Food Cultures of Latin America

3 units

This course introduces students to the rich and varied food cultures of Latin America. The class will look at how ingredients, cooking practices, and everyday culinary practices reflect and shape the history and identity of communities across the region. Topics include Indigenous food traditions; the social transformations brought about by colonization, slavery, and migration; and the emergence of distinct regional and national cuisines. Students will also consider the politics around food today, including debates over sustainability, global food industries, and struggles for more equitable food systems. The course challenges learners to examine broader themes of authenticity, racial justice, and belonging through the lens of food. Students will engage with scholarship, cookbooks, documentary media, film, literature, and music to examine the intersections of food, power, gender, and race. By the end of the course, students will be able to think critically about Latin American culinary traditions, informed by the region’s historical, social, and political contexts.