MA in Gastronomy

History is part of a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to food studies. Knowing where our food comes from chronologically is just as important as knowing where it comes from geographically. Historical forces bring our food to the table and shape the agricultural practices, labor arrangements and cultural constructions that make meals possible. We will read, research, write and cook food history to explore the ways in which the history of food has shaped our world today, paying careful attention to structural inequalities that restrict food access. We will examine ways in which contemporary questions and problems inform historical inquiries and vice versa. Readings and projects in this course will typically focus on one geographic region but as a class we will be taking into account global connections and influences. The course material is organized both chronologically and thematically, with subthemes such as race, urbanization and industrialization. Students will learn about historical methodology and apply it to their own research.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course introduces students to the anthropological study of food and to the concept of food as a cultural system. In this cross-cultural exploration, we will examine the role of food and drink in ritual, reciprocity and exchange, social display, symbolism, and the construction of identity. Food preferences and taboos will be considered. We will also look at the transformative role of food in the context of culture contact, the relationship between food and ideas of bodily health and body image, food and memory, and the globalization of food as it relates to politics, power, and identity. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course is designed to introduce students to current and foundational issues in food studies and gastronomy. Through this focus on central topics, students will engage directly in the interdisciplinary method that is central to food studies. Each week will introduce a unique view of the holistic approach that is central to a liberal arts approach to studying food and a new research technique will be presented and put into practice through the readings and course exercises. This course will give Gastronomy students a better understanding of the field as a whole. While providing an overview and methodological toolbox, it will act as a springboard in to areas of specialization of the course. 4 credits.   [ 4 cr. ]

This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of the sensory foundations and implications of food. We will study the senses as physical and cultural phenomena, the evolving concepts of terroir and craft, human nutritional and behavioral science, sensory perception and function, and the sensory and scientific aspects of food preparation and consumption. Understanding these processes, constructions and theories is key to understanding a vast array of food-related topics; cheese-making, wine-tasting, fermentation, food preservation, culinary tools and methods, cravings and food avoidance, sustainability and terroir, to name just a few.   [ 4 cr. ]

Addresses the specifics of new product and service development and building innovation and technology to enhance organizational and economic performance. Topics include generating and screening initial ideas; assessing user needs and interests; forecasting results; launching and improving products, services, and programs; and overall pursuing innovation from ideation through commercialization and additional expansion.  [ 4 cr. ]

Examine the history of e-commerce, along with key concepts related to how businesses can successfully utilize Internet and Web technologies. You will be introduced to the concepts and challenges of electronic commerce. Topics include a comparison of e-commerce procedures, payment mechanisms, applications across various industry sectors, security concerns, and the challenges of starting and maintaining an online business. Additionally, e-commerce practices will be compared with traditional business models. The development of a WordPress-themed website is a minor feature of the course.  [ 4 cr. ]

The course applies the fundamental concepts and tools of marketing and brand management to the food industry, with a particular focus on the burgeoning New England culinary scene. This class will focus on marketing throughout key stages of the food-to-table supply chain, from raw ingredients and processing equipment in early production stages, through immersive culinary experiences targeted to distinct consumer segments. An additional emphasis of the course will be on marketing food products vs. services, and the strategic challenges and strategies that each portion of the food industry requires.  [ 4 cr. ]

Learn to identify and prepare a variety of cookie doughs, master both stovetop and baked custards, and create Swiss and French meringues while understanding differences in peak development. The class also covers essential cake-making methods, emphasizing how gluten formation influences texture, as well as basic cake decorating skills such as torting, leveling, crumb coating, and icing. Additional topics include making German and Swiss buttercreams and piping decorative elements, such as borders and roses. By the end of the course, you will gain a strong foundation in preparation methods and the ability to execute a wide range of pastry techniques. Restriction: This course may not be taken in addition to MET ML 698; only one may count towards degree program requirements.  [ 4 cr. ]

Learn the science and method behind pâte à choux for items such as profiteroles, éclairs, and churros; master classic pie and tart doughs, including pâte brisée, pâte sucrée, pâte sablée, and pie dough; and develop proficiency with laminated doughs such as blitz puff pastry, traditional puff pastry, and kouign-amann. The class also covers enriched yeast doughs like brioche and babka, as well as breakfast favorites including English muffins and Danish pastries shaped into bear claws, braids, and twists. By combining these techniques, you will gain the skills to create classic pastry showstoppers—from tarte tatin to chocolate Charlotte to delicate macarons—while learning how preparation methods influence texture, flavor, and form. Restriction: This course may not be taken in addition to MET ML 699; only one may count towards degree program requirements.  [ 4 cr. ]

How people have obtained and processed a wide range of foods through time, beginning with early humans. Food used by hunter/gatherers; changes in diet and nutrition through time to early farmers. Examines archaeological evidence for types of plants and animals exploited for food, as well as human skeletal evidence for ancient nutrition and diseases related to diet and food stress. Consideration of early historical periods, especially in terms of how certain foods such as wine have played a significant role in culture beyond basic dietary needs.   [ 4 cr. ]

Exploration of the food cultures and technologies through material culture- pots, pans, and utensils. Course will range broadly across cultures, time, and space with emphasis on medieval and early modern times. Life histories of humble, overlooked, everyday objects associated with food preparation and consumption; kitchens from prehistory to the present; tradition and fashion in cooking & dining vessels; pots and cooking technology; pots as metaphors & symbols.   [ 4 cr. ]

Derived from the Greek word “diaita”, meaning “way of life,” the term “diet” originally referred to the foods and beverages people regularly consumed. Over time, however, it came to be associated with restrictive eating, particularly for weight loss. Diet culture is deeply embedded in Western society, influencing everything from media to nutrition advice. In this course, you will explore the different meanings of "diet" while examining the socio-political impact of diet culture on food systems, eating habits, and moral views about food. You will trace the history of anti-fatness, from its roots in anti-blackness to its influence on modern Western healthcare, and have the opportunity to broaden your understanding of nourishment by exploring food's role in joy, pleasure, comfort, community, and more.  [ 4 cr. ]

'Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.' - Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826). In this course, we will use the tools of the philosopher to study various aspects of food - its classification, preparation, consumption, and judgments about the practices affected by it. The focus in this course will be how philosophers contribute to food studies through engagement with long-standing philosophical questions - not just in aesthetics, moral and political philosophy, but also in metaphysics and epistemology. Topics addressed in the class may include foods as natural (or non-natural) kinds; cultural knowledge, know-how and food traditions; eating and identity; eating, rationality and norms; vegetarianism and moral philosophy; and neuroscience, culture and taste.  [ 4 cr. ]

What is your food story? If we are what we eat, what foods made you who you are? Was it fruit from a country you no longer live in or a soup your best friend made when you visited him last week? Did it pour out of a box? Get toasted over open flames? And how do you explain its role in your life? Food can be a great connecting theme for a complicated story. In this course we will ask what makes a food memoir different from other kinds of personal writing and we will work on our own unique food memoirs. Food memoir can take lots of forms, including visual narrative, comics, film, podcast, poetry, walking tour, and creative non-fiction. We will study some examples to learn about the form and workshop our memoirs while we write them. We will also spend some time in the kitchen cooking from our projects to find out what we can learn by engaging with the material of food itself.  [ 4 cr. ]

Cooking is chemistry, and it is the chemistry of food that determines the outcome of culinary undertakings. In this course, basic chemical properties of food are explored in the context of modern and traditional cooking techniques. The impact of molecular changes resulting from preparation, cooking, and storage is the focus of academic inquiry. Illustrative, culturally specific culinary techniques are explored through the lens of food science and the food processing industry. Examination of "chemistry-in- the-pan" and sensory analysis techniques will be the focus of hands-on in- class and assigned cooking labs.   [ 4 cr. ]

Food plays many roles in world literature. It helps to set a scene and define a character and sometimes it provides a plot twist. In this class, we explore these many roles, focusing on food in the analysis of literary texts, including novels, poetry, and drama. We will identify how food works in literature, focusing on what we can learn about art, culture and society by focusing on food. We will be reading works from diverse literary traditions to compare how food is portrayed and how it shapes narratives across cultures. Students will have the opportunity for some creative writing as well as critical analysis in this course.  [ 4 cr. ]

Students will examine interpretive foodways programs from museums, living history museums, folklore/folklife programs, culinary tourism offerings, "historical" food festivals, and food tours to compare different approaches to public histories of food. Through several case studies, students will examine mission statements, interpretive goals, and different methods of communicating with the public. Guest lectures and field trips lay the groundwork for a final project in which students develop a proposal for an interpretive food history program for an area museum, tour program, or public history program. The course offers opportunities for focused inquiry, hands-on research, and creative thinking.  [ 4 cr. ]

Humans have been foraging for food since prehistoric times, but the recent interest in wild and foraged foods raises interesting issues about our connection to nature amid the panorama of industrially oriented food systems. From the political economy to Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), this course explores how we interact with, perceive, and know our world through the procurement of food. Students take part in foraging activities and hands-on culinary labs to engage the senses and reflect on the connections between humans, food, and the environment.  [ 4 cr. ]

Food waste is a hot topic but not a new one. Some wasted food is the sign of a healthy system - if there were exactly enough calories produced to meet each of our needs, there would be mass starvation, riots, and hoarding as we all scrambled to get our share. But by some estimates, food loss and waste account for nearly 40% of the food produced. How much wasted food is too much? At the same time this food is wasted, food insecurity is everywhere, even on BU's campus. Is all wasted food "trash"? Need it be? Why is food wasted and where along the supply chain is it wasted? What are the ethics of donating surplus food/waste/trash of those who have too much to those who don't have enough? This hybrid course explores the history, culture, rhetoric, and practicalities of wasted food, from farm, through fork, to gut (is overeating a form of food waste? What about wasting micronutrients by converting them to ultraprocessed foods?). Each week includes readings, discussion, application activity; and several weeks will include a guest lecture from a food system practitioner. Students will develop practical solutions in a final project.  [ 4 cr. ]

The foodways of the people displaced from the African continent are interwoven with many societies, cultures, and cuisines across the globe. In this course, we will study five geographic regions of Africa; north, central, east, west and south. The list of the countries that encompass each region will follow. Cookbooks, maps, songs, poems, and even some folklore will be used as texts to analyze and add context to the history of the people of the diaspora. This course will have real, and courageous, and respectful conversations including race and power and how those two elements are embedded into the food systems in North America, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Europe. We will trace ingredients that came with the enslaved people and track their integration into cuisines and cultures (agriculture, pop culture, aquaculture etc.) as a collective group and then independently as a capstone course project.  [ 4 cr. ]

What can cookbooks and recipes tell us about an individual? A community? A culture? What does the language of the recipe say about systems of knowledge and ways of thinking about the world? The movement of ingredients and food technology? The transmission of cooking knowledge? Does the analysis of historical cookbooks have contemporary applications? In this course, students will consider these questions through a survey of historical cooking texts and in-class exercises. We will examine cookbooks as a source of culinary history and a window into the changing material culture, practices, spaces, and relationships associated with food preparation and consumption. In addition, students will examine cookbooks and recipes as social documents that reveal the presence of social and economic hierarchies, networks and alliances, and political, economic, and religious structures. We will also examine these documents as cultural texts that reveal the construction of ethnic, gendered, and other identities. Students will study and analyze a selection of cookbooks from different historical periods and geographic regions leading to a final project and paper.  [ 4 cr. ]

The association between France and fine cuisine seems so "natural." French society and history are intertwined with the culinary, and have been since the court society of the Old Regime. After the French Revolution, French cuisine became a truly modern affair in the public sphere. The invention of the restaurant, the practice of gastronomy, a literature of food, and strong links between French cuisine and national identity all came together in the 19th century. In the 19th and 20th centuries, French food, featuring both haute cuisine and regional culinary specialties, was widely considered the world's best. In the 20th century, the culinary allure of France continued to fascinate people all over the world. It is still said today, enviously, that the French really know how to appreciate good food and wine "la bonne chère" in their daily lives. This course looks at how the history of French culinary culture evolved in the particular way that it did. The course is organized largely chronologically, but not entirely, as some of the readings weave issues of different times periods thematically. In studying culture and cuisine, with France as a great example, we will explore the relationship between a place, a people, and their foodways. We launch our investigation with the question: how and why is this relationship distinctive in France'   [ 4 cr. ]

Trace the history and cultural significance of wine from antiquity to the present, exploring how it has been alternately celebrated and condemned while evolving alongside cuisines and spreading worldwide as an agricultural product. You will examine wine’s role in early civilizations, its symbolic and religious meanings, shifting views on its health effects, and its economic power through trade, taxation, and commerce. You will also consider the impact of politics, science, globalization, and questions of diversity and exclusion within the wine industry, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how culture, religion, politics, and economics have shaped the production, distribution, and experience of wine across history.  [ 4 cr. ]

An introduction to the history of the single most important material base of Chinese culture - food. The following major interdisciplinary areas will be covered: (1) Food production and the food processing industry; (2) Production of cooking vessels, food vessels, and food preservation; (3) Development of commercial exchange where food is the primary commodity; (4) Eatery service industry; (5) Food cure traditions that have close connections with Chinese medicine, theories of health preservation, and ancient Chinese philosophy; (6) Political value and significance of food in traditional ceremonial occasions; (7) The literary and artistic traditions in cooking and consumption of Chinese food; (8) Formation of the major gastronomical systems.  [ 4 cr. ]

There is no such thing as Italian food. This statement is confirmed by the uniqueness and locality of the foods of Italy. This course will introduce students to regional Italian foods, taking into account geography, historical factors, social mores and language. There will be an emphasis on identifying key food ingredients of northern, central, and southern regions, and how they define these regions and are utilized in classic recipes. In addition, the goal will be to differentiate the various regional cooking styles like casalinga cooking versus alta cucina cooking.  [ 4 cr. ]

How are the foodways of New England's inhabitants, past and present, intertwined with the history and culture of this region? In this course, students will have the opportunity to examine the cultural uses and meanings of foods and foodways in New England using historical, archaeological, oral, and material evidence. We will focus on key cultural, religious and political movements that have affected foodways in the region, as well as the movement of people.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course explores what food ethnography is and how food ethnographers work. Students will learn about food ethnography by reading and discussing its methods and by practicing them. Students will write a research design for an ethnographic project on some aspect of Boston's multifaceted alternative food system, carry out the research, analyze their data, and write up and orally present the results. Students will learn about and use the methods of participant observation, interviews, photography, food mapping, informant documentation, food logs, and others. They will learn about research ethics. They will pay particular attention to the ways that studying food culture presents unique methods and insights.  [ 4 cr. ]

For students without previous knowledge of wine, this introductory survey explores the world of wine through discussions, tastings, food and wine pairing, assigned readings, and student presentations. By the end of the course, students will be able to exhibit fundamental knowledge of the principal categories of wine, including major grape varieties, wine styles, and regions; correctly taste and classify wine attributes; and demonstrate an understanding of general principles of food and wine pairing.  [ 4 cr. ]

The objectives of this course are to explore the great variety of beer styles and spirit categories currently available and the role each plays in our culture. We will survey significant developments in the historical evolution, production, distribution, consumption and cultural usage of these alcohol beverages in the United States. We will taste beer and spirits extensively to demonstrate examples of the most important categories and classifications.   [ 2 cr. ]

Through a combination of readings, student projects, and tastings, students will develop an in-depth understanding of the wine industry. Topics include the current state of the wine industry, sales and marketing strategies, costs and logistics, tasting wines to assess style, quality, and commercial potential, as well as sourcing and selecting wines for shops and restaurants. In addition to the core instructor, students will gain insights from guest speakers from import, distribution, retail, and restaurant sectors who will share real-life experiences and models.  [ 2 cr. ]

As one of the core classes in the Wine Studies Program, this intensive course offers detailed knowledge of the wine regions of Europe through tastings, lectures, and assigned readings. Students will discover wine from a historical, cultural, viticultural, ecological, and market perspective. Ideal for wine enthusiasts or those in the industry who are interested in furthering their knowledge. Successfully completing this comprehensive survey course will allow students to exhibit detailed knowledge of European wine regions, grape varieties, and wine styles as well as refine their tasting ability.  [ 4 cr. ]

This intensive course offers detailed knowledge of Eastern Europe, the Americas, Oceania, and South African wine regions through tastings, lectures, and assigned readings. You will discover wine from a historical, cultural, viticultural, enological, and market perspective. Successfully completing this comprehensive survey course will allow you to exhibit detailed knowledge of these wine regions, grape varieties, and wine styles. You will also gain an understanding of the evolution of vine varieties and the effects of clonal and climatic conditions influencing character, as well as refine your sensorial and annotation skills.  [ 4 cr. ]

Graduate Prerequisites: (METML 652 and 653) - This course is designed for wine professionals and advanced enthusiasts. Students will continue to develop mastery of the global wine industry through in-depth discussions and forums, research of current issues in the wine industry, interaction with experts in the field, and tasting wines of exceptional quality. By the end of this course, students will be able to use their wine-tasting skills to deconstruct and understand wine quality and origins, refine their wine vocabulary and comprehensive observations, effectively communicate about wine, and speak and write confidently about current issues in the wine industry.  [ 4 cr. ]

Whatever type of food-related business you want to start, you will need expert advice to plan and launch. This course will guide you through the process of developing and realizing your business idea. Guest speakers from the food industry will share hands- on knowledge and insights. In this section you will focus on writing a business plan. Grading is based on attendance, participation and completing a business plan.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course will develop blind tasting skills through weekly focused tastings. Students will develop the skills to calibrate their tasting acumen, relate their wine theory knowledge to their tasting methodology, and have a chance to taste many categories of wines side by side that are immensely valuable. Focus areas for the tastings include identifying different origins for the same grape varieties, ascertaining quality levels, developing an understanding of how methods of wine production affect wine style, and focusing on grape and region laterals that are commonly difficult to differentiate. At the end of the course, students will have a superior understanding of all the relevant tasting skills required to function at higher levels in the wine trade, wine journalism, and other relevant areas.  [ Var cr. ]

The course offers students a theoretical and practical understanding of winemaking from grape growing to the aging and bottling of wine. Hands-on experience will accompany discussions related to viticulture, the "crush", fermentation, aging, maturation, and the business/regulations of wine. Students will observe and analyze wines during the fermentation and aging process to understand how they evolve. Assigned readings, offsite visits, and discussions/guest speakers will aid in a student's understanding of the art and science of vinification.  [ Var cr. ]

Examine depictions of food and cooking within visual culture and analyze the ways in which they reflect and shape our understanding of the meaning of food. You will explore how food and cooking are depicted as expressions of culture, politics, and group or personal identity via a multitude of visual materials, including, but not limited to: TV programs, magazines, cookbooks, food packaging, advertising, photography, online and digital media, and works of art. A good portion of class time is given to discussing the readings in combination with participatory, in-depth analysis of the visual material.  [ 4 cr. ]

Focusing on the dialogue between gastronomy and art, from antiquity to the present, you will research the work of artists who represented food, drink, harvest, and hunger; the role of the decorative arts in dining; and the relationship of national traditions of art and cuisine. You will also test the validity of analogies that scholars have drawn between developments in the two areas of endeavor and explore uncharted areas of affinity linking art and cuisine. The course brings together analysis of art history and artistic practice. You will make works of art related to food, and the semester will culminate in an exhibit for the Gastronomy community.  [ 4 cr. ]

We can all take pleasure in eating good food, but what about watching other people eat or cook food' This course will survey the history of food in film. It will pay particular attention to how food and foodways are depicted as expressions of culture, politics, and group or personal identity. We will watch a significant number of films, both fiction and non-fiction, classic and modern. A good portion of class time will also be given to discussing the readings in combination with hands-on, in-depth analysis of the films themselves.   [ 4 cr. ]

Explore the complex relationship between food, documentary filmmaking, and advocacy by examining key works in the genre. You will be provided with the theoretical frameworks, practical skills, and a deeper understanding of visual storytelling that is needed to critically evaluate and create documentaries that promote advocacy and social change within food studies. By the end of the course, you will have the chance to produce your own short documentary.  [ 4 cr. ]

Students will develop and improve food-writing skills through the study of journalistic ethics; advertising; scientific and technological matters; recipe writing; food criticism; anthropological and historical writing about food; food in fiction, magazines and newspapers.   [ 4 cr. ]

'Culinary Tourism', sometimes called 'Food Tourism' or 'Gastronomy Tourism' encompasses the active engagement with food and beverage experiences within a given culture or society, reflecting a sense of place, heritage or tradition. Most often associated with International travel focusing on food, drink and tourist economies, examples of culinary tourism are increasingly found even domestically, in one's own home city or town. The idea of exploring a place for culinary purposes (eating, drinking, cooking, learning about local and regional foods) has a long history, however today the travel industry is showing record numbers with no signs of slowing. Nearly 50% of International travelers cite food and drink as the primary purpose of their journeys and the field has never before offered so many options and of food and drink experiences to choose from. From 'gourmet' chef-led tours and ultra-local street food crawls to home cooking classes, agricultural visits and everything in between, this course will consider both the theoretical and practical aspects of culinary tourism in the 21st century. We will focus on questions around identity (food as expression), authenticity ('going to the source'), commoditization ('who gets to cook/eat what and why') and the role of food and travel media, as well as travel industry issues such as overtourism, environmental impact and cultural appropriation. In addition to learning the history and concepts behind culinary tourism's development, we will also take a practical approach, looking at how the industry itself functions - how are food and drink tours/experiences put together? Who are the industry stakeholders? What are the trends and forces driving the growing interest and what affect can this have - both good and bad - on local economies and cuisines?  [ 4 cr. ]

This hands-on class is designed for beginners and aspiring cooks alike and guides you through the fundamentals of meal preparation, ingredient selection, and proper seasoning. You’ll learn how to master essential techniques, from handling a knife like a pro to chopping and sautéing to baking and plating, all while developing good kitchen practices and habits. Classes take place in our state-of-the-art kitchen and are taught by the same team of highly acclaimed chefs who teach in our professional culinary program. While completion of this class does not result in a certificate, it offers a scaled-down version of our professional culinary program. The class covers all the basic core skills with a focus on key recipes and techniques.  [ 4 cr. ]

This hands-on Pastry class is designed for students of all levels. Our Pastry Chefs will guide you through the fundamentals of the craft. You’ll learn to master essential techniques, from handling piping bags to making doughs and creating beautiful, delicious pastries & baked goods, all while developing good kitchen practices and habits. Chefs will address time management and how it can help you with baked goods and pastries. Classes take place in our state-of-the-art kitchen and are taught by the same team of highly acclaimed pastry chefs who teach in our professional programs. While completion of this class does not result in a certificate, it offers a scaled-down version of our professional pastry arts program. The class covers all the basic core skills with a focus on key recipes and techniques.  [ 4 cr. ]

This intensive, semester-long culinary program combines the best aspects of traditional culinary arts study with hands-on instruction from highly acclaimed professional chefs and food industry experts. Master basic classic and modern techniques, explore various cultures and cuisines and learn theories of food production in BU's state-of-the-art laboratory kitchen. Upon successful completion, students receive a Certificate in the Culinary Arts from Boston University.   [ 8 cr. ]

This course is designed to introduce students to current and foundational issues in food studies and gastronomy. Through this focus on central topics, students will engage directly in the interdisciplinary method that is central to food studies. Each week will introduce a unique view of the holistic approach that is central to a liberal arts approach to studying food and a new research technique will be presented and put into practice through the readings and course exercises. This course will give Gastronomy students a better understanding of the field as a whole. While providing an overview and methodological toolbox, it will act as a springboard in to areas of specialization of the course. 4 credits.   [ 4 cr. ]

BU’s Professional Pastry Arts Program is an intensive, hands-on, 14-week course that provides the foundational skills and sensory knowledge necessary to launch a career in the pastry arts field, including entry-level positions in restaurants and professional bake shops. Upon completing the program, students will be expected to demonstrate core concepts in baking theory and illustrate advanced classical and contemporary pastry and confectionery techniques.  [ 8 cr. ]

Explore an array of international and local cheeses, tracing their journey from farm to table. In this course, you will learn the techniques for making all types of cheese, from the softest washed rind to crystalline aged alpine cheeses, and everything in between. The Cheese Studies certificate program includes cheese tastings paired with condiments and wine, visits to dairy farms and cheese makers, hands-on cheese making, and readings and discussions that explore issues in contemporary cheesemaking and marketing.  [ 4 cr. ]

In Food, Gender and Sexuality, we will explore ways in which language and behaviors around food both reinforce and challenge gender hierarchies and restrictive norms around sexuality. Using frameworks developed in gender and sexuality studies, we will interrogate our contemporary foodscape through close readings of many media, including food blogs, magazines, TV shows and advertisements. The course will include reading, research, field work, discussion, and cooking to help us understand why and how food has been gendered and how the process differs across place, time, and culture.  [ 4 cr. ]

There is perhaps no foodstuff more prized than meat, and there is none more problematic. Consider its metaphorical contradictions. To go to the "meat of the matter" is to cut to the essence of things, the most important item on the agenda. Yet to be "treated like meat" is to be regarded as subordinate, subservient, an object for exploitation. Long associated with power, masculinity, vitality, and progress, meat is also linked to imperialism, sexism, speciesism, environmental collapse, foodborne disease, and chronic illness. In this comprehensive overview we will examine meat's many historical, cultural, economic, ecological, ethical, and nutritional dimensions.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course surveys the history of American agriculture from the colonial era to the present. It examines how farmers understood markets, made crop choices, adopted new technologies, developed political identities, and sought government assistance. Emphasis on the environmental, ideological, and institutional impact of farm modernization and industrialization.  [ 4 cr. ]

Growing food in urban contexts raises interesting questions about food access, nutrition education, perceptions of public spaces and the place of nature in the urban environment. This course focuses on urban agriculture in Boston and a number of case studies from around the globe. Students visit gardens, learn basic cultivation skills through hands-on activities, and study the social and cultural sides of urban agriculture, as well as the political and city planning aspects of urban agriculture projects. 4 cr.  [ 4 cr. ]

Taste has an undeniable personal immediacy: producing visceral feelings ranging from delight to disgust. As a result, in our everyday lives we tend to think about taste as purely a matter of individual preference. However, for sociologists, our tastes are not only socially meaningful, they are also socially determined, organized, and constructed. This course will introduce students to the variety of questions sociologists have asked about taste. What is a need? Where do preferences come from? What social functions might our tastes serve? Major theoretical perspectives for answering these questions will be considered, examining the influence of societal institutions, status seeking behaviors, internalized dispositions, and systems of meaning on not only what we enjoy - but what we find most revolting.  [ 4 cr. ]

Reviews various competing and sometimes conflicting frameworks for assessing what are "good" foods. Examines what global, national, state, and local food policies can do to promote the production and consumption of these foods. Participants learn how to conceptualize, measure, and assess varying ecological, economic, nutritional, health, cultural, political, and justice claims. Students analyze pathways connecting production and consumption of particular foodstuffs in the U.S. and the world. Emphasis is on comparative food systems and food value chains, and the respective institutional roles of science and technology, policy, and advocacy in shaping food supply and demand.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course presents frameworks and case studies that will advance participants' understandings of U.S. and global food systems and policies. Adopting food-systems and food-chain approaches, it provides historical, cultural, theoretical and practical perspectives on world food problems and patterns of dietary and nutritional change, so that participants acquire a working knowledge of the ecology and politics of world hunger and understand the evolution of global-to-local food systems and diets. Global overview of world food situations will be combined with more detailed national and local-level case studies and analysis that connect global to local food crisis and responses.   [ 4 cr. ]

This course overviews the forces shaping U.S. food policies, cultural politics, diet, and nutrition situations in the twenty-first century. After reviewing the history of U.S. domestic food policy, course discussions consider globalization, new agricultural and food technologies, new nutrition knowledge, immigration, and "sustainable-food" ideology as drivers of American dietary and food-regulatory change. "Food systems," "food chains," and "dietary structure" provide the major analytical frameworks for tracing how food moves from farm to table, and the role of local through national government and non-government institutions in managing these food flows.   [ 4 cr. ]

In this class students will explore the work of anthropologists and other social scientists on food activism citizens' efforts to promote social and economic justice through food practices and challenge the global corporate agrifood system. The class will explore diverse individual and collective forms of food activism including veganism, gleaning, farmers' markets, organic farming, fair trade, CSAs, buying groups, school gardens, anti-GMO movements, Slow Food, Via Campesina, and others. It will address the questions: what is food activism, what are its goals, what is working and not working, and what are the results'   [ 4 cr. ]

Sustainability, will examine the contemporary food system through a multi- disciplinary lens. The course will allow students to put readings and ideas into culinary practice. By examining the often-competing concerns from other domains, including economic (both micro and macro), social welfare, social justice and social diversity, health and wellness, food security and insecurity, and resiliency, we can begin to move towards solutions that treat the disease (our food system) and not just the symptoms (domain specific issues). Students will read widely in the topic area, engage in classroom discussion, and work together in the kitchen to understand hands- on culinary approaches to some of the most important issues of our time.  [ 4 cr. ]

Explore the US food system through the lens of LatinX experiences. We start from an understanding of the history of people and mobility in the Americas, then focus on examples of food production and consumption. Case studies will range from Central American laborers in Vermont dairy farms, churro stand operators in the NYC subway, and digital nomads in trendy neighborhoods of Mexico City. Students will prepare final projects that support their understanding of their own role in this food system. If your interests gravitate around American history, immigration, (inter)national security, supply chains, food economics, labor rights, food marketing, specialty agriculture or commodity production, and social justice, this course will aid you in researching multidisciplinary responses to questions such as: "From whose farm to whose table?"  [ 4 cr. ]

How does food make its way into cities? Why do some neighborhoods have plenty of options while others face shortages? This course explores the systems that feed urban communities, the challenges of access, and the policies that shape what people can eat. You’ll trace the journey of food from farms and producers into metropolitan areas, examining issues like food deserts, school nutrition, gentrification, and the influence of immigrant and ethnic cuisines. The course also looks at innovations in urban food production, including community gardens, vertical farming, and small-scale craft food enterprises. Through case studies and global examples—like sushi and coffee as traded commodities—you’ll see how local food access connects to wider economic and social systems. We’ll also examine how the pandemic and ongoing efforts to address structural inequities affect urban food security. By the end of the course, you’ll understand how cities can build more just, sustainable, and resilient food systems—and how thoughtful policy and planning make it possible.  [ 4 cr. ]

This is the first course of the two-part thesis option available to Master’s degree program candidates in Gastronomy. This option is available to students who have a GPA of 3.7 or higher and have completed at least four courses towards their degree program requirements. Students must work under the supervision of a full-time BU faculty member with a terminal degree. The coordinator of the Gastronomy program must approve a topic, outline, bibliography and schedule for the project. Please contact the program coordinator for further details and guidelines.  [ 4 cr. ]

This is the second course of the two-part thesis option available to Master’s degree program candidates in Gastronomy. This option is available to students who have a GPA of 3.7 or higher and have completed at least four courses towards their degree program requirements. Students must work under the supervision of a full-time BU faculty member with a terminal degree. The coordinator of the Gastronomy program must approve a topic, outline, bibliography and schedule for the project. Please contact the program coordinator for further details and guidelines.  [ 4 cr. ]