Food and Culture Project: The Migration of Food

Although most people are aware that food provides nourishment, we rarely consider the geographic, historical, and cultural conditions that have influenced what we eat and how we procure, prepare, and serve it.

In this lesson, students learn about the broad flavor profiles typical of five different regions of the world. They research the origin and migration of a key ingredient from one of the flavor profiles and create displays describing its history, cultivation, and use.

Grade Levels: 6-8

Background: In our modern society, many of us have access to countless different fruits, vegetables, meats, and spices shipped from all over the world. As a result of both trade and migration, many of the foods we associate with particular cuisines originated in other countries. The general flavor profiles introduced in this activity represent the world's major continents.

Length: 20-minute introduction; time for research; 50–90 minutes to make posters; 20-minute wrap-up.

Download The Migration of Food PDF [9.3M]

A California Food for California Kids® downloadable resource