Food Studies: A Hands-On Guide

by Willa Zhen

Traditional food studies textbooks tend to emphasize theoretical concepts and text-based approaches. Yet food is sensory, tactile, and experiential. Food A Hands-on Guide is the first book to provide a practical introduction to food studies. Offering a unique, innovative approach to learning and teaching, Willa Zhen presents creative hands-on activities that can easily be done in a traditional classroom – without the need for a student kitchen. Major theories and key concepts in food studies are covered in an engaging, tangible way, alongside topics such as food production, consumption, technology, identity and culture, and globalization.

A fantastic resource for supporting student engagement and learning, the book

- practical activities, such as grinding grains to learn about the importance of food technology; working with restaurant menus to understand changes in food trends, tastes, and ingredients; writing food poetry; and many more
- pedagogical features such as learning objectives, discussion questions, suggested readings, and a glossary
- a companion website offering lesson plans, worksheets, and links to additional resources.

This is the perfect introduction for students of food studies, anthropology of food, food geography, food hospitality, sociology of food, food history, and gastronomy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food

224 pages, Hardcover

Published January 10, 2019

Reviews

[Brian Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introductory and practical guide into Food Studies, especially as a college course developer. Zhen interwove narrative, informational, curricular, and anecdotal approaches to the field of Food Studies, all organized by themes like Food and Technology or Food, Identity, and Culture. Her approach was to survey the field, so much was necessarily left out, though I wish there was some more thorough discussions of topics. Still, she included great ideas for classroom activities and tons of resources for more ideas and learning. Overall a great guide! I wrote down so many notes to help me develop a food studies class at the high school level.

[Paulo F. Lopes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Os estudos alimentares abordam as relações entre comida e os seres humanos. Este livro apresenta uma óptima introdução a este campo académico multidisciplinar. Expõe, de forma clara e substancial, assuntos tão diversos como identidade e cultura, sistemas alimentares, tecnologia, cadeias de produção ou globalização. Inclui um conjunto alargado de exercícios que permitem explorar os vários conceitos e consolidar as leituras. Propõe bastantes recursos para aprofundar os conteúdos.