Gastronomica

​Rooftop cultivation can play an important role in feeding communities, but what is the place of animals in elevated urban gardens? In this episode, Gastronomica Editorial Collective member Lisa Haushofer talks with anthropologist Noha Fikry about the uses of home rooftops for feeding one’s family. Drawing on her ethnographic research in some of Egypt’s biggest cities, Noha explores rooftop rearin...

Food scholars have found that notions of “good taste” often distinguish people based on class and social inequality. But how do people give meaning to food and taste in a socialist economy? Join host Jaclyn Rohel, a member of the Gastronomica Editorial Collective, as she talks with food historian Krystyn Moon and biologist Jennifer Rhode Ward about their new research on the complexities of taste,...

What happens to traditions of fermentation when state regulations prohibit their sale and distribution? And can these ferments and their value to people help create more just, inclusive, and equitable food systems? Inspired by their research on the importance of fermentation for marginalized communities in Arizona, food scholars Sara El-Sayed and Christy Spackman sit down with Gastronomica Editori...

Before the 2000s, Japanese cuisine was almost absent from the Perth, Australia food scene, but within a decade, it could be found everywhere. In this episode, Gastronomica Editorial Collective member Jaclyn Rohel talks with anthropologist Satomi Fukutomi about how the increasing availability of Japanese cuisine in Perth changed how people considered what is “authentic” about these foods. Drawing o...

In this episode, Gastronomica editorial collective member Jaclyn Rohel highlights new titles from the world of food studies. She is joined by Michael Classens, Assistant Professor in the School of the Environment at the University of Toronto and author of the recently published book, From Dismal Swamp to Smiling Farms: Food, Agriculture, and Change in the Holland Marsh (UBC Press, 2021). Michael d...

In this episode, Joel Rodrigues talks with Gastronomica Editorial Collective member Signe Rousseau about the Goan dishes of his childhood and the limits of “classical” dishes. Joel reflects on nostalgia and melancholy as he tells the story of how he learned to cook. Casting aside the pursuit of perfection, he highlights how everyday experiences of cooking can shape notions of cuisine.

Does technology change local eating? In this episode, Gastronomica Editorial Collective member Krishnendu Ray and anthropologist Tulasi Srinivas consider how taste connects material, spatial, and virtual worlds. Drawing on her ethnography of "gastro apps" in Bangalore during the Covid-19 pandemic, Tulasi sheds light on how online food delivery has changed what it means to eat locally in India. Pho...

Can the language of a menu help produce food system change? In this episode, Gastronomica Editorial Collective member Melissa Fuster hosts Carole Counihan in a discussion on activism and alimentary language. Drawing on her research on Italian food activism and the Slow Food Movement, Carole explores how a dinner menu can promote critical consumption and a commitment to food democracy. Photo Courte...

Is Amy Trubek still mad about the ducks? One year ago, Gastronomica Editorial Collective member Amy Trubek chanced upon a gift of raw duck parts. In this episode, Amy traces the circulation of the duck parts through her local community and shares how a series of unexpected exchanges landed them on her dinner plate at home. Amy is joined in this episode by her husband, Brad, who talks about how he...

In this special Gastronomica episode, Chef Malcolm Mitchell talks about his experience as a chef, a culinary artist, and an advocate for Black chefs in the American hospitality industry. In conversation with Daniel Bender, a member of Gastronomica's Editorial Collective and a professor of food studies, labor, and American history, Chef Mitchell shares his story of becoming a chef, discusses what m...