Why food is probably a question that I will spend the rest of my life revisiting over and over again. I’ve wanted to write about it as well for a long time but wasn’t quite sure how to approach the topic. I’m obsessed with food, so what angle do I introduce to you the reader?

Astronomy? What does one do with a degree in astronomy? The woman asks, a quizzical look on her face. Umm gastronomy not astronomy, I respond. I can’t tell you the number of times I have made this correction when explaining my MLA in Gastronomy. The very definition of the word (gastronomy that is) according to the dictionary is “the practice or art of choosing, cooking, and eating good food.” However, in the context of food studies, it is a multidisciplinary approach and examination of the many facets of foods as it relates to the human experience. The approach could be anthropological, sociological, historical and so on and forth. When I explain this to people, I ask them to expand their definition beyond being a chef or studying nutrition because food is such a broad subject.

So why study food in the first place? I can’t speak for anyone else but for me, I wanted to learn essential research skills to help me address queries that have long plagued me— matters on food, language and sound specifically. The program fell short because it was made glaring obvious how little Africa is included in the conversations about food, particularly when the continent contributes so much worldwide: coffee, tea, spices, vanilla , etc. This gap is what I aim to fill with the research I am currently engaged in. Ultimately while I do take the study of food seriously, I want my research to be accessible and devoid of academic austerity, because food after all can be fun!