Ancient Foodways and Festivals: Intellectual Sustenance through Tourism

Study abroad is a high-impact pedagogical practice in which travellers have the dual role of tourist and student/educator. Foodways of the Mediterranean and Greek Tragedy have been taught simultaneously as part of an... [ view full abstract ]

Study abroad is a high-impact pedagogical practice in which travellers have the dual role of tourist and student/educator. Foodways of the Mediterranean and Greek Tragedy have been taught simultaneously as part of an interdisciplinary biennial 3- to 4- -week summer study abroad trip to Greece (2015) or Greece and Turkey (2013 and 2011). It is always an extraordinary experience for an educator in ancient mediterranean studies to watch her students’ first reactions to seeing the Parthenon, or to read Euripides’ Ion, set in Delphi, after a long day exploring the site of Delphi. When ancient history is brought to life and experienced viscerally by visiting ancient sites, learning goes deeper and is more likely to be transformative. As nutritionists know, one of the most effective ways to reconnect people to health-giving food is to engage them in the cooking and consumption of it. Part of the tourism experience for Foodways students is a cooking class where they learn how to prepare culturally iconic foods of the place where they are studying. As a Foodways assignment, travellers conceptualise, analyse, and discuss a menu from a specific time in history and a place they visited. Together, they prepare and share a meal from a selection of the recipes researched. When students reflect on and teach what they have learned, retention often improves and learning is extended to non-travellers. Enter the Festival of Dionysus in the Mountain South, a biennial campus event held in the spring of alternating years with the Greek Experience trip. A central part of this event is the performance of a Greek tragedy freshly translated by students majoring in Greek, while Foodways students study, plan, cook and enjoy a feast. Sharing a delicious meal crafted from local ingredients that were available in Greece in 500BCE, engages the campus community and future travellers in a visceral event that feeds both body and mind. Reflections in student papers show how ancient literary and material culture continues to inform modern practices and can spark interest in tourism and healthful eating.