Boston Flora

Tag: Gastronomy

  • Tuesday, February 21, 6:00 pm – The New World of Coffee and Cacao

    The Pepin Lecture Series in Food Studies and Gastronomy, cosponsored by Jacques Pepin and Boston University’s Master of Liberal Arts program in gastronomy, will present The New World of Coffee and Cacao, with Matthew Block, on Tuesday, February 21 at 6 pm at 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 117, Boston.  Ever wonder about the mysterious journey that coffee and cacao beans take from their origins to their transformation into delicious specialty products?  Join importer Matthew Block, founder of Campesino Mateo, for a free talk that will cover the histories of coffee and cacao, their roles in Western culture, and the beans’ step-by-step journey from cultivation to finished product.  Block partners with traditional family  farmers from the most remote regions of Peru’s “eyebrow of the jungle” to help improve growing, harvesting, and processing practices.  Attendees will learn about – an  taste – the dramatic impact on aroma and flavor that different farming, processing, and production techniques impart.  Additionally, they will virtually meet some farmers on their lands, see how the plants and fruits grow in their raw form, and experience the various terroir factors that play so large a role in the finished products.  Register online at http://bu.edu/foodandwine.  Image from marinersmuseum.org.

  • Tuesday, November 3, 6:00 pm – Feast or Pharmacy? Meeting Micronutrient Needs with Local Food

    Ellen Messer, Visiting Professor of Gastronomy at Boston University, will present a free lecture on Tuesday, November 3 at 6 pm, entitled “Feast or Pharmacy? Meeting Micronutrient Needs with Local Foods.”  The lecture will take place at 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 117, and is free and open to the public, although Boston University asks that you call to reserve a space – 617-353-9852.   Dr.  Messer is an anthropologist and specialist in human rights, food security, and religion, with a special interest in religion and development. She has taught Religion and Development and, in a cross-cultural approach, Nutrition and Food Security, at Brandeis University. The talk is part of BU’s ongoing MLA in Gastronomy Lecture Series in Food Studies.  More information on all the lectures can be found at www.bu.edu/foodandwine.