(BU Cohort) Global Cultures and Commodities: Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate

Chocolate, coffee, and tea are staples in diets around the world yet there are untold global histories to the morning latte, the afternoon tea, and the after-dinner chocolate. These plants with origins in Mesoamerica, East Africa, and China have transformed cuisines and cultures, becoming inseparable from national identities and ways of life far removed from their indigenous lands. Familiar names such as Belgium chocolate, Turkish coffee, and Earl Gray conceal the long arc of globalization, imperialism, and trade. Join us as we explore the stories behind these delicacies, unpacking the problematic politics and hidden history of food in the modern world. Experience thematic approaches to world history that can help students see their own tastes as part of the larger and ongoing processes of human-environment interaction, labor practices, and the economics behind cultural diffusion.