Study Center, Alicante, Spain

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1 Study Center, Alicante, Spain Course name: Mediterranean Gastronomy and Wine Industry in Spanish Culture Course number: HISP 3007 ALSU / FSCI 3001 ALSU Programs offering course: Language and Culture Language of instruction: English U.S. Semester Credits: 3 Contact Hours: 45 Term: Summer 17 Course Description This course covers a complete analysis of the importance of the Mediterranean diet in Spanish life. Upon completion of this course, students will understand Spanish topography and its effects on Mediterranean gastronomy and the wine industry in Spain. Students will cover important aspects such as industry breakdown, the integration of Spain in the EU and its repercussions on agriculture and fisheries, the history of food and wine and its importance in the Mediterranean area, an overview of Spanish gastronomy, and wine production. Learning Objectives 1. Introduction: a. The importance of the gastronomy in Spanish life. b. Main food. c. Gastronomic habits. 2. Learn the gastronomic culture in the different Spanish cities: a. Main food in each Spanish region. (Production and characteristics of each one). b. Origin of the typical dishes and elaboration. c. Festivities and traditions in each city throughout the main dishes. d. Wines and desserts 3. Wine production and main Spanish wineries 4. Famous Spanish cooks and their contribution to Spanish gastronomy. Course Prerequisites Any student could take this class, although it is recommended to have previous basic knowledge about gastronomy. Methods of Instruction This course has a theoretical and practical content. On the one hand, the teacher will introduce and comment the course content and will give the students all the materials (photocopies, articles, videos, movies, powerpoints, web pages, blog). The class blog is The student must research updated information about the topics that are covered in class and complete the practical activities about them. The class blog will be a key element in the class in order to follow the class information and participate outside the classroom. Whenever possible, we will visit different museums and institutions in Alicante related with Spanish gastronomy (Alicante fresh market, Olive oil museum, gastronomical route in the city, gastronomic school in Alicante...). 1

2 Assessment and Final Grade Final Exam 40% Final Project 25% Oral Presentation 20% Class assignments 15% Course Requirements Final Exam The final exam will be based on all the content covered from the midterm until the final exam day. The final exam consists of three parts: 10 multiple-choice questions, 10 definitions, 20 short answer and 4 topics to choose two. The short answer will be about 50 words long and each topic will be 250 words each minimum. Final project Choose one of the following topics: 1. Spanish Gastronomical Evolution through history. 2. Wine production: main producers and the importance of wine in the international market. 3. Spanish desserts: Origin and related festivities. 4. Comparative gastronomical study: Spain- United States 5. Other topics suggested by students. 6. Vegetarianism in Spain and Alicante In order to do a good project you have to follow the following points. Introduction Context of the information Main characteristics of the topic Topic organized in different sections Good presentation (pictures, real examples ) Focus on the main topic Conclusion, personal opinion and bibliography Original Any Project copied from internet will be cancelled Students will talk to the teacher in order to personalize the organization of each project depending on the topic. 2

3 The project will have an extension of words (10-12 pages). You can include pictures or any other material that you consider necessary. VERY IMPORTANT: Projects with information directly copied from internet will get a zero (0) as a grade. All projects will be in the following format: Font: Times New Roman. Size: 12 Spacing: 1,5 Format:.doc (Microsoft Office Word) Students will submit to the teacher a guideline and a final project. Oral presentation Each student will perform a short presentation of the final project (8-10 minutes long). Students will introduce the topic without reading the written information, but explaining naturally to the partners. The evaluation criterion is: 1. Clarity of speech 2. Content 3. Use of resources 4. Originality Attendance and Class Participation Absences This class requires daily practice. Students are in charge of the learning according to the amount of work done and the time spent on the assignments. Students are granted 2 no questions asked absences. After the 2nd absence, your overall grade will be lowered in -0.5 (i.e. 4 absences = -1 in a 0-10 Spanish teaching scale). If a student reaches 6 absences, the student will automatically fail the course. Late to class If the student enters the class after the professor closes the door (before 15 minutes), it will be considered a tardy. If on 2 occasions any student gets to class late, that will count as 1 absence. Likewise, if on 2 occasions the student leaves the class 15 minutes before the ending time; it will also imply 1 absence. Any tardy after 15 minutes will count as 1 absence (i.e. Getting to class at 9:20 = 1 absence // Leaving class at 10:30 = 1 absence). Sickness If any student needs to go to the doctor (the student will be accompanied by a CIEE staff member) during class, the student must return to class after the visit (therefore it won t count as tardy). If the student decides to go home after the doctor visit, then it will count as an absence. 3

4 Tasks All tasks are obligatory. Students have to submit them on the due date. According to CIEE Alicante academic norms, if any student submits the assignment one day late, the grade will be lowered in -1 point. If it is 2 days late, the grade will be lowered by 2 points. Three or more days late, it will imply a grade of zero in the assignment. It is the student responsibility to check with the professor any work submitted by (unless the student receives a message confirming the assignment s delivery, we will assume the assignment was never sent and/or received). Academic Dishonesty Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, cheating, obtaining or giving aid on an examination, and presenting another's work as one's own or doing work for another student, will not be tolerated and will be sanctioned accordingly. Class Participation Students will need to read the assigned material beforehand (articles, handouts, news, etc.) and come to class prepared and motivated to participate in class discussions and activities. Active participation and attendance are essential and will be a fundamental part of the final grade. It is also important to come to class with a positive attitude and always show respect for the opinions of both fellow students and the professor. 4

5 Weekly Schedule This is a tentative week by week schedule for the course: Week 1: Unit 1: Introduction and Mediterranean Diet This course covers a complete analysis of the importance of the Mediterranean diet in Spanish life. Upon completion of this course, students will understand Spanish topography and its effects on Mediterranean gastronomy and the wine industry in Spain. Students will cover important aspects such as industry breakdown, the integration of Spain in the EU and its repercussions on agriculture and fisheries, the history of food and wine and its importance in the Mediterranean area, an overview of Spanish gastronomy, and wine production. Unit 2: Catalonia The cousine reflects the varied characteristics of the land and people; "Mar i muntanya" (sea and mountain) is the Catalan phrase given to the remarkable combinations of fish and meat which illustrate so strikinly their talent for creating a blend of diverse. Unit 3: Valencia and Murcia We go to our community and Murcia, land of rice, vegetables and oranges. We find the delicious paella that can be prepared with a big variety of ingredients. We explore the vegetable gardens and the fishing in the lake "Mar Menor". We have time to enjoy the famous festivities "The Tomatina" or "Hogueras de San Juan". Week 2: Unit 4: Aragón and Tapas The Aragonese kitchen is reputedly the plainest in Spain. It is based on meat, which was originally hunted and was later replaced by sheep breeding. Because of the extreme climatic conditions in the country, they need to make fruit last longer and it let to the creation of a candied fruit with chocolate. In this unit we will discover the popular Spanish tapas, taste them and learn all about its variety and origin. Unit 5: Castilia León The sharp contrasts of Castile, together with its huge capacity for integration, are clearly reflected in its varied gastronomy, in which Jewish, Arab, and Christian elements mingle in a cuisine that has only regained the recognition it richly deserves in recent decades. Stews are a traditional feature in the cooking of all three of these cultures, the only basic difference being the type of meat used. Since sheep still dominate and characterize the Castilian landscape, lamb is ranked alongside pork as the preferred choice of meat at table. 5

6 Unit 6: La Rioja and Wine Fruits and vegetables flourish here- and, of course, the world-famous wine. The cuisine is extremely varied and the culinary identity of La Rioja lies in the detail. In addition to the wine, which is flourishing strongly thanks to modernization, this includes chili sausage, goat's milk cottage cheese, and glowing red bell peppers which dry outside in the fall. Unit 7: Extremadura We are in the "Extremo del Duero" - the no-man's-land on the south ban of the Duero river. The landscape of Extremadura, characterized by extensive cork and stone oak forests, has scarcely altered for hundreds of years. Over the centuries, the gastronomy of Extremadura has been dominated by the Iberian pig, lamb, and goat. Unit 8: Madrid Week 3: We are in the capital of Spain where we have the famous "Chocolate and Churros" for breakfast and a "Cocido madrileño" with the three servings for lunch. The culinary culture of Madrid was contradictory in its origins; it was simple and robust, but simultaneously refined and aristocratic as well. Nowadays Madrid is a European metropolis with the influence of all Spanish communities and European countries -Visit to the fresh market in Alicante and Gastronomical tour - Final Project Guideline Unit 9: Galicia Galicia lies in the extreme northwest of their country. The people themselves are seen as reserved, taciturn and very superstitious. Most people living in this economically underdeveloped region were left with only two employment options: eking out an existence as a small farmer or fisherman. The Galicians catch over 80 different types of saltwater fish and in the hinterland, farmers cultivate fruit and vegetables, raise poultry, pigs and beef cattle and use milk to produce cheese. Its Capital, Santiago de Compostela is the destiny of the world famous pilgrimage "Camino de Santiago". Unit 10: Asturias and Cantabria In the north of Spain we find these two small communities by the Cantabric Sea and in the mountains "Picos de Europa". Historically they are people of farmers, shepherds and fishermen and nowadays we find delicious shepherd dishes, bean stews "fabada asturiana" and desserts made with fresh milk. We cannot forget their popular drink made with apples: Sider. 6

7 Unit 11: Basque Country and Navarra Basques defend their individuality patriotically, and regard themselves as Basques first and as Spanish only second. Basques like to spend money on food and drink and have communal cooking in gastronomic societies. Inspired by French nouvelle cuisine, the Basque country is nowadays regarded as Spain's uncontested gourmet stronghold. Navarra provides a cross-section in miniature of most climates and landscapes found in Spain; from the sheer mountain peaks of the Pyrenees in the north, the countryside falls always southward over deep forests of pine, oak and beech. Pamplona, the famous capital with its notorious fiesta "San Fermín" Unit 12: Castilia La Mancha Land of Don Quixote, lying in the heart of Spain, the plain is sometimes scorched by drought and burning sunshine, and sometimes tormented by icy winds. Nowadays the shepherds share the land with the farmers. The farmers supply their splendid white bread to accompany cheese and meat with light, beguiling wines and vegetables which are transformed into a fragrant miracle in the clay pot. -Visit the Fish Market in Campello Week 4: Unit 13: Andalucía and Olive Oil The 800-year epoch of Moor and Arab rule left more of a mark on Andalusia's appearance than it did in any other Spanish region. Recipes that creatively combine meat or fish with fruits and herbs originate from the Arabs. They brought figs, pomegranates, citrus fruits, and melons with them, and these sun-loving fruits still flourish on Andalusia. Unit 14: Spanish Islands: Balearic and Canary Islands In the Mediterranean Sea, in front of the Valencian Community, we find the Balearic Islands. This is a land of mystery, magic and autochthonous products that make its gastronomy a unique pleasure. Majorcan sausages, "ensaimadas" and soups... delicious! From the Mediterranean Sea we fly to the Atlantic ocean, where we find the most eastern and exotic islands in Spain the by African coast. We can taste the small bananas "plátanos" and the great variety of exotic fruits. They have a big Latin influence showed in the "papas arrugás" and the tasty sauce "mojo picón". 7

8 Unit 15: Famous Spanish Chefs The traditional dishes are popular in familiar reunions. Food is usually simple among friends; frequently it s a time to try the Chinese or the Italian cuisine. Surprisingly a new way of cooking appears a creative, original and avant-garde gastronomy that is nowadays internationally well known. We will learn about the world famous Ferran Adrià and his restaurant El Bulli and many other Spanish chefs such as the brothers Roca with their restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, best restaurant in the world 2013 according to the famous English magazine "Restaurant Magazine" -Visit to the Olive Oil museum -Submit Final Project -Oral Presentation -Final Exam: Last day 8

9 Readings Reference books: Könemann, L., Culinaria, Spain, Ed. HF. Ullmann. Fernández, Felipe, 2004, Historia de la comida. Barcelona: Ed. Tusquets. Díaz Yubero, Ismael, 2008, Las estrellas de la gastronomía española, Alianza Editorial. Luján, Nestor y Perucho, Juan, 2003, El libro de la cocina española. Ed. Tusquets. Rey Hazas, Antonio, 2010, El vino y su mundo, Eneida. Torres, Pepa. 2012, Cocina Española, Océano Ambar. Reference Webs: (checked 10/1/16) (checked 10/1/16) (checked 10/1/16) (última checked 10/1/16) Class blog: 9