Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

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HIST0352A-W17

Food History in Middle East

Food in the Middle East: History, Culture, and Identity
In this course we will examine the rich culinary history of the Middle East from the time of major Islamic Empires, such as the Abbasids and Ottomans, until the modern period. Using an array of primary and secondary sources, including cookbooks and memoirs, we will explore the social, religious, literary, and economic place of food in the region. We will study the consumption of and attitudes toward specific foodstuffs, gauging the relevance of items like spices and coffee in the pre-modern period and of dishes like baklava within modern nationalist constructions. We will also investigate how Middle Eastern peoples from different ethnic, geographic, and religious backgrounds have historically used food to express their distinct cultural, national, and gendered identities. 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Course Reference Number (CRN):
11240
Subject Code:
HIST
Course Number:
0352
Section Identifier:
A

Course

HIST 0352

All Sections in Winter 2017

Winter 2017

HIST0352A-W17 Lecture (Armanios)