Project 2

project 2: Cultural Cuisine assignment

Restaurants that serve authentic cultural cuisine are one way in which the culture of another society can be experienced in the US through the context of food. For example, in the US, Chinese restaurants, especially those in Chinatown in Chicago, have provided a means for non-Chinese consumers to experience the cuisine and culture of China.  For example, Won Kow has been serving food to Chicagoans since 1928.

Modules 3, and 4 address topics relevant to consuming food at restaurants serving “authentic” national cuisines. Module 3: Cooking examines public cooking and national cuisines. One way to think about national cuisine, besides cookbooks, is the menu of a restaurant. Module 4: Eating considers restaurants and the when/what/where/who of consuming food in public spaces. Chapters and learning objectives in both modules may be of interest and use to you in this project.

You should visit ONE restaurant that claims to serve authentic cultural cuisine. The cuisine cannot be “Americana”. By this I mean the usual assortment of comfort foods that are associated with American cuisine  (e.g., mac/cheese, burgers, pizza, meatloaf, etc.).

Eat at your restaurant (at least once!). Try something new. Talk to the staff/cooks. Observe other patrons. Observe the ambiance and décor. Study the menu and think about its content. Consider the context of the restaurant in the neighborhood.

Part 1: Assignment

For your Assignment, I ask that you select a total of 3-4 learning objectives from chapters 4-7.  Pick learning objectives that can be addressed using the restaurant you selected. Thus, its best to visit the restaurant first and then pick your objectives.

Your Assignment should include:

1. Introduction: This is a very brief (~4 sentences) description where you ate, what you ate, and some relevant details you observed about the restaurant that makes it helpful for the reader to grasp the context of the study.
2. Objectives: State your objective as a header in your Assignment. Then use ~1 page to explore how concepts/ideas/theories from your text can be observed in the restaurant. Please rely on your text and my lectures! I expect you to develop well-articulated arguments/statements that demonstrate anthropological ideas using the restaurant.

Your Assignment should be formatted exactly like project 1.

Your Assignment should be 3 pages (minimum) double spaced. A minimum of 750 words (~3 pages double spaced).

Grading Rubric:

The Assignment is formatting according the instructions and includes all of the necessary sections [3 points]

The Assignment is well written, proofread, and contains no grammatical errors [4 points]

The Assignment draws on the text to explore topics relevant to the experience of eating at the restaurant. The analysis reflects comprehension of the concepts in the text and their appropriate application to the meal experience. This is for each of your objectives. [16 points]

Book I referred to is: eating culture by Gillian Crowther

TOTAL POINTS 23