Fourteenth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

This paper delineates the outcomes of my practice research on food and foodway learning in the food-related courses designed for university students in Eastern Taiwan. I explore the extent that students from different cultural backgrounds learn the discourses and practices of local food during their course participation. I also investigate how they reflect on the course designs highlighting global-local dynamics while offering opportunities for them to approach local food producers, entrepreneurs, and intermediates. Besides conducting semi-structured interviews with these students, I also use observable data and responses from the guest instructors and speakers, mostly coming from indigenous communities, who have joined my courses to compare with my interview data. Some of the observable data include students’ “cooking together” moments in the courses and their experiences of learning and teaching about local food ingredients in slow food festivals in Taitung. This practice research reflects on food pedagogy and food education by incorporating concepts of social responsibility and food literacy. By shedding light on first-hand experiences of “local food practices,” this research suggests practice-oriented gastronomic and local food education in future.