Foodways is an anthropological term that encompasses the cultural patterns, practices and norms for acquiring ingredients, preparing foods, creating culturally significant mealtime experiences, and continuing traditions. Seeds of Middle Eastern Culture emphasizes the cultural practices that take place from the time food is cultivated in the soil to the time it’s served at the table, processes that create what also referred to as value-added products such as preserved items, sauces, etc.

Food sovereignty is about cultural heritage, health outcomes, sustainable agriculture, and how it all connects. Cultural knowledge is a critical part of food sovereignty, especially to communities working hard to sustain their culture while also preserving their foodways. We have responded to this need by curating curriculum, experiential learning, and hosting activities to spark interdisciplinary collaboration around this topic since we held a food sovereignty workshop in late 2022.

The resources you will find here bring cultural knowledge of plants and food systems knowledge together. The Middle East Studies Center (MESC) and a community of researchers at Ohio State University have been engaged in food security topics and developing new ways of bridging authentic cultural experiences with food systems.