Food Culture and Wine (June 16th)

Classes today proved to be the most interesting thus far. A lecture on American verses French food culture started off our day. Topics of national healthcare, obesity, school lunch programs, GMOs, fast/slow food,  and Terra Madre were discussed. I found it ironic that mussels and a plethora of other quality foods were being served that day, along with every other day of the week, in the cafeteria. Classes wrapped up with a lecture on 'terroir,' viticulture, and a wine tasting. Before tasting the wine, we all participated in a sensory activity where we smelled different bottles and racked out brains trying to identify the scents. My performance was quite a disappointment.

That evening, a group of us dinned at the Mexican restaurant we had found several days prior. The atmosphere was exactly like any Tex-Mex restaurant you would find in Texas yet the food was very different, but satisfying. Beans and pickled jalapenos made my night.