Food and Our Cultural Identity
April 3, 2014鈥擬ajoring in a foreign language is sort of the ultimate liberal arts experience. Within a language concentration, students learn about history, philosophy, literature, and more in their chosen discipline. And if you鈥檙e Liz Frothingham (C鈥�14), you also learn about food. French food, to be precise.
Frothingham, a major, has always been interested in all things food. She fancies herself as something of a cook, and there鈥檚 always something baking in her kitchen.
But it wasn鈥檛 until Frothingham took Associate Professor 鈥檚 class called Food and the French Empire that she realized she could combine her academic interests with her passion for the plate. The class, Frothingham explains, was about 鈥淔rance and its tendency to ally itself with cuisine.鈥� They explored colonialism, food history, and the origins of restaurant dining. That it was also taught in French was a bonus.
While Georgetown doesn鈥檛 have a food studies program, there is a food cluster for people like Frothingham who are interested in a more academic take on what we eat and why. After taking Durmelat鈥檚 class, Frothingham sought out every class relating to food that she could.
She fulfilled a science requirement with a class on molecular gastronomy鈥攖he mad scientist side of food鈥攁nd studied contemporary farming and agriculture with Danielle Berman, an adjunct professor who works as a social science research analyst with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Frothingham also worked with Durmelat as a research assistant on a paper about couscous.
Frothingham鈥檚 intellectual interest in food made sense to her. 鈥淓veryone can relate to this so why not talk about it?鈥� she said.
In addition to taking as many food-related classes as she could, Frothingham also became part of the , organized by Durmelat. This collection of students, professors, and others from the university meets monthly for potlucks and conversations about food at Georgetown and in the wider Washington, DC, community.
While Frothingham鈥檚 major didn鈥檛 require a thesis, she decided she鈥檇 write one anyway. 鈥淲hen you study a language, you want something to show for it,鈥� she said, noting that she might be regretting her decision now that she鈥檚 in the final throes of the thesis.
For her research, Frothingham looked at the use of food to create an identity and focused on France and its robust food culture. In 2010, the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) approved the French gastronomic meal for protection as an 鈥淚ntangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.鈥�
鈥淭hey鈥檙e saying, this is inherently French and we need to protect it because the modern world is a threat to it,鈥� Frothingham said.
The French gastronomic meal is typically a dinner of celebration, eaten at birthdays, weddings, and reunions. It begins with an aperitif and ends with a liqueur and in between diners indulge in at least four successive courses that make use of local ingredients. It is a full sensory experience that typically takes hours.
In her thesis, Frothingham set out to determine whether the gastronomic meal needed preserving and what the designation means for the meal鈥檚 future. She is also investigating the politics of preservation. She credits Durmelat for pointing her in this direction.
Dedicating time to the optional endeavor has been a challenge for the senior who is currently taking classes, as well working as an English tutor and trying to figure out what to do when she graduates. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big undertaking,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a slower process than a regular paper.鈥�
While food is an academic interest, it is also Frothingham鈥檚 creative outlet. Despite her hefty school schedule, she still cooks and bakes as much as she can鈥攏ot too long ago she made pretzels with rosemary and sea salt from scratch. After all, her cooking could be considered research. One of her favorite things to make? Tarte au citron.
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