Honors Colloquium 302.501
FERMENTATION: CULTURES & CULTURES
Everybody knows -- or think they know -- about fermentation, the biochemical process by which some foods and all alcoholic beverages are produced. That narrow understanding of fermentation, however, doesn’t do justice to the chemical process of fermentation or the degree to which geography and human culture is dependent upon it.
Human nutrition, indeed culinary and cultural traditions around food and eating, are enriched by fermented foods. It’s no exaggeration to say that human societies as we know them today are built around familiar fermented foods that we may take for granted. Some of our favorite bread, cheese, soy sauce, sauerkraut, tofu, Tabasco, coffee and chocolate are the happy results of fermentation.
This hands-on, reading-intensive class guides students through the biology, geology, biochemistry and cultural significance of fermentation (itself a multi-billion dollar a year industry in the US alone). Our Honors 302 students work with a body of literature focused on food and culture and participate in that conversation through documenting here their own experiences with making, eating, and researching the chemistry, geography, history and cultural significance of fermented foods.
Through this website, we hope to also expand your awareness of the role of fermented foods and deepen your appreciation of the Wisconsin-specific historical and cultural significance of fermented foods, while at the same time perhaps help you develop a deeper appreciation for your own fermented food traditions.
Human nutrition, indeed culinary and cultural traditions around food and eating, are enriched by fermented foods. It’s no exaggeration to say that human societies as we know them today are built around familiar fermented foods that we may take for granted. Some of our favorite bread, cheese, soy sauce, sauerkraut, tofu, Tabasco, coffee and chocolate are the happy results of fermentation.
This hands-on, reading-intensive class guides students through the biology, geology, biochemistry and cultural significance of fermentation (itself a multi-billion dollar a year industry in the US alone). Our Honors 302 students work with a body of literature focused on food and culture and participate in that conversation through documenting here their own experiences with making, eating, and researching the chemistry, geography, history and cultural significance of fermented foods.
Through this website, we hope to also expand your awareness of the role of fermented foods and deepen your appreciation of the Wisconsin-specific historical and cultural significance of fermented foods, while at the same time perhaps help you develop a deeper appreciation for your own fermented food traditions.