Global Foods Recipes and Lesson Plans
I try to incorporate global foods into as many of our culinary arts units as possible. When students can see how other cultures eat or prepare a specific dish, it introduces them to new ideas, teaches them about indigenous foods and cultures, and helps them understand the foods we eat today.
1- Ukraine– With all that is going on in Ukraine lately, I felt compelled to discuss this region’s cuisine first. Ukraine has fertile soil that makes it the “breadbasket of Europe”.
Ukraine is one of the largest producers of grain and produces 18% of the world’s sunflower seed exports as well as 13% of corn production and 12% of global barley exports. One of the most popular desserts is Kutia, which is thick, sweet, and healthy oatmeal. If you can find the ingredients and your students can handle nuts…here is a recipe!
Another recipe that can be good for students, especially middle school students is khrustyky fried cookies. They are also called ‘Ears’ and is a light and crunchy pastries.
Melissa Litherland, a Family, and Consumer Science teacher made these Ukrainian pancakes using kefir.
Here is a free lesson on the Foods of Ukraine with a slideshow and questions in Google.
As a way to teach about the breading process, we made chicken Kiev, which is a Ukrainian dish.
2- South America- You can’t beat the tastes of South America. Students are always surprised that many of the foods we love and seem to be European, actually originated in the Americas! Chocolate was first consumed by the Mayans as hot chocolate. Potatoes are not from Ireland, they were “discovered” by the Conquistadors in the 1500s when they conquered the New World. The beloved coffee bean was originally from South America and so much more.
With 12 countries in South America, there are so many different native groups and outside influences that make the cuisine of the continent truly unique and delicious!
One of Bolivia’s most popular dishes is the salteña. Here is a link to an easy recipe for the delicious hand-held meal. It is similar to an empanada but has a braided “seem” and are baked in an upright position. These delicious meals are filled with pork, beef, or chicken and are mixed in a sweet, spicy sauce that includes olives, potatoes, and raisins.
They are very similar to the Puerto Rican pastelillos!
3- Norway– 🇳🇴 Norwegian foods are very hard to pronounce but they have such a unique cuisine that heavily relies on seafood. Teaching students to think about why certain countries eat the way that they do is very important. We look at a map and I point out the region. For instance, Norway is surrounded by water which is why their cuisine has a lot of seafood and fish.
An easy lab for Norway is tilslorte bondepiker which is applesauce or apples, whipped cream, and toasted bread crumbs. The dish translates to “rural girls in veils” in English. Recipe below!
Check out our Irish Cuisine blog post for ideas for teaching about the foods of Ireland. Let us know if you try any of these recipes in your culinary arts classes by leaving a comment below. We would love to hear from you!
