Chocolate, Culture, and the Politics of Food

This course examines the socio-historical legacy of chocolate, with a delicious emphasis on the eating and appreciation of the so-called food of the gods. Interdisciplinary course readings introduce the history of cacao cultivation, the present day state of the global chocolate industry, the diverse cultural constructions surrounding chocolate, and the implications for chocolate's future of scientific study, international politics, alternative trade models, and the food movement.

This lecture will focus on the fandom of chocolate and how our world is culturally invested in the chocolate industry. We consider anthropological schemas such as materialism, food and beverage, tourism, global politics, popular culture and media, and Harvard's influence on the Big Chocolate Industry.