A Taste of the Tropics

Catalog description

This course will expose students to the exciting world of tropical agriculture and the ways that people in the tropics utilize a diverse array of food crops. Our lives as consumers in the developed world are touched by tropical products every single day. Whether it's the cinnamon in your tea, the vanilla in your cookies, the black pepper on your salad, or your cup of hot coffee, you likely consume tropical crops whether you know it or not. Ever stop to wonder where these items are from and how they are produced? We will examine agriculture and food culture throughout the tropical world's four principle areas: Latin America, Tropical Asia, Tropical Africa, and the South Pacific. Production systems ranging from large scale modern high input operations to home subsistence gardens are explored. Tropical crops are examined in five major groups: grains and legumes, starchy roots, exotic vegetables, tropical fruit, and herbs, spices, medicinal plants. Cultural uses of these crops throughout the tropical world are given special emphasis.