria as the most representative examples of the mediterranean diet.
Emphasis will be placed on ingredients, flavor profiles, preparations, and representative techniques of the most important mediterranean cuisines. This course consists of experiential learning hours with our Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI). CEMI are dynamic learning environments created to foster learning through a structured interaction with the community. In addition to regular lecture hours, students will be involved in learning by doing through real projects and integration with the local population and territory in order to remove cultural and learning barriers as well as to develop a strong likelihood for success in life. The experiential learning hours are fully supervised by instructors who track students step by step during their learning experience, monitor and advise according to student needs, and support student initiative. This unique learning model allows students to benefit from an all-encompassing educational experience based on theory and practice in real enterprises, learning of comprehensive operational processes, problem-solving, leadership, and management. Prerequisites: Culinary Arts majors only.