Food Origin: Coffee

Topic: Food Origins

Have you ever wondered where a food was from? Where did a spice originate, or was a meat first prepared in a specific way, or did several ingredients come together? This is your chance to find out.

Assignment: Choose a food (a plant, animal, or dish/recipe) and research its origins. Write an essay that summarizes your findings. You may use non-scholarly sources, such as cookbooks or other popular writing, but 1) no Wikipedia (not because it is necessarily wrong, but because we can’t evaluate it), 2) all sources you use must be referenced on a Works Cited page, 3) you must find at least three sources, and 4) you must cite specific pieces of information so that we know their source. See citation instructions below.

Scope of the Assignment

Food journal is your opportunity to interact with food and its ancient past in a more tangible and immediate way than course lectures and research papers. For each assignment, you will undertake an activity, which may involve consuming food or drink, and then write a short essay about it. This should be a distinct learning experience that gives you the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and learn more about the world of food around you.

Choose one of the ten topics listed at the end of this assignment. Follow the instructions listed there, which differ for each option. Note that there are ten options but you need only complete four of them; you may choose which to skip. Note that independent, academic research is needed only for a few of these topics; most are experiential in nature. You may always refer to your textbook and previously assigned course materials to help you to further engage the topics you discuss in each essay, but outside research is only necessary when specifically highlighted below.

Essay Format

Each essay must be 400-500 words in length, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins and 12 point font. Essays shorter (or longer!) than this will be penalized, although if you are asked to complete additional documents (e.g., a list) as part of your assignment that page will not count towards the word limit. You do not need a title page; just write the title and your name at the top of the first page, along with the assignment topic number. Your paper should have a title that reflects the content of your specific essay. Please include a separate “Works Cited” page if you have sources to cite – i.e., anything you used beyond class notes and your own experience. Works Cited do not count towards the word limit. Be sure to check your paper for spelling, grammar, and other typographical errors before turning it in. If you do not follow these formatting guidelines, you will not be able to earn full points on the paper – remember this is a writing intensive course.