Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• MET ML 632: History of Wine
  In this course we explore the long and complex role wine has played in the history of human civilization. We survey significant developments in the production, distribution, consumption and cultural uses of grape-based alcoholic beverages in the West. We study the economic impact of wine production and consumption from the ancient Near East through the Roman Empire, Europe in the Middle Ages and especially wine's significance in the modern and contemporary world. Particular focus is on wine as a religious symbol, a symbol of status, an object of trade and a consumer beverage in the last few hundred years.
• MET ML 634: Culture and Cuisine of China
  An introduction to the history of the single most important material base of Chinese culture - food. The following major interdisciplinary areas will be covered: (1) Food production and the food processing industry; (2) Production of cooking vessels, food vessels, and food preservation; (3) Development of commercial exchange where food is the primary commodity; (4) Eatery service industry; (5) Food cure traditions that have close connections with Chinese medicine, theories of health preservation, and ancient Chinese philosophy; (6) Political value and significance of food in traditional ceremonial occasions; (7) The literary and artistic traditions in cooking and consumption of Chinese food; (8) Formation of the major gastronomical systems.
• MET ML 636: Culture and Cuisine: Italy
  There is no such thing as Italian food. This statement is confirmed by the uniqueness and locality of the foods of Italy. This course will introduce students to regional Italian foods, taking into account geography, historical factors, social mores and language. There will be an emphasis on identifying key food ingredients of northern, central, and southern regions, and how they define these regions and are utilized in classic recipes. In addition, the goal will be to differentiate the various regional cooking styles like casalinga cooking versus alta cucina cooking.
• MET ML 638: Culture and Cuisine: New England
  How are the foodways of New England's inhabitants, past and present, intertwined with the history and culture of this region' In this course, students will have the opportunity to examine the cultural uses and meanings of foods and foodways in New England using historical, archaeological, oral, and material evidence. We will focus on key cultural, religious and political movements that have affected foodways in the region, as well as the movement of people.
• MET ML 641: Anthropology of Food
  This course introduces students to the anthropological study of food and to the concept of food as a cultural system. In this cross-cultural exploration, we will examine the role of food and drink in ritual, reciprocity and exchange, social display, symbolism, and the construction of identity. Food preferences and taboos will be considered. We will also look at the transformative role of food in the context of culture contact, the relationship between food and ideas of bodily health and body image, food and memory, and the globalization of food as it relates to politics, power, and identity. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.
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  • Ethical Reasoning
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Social Inquiry I
• MET ML 642: Food Ethnography
  This course explores what food ethnography is and how food ethnographers work. Students will learn about food ethnography by reading and discussing its methods and by practicing them. Students will write a research design for an ethnographic project on some aspect of Boston's multifaceted alternative food system, carry out the research, analyze their data, and write up and orally present the results. Students will learn about and use the methods of participant observation, interviews, photography, food mapping, informant documentation, food logs, and others. They will learn about research ethics. They will pay particular attention to the ways that studying food culture presents unique methods and insights.
• MET ML 649: Fundamentals of Wine
  For students without previous knowledge of wine, this introductory survey explores the world of wine through discussions, tastings, food and wine pairing, assigned readings, and student presentations. By the end of the course, students will be able to exhibit fundamental knowledge of the principal categories of wine, including major grape varieties, wine styles, and regions; correctly taste and classify wine attributes; and demonstrate an understanding of general principles of food and wine pairing.
• MET ML 650: The Foundation of Beer and Spirits
  The objectives of this course are to explore the great variety of beer styles and spirit categories currently available and the role each plays in our culture. We will survey significant developments in the historical evolution, production, distribution, consumption and cultural usage of these alcohol beverages in the United States. We will taste beer and spirits extensively to demonstrate examples of the most important categories and classifications.
• MET ML 651: Fundamentals of Wine
  For students without previous knowledge of wine, this introductory survey explores the world of wine through lectures, tastings, and assigned readings. By the end of this course, students will be able to 1). Exhibit fundamental knowledge of the principal categories of wine, including major grape varieties, wine styles, and regions; 2). Correctly taste and classify wine attributes; 3). Understand general principles of food and wine pairing; and 4). Comprehend the process of grape growing and winemaking. Open only to matriculated gastronomy students.
• MET ML 652: Comprehensive Survey of Wine: Europe
  As one of the core classes in the Wine Studies Program, this intensive course offers detailed knowledge of the wine regions of Europe through tastings, lectures, and assigned readings. Students will discover wine from a historical, cultural, viticultural, ecological, and market perspective. Ideal for wine enthusiasts or those in the industry who are interested in furthering their knowledge. Successfully completing this comprehensive survey course will allow students to exhibit detailed knowledge of European wine regions, grape varieties, and wine styles as well as refine their tasting ability.
• MET ML 653: Comprehensive Survey of Wine: The World
  Graduate Prerequisites: (METML652) - This intensive course offers detailed knowledge of Eastern Europe, the Americas, Oceania, and South African wine regions through tastings, lectures, and assigned readings. Students will discover wine from a historical, cultural, viticultural, enological, and market perspective. Successfully completing this comprehensive survey course will allow students to exhibit detailed knowledge of these wine regions, grape varieties, and wine styles. Students will also gain an understanding of the evolution of vine varieties and the effects of clonal and climatic conditions influencing character, as well as refine their sensorial and annotation skills.
• MET ML 654: Current Topics in Wine Studies
  Graduate Prerequisites: (METML 652 and 653) - This course is designed for wine professionals and advanced enthusiasts. Students will continue to develop mastery of the global wine industry through in-depth discussions and forums, research of current issues in the wine industry, interaction with experts in the field, and tasting wines of exceptional quality. By the end of this course, students will be able to use their wine-tasting skills to deconstruct and understand wine quality and origins, refine their wine vocabulary and comprehensive observations, effectively communicate about wine, and speak and write confidently about current issues in the wine industry.
• MET ML 655: Launching a Food Business
  Whatever type of food-related business you want to start, you will need expert advice to plan and launch. This course will guide you through the process of developing and realizing your business idea. Guest speakers from the food industry will share hands- on knowledge and insights. In this section you will focus on writing a business plan. Grading is based on attendance, participation and completing a business plan.
• MET ML 657: Advanced Wine Tasting
  This course will develop blind tasting skills through weekly focused tastings. Students will develop the skills to calibrate their tasting acumen, relate their wine theory knowledge to their tasting methodology, and have a chance to taste many categories of wines side by side that are immensely valuable. Focus areas for the tastings include identifying different origins for the same grape varieties, ascertaining quality levels, developing an understanding of how methods of wine production affect wine style, and focusing on grape and region laterals that are commonly difficult to differentiate. At the end of the course, students will have a superior understanding of all the relevant tasting skills required to function at higher levels in the wine trade, wine journalism, and other relevant areas.
• MET ML 658: Introduction to Winemaking
  The course offers students a theoretical and practical understanding of winemaking from grape growing to the aging and bottling of wine. Hands-on experience will accompany discussions related to viticulture, the ¿crush¿, fermentation, aging, maturation, and the business/regulations of wine. Students will observe and analyze wines during the fermentation and aging process to understand how they evolve. Assigned readings, offsite visits, and discussions/guest speakers will aid in a student¿s understanding of the art and science of vinification.
• MET ML 671: Food and Visual Culture
  An extensive historical exploration into prints, drawings, film, television, and photography relating to food in the United States and elsewhere. Examines how food images represent aesthetic concerns, social habits, demographics, domestic relations, and historical trends.
• MET ML 672: Food and Art
  Food and Art is a course that explores the ingredients of food and eating "experiences'' and channels it through the five senses. In this class we will unpack personal and communal experiences through food and eating and their environments, thereby invoking both past and present. By creating immersive experiences, we aspire to deconstruct the mechanism of eating and to expose the patterns and norms involved. The course will culminate with a communal event, wherein the students will present their research outcomes and insights as installations.
• MET ML 673: Survey of Food and Film
  We can all take pleasure in eating good food, but what about watching other people eat or cook food' This course will survey the history of food in film. It will pay particular attention to how food and foodways are depicted as expressions of culture, politics, and group or personal identity. We will watch a significant number of films, both fiction and non-fiction, classic and modern. A good portion of class time will also be given to discussing the readings in combination with hands-on, in-depth analysis of the films themselves.
• MET ML 681: Food Writing for the Media
  Students will develop and improve food-writing skills through the study of journalistic ethics; advertising; scientific and technological matters; recipe writing; food criticism; anthropological and historical writing about food; food in fiction, magazines and newspapers.
• MET ML 692: Evaluating and Developing Markets for Culinary Tourism
  'Culinary Tourism', sometimes called 'Food Tourism' or 'Gastronomy Tourism' encompasses the active engagement with food and beverage experiences within a given culture or society, reflecting a sense of place, heritage or tradition. Most often associated with International travel focusing on food, drink and tourist economies, examples of culinary tourism are increasingly found even domestically, in one's own home city or town. The idea of exploring a place for culinary purposes (eating, drinking, cooking, learning about local and regional foods) has a long history, however today the travel industry is showing record numbers with no signs of slowing. Nearly 50 % of International travelers cite food and drink as the primary purpose of their journeys and the field has never before offered so many options and of food and drink experiences to choose from. From 'gourmet' chef-led tours and ultra-local street food crawls to home cooking classes, agricultural visits and everything in between, this course will consider both the theoretical and practical aspects of culinary tourism in the 21st century. We will focus on questions around identity (food as expression), authenticity ('going to the source'), commoditization ('who gets to cook/eat what and why'') and the role of food and travel media, as well as travel industry issues such as overtourism, environmental impact and cultural appropriation. In addition to learning the history and concepts behind culinary tourism's development, we will also take a practical approach, looking at how the industry itself functions -- how are food and drink tours/experiences put together' Who are the industry stakeholders' What are the trends and forces driving the growing interest and what affect can this have -- both good and bad -- on local economies and cuisines'