The World’s Great Food Cities
The Speakers Annex: Fall 2026
Pack your appetite for a mouth-watering journey through six extraordinary food cities, where every dish tells a story. From Rome’s spaghetti carbonara to Barcelona’s pintxos to New Orleans’ gumbo, we’ll uncover how the past keeps showing up on the plate, and why the history of what we eat can help us to understand today’s complex, global cities. From ancient trade routes and imperial legacies to street food traditions, market cultures, and celebrated restaurants, each lecture traces how a city’s history and its people have shaped its culinary identity. You’ll never look at a plate of pasta the same way again.
Lecture Slides will be posted here after each week (usually Fridays).
Don’t forget to check the weekly recipes from each city we visit: a chance to taste these culinary powerhouses for yourself!
Week 1: Rome
Dining a la Romana: The Delicious Origins of La Dolce Vita in Rome
Discover how Rome’s iconic food culture was shaped by everything from ancient trade to American cinema. From its imperial history as a Mediterranean trading hub to the rise of its iconic trattorias and café life, we’ll trace the surprising stories behind the flavors we now think of as timelessly Roman. We’ll also explore the essential influence of Roman Jewish cuisine, from the historic ghetto’s resourceful cooking traditions to enduring classics such as fried artichokes that helped define the city’s distinctive tastes.
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