Gnocchi with Normandy clams from Pino in South Kensington. Pino is an Italian restaurant that is owned by the same owners as Il Portico.

I ordered the Yuk-Whe Bibim Bab at Jin Go Gae in New Malden. This dish looked like a color wheel of food that you could practically taste from a glance. I couldn't help but snap a picture!

This picture consists of a British Steak & Ale Pie from Zetland Arms. This represents my time in Foodways & Migration because it is a food I would never have eaten prior to taking this class. Foodways has broadened my palette, and I am more willing to experiment with new foods and cuisines. In addition, my first meal in London was at Zetland Arms, and it has been a go-to spot. However, I usually order fish and chips or their mac and cheese, but recently, I tried the British Steak & Ale Pie, showcasing my progression in trying new foods.

Kleftiko, a traditional lamb entree, served at Andy’s Taverna – an authentic Greek restaurant located in Camden. Kleftiko means ‘stolen’ in Greek. The dish can be traced back to the Greek revolution, when bandits known as the ‘Klephs’ stole lamb from the Ottomans and would roast the animal in a covered hole or underground pit.

Street-style food from a market in London with restaurant vendors of all different cultures and cuisines from Japanese to Jamaican. In focus is a Tel-Aviv style stuffed pita with vegetables and chicken. In the background is an Iraqi-inspired charcoal grilled lamb skewers.

An overview of Italian dining experiences within London with an in-depth look at Italian migration, history of Italian cuisine, and personal encounters with its dishes and restaurants.

Fish and chips was my first meal out in London, and it gave me the traditional English experience! I felt like a true tourist, and it made me so excited for the semester ahead.

What a hodgepodge of a semester! Eating food and learning about groups of people from all over the world? How awesome! There are stickers and art in this picture with different meanings, expressing various thoughts and emotions. Due to proximity and location, however, they tell a story. That is Foodways and Migrations. People from all over come to London for different reasons. They bring their food, culture, and other reminders of their origin country, which can now be seen in London.

This picture encapsulates my emotions towards this semester. The look on Soni’s face is skeptical, however enticed at the same time. Before coming to London, I considered myself a picky eater. As I slowly got over this and tried to expand upon my palate, I felt skeptical when I tried new foods that I have never seen before or heard of. However, as time has gone on I have become less skeptical and more excited when I get to try new foods. This class has forced my out of my comfort zone and showed me that I initially judge too hard, and need to keep more of an open mind when it comes to new foods.

This picture relates to the work I have done in this class over the course of the semester because I chose to study in England, where scones are very popular. They are not common in the U.S., so I have never had one until this semester. This class has forced me to get out of my comfort zone and try new foods and research their origins. It has made me learn a lot about different cultures and traditions and be more open minded to new foods and how it relates to the people that eat them and their identity.

This photo was taken at The India Club, where the entire class shared a meal during week 2 of class. Pictured is an assortment of the food we were given from the set menu, emphasizing the communal and familial aspect of a meal.

On the first day of my internship in London, my supervisor took me to Falafel & Shawarma (pictured on the left) to get a falafel wrap for lunch. We walked past Mr. Falafel on our way and she pointed it out to me, telling me that everyone in the office eats at Falafel & Shawarma instead. Prior to this class, I would not have given a second thought to my supervisor’s advice but with my new knowledge of foodways and their relation to culture, I have been able to better analyze her words. I have frequently eaten wraps from Falafel & Shawarma instead of Mr. Falafel because part of assimilating into my office’s culture is recognizing and adapting to their foodways, culinary beliefs, and food habits.

On my first trip to Borough Market, a collection of food stands and shops hidden in central London, I decided to order a plate of muscles. As someone who grew up in a landlocked state, this dish was a reminder of not only the geographical differences between England and Colorado, but was also a representation of the transformations that occur when an immense amount of heat and pressure breaks open shells and reveals the goodness inside.

Garlic naan and chicken ruby from my favorite restaurant in London, Dishoom!

This photo was taken when my classmate and friend Reese and I went to get Thai food. In this photo, we are sharing spring rolls, and Reese is dipping hers into the sauce for a perfect bite. We learned about the many ingredients the owner sourced directly from Thailand at this restaurant. We got to taste some new dishes, and I introduced Reese to some of my favorites.  This picture sums up my experience in the Foodways and Migration class as it became incredibly meaningful to me to sit down and share a meal with my friends while thinking about how and why the food we were eating got to London.

I chose this picture because I think it really encompasses my experience of going to a new place, trying a new cuisine, and engaging with it in ways I never did before. In the States, I never tried Indian food before and that was one of the cuisines that I engaged with in a meaningful way during this class. There was also a plethora of food that I never tried before while participating in this class and I am very grateful for those experiences, especially here in London where there is so much multiculturalism and diversity. Thank you.

Delicious Mozzarella Di Bufala bites from Obicà Mozzarella Bar while I was in Covid-19 isolation. The image represents the challenges I experienced with this course, and how I responded to those challenges. During the first half of the semester, I was sick quite often, and as a result, there were times where I had to order takeout instead of going to the restaurants. This may have meant that I missed out on the physical context of the restaurants, but it also pushed me to conduct more research than I might have otherwise done.

My first dinner at a Greek restaurant trying hummus, tzatziki, olives, and beans. This was one of the first times that I went out of my comfort zone and tried foods I didn’t think I would like. The olives were a pleasant surprise and while I don’t think I will seek them out in the future, it sparked my interest in trying new things. This photo was taken after we began eating and realized how much better authentic hummus tastes.

I have always been a large fan of Japanese food, however, this meal at Sticks'n'Sushi was the freshest and best tasting food I have ever eaten. I will miss Sticks'n'Sushi when I return back to the United States after Studying abroad.

Went to Beigel Bake in Brick Lane with three friends and ate this delicious jelly donut which is called Sufganiyot in Hebrew that is one of my favorite Hannukah desserts.

This picture shows the true spirit of the Foodways class. Featured is my friend and classmate Eloise, taking a photo of the front of the restaurant we visited for class together. We traveled over an hour to try food from a Caribbean restaurant that was in an area of London that we otherwise never would have seen.

This image of a man making naan bread encapsulates what this class is all about. This is at a Persian restaurant that I ate at. I tried many new and unfamiliar foods at this restaurant and over the duration of this class. I was also able to ask people at restaurants questions about the food and the culture. Seeing the bread made right in the restaurant less than 20 feet away was an amazing experience because I feel that it brought two cultures together, mine and his. Bringing people together was one of the main, overarching themes of this entire class and the semester abroad.