Italian Studies 297K - ST-Food,History,&CultrIdty/Ita
Spring
2021
01
3.00
Roberto Ludovico
M W 2:30PM 3:45PM
UMass Amherst
77557
Fully Remote Class
ludovico@frital.umass.edu
Course taught in English. Readings in Italian available for Italian majors.
Italian bread, Italian seasoning, Italian herbs, Italian breadcrumbs, Italian sausage, Italian vinaigrette, and finally "Ristorante Italiano" appear to refer, outside of Italy, to a concept of Italian cuisine that is universally recognized, though very generic and undefined. From the Alps to the coasts of Sicily, over the centuries, Italy has produced countless individual culinary traditions, which express themselves through local products, recipes, rituals, and cooking techniques. Though clearly distinct from each other, these traditions do share a sense of belonging to a national cuisine - loosely identified with the Mediterranean diet - of international recognition, which has in its dramatic diversity and almost infinite variety, its most distinctive traits. The local traditions that make Italian cuisine are the result of the interaction between centuries of history that have forged Italian culture and identity, and a territory that has shaped the inhabitants who are deeply rooted in it. This course will investigate possible strategies to elaborate a credible definition of "Italian cuisine" that is applicable to food in Italy as well as outside the country.
Italian bread, Italian seasoning, Italian herbs, Italian breadcrumbs, Italian sausage, Italian vinaigrette, and finally "Ristorante Italiano" appear to refer, outside of Italy, to a concept of Italian cuisine that is universally recognized, though very generic and undefined. From the Alps to the coasts of Sicily, over the centuries, Italy has produced countless individual culinary traditions, which express themselves through local products, recipes, rituals, and cooking techniques. Though clearly distinct from each other, these traditions do share a sense of belonging to a national cuisine - loosely identified with the Mediterranean diet - of international recognition, which has in its dramatic diversity and almost infinite variety, its most distinctive traits. The local traditions that make Italian cuisine are the result of the interaction between centuries of history that have forged Italian culture and identity, and a territory that has shaped the inhabitants who are deeply rooted in it. This course will investigate possible strategies to elaborate a credible definition of "Italian cuisine" that is applicable to food in Italy as well as outside the country.