Among the electives I have taken to complete the SDM, Introduction to EcoGastronomy (ECOG 401), was the most recent. UNH also offers an EcoGastronomy dual major, which had peaked my interest when I pursued the SDM, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to enroll in the introductory course. The course was taught by Professor Daniel Winans, an interesting occurrence was that I took this elective when the COVID-19 pandemic began in Spring 2020 – resulting in a portion in the course transitioning to a virtual format.

ECOG 401 is an interdisciplinary course that introduces students to the principles and practices of EcoGastronomy. The course content provided a foundation of understanding of connections among food production, ecology, ethics, cuisine, nutrition and health within the framework of sustainability. The course structure included guest lectures, class discussion, film reviews, activities, and food tastings.

Among my favorite course was our group project dinner! We were assigned to a small group at the start of this semester and assigned an activity to make or have a meal together over the course of the semester. My group did not have access to a kitchen, so we opted to attend the annual harvest dinner at the dining halls. It was a bonding experience as peers and a great opportunity to discuss local food and what had drew us to take EcoGastronomy!