JAN 426A: Food and Food Cultures in France

Professors Catherine Schmitz and John Ware

Course Description: When it comes to food, Americans speak French. Go to a restaurant (French), and you’ll order (French) from a menu (French). Whether listed as appetizer or hors d’oeuvre, your first course derives from French. Your entrée—French. Skip or eat dessert, still French. Even at a grocery store, you’ve learned some French.

This interim involves a 16-day gastronomic tour of France. We’ll stay in Aix-en-Provence, Lyon, Dijon, and Paris and study the food culture of those regions. While cooking classes will give us experience creating regional dishes, our days aren’t confined to kitchens; we’ll spend more time touring towns and regions to learn about food identified with them. Sure, champagne is from Champagne, and Dijon is a type of mustard; however, Marseille is celebrated for bouillabaisse, Besançon for comté cheese, Lyon for the bouchon, and Paris for its variety. You can only eat so much and so often, so we’ll reserve plenty of time to walk it off in the museums and cultural sites of each area.

This interim should appeal to students interested in the food and culture of this influential nation. You don’t need to speak French or be a proficient cook to enjoy this interim.

Dates: Our first class meeting will take place during the fall semester; we’ll meet on 12/6 at 11:00 AM to review the syllabus, required forms, and answer questions. Interim begins on 1/5 and ends on 2/1. We’ll be traveling from 1/10 through 1/26. Transportation to and from the Charlotte airport is prearranged and included in the interim fee.

Places: For a map of the locations we’ll visit, click here.

If you have questions, email either Dr. Ware (warejm@wofford.edu) or Dr. Schmitz (schmitzcl@wofford.edu).