The Joy of Food

Eight Delicious Dishes that Shaped the Modern World

The LIFE Institute (April–June 2026)

Take a delightful journey through the history of eight mouthwatering foods that have become staples of the modern table. We’ll learn about bagels and lox and its lip-smacking journey into the heart (and stomachs) of the Jewish diaspora. We’ll examine the role of ice cream in bringing the concept of luxury from the royal courts of Europe to your neighborhood ice cream parlour. We’ll explore the lessons that pizza, curry and the Canadian butter tart can teach us about immigration, globalization and national identity.

Below you can find PDFs of each lecture’s slides as well as additional resources for reading and even cooking a few of these dishes at home!

Slides and resources will be posted the day after each week’s class (Friday).

Week 1

Chocolate: How Cacao Re-Wired the World’s Taste Buds

We begin our series with the story of one of the most lucrative ingredients in the world: chocolate.

We’ll explore the history and cultural importance of cacao within the Americas before tracing its journey to Europe, Asia, and beyond because of Spanish colonialism. Discover how chocolate financed European empires, as well as how entrepreneurs such as John Cadbury, Milton Hershey, and Franklin Mars remade the confectionary industry through chocolate bars.

Resources Will Be Available Friday