This week, my school, Access International Academy Ningbo, is having a “Week without Walls,” where students go on various excursions and field trips around Ningbo and beyond. And for this week, I had the privilege of introducing my students to Indian culture through food. Those who know me understand my love for food, especially curry. In fact, I even started a small curry business when I lived in Bogotá!
A personal and professional mission of mine is to connect people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds together. As an international educator and more specifically, as a social studies teacher, I constantly look for engaging opportunities in which to find ways for my students to enjoy other cultures. And food is a wonderful way to not only satisfy taste buds but also build intercultural understanding and respect. Many of my students had never tried Indian food, so I saw my school’s Week without Walls as an opportunity for them to enjoy its diverse flavors. The day involved different activities related to food of the Indian subcontinent, ending with visit to an Indian restaurant in the city for a buffet lunch.
In the morning, we started with a lighthearted quiz about Indian food, with questions like “What is curry?”, “What is the difference between a spice and an herb?”, and “What is the most expensive spice in the world?” This quiz set the stage for me to give a short presentation on how Indian cuisine reflects its geography, history, and culture. Indian cuisine's geographical roots lie in the diverse landscape of the subcontinent, that has an abundance of spices like cardamom, cumin, and turmeric, which are fundamental to its culinary identity. Historically, Indian food has evolved through centuries of trade, invasions, and migrations, blending indigenous traditions with external influences. Culturally, Indian cuisine serves as a melting pot, reflecting the amalgamation of various regional and even global culinary practices.
Then, I shared the buffet menu for the lunch we were going to have to provide students with orientation. I feel this was particularly important. I have travelled extensively around the world and one of the things I love most about traveling is food. I don’t only enjoy eating but more importantly, understanding what is on offer in the gastronomy of a place. And something that frustrates me when I travel is when I have no idea what I should order and eat. For that, orientation is important. This can involve learning about the ingredients of different dishes, cooking techniques, history behind the food, flavors, and any other interesting pieces of information.
In groups, students researched on the dishes we were going to try and gave mini presentations on their findings. One of the key takeaways was that Indian food has a complex flavor profiles, with each dish having its own blend of herbs and spices. I am also confident they could explain what a curry is. I was particularly proud of this because from my personal experience, I have seen that many well-travelled adults cannot explain what a curry really is! Then, I gave a gave my own short summary at the end as a debrief. This set of activities gave my students a clear understanding of what they were going to eat, and with the aim of making the actual eating part of the activity more meaningful.
We took the bus from the school to the restaurant, with our mouths salivating as a result of the activities and discussions we had just had. It was a perfect set up to get us hungry and ready to devour the buffet! The buffet was spot on. We had a few different starters (aloo tikki, chicken tikka, chaat), a selection of curries (butter chicken, lamb rogan josh and veg kadahi), mixed daal, biryani and an assortment of naans. For dessert, we had mango kheer.
At the end of the lunch, the restaurant was kind enough to have a samosa making activity for our students. The chef showed us how to make samosas and students practiced stuffing samosas in the typical triangular fashion. We had a debriefing session at the end where I asked students what their favorite dish was. Many said butter chicken. I guess this proves that butter chicken really is the best food on the planet!
Overall, this trip was invaluable because my students were given a learning opportunity to learn outside of the classroom. Every experience, big or small, offers its own lessons. A visit to an Indian restaurant for someone who was never tried Indian food before is a learning experience in itself, but this can be enriched with a some thought out planning, which is what I tried to do. As teachers, it is our responsibility to provide enriching learning experiences for our students so that they can constantly build their knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be the best version of themselves. And carefully curated experiences become more than mere outings; they become catalysts for growth and understanding.