Teaching Food History: A Discussion Among Practitioners

Abstract

This roundtable discussion examines pedagogical practices in the emerging field of food history. Participants shared their experiences in a wide variety of different institutional settings and considered the differences between a food history classroom and more traditional history courses. Topics included how best to teach the history of taste, chronological and temporal scales of analysis, and issues of social justice. Discussants also problematized the epistemological limits of food history with particular focus on the classroom and the best way to provide educational outcomes that serve the future interest of students. Finally, the panel reflected on new directions for teaching food and how to expand individual classes into a larger curriculum.