Write an essay on ONE of the topics listed below. Always define the concepts and terms you use. Draw
your illustrations from the coursework, related readings, and from your own experience. Develop your
points in as much detail and depth as possible. See “What I Want From An Essay.”

1) Identify a food that you did not, could not, or would not eat in your past, and explain the processes by which it has entered your food repertoire. Conversely, identify a food that you do not, can not, or will not eat now and explain the processes of its exit.

2) Identify a food that is ‘necessary’ for the proper observance of a custom (a ritual, a calendar custom, a rite of passage, etc.). Trace its origins both in a larger, historical context and in your own personal history.

3) Contrast a typical meal/food event that you may prepare for ‘intimates’ (friends, family) with one you may prepare for ‘strangers’ (important guests, potential romantic partners, etc.). What constitutes ‘special occasion’ food and why?

– Uses secondary sources (i.e. peer-reviewed library or academic database material)
– A clear articulation of what topic you are addressing
– A clear articulation of what data you are engaging
– A thick description
– Comparison to other parallel studies (secondary literature)
– Tentative conclusions – what you think