About

Without food, human culture would be missing a large portion of itself. For example, it’s difficult to imagine what the transubstantiation – or, the changing of Christ’s body into bread and wine – would have been like without, well, bread or wine. If I were to guess, I would say that he would have vaporized into nothing, and that is where his story would have come to a swift end.

This example, which is just one from the most domineering religion of the early modern period, is far from the only to see that the incorporation of food and drink is not only ubiquitous in our stories, but crucial to their survival. But what about the stories from cultures that, from a Western perspective, are scarcely recognized? If the reliance on food to play roles in traditions and ceremonies is truly universal, then surely there are examples from places that, so far, have eluded our attention.

That is where the objective of this blog comes into play: every other week, I will explore a unique and little-understood cuisine from a different place in the world. To be as exhaustive as possible, I will be cooking dishes using the most authentic ingredients that are available to me in Alberta, Canada. Through the lens of food and drink, I will be attempting to teach myself – and you – a little history lesson about the culture and people to which that meal is meaningful.