Estimated duration: 2 hours
Related to:
Step: Step 1
Dimension: Cognitive dimension
Qualitative Indicator: Local Food
Type of Activity: Group or individual
Voluntary local chefs will introduce the TCN(s) to 12 different local dishes/products, typical of the national cuisine. TCN(s) will be invited to observe the dishes/products, taste them, and express their thoughts;
- if they like them or not,
- if they can recognise the ingredients,
- if these dishes/products recall them of dishes/products of their own local cuisine etc.
Also, while presenting the dishes/products, voluntary local chefs will give to TCN(s) general information about the dishes, i.e. how often locals prepare them, in which cases etc. The TCN(s) can express relevant comments on the dishes/products of their own local cuisine that they have already mentioned while tasting the local dishes/products.
The role of the voluntary local chef
The voluntary local chef is a person with good knowledge of the local cuisine, eager to present and speak about local dishes/products to TCN(s) as well as to prepare some or all 12 local dishes, if necessary. His/her main responsibilities are:
- to present the local dishes/products while giving general information about them (ingredients, history, meaning of the dish),
- to make/answer questions about the local cuisine, and
- to motivate the TCN(s) to reflect on the importance of local cuisine as part of a country’s cultural identity
- A voluntary local chef or anybody that has good knowledge of the local cuisine
- A place for group meetings, where there will be suitable space to place the different dishes/products.
- Cooked local dishes.
- Local products (food/drinks).
- Pictures of local dishes/products.
Implementation Steps
The voluntary local chef brings 12 different local dishes/products to the meeting and present them one by one to the TCN(s). He/she can show one dish/product at a time or all together. Also, he/she can group them in order for the tasting process to become more well-structured and interesting, e.g. sweet, sour, salty dishes/products etc. While presenting them, he/she gives general information about them (ingredients, history, meaning etc.). Every time the TCN(s) taste(s) a dish/product, the local voluntary chef invites him/her/them to say if the liked it or not, if they can recognise the ingredients, and if in their own cultural cuisine, a similar dish/product exists. The voluntary local chef can also bring pictures of good quality for dishes/products that he/she wants to present, if necessary.
This activity will also be recorded on the action plan of the TCN(s).
When the tasting process concludes, the voluntary makes a summary about the dishes/products that he/she has brought, repeating their names and key points about them. He/she then invites the TCN(s) to tell him/her which of them they liked and disliked more, which dish/product drew their attention and why, and to what extent the local cuisine seems similar/different to their own local cuisine.