In the course on Religious and Ethnic Foods, students will understand the factors associated with the development of food preferences and requirements based on various religions and cultures. Students also will understand the attitudes, beliefs, traditions and geographic regions that coincide with these diets. At the course’s completion, students will be able to:
- Characterize principles and concepts that govern different religious and cultural foods.
- Discover the availability of religious and cultural foods in the market.
- Identify status or approval of food ingredients for specific cultural or religious groups.
- Explain the process of certification of food products, according to requirements of specific religions and cultural groups.
- Describe the manner in which production of foods for specific religious/cultural groups can be done in the food industry.
- Apply knowledge of requirements for foods for specific religious and cultural groups to food preparation in food services, such as health care institutions, airlines, schools and colleges.
The course has interdisciplinary appeal: students from religious studies, international studies, anthropology and medicine have pursued study in this area to complement their primary disciplines.