Nov 22, 2024
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2020-21

ML 2300 - French Gastronomy: An Introduction to the History and Development of French Gastronomy


Part of the Food Studies curricular theme, this course introduces French gastronomy and analyzes its importance in French culture. It investigates the practice, expressions, and skills that constitute the ‘Gastronomic Meal of the French’, added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010. Starting with the creation of the restaurant in Paris in the 19th century, we will examine the development of French gastronomy as described in the literature of the time, as well as its encoding in food texts. This course analyzes the specificity of French food and French concepts such as ‘terroir’. It examines the evolution of French gastronomy, its increasing importance in French culture, and its influence worldwide. Students will also explore the underlying reasons for the changes in French gastronomy, as well as the French reactions to these changes.

Credit Hours: 3
General Education Code: 2CP
Repeat/Retake Information: May be retaken two times excluding withdrawals, but only last course taken counts.
Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 lecture
Grades: Eligible Grades: A-F,WP,WF,WN,FN,AU,I
Learning Outcomes:
  • Students will become familiar with major authors and texts that contributed to the definition and development of French gastronomy.
  • Students will recognize the specificity of French food and its importance in French culture through the study of French literature.
  • Students will gain a deeper understanding of the cultural importance of French gastronomy and its reputation around the world by examining a variety of writings on food.
  • Students will apply the cultural knowledge they acquire to a critical analysis of the evolution of French gastronomy in its historical, political, and economic context.
  • Students will apply critical thinking to the transformation of French gastronomy and its existence within a global economy.


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