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Foodways and Food Studies

A guide to completing research relating to the consumption and production of food, and the intersection of food and culture.

Welcome to the Foodways and Food Studies Research Guide

Food studies is a relatively new field of study that explores the intersection of food, culture, and history. Whereas food science emphasizes food microbiology, food chemistry, food engineering, and other related fields, food studies investigates “what food says about the people who prepare and consume it and how culture shapes the dietary choices people make.” Spanning numerous disciplines and subject areas, food studies considers customs of food production, preservation, presentation, consumption, and food folklore. Similarly, foodways is a term used by folklorists to encompass the traditional activities, attitudes, and beliefs associated with food that are expressions of cultural continuity, group identity, and folk culture.

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