DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCES Exploring Cultures by Making Food: a Cultural Recipe Analysis Assignment Pallavi Panth, PhD, Monique J. LeMieux, PhD The Course Student Instructions and Prompt Student Feedback on Assignment NFS 3173 Culture and Food is a global perspective junior level course that looks at societal and cultural factors that influence food habits and nutrition status individually and globally. Students apply knowledge of cultural food habits related to nationality, ethnicity, and religion in communication and decision making. Throughout the semester, students complete several assignments that help them to “dive deeper” into their chosen culture. The cultural recipe analysis is one such assignment. Students are asked to write a 3-5 page paper (not including references) analyzing a dish that they made from the culture they selected. Elements of the Paper "I took this assignment as a stepping-stone to help me start trying new recipes with the hope to be more adventurous with my food choices. I had every intention to keep an open mind when it came to selecting a recipe, so the recipe I chose was something I had been wanting to try--lentil soup. I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was despite it taking several hours to prepare.“ - Desiree P. “For my Food and Culture cultural recipe, I made Vietnamese Spring Rolls. Making this recipe allowed me to learn how to prepare something different and explore another culture's food.” – Jean R “The cultural recipe project truly helped me to step out of my culinary comfort zone. I chose to cook a traditional Japanese Miso soup. My dish turned out so well that it inspired me to continue to explore cooking with different cuisines!” -Gale N “I have enjoyed the cultural experience of my class, Food and Culture, with Dr. Panth. She has encouraged the class to connect to a different culture and learn more about it through different activities this semester.” - Anonymous 1) Introduction 4) Compare and Contrast Student’s cultural identity Cooking/ prep methods Culture of recipe chosen Traditional flavor notes and principles Why this recipe was chosen Typical staple foods Meal/eating patterns/ habits 2) Preparation Methods Step by step description of prep 5) Discussion How did student’s cultural perception affect perception of food prepared 3) Sensory Evaluation of Recipe 6) References All references must be in APA style 7) Picture of dish prepared Objectives and Background Background: Students are asked to clearly understand and be able to define the following staple foods/ pantry items common flavor notes/ seasonings & herbs traditional used traditional cooking/ preparation methods of the culture traditional eating/ meal patterns Objectives: Finding an "authentic" and "traditional" cultural recipe from the culture other than their own Preparing the recipe for themselves and a friend or family member Taking a photo of the recipe to include in the report Completing a sensory evaluation of the prepared dish Resources Used: Course textbook Ethnic book or published book on chosen culture Reference of choice/ internet resources Examples of Completed Assignments Did you know? The TWU Library has the World's largest Cookbook Collection