Class 5: Oct. 18 – TOUR – International Markets of Nashville

International Markets of Nashville
Ethnic Lunch and Tour of Markets

October 18, 2006

Knowing people and knowing the food they eat go hand-in-hand.
Listening to the stories that the tables from any family or culture tell,
we move closer and begin to wonder at what we hear.

Variety! Explorations! Adventure!
International cuisine and markets burst the little boundaries
with which we encircle ourselves.
One of the best ways to bring nourishing food
into our life and family
is to cultivate an excitement about culinary adventures.

The aim of our tour together will be
to enjoy one another’s company
as we explore amazing cultures and amazing foods.

12:15 Depart Knowles Senior Center
12:30 Formaggiaria Corrieri– Italian Gourmet
1:00 Aleksey’s Russian and Eastern European Market
1:25 Lalibela Restaurant – Traditional Ethiopian
2:15 K & S World Market – Mexican, Indian, Korean and Chinese

Please be ready to share about the two items you researched!

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Sample of Produce Discussed

· Greater Burdock (Gobo in Japan)
· Banana Flowers and Banana Leaf
· Daikon and Lo Bok Radishes
· Durian Fruit
· Taro Root (Coco, Elephant's Ear, Japanese Potato)
· Lotus Root

(click here to view instructor's notes)

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Four students piled in my Toyota Corolla and we headed off. In that little car, we began to learn about one another in ways beyond the subject of the class.

At the Italian market, we saw a man splitting apart a huge block of cheese imported from Italy, and we learned why the cheeses are so different from one another. Another employee toured us around the store and answered questions about olive oils and truffles.

We zipped over to the Russian market where I learned from my students about Kefir and the varieties of honey. The store owner told us about the importance of caviar to the Russian people, about the variety of sausages, and their use of buckwheat.

The Ethiopian ethnic restaurant was next. Some of us shared combo plates of delicious simple food on spongy flat bread. It took a while to be served but we had plenty of time to get to know each other. Our classes have been so full of activity we have not had time just to talk and understand where each of us came from and what we are really like. One of the men told us about being persecuted in Lebanon for his Christian faith; he told tales of the kidnappings of him and his son, selling a million dollar home for one-third of its worth, and the break-in of his car.

We travelled a couple block to the big international market with foods for Mexican, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Indian cooking. The first part of the store is the produce section, and I had researched several varieties of plant life in the store that are not commonly used by Americans. As we looked together, I explained the history and uses of items like the banana flower, the durien fruit, and the chayote.

One of the students – a man from Lebanon - became visibly excited as he saw the potential savings he and his wife would enjoy if they bought their fish and produce at this market.

I loved watching these grown men and women exploring and full of gladness and excitement all along our journey. And, I am forever humbled by the sweetness of their generosity and the genuiness of their care for one another.

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Download the handout as .doc or .pdf