Instructor's Manual1 for Chapter 6: Northern and Southern Europeans

Instructor’s Manual1 for Chapter 6: Northern and Southern Europeans

Learning Objectives

1. List the Northern and the Southern European countries. 2. Discuss the immigration patterns, historical socioeconomic influences, and current locations of northern and southern Europeans in America today. 3. Compare the typical religions, family structures, and traditional health beliefs and practices of northern and southern Europeans—before and after immigration. 4. Discuss the differences between the staples and regional variations in ingredients between northern and southern Europeans. 5. Identify key foods for each of the food groups for the northern Europeans and how they have adapted these foods in the U.S. 6. Identify key foods for each of the food groups for the southern Europeans and how they have adapted these foods in the U.S. 7. Describe regional specialties and dishes these immigrants have contributed to the current American diet. 8. Identify health concerns and counseling strategies associated with the nutritional intake of northern and southern Europeans.

Chapter Summary

Some of the largest American ethnic groups come from northern and southern Europe. These ethnic groups introduced many of what we consider to be American foods and food habits. Each ethnic group from northern and southern Europe has brought a unique cuisine that, through interactions with other cultures and ingredients available here in America, resulted in what is often considered to be the foundation of the typical American diet.

Northern Europe includes the countries of Great Britain—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—as well as Ireland and France. Many of the early immigrants to the United States came from these countries. At the time of the American Revolution, one-half of the people in the colonies were descendants from British forbearers. Many English, Scots, and Scotch-Irish immigrated to the northeast and to the eastern seaboard. Two million Irish, mainly Catholics, immigrated to America between 1840 and 1860 because of widespread famine in Ireland. Immigration of the French has been relatively small- scale but the most constant of any European country. French Canadians immigrating to the U.S. also settled in northern New England and southern Louisiana.

The British and Irish are generally fully assimilated into mainstream America. The French are more fully assimilated into American culture than French Canadians. While the British are more often Protestants, the Irish and French are often Roman Catholic. The “typical” American family is modeled on the British. Many of the current, majority cultural beliefs regarding health in America had their origin in northern Europe and a “good” diet is considered essential to health. The Cajuns of Louisiana may also use home remedies and consult folk healers.

Great Britain, Ireland, and France all influenced one another and deeply influenced American food and food habits. The common use of animal products, bread, oatmeal, and potatoes are from Great Britain and Ireland. French foods are generally classified into haute cuisine and provincial cuisine and French bread is known throughout the world. Regions in France each have different styles of cooking and have specialized ingredients associated with the region. British and Irish foods are simple and hardy. In Great

1 By Tawni Holmes, Ph.D., R.D., University of Central Oklahoma

1 Britain and Ireland “tea” refers to a full meal (high tea) or a lighter snack. In France there is very little snacking between the breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. Christmas, Easter, and New Year’s Day are commonly celebrated throughout these countries.

Many foods eaten today are adaptations that the European early immigrants made to Native American fare, which is seen especially in regional dishes. French food in America is usually associated with fine French restaurants and French imports. Cajuns’ creole cuisine remains popular in the southeast. The influence of the British and French on American cuisine is one reason the U.S. diet is high in cholesterol and fat, and low in fiber and complex carbohydrates. In nutritional counseling the practitioner should remember that clients of British and Irish decent tend to be reserved and value privacy.

The Southern Europeans countries covered include Italy, southern France, Spain, and Portugal. These countries all share foods, ingredients, and a historic Greco-Roman influence.

Italians immigrated to the U.S. from the poorer sections of southern Italy and Sicily and settled in large urban sections of northeastern American cities. There are estimated to be 17 million Americans of Italian decent and most live in large urban areas. The earliest Europeans in America were the Spanish who settled early in Florida, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Louisiana and Texas. Today most Spanish speakers in the U.S. are from Latin America not Spain. The Portuguese are currently one of the larger groups of immigrants among the various European groups. The Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese share the Roman Catholic religion. The father as breadwinner was typical of the Italian and Spanish families.

These countries and regions share similar ingredients across the countries but the presentation and preparations are distinctly different. The influences of other cultures such as the Muslim influences in Spain and Portugal are seen in dishes and ingredients. These countries all adopted “new” world foods into core aspects of the diet. Staple foods in Italy reflect regional differences with Northern Italian foods using pasta made with eggs, cheese, meats, creams, butter, and rice more typically. Southern Italian cuisine features pasta made without eggs, tomato sauces, and olive oil, and includes more beans and vegetables. Staples in Spain include olives, eggs, lamb, fish, stews, garlic, and tomatoes. Regional differences and Muslim influences in the diet distinguish local Spanish cuisines. Fish, rice, potatoes, and bread are typically eaten by the Portuguese. The Azores Islands also provide more tropical foods to the Portuguese diet. Lunch is typically the largest meal of the day throughout these countries of southern Europe. Special celebrations are often associated with religious occasions such as Easter and Christmas but include other saints’ feast days and holy days.

Many older Italians categorize foods as being heavy or light, wet or dry, and acid or nonacid. Balancing these foods with a person’s condition maintains good health. Southern Europeans are fully assimilated into mainstream American life after several generations and traditional dishes might only be eaten on special occasions. While the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with lower disease rates, throughout southern Europe today the diet now includes more meat and fewer plant-based foods. In counseling, the conversational style is animated, warm, and expressive.

Cultural Controversy – The “French Paradox” (Box) Although French men have a lower rate of cardiovascular disease than do men of any other industrialized nation, they also have high intakes of saturated fats and cholesterol. Potential reasons for this paradox might be the diet, the greater levels of physical activity, or a statistical anomaly.

Chapter Outline

I. Northern Europeans—Ireland; France, and Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

2 A. Cultural Perspective 1. History of Northern Europeans in the United States a. Immigration Patterns (1) Great Britain (a) From 1607, people from GB settle in America—mainly in east and northeast (b) At the time of the revolution ½ of the people in the colonies are descendants of GB (c) Further immigration patterns include many from rural areas (d) Estimated that 1.5 million Scots have immigrated to America (e) Scots often arriving to work as professionals or skilled laborers (2) Ireland (a) Early on (1600s and 1700s) the Irish immigrated from the “Scotch Irish” (b) Settled in Pennsylvania, also Maryland, Georgia (c) 2 million Irish arrive between 1840 and 1860 (d) Religious persecution and crop failures in Ireland (e) With this wave of immigration, Irish Catholics become the first large ethnic minority in the U.S. (3) France (a) Relatively small numbers, but most constant of immigrants (b) French Canadians immigrated from Canada (c) They settled in northern New England and southern Louisiana (Cajuns) b. Current Demographics and Socioeconomic Status (1) British and Irish (a) Mainly fully assimilated but pockets of regionally ethnic groups (b) 34 million Americans are of Irish descent (c) Still an identifiable ethnic group (2) French (a) The Cajuns of Louisiana are of French Canadian descent (b) French more fully assimilated into American culture than French Canadians 2. Worldview a. Religion (1) British—participate in most U.S. faiths, originally mainly Protestant (2) Irish and French—Roman Catholic b. Family (1) British—model for the “typical” American family with only direct relatives living together and keeping separate from other, extended family (2) Irish—relatively egalitarian attitude towards sex roles and education (3) French (a) Cajun families living in rural areas typically have many children, strong family ties (b) In New England the Franco-Americans showed little assimilation for generations c. Traditional Health Beliefs and Practices (1) Many of America’s majority cultural beliefs regarding health originated in northern Europe (2) French (a) French Canadians learned many medical uses of plants from Native Americans (b) In Louisiana, Cajuns still may choose to use home remedies consult folk healers B. Traditional Food Habits 1. Introduction a. GB, Ireland, France all influenced one another b. Deeply influenced American food and food habits 2. Ingredients and Common Foods

3 a. Staples and regional variations (1) Great Britain and Ireland (a) Animal products in some form are present at every meal (meats, dairy, eggs) (b) Breads from wheat typical; oatmeal from Scotland (c) Potatoes (d) Tea, beer, whiskey for beverages (2) France (a) Generally two types of cuisine are described: haute cuisine which is formal using the best ingredients, and provincial cuisine which uses simpler methods and local ingredients (b) Regions in France each have different styles of cooking and have specialized ingredients associated with the region b. Cooking styles (1) Great Britain and Ireland (a) Simple preparations with natural flavors enhanced (b) Spicy chutneys and condiments from traditional British colonies are part of today’s typical flavor profiles in England (2) France (a) Sauces are typical of French cooking (b) Rules for basic sauces and food combinations are covered (c) French breads and pastries (d) Nouvelle cuisine 3. Meal Composition and Cycle a. Daily pattern (1) Great Britain and Ireland—four meals daily—breakfast, lunch, tea, and an evening meal (dinner) (a) Traditionally breakfast and lunch were the larger meals of the day (1) “High” tea (larger meal than “tea”) can serve as dinner (2) France—breakfast, lunch, and dinner with very little snacking in between b. Etiquette c. Special Occasions (1) Great Britain and Ireland—Christmas, Easter, and New Year’s Day each have traditional foods associated (2) France—Christmas, Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), Lent, Good Friday, Easter d. Therapeutic Uses of Food (1) All agree “good” diet essential for health (2) Americans of French descent often use home remedies C. Contemporary Food Habits in the U.S. 1. Adaptations of Food Habits a. Ingredients and Common Foods (1) British and Irish—the Puritans adapted Native American fare to create American versions of traditional English foods (2) French—greater influence in establishing French restaurants and bringing in French foods than in American dishes (a) Cajuns adapted their cuisine and meal patterns to the available ingredients in Louisiana lake and swamp areas (b) Creole cooking more grande in the same way as haute French cuisine b. Meal Composition and Cycle (1) British and Irish—meals for every day and special occasions are similar to those in Great Britain (2) French—in America they have adopted the meal cycle; Mardi Gras is celebrated 2. Nutritional Status

4 a. Nutritional Intake (1) British and French influence has influenced the current American diet which is high in cholesterol and fat and low in fiber and complex carbohydrates (2) A study of pairs of brothers—one in America, other in Ireland—found that the Americans ate more protein and fat, sugar and fiber and cholesterol than their brothers in Ireland who had higher calorie intakes but weighed less (3) Higher prevalence of celiac disease and hemochromatosis b. Counseling (1) First generation more formal than Americans; stoic, reserved

II. Southern Europeans—Italy, Southern France, Spain, Portugal – These countries are grouped together because they share food ingredients and have Greco-Roman influences in common.

A. Cultural Perspective 1. History of Southern Europeans in the U.S. a. Immigration Patterns (1) Italians (a) Mainly from poorer sections of southern Italy and Sicily and settled in large urban sections of Northeastern American cities (b) 1880-1920 period of high immigration (2) Spaniards (a) Early immigrants in Florida, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana (b) Most Spanish speakers in U.S. today are from Latin America (3) Portuguese (a) 150,000 immigrated after volcanic eruption in Azore Islands in 1958 (b) Currently one of the larger groups of new arrivals among immigrants from Europe b. Current Demographics and Socioeconomic Status (1) Italians—17 million of Italian descent, mostly living in urban centers (2) Spaniards—Basque ethnic groups have maintained ethnic identity (3) Portuguese—still in fishing in northeast, descendents in professional careers 2. Worldview a. Religion (1) Italians—Roman Catholic, many holy days celebrated (2) Spaniards, Portuguese—Roman Catholic b. Family (1) Italians (a) Family self-reliant with father as head of household (b) In America, children more independent and education important (2) Spaniards—father works and mother in charge of family (3) Portuguese—close family solidarity c. Traditional Health Beliefs and Practices (1) Italians—Fresh air important to good health, illness is due to contamination from a sick person or heredity (“the blood”) (1) Not much reported regarding Spanish and Portuguese health practices B. Traditional Food Habits 1. Introduction a. Similar food as northern Europeans b. Notable differences in preparation, presentation c. Mistakenly associated with just one regional area/dish—Examples: (1) “Italian” is pizza, spaghetti (2) “Spanish” is using the spices of Mexico, not Spain

5 2. Ingredients and Common Foods—similar ingredients but different preparations a. Foreign influence (1) Olives, garbanzos from ancient times; Muslim influences (2) “New” world foods had greatest influence (a) Chocolate (b) Tomatoes (c) Potatoes (d) Maize (corn) b. Staples (1) Italy—garlic, basil is common throughout north and south (a) Northern—pasta made with eggs; use cheese, meats, creams, butter, and rice in dishes (b) Southern—pasta made without eggs; use tomato sauces, olive oil, more beans and vegetables in dishes (2) Spain—olives, eggs, lamb, fish, stews, garlic, tomatoes, paella (3) Portugal—fish dominates diet, also rice, potatoes, bread c. Regional Variations (1) Italy—Regional specialties include risotto, polenta, scampi, cheeses, fettucine Alfredo (a) Pizza from Naples (b) Many well-known desserts from southern Italy (2) Spain (a) Southern region known for seafood, fruits and vegetables (b) Muslim influences (3) Portugal (a) Northern areas—with more hearty foods (b) Southern areas—lighter fare (c) Islands provide more tropical ingredients to the diet 3. Meal Composition and Cycle a. Daily patterns (1) Italy—a light breakfast, lunch is the main meal of the day, and dinner is a lighter version of lunch (2) Spain—four meals (a) Plus several snacks (tapas) spread across the day (b) Lunch is usually the main meal of the day (3) Portugal—similar to Spain, evening meal earlier b. Etiquette c. Special occasions (1) Italy—many patron saint days are celebrated (a) Christmas: traditional to serve seven seafood dishes (b) Traditional Easter bread (2) Spain—Holy Week, Christmas, Easter—all have associated foods (3) Portugal—Christmas Eve, Holy Spirit Festival 4. Therapeutic Uses of Food a. Many older Italians categorize foods as being heavy or light, wet or dry, and acid or nonacid b. They serve foods to balance out these traits C. Contemporary Food Habits in the U.S. 1. Adaptations of Food Habits a. These groups are fully assimilated after several generations b. Traditional dishes might only be eaten on special occasions 2. Nutritional Status a. Nutritional Intake

6 (1) Southern Europeans have a higher rate of lactose intolerance than other European groups (2) Mediterranean diet is associated with lower disease rates, but throughout southern Europe, the current diet is becoming higher in meat and lower in carbohydrates b. Counseling (1) Conversational style is animated, warm, and expressive (a) They are willing to discuss symptoms easily (2) Information on Spanish and Portuguese Americans is limited

III. Cultural Controversy – The French Paradox (Box)

A. Despite high intake of saturated fats and cholesterol, French men have the lowest rates of cardiovascular disease than men of any industrialized nation. B. The wine they drink contains antioxidants, elevates high-density lipoproteins, and decreases platelet aggregations. C. In addition, they may engage in more physical activity or consume more fruits and vegetables. D. Alternatively, the lower rates of CVD may be due to how the studies were conducted.

Answer Key for Textbook Review Questions

1. In general, immigrants arrived from Northern and Southern Europe in waves escaping economic, religious, or environmental hardships and tended to concentrate in their own specific geographic areas. Immigrants began arriving from Northern and Southern Europe in the 16th century. The first wave of British immigrants came to America in the 16th and 17th centuries to avoid religious persecution. They often were indentured servants, and they settled in New England, Virginia, and Maryland. A second wave of British immigrants came in the 19th century, many of whom were unskilled seasonal workers. Scots came in large numbers in the 18th and 19th centuries, and again later during the severe economic depression in Scotland between 1921 and 1931. Scots settled throughout America. In the 18th century Irish of Scottish Presbyterian descent came to America to escape economic depression in the textile industry and settled in Pennsylvania, western Maryland, the Shenendoah Valley and Virginia. In the 19th century Irish Catholics left behind potato crop failures and religious persecution and settled in cities in the Northeast. French immigration has been small and steady since the 18th century and has been mostly from Brittany and Normandy in the north of France. Most of the French assimilated into American culture; however, there are still French enclaves in Maine and Louisiana, though these are mainly French who relocated from Canada.

The largest number of southern European immigrants to the U.S. came from Italy. The earliest immigrants settled on the west coast during the gold rush; the majority came in the period from 1880- 1920 and settled in large industrial Eastern cities. Many Italians faced discrimination and hostility and formed their own concentrated communities, know as “Little Italies.” A substantial number of immigrants also came from Portugal. Initially during the early 19th century many immigrants came and worked in the whaling ports of New England and Hawaii. A second wave came to escape poverty in the 1870s. Again there was substantial immigration in 1958 after volcanic eruptions devastated the Azores.

2. Many American majority cultural beliefs regarding health originated in Northern and Southern Europe, including good diet, plentiful sleep and daily exercise, fresh air, keeping clean, and staying warm and dry. The British and the Irish have a generalized belief that good health is dependent on “proper attitude” and a rigorous, regular lifestyle. The Italians believe fresh air is necessary to health.

7 3. Food habits in England: English eat four meals per day—breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea. The traditional English diet is high in protein, primarily from meat and dairy products. A large portion of meat, chicken, or fish is served with smaller portions of starch and vegetables. Milk is a common beverage. Meats, poultry and fish are the centerpiece of the meal. Bread usually accompanies a meal. A traditional breakfast would consist of bacon, eggs, grilled tomato, and fried bread. Alcoholic beverages are consumed as part of the meal—usually beer and whiskey.

Food habits in Ireland: Traditionally, the potato was the staple food in Ireland. Also, soda bread was traditionally prepared every day. The Irish ate three meals a day with lunch as the main meal. An Irish breakfast traditionally consisted of oatmeal porridge, eggs, bacon, homemade bread, butter, and preserves. Strong black tea with milk and sugar is served with all meals. Traditionally, lunch consisted of a hearty soup, followed by meat, potatoes, vegetable, bread, and dessert. As in England, the Irish traditionally had afternoon tea.

Food habits in Italy: Cheese is consumed but milk is not. Many adults are lactose intolerant. Bread or pasta accompanies the meal. Fruit is often eaten for dessert. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables are eaten. Olive oil flavors numerous dishes. In Italy traditional food habits are a light breakfast of bread, jam and coffee or tea; a main meal of the day at lunch; and a light meal for dinner in the evening. Wine is usually served with dinner. At lunch there is traditionally an appetizer, soup or pasta dish, main course, salad, and dessert. The main course at lunch or dinner may be fish meat or poultry and it is followed by the salad course.

My favorite foods with roots from Europe: Pasta, pizza (although the first pizza was probably the flat bread made in Middle Eastern cultures, Italy is responsible for the type of pizza we think of today), ice cream, brie and Roquefort cheese. My personal food habits are similar to those in England—3 meals a day and an afternoon snack instead of tea. My main meal tends to be a meat, fish, or chicken dish with a starch and vegetable often accompanied by bread. However, I tend to eat a main meal at dinnertime not lunchtime as do many in Italy and the rest of Southern Europe.

4. In general, Cajun dishes are the country cooking of Louisiana. It includes foods such as dirty rice, gumbos, jambalaya, andouille (pronounced ahnd-wee or ahn-do-wee, it’s a spicy smoked sausage) and simple foods such as fried catfish. Cajun cooking traditionally uses pork fat and simpler ingredients.

Creole is the food of the city. It is a more refined cuisine. It traditionally used the butter available to the wealthy Creoles, and more expensive ingredients. Examples of Creole foods are Oysters Rockefeller, Shrimp Remoulade and Bananas Foster.

Both styles of cooking were developed in Louisiana. They both originated from French cuisine which was adapted to available ingredients and other ethnic cooking styles.

5. There were many similarities between the Irish Catholics and the Italians that immigrated to the United States. Many of the immigrants were farmers in their native country and moved to large industrialized east coast cities. Each group congregated in their own enclaves within the city. They were discriminated against because of their religion and started out in low-paying jobs. The Irish, however, assimilated easer than the Italians because they did not have a language barrier. And, whereas the Irish Catholics started at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder and achieved success slowly, often by way of city politics, the Scottish Irish moved easily into mainstream society.

6. The cuisines that we now think of as European were all influenced by New World foods. With the import of New World foods, entirely new ways of cooking and broadened cuisines were developed.

8 For example, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish cooking was influenced by the tomato. The tomato made pasta a more healthful and universal food and developed pizza the way we know it today.

7. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits and has less intake of meat and dairy foods. This is considered healthy because of the high intake of complex carbohydrates, low intake of fat, particularly saturated fat, and higher intake of protective phytochemicals.

The “French paradox” refers to the low incidence of heart disease in France despite the high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol and high rates of smoking, hypertension, and diabetes. Many dishes are enriched with butter and cream or flavored with lard, duck fat, and goose fat.

Discussion Questions

1. Why and how do the foods become transformed when they reach America? How similar and how different is the traditional fare eaten in Europe compared to the same food eaten here in America? Ask to see if students have had pizza in Italy or southern France. How was it served? When is the salad course served? In America, we have frequently adopted only one rich dish (such as pizza) and lost the context of the full meal that balanced the item in terms of other nutrients. In Italy, the pizza would be only one course, and the rest of the meal would also have included vegetables, salad, a main course, and a dessert. How would the nutritional content have differed?

2. European immigrants have had a deep and lasting impact on what we view as American food today. However, many of the foods and ingredients we have studied as core foods of these European countries originated in the “new” world. Examples are the use of potatoes in Ireland and tomatoes in Italy and Spain. These cultural food exchanges took place over 500 years ago. This earlier form of globalization and modernization is deeply entrenched in our current world. Have the students hypothesize what might be the future of the current “cultural food exchanges.” We truly have a global food economy. Ask students if we are also exporting the fast food franchise and fast food cuisine to Europe.

3. How many of us do eat the foods from our cultural heritage? Food habits do not acculturate in a linear fashion. Have students discuss which specialty foods from Europe they might eat. Lead this into a discussion of what foods we eat on holidays. Holiday foods usually use rich or specific ingredients. In America, we have the power of choosing what foods continue to be served over the longer term of generations. As time goes on, only the tastiest of the different cuisines remains in the diet. It is likely that more students will have tasted scones than have tasted haggis. Ask students why they believe this trend happens. Do they have any examples from their own families that they would be willing to share with the class?

Points to Consider [Vary options/items to use. Broader range of coverage than the text by itself. Wide variety of topics. Used by discretion of instructor to suit course.]

1. Creole cuisine has been argued to be the only uniquely American cuisine. The history of the development of this as a cuisine does parallel the ideas of America as a “melting pot.”

The Creoles were the European-born aristocrats, who were wooed by the Spanish in the 1690s to establish New Orleans. These immigrants brought with them their wealth, education—and their chefs and cooks. With these chefs came the knowledge of the grande cuisines of Europe. The influences of classical and regional French, Spanish, German, and Italian cooking are mixed together

9 in what is today Creole cuisine. The terminologies, precepts, sauces, and major dishes carried over, some with more evolution than others, and provided a solid base or foundation for Creole cooking. In addition, Creole cuisine has influences from the West Indies and Haiti as well as the Native Americans local to southern Louisiana. Africans brought with them okra and other cooking methods. Creole cuisine is indebted to many unique people and diverse cultures that were willing to contribute and share their cooking styles, ingredients, and talent. Creole cuisine, then, is that mélange of artistry and talent, developed and made possible by the nations and cultures that settled in and around New Orleans.

(Sourced from http://www.pepperjam.com/HistoryofCajunandCreole.htm). The fascinating aspect of Creole cuisine is how all of these diverse groups contributed techniques of cooking indigenous locally available ingredients. Perhaps this cuisine is truly a metaphor for the best elements of American foodways.

2. Traditionally, the immigrants settled in highly demarcated ethnic neighborhoods in the urban areas of America. In the large cities of the Northeast, both in Boston and New York City, people could describe exactly where the Irish or the Italian or Jewish neighborhoods began and ended. These segregated neighborhoods allowed cultural traditions and foodways to persist. One of the negative aspects of cultural segregation is that without knowledge of other groups, stereotypes persist. Today’s immigrants are less formally segregated into neighborhoods, yet the advantages of living and shopping close to others who share your culture still exist. Have the students in your class discuss the ethnic areas in your region. Depending on where in the country you are located, these may vary from Hmong groups to Ethiopians. Are there ethnic restaurants in these areas? Are there local markets? Are there stereotypes?

3. This chapter has discussed in-depth the foods that Europeans have brought to America. In the final chapter of this text is a map of regional foods in America. Looking at the map, it is possible to trace the patterns of immigration of various European groups across the country. What foodways were also imported? Examples would include following the dispersal of agriculture or the development of dairy and cheese industries across the U.S.

Suggested Activities [For use during class time. Guest speakers, demonstrations, exercises, discussions, etc.]

1. Cooking activity. The goal is to have the students prepare a holiday meal for guests. If a cooking lab is available, this could be done in a kitchen classroom. Otherwise, have the students prepare the dishes at home and describe how the activity progressed. The students can work in groups or alone depending on the class size. Students will choose a country of interest. Next have the students choose a specific holiday.

• Have students research the holiday. Next, the students should prepare a meal of traditional foods that might be served on this holiday occasion. Students could serve the holiday meal to others in the class if size and time permits. The meal could be prepared for someone at home otherwise. If so, a video log or photos could be used to record the event and the project could be presented to the class.

• Additional project activities. Have the students decorate the room for the occasion. Have the students find out what are appropriate manners for serving a guest and serve the other students or guests using “correct” manners. Have students perform a nutrient analysis of the foods. Students can create a recipe handout, decorated with the theme of the holiday. Other ideas for the handouts might include a blessing used over the meal or “fun” food facts or food-related folk tales typical of the region.

• As different groups in the class present holiday meals for the different countries, eventually everyone in the class will have a set of recipes and handouts of cultural facts.

2. Bring in a chef or someone who is expert in cooking in the cuisine of the country. Discuss the following points: What are the foods most typically prepared and how are they prepared? What are the typical seasonings used in baking, boiling, sautéing, roasting? What are some traditional starches that would be prepared? How would the restaurant cuisine compare to the cuisine eaten at home? What are some of the most exotic dishes this cook makes? In this cook’s own viewpoint, what distinguishes this country’s flavor profile and what would be the most typical seasonings?

3. Flavor profiles are specific to a region as well as to a country. For this activity, various recipes, cultural experts, and textbooks can be used. Have the students create a spice and seasoning chart for a country, or you can have the students create the charts for specific regions (north versus south). List the different seasonings and spices used in baking breads, baking desserts, cooking poultry, meat, and fish, and in cooking vegetables.

Chapter 6 Self-Study Questions [Students apply material to themselves – might have forms or other support materials.]

1. Draw your family history tree; compare it to other students’ family trees. How many classmates are descendants of these countries?

2. Perform a nutrient analysis that compares the northern to the southern European menus that are given in the text. How do the nutrients vary?

3 Go to a restaurant that serves the cuisine of one of these countries. Order a traditional dish. Find a recipe for the dish from a cookbook or from the Internet.

4 Interview someone who grew up in and lived in one of these countries. Ask, “What was your favorite meal as a child?” and “What foods were you given when you were sick?”

5 Find a movie based in one of these countries that includes family interactions around food. What can you find out about the value food has for them? Write a review of the movie that focuses on food as a reflection of cultural values.

6 Find a market that specializes in the ingredients from one of these countries. What are some of the foods that would not be found in the average American supermarket? How big is the store? Who is shopping there? Are the labels in the language of the country?