Food+Around+the+World+Research+Project

=**What do we eat?**=

Everyone has different eating habits and opinions about food. Your food preferences may be based on your culture, taste, where you grew up, religion, what food is available to you, etc.

Ask yourself these questions and write down your answers: ■ What are my favorite foods? ■ What foods do I typically have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? ■ Why do I eat the foods that I do?

Now share your answers with someone else. Are your answers the same? They might be similar, but it is unlikely that they will be the identical. Why are they different? What you eat is probably not the same as what your parents and grandparents ate when they were young. If you are able to, ask them questions about the foods they had. What was different? Why do you think you eat differently than they did?

=What do others eat?=

Food is enjoyed all around the world. It is a part of social gatherings, given as gifts, and used to improve health. However, as you already know, food varies around the world. For example, rice and salted fish is a common breakfast in the Philippines, whereas people in Ireland may start their day with fried eggs, pork sausages and bacon, grilled tomato, some sort of potato cake (hash browns or potato waffles), and toast.

Choose a foreign country that you think would be interesting. You may choose from the list below or pick one that is not shown.

Spain, Scandinavia, Philippines, France, Russia, Australia, Italy, India, Brazil, Greece, Thailand, Mexico, Germany, China, Native American Indians, Middle East, Japan

=Suggested steps for this project:=

• Gather information about the geography, climate, religion, and social customs • List foods typically consumed • Compare food customs with another country • Explain food beliefs and attitudes • Collect recipes that you will use for planning your meal • Plan, prepare, and serve a traditional meal that encompasses the customs of the country • Present what you have learned about the culture at your meal • Evaluate your work

=Go Exploring!=

Take time to collect information on the country you have chosen. Information should come from a variety of sources:

- Books, Cookbooks, Internet - Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers - People from the country or are very familiar with the food customs - Local ethnic grocery stores

Remember to record the resources as you locate them so you can return to them if necessary.