About the course

What is at stake when we talk about food? What ideas are associated with Italian cuisine? This course provides an in-depth survey of Italian foodways in geographical, historical, and socio-economic contexts from the Middle Ages to today. Food and cooking have a critical role in Italian traditions and are intertwined into all aspects of Italian society. The course offers an interdisciplinary analysis of eating habits and culinary practices focusing on food as a root to understand identity and culture. Through social justice frameworks, the course highlights the diverse roles and functions of food such as physical and mental nourishment, embodiment of pleasure, symbol of health and wealth, means of communication, and a social unifier. By combining theory and practice, students will explore topics including the “Mediterranean diet” and its nutrition guidelines, regional products and localism, the Slow Food revolution, the role of immigrants in the production and consumption of food, and food insecurity.

This course includes in-class lectures and:

1. on-site visits to relevant sites such as food museums, culinary schools, food shops, markets, and food producers in and around Bologna and neighboring areas.

2. in-class and on-site tastings of Italy’s major quality products, with a focus on their cultural significance, history, production and tasting techniques.

3. cooking classes.

Visits:

• Casa Artusi, Forlimpopoli. https://www.casartusi.it/en/cookery-school/

• Caseificio Bazzanese. Parmigiano Reggiano, Valsamoggia- Bologna. https://caseificiobazzanese.com/en/

• Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Museum, Modena. https://www.museodelbalsamicotradizionale.org/en/home-en/

• Museo del Prosciutto di Parma, Parma. https://prosciuttodiparma.museidelcibo.it/

• Gelato Museum Carpigiani, Anzola dell’Emilia. https://www.gelatomuseum.com/en

• Museo Ferrari, Maranello: https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/museums/ferrari-maranello

if you have questions please reach out to anna.marra@vanderbilt. edu