<go, Petra Crosby, the director of international student program, told me about this TimeLife’s popular book series called ‘Foods of the World.’ The very next day, I was very fortunate to find three of them at a used book store. I have to admit that this ambitious 27-volume project featuring different eating and cooking traditions and dishes from all over the world was quite impressive not only in its scale (five and half years with 700 contributors) but also in its initiative. The books include African Cooking, Middle Eastern Cooking, the Cooking of Japan, the Cooking of Germany, as well as several volumes on American Cooking, and so on. Of course, it is not by all means perfect, as Richard L. Williams, the editor, admits “food is one of the most subjective of all subjects” and describing a long and complex food culture into a 200 or so page book is almost impossible. However, the attempt to explore and share diverse culinary cultures in the natives’ terms deserves much credit. In the 1970’s when this series came out with recipe booklets, “it was one of those books that you have to have in your kitchen” as Crosby puts it.
There has also been the similar attempt to introduce and celebrate culinary diversity in our own community as well. Carleton’s annual International Festival originally started as International Food Walk, taking a part in the International Week that is celebrated all over the world. On May 17 Saturday, there will be the 11 annual International Festival which include dance performances, traditional instrument recitals, and International Food Walk where students will put out dishes from various parts of the world. This is your chance to experience and learn about culinary cultures.
