Want to study food culture in Italy? Get more info Jan. 7

Western Washington University is offering a trip to study food in Italy as part of the new Global Discovery community travel program; information sessions are scheduled for 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7 at the Bellingham Central Library at 210 Central Ave. in Bellingham.

Gigi Berardi, Western faculty and Global Discovery leader, will share her experiences and food background at the information session, including growing up in an Italian home and how that inspired her culinary passions. Berardi’s research in food culture and her belief in the importance of minerals, sun and Mediterranean fats in the diet strongly inspire her method of teaching about food.

Jim Allaway, professor at Western’s Huxley College of the Environment, is co-leading the Tuscany Global Discovery trip with Berardi. Allaway is currently researching Italy’s “agritourismo,” or agri-tourism, which is the visitation of tourists to agriculturally-based operations or activities.

Participants will travel from Aug. 31 to Sept. 14. The trip focuses on Italy’s fascinating contemporary food culture and combines hands-on Italian cooking classes with basic Italian language lessons. Based in Florence, the trip includes visits to notable museums as well as excursions to nearby towns, like Siena and San Gimigniano.

Global Discovery trips are non-credit and offer an opportunity for people to travel with Western faculty and immerse themselves in another culture.

Other Global Discovery programs include a trip to Tanzania led by Western faculty Tim Scharks. The trip focuses around Mt. Kilimanjaro, and will investigate the mountain’s ecology and geology while learning more about the region’s culture and history.

For more information about Western’s Global Discovery community travel programs, visit www.wwu.edu/GlobalDiscovery, email globaldiscovery@wwu.edu or call (360) 650-6409.