COR 3820 Il Cibo e` Vita – Food is Life: A perspective on history, culture, economy, health and self in Italy

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are,” (Jean- Anthelme Brillat- Savarin, French food writer). Nowhere is this more true than in Italy, where the food varies with the region and history, providing a unique regional identity. Throughout time food has remained one of the ways people identify themselves as members of ethnic groups, religious sects, social classes, regions, and countries. The study of foodways (the traditional activities, attitudes, beliefs, customs and behaviors that influence food in daily life) in Italy will provide an avenue by which to investigate the intersections between these memberships, and the values, customs and traditions that structure one’s personal identity and that of Italy. This course will explore the significance of food in Italy from a variety of lenses: culture, social, economic, health, region, and history, and provide a framework by which to consider the impact of food on identity. Open to any student in the third or fourth year of study.