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FO OD A N D C U LT UR E P R OJE CT:THE WORLD’SFLAVOR PROFILESOVERVIEWStudents examine the food traditionsof the world’s five major inhabitedcontinents. They learn about the broadflavor profile of each continent, andthen select a country and research keyingredients, seasonings, and dishesthat form the foundation of thatcountry’s cuisine.GRADE LEVEL: 3–5CENTER FOR ECOLITERACY

Copyright 2015 Center for EcoliteracyPublished by Learning in the Real WorldCALIFORNIA FOOD FOR CALIFORNIA KIDS downloadable resourceAll rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.No part of this report may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic ormechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, withoutpermission in writing from the publisher.Center for EcoliteracyDavid Brower Center2150 Allston Way, Suite 270Berkeley, CA 94704-1377For more information about this activity, email info@ecoliteracy.org or visitwww.ecoliteracy.org.Learning in the Real World is a publishing imprint of the Center for Ecoliteracy,a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization. Created in 1997, Learning in the RealWorld offers resources to support schooling for sustainability, stories of schoolcommunities, and the ecological framework that informs the work of the Center.THE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY2WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

THE WORLD’S FLAVORPROFILESF O O D A N D C U LT U R E O V E R V I E WAlthough most people are aware that food provides nourishment, we rarelyconsider the geographic, historical, and cultural conditions that have influencedwhat we eat and how we procure, prepare, and serve it. By exploring foodthrough a prism of culture, time, and place, we build a deeper appreciation ofhow regional characteristics have shaped our global food system.LESSON OVERVIEWStudents examine the food traditions of the world’s five major inhabitedcontinents. They learn about the broad flavor profile of each continent, and thenselect a country and research key ingredients, seasonings, and dishes that formthe foundation of that country’s cuisine.GRADES3-5LENGTHTwo 50-minute class periods, plus time between for student researchTHE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY3WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

LEARNING OBJECTIVESStudents will: Become familiar with the traditional and regional foods of the five majorinhabited continents. Understand that their cultural heritage influences the foods they eat. Draw from informational texts, maps, and online resources to research theflavor profiles of a country of their heritage or another country of their choice. Create a visual representation of that country’s flavor profile.S TA N D A R D S C O N N E C T I O N SN E X T G E N E R AT I O N S C I E N C E S TA N D A R D S Crosscutting Concepts — Patterns: Patterns can be used as evidence tosupport an explanationC O M M O N C O R E S TAT E S TA N D A R D S — E N G L I S H L A N G U A G E A R T S Writing — W.3.7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge abouta topic. W.4.7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge throughinvestigation of different aspects of a topic. W.5.7. Conduct short researchprojects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation ofdifferent aspects of a topic. Reading Informational Text — RI.3.7. Use information gained from illustrations(e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrateunderstanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).RI.4.7. Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g.,in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements onTHE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY4WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understandingof the text in which it appears. RI.5.7. Draw on information from multiple printor digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a questionquickly or to solve a problem efficiently.COLL EG E, C A R EER , A N D C I V I C L I F E (C 3) F R A M E WO R K F O R S O C I A L STU DI E S Applying Disciplinary Concepts and Tools — Geography – D2.Geo.3.3-5.Use maps of different scales to describe the locations of cultural andenvironmental characteristics.VOCABULARY Flavor profile Ingredient Traditional Seasonal Cuisine Continent African Asian European/Mediterranean Latin American Middle Eastern/IndianM AT E R I A L S Large world map Adhesive dotsTHE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY5WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

Flavor profile pictures “Flavor Profile Research” student handout Access to the Internet Poster-making materials (oaktag, markers, etc.) or access to an online postermaking applicationP R E PA R AT I O N1Make copies of the flavor profile pictures or plan to project the images on ascreen. Make copies of the student handout.2 Write possible search terms on the board for finding information about acountry’s foods and ingredients. Among the possibilities: Common (or typical) foods of * Traditional foods of Traditional meals of Cuisine of Favorite foods of Common breakfasts (or lunches or dinners) in Common (or key) food ingredients in Food history of Climate of Farm products of*The blank indicates the country’s name.THE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY6WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

DIRECTIONS1Show students the world map, and ask them to think about a continent orgeographic area whose cuisine interests them. It may be a geographic areafrom their family’s heritage or where their favorite foods come from. Give eachstudent an adhesive dot, and ask students to place their dots in that area onthe map.2With information from the Background, provide a quick overview of thefive flavor profiles, using the world map to locate each geographic area anddisplaying the flavor profile picture for each.3 Invite students to choose a flavor profile that either reflects their heritage orethnicity or represents their favorite food flavors.4 Direct students to choose one country within the flavor profile and find outmore about the cuisine of that country. As a class, read through the directionson the student handout, making sure students understand both their task andany new vocabulary.5 Talk about search terms students might use to find information about thefoods of the country they have chosen. Point to the terms you have writtenon the board, and add any new ones students think of. See Resources for anadditional source students may use for their research.6 Allow time for students to conduct their research.7 Provide poster-making materials (or access to an online poster-makingapplication). Have students create a poster similar to the flavor profile picturesthat depicts 8–10 main ingredients and seasonings used in the cuisine of thecountry they researched.8 Display the completed posters and discuss how our cultural heritageinfluences the foods we eat and the reasons ingredients may be common in aparticular cuisine.THE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY7WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

EXTENDED LEARNING Challenge students to find 3–5 recipes that incorporate ingredients andseasonings commonly used in their chosen country. Prepare and share dishes from each of the flavor profiles. Visit a grocery or ethnic food store to see what ingredients and seasoningsfrom students’ countries may be available locally.ASSESSMENTUse students’ posters to assess their understanding of the concepts.RESOURCES foodbycountry.com: this website provides information on food history, foodcustoms, geography, and politics related to food — as well as sample recipes —for most countries around the world. Menzel, P., & D’Aluision, F. (2010). What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets: AMaterial World Book.B AC KG R O U N DA flavor profile includes the overall attributes and tastes of a particular foodproduct or cuisine. The broad, general flavor profiles explored in this activityrepresent the world’s major continents. Due to trade and globalization,numerous cuisines around the world use many of the same basic foods, but mayseason those foods in distinctive ways. Within each of these profiles are verysignificant regional differences, but the choice of seasonings—and in some cases,ingredients—allows us to talk in broad terms about flavor profiles.THE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY8WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

F L AV O R P R O F I L E : A F R I C A NFor this lesson, “African” refers primarily to the countries of the African continentand islands south of the Sahara. The cuisine is diverse, showing the influences ofcolonizers, explorers, and traders over the centuries, interwoven with diets basedon indigenous foods.In the United States, enslaved Africans brought their native foods such asokra, black-eyed peas, and yams, and also incorporated corn and other localingredients. Especially in the South, many typical foods have strong ties to thisAfrican tradition. The African profile includes the following ingredients:BeansPaprikaBlack-eyed peasPeanutsCollard greensPeppers, chiliCornPeppers, sweetMilletSassafrasMolassesSweet potatoesOkraYamsFamiliar foods in this profile include gumbo soup, black-eyed peas with collards,and sweet potato pie.THE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY9WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

COLLARDGREEN SB L AC K- E Y E D P E ASPA P R I KAP E A N U TSCOR NCHILI P EP P ER SSW E E T P OTATO ESOKR ATHE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY10WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

F L AV O R P R O F I L E : A S I A NThe Asian continent includes countries as culturally and culinarily different asChina, Japan, the Koreas, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and theIndonesian archipelago. Most of them use—in one way or another and to greaterand varying degrees—the following spices, herbs, and ingredients:CorianderRice vinegarCoconutSaffronCuminSesame seeds andCurryFish sauceGingerLemongrasssesame oilSoy flavorings: misopaste, fermentedsoybeans, soy sauceMintThai basilMung beansTofuPeppers, chiliTurmericPeppers, sweetFamiliar foods in this profile include Asian noodles, pho soup, and rice bowls.THE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY11WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

GINGERTOF USAFFRO NL EMONGRASSCO R I A N DE RC HI L I P EP P ER SHOT P E P P ER SCO CO N U TM U N G BEA N STHE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY12WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

F L AV O R P R O F I L E : E U R O P E A N / M E D I T E R R A N E A NThis profile traces its origins to North American settlements in the sixteenth andseventeenth centuries, especially of immigrants from the British Isles, NorthernEurope, and Spain. Later immigration throughout the first part of the twentiethcentury brought additional Northern and Eastern Europeans, as well as Italians,Portuguese, Greeks, and other Mediterranean peoples. This profile includes thefollowing ingredients:BarleyOlive oilBasilOreganoCapersPaprikaCouscousPeppers, chiliDillPeppers, ntTomatoesOlivesFamiliar foods in this profile include risotto, lasagna, and vegetable soup.THE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY13WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

FEN N ELBARLEYO LI VES ANDO LI VE O I LOREGANOSW EET PE P P E R SCOR NGARLI CCOUSCOUSTHE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY14WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG

F L AV O R P R O F I L E : L AT I N A M E R I C A NMexico, the Central American and South American countries, and the islandsof the Caribbean have elements of a distinct New World cuisine based onindigenous ingredients that has also been heavily influenced by colonizersfrom Spain, Portugal, Holland, and France, and by the African traders. The LatinAmerican profile includes the following ingredients:AchioteNopales (cactus pads)BananasOreganoBeansPapayaChocolatePeppers, chiliCinnamonPeppers, sVanillaMangoesFamiliar foods in this profile include tacos, tamales, and arroz con pollo (rice withchicken).THE WORLD’S FLAVOR PROFILESCENTER FOR ECOLITERACY15WWW.ECOLITERACY.ORG