Foodways of the Midwest
@ Newberry Library
60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL 60610
Opening Saturday, March 7th, from 10AM - 3:30PM
These days, “Midwestern cuisine” is likely to evoke brats, gelatin-based salads, hot-dish casseroles, and perhaps a few regional specialties like deep dish pizza or deep-fried cheese curds. But the region’s culinary history is far more complex than these stereotypes suggest.
This symposium will explore the complex histories that have shaped the real and quite varied cuisines of the Midwest. In the morning session, participants will cover the native foodways of the Indigenous peoples of the region before discussing the foods that entered and shaped the Midwest culinary idiom through successive waves of migration, including traditions that arrived with groups of European immigrants; traveled north with the Great Migration; and accompanied Latino workers from Mexico and Latin America.
In the afternoon, presenters will explore the rich history and culture of midwestern beer and brewing, which played an integral role in the economic, social, and cultural development of the region. In the mid- to late-nineteenth century, immigrant groups brought their beer and beer cultures to the Midwest, creating a tapestry of styles, traditions, and drinking establishments that led to the area’s dominance in the US brewing industry. The afternoon session will begin with an introduction to the origins and development of beer in the Midwest and conclude with an examination of the growth of craft beer in the region and its importance in the national landscape.
Schedule:
9:30 am: Coffee and continental breakfast
10 am: What Is Midwestern Food? (Eli Suzukovich, Cynthia Clampitt, Psyche Williams-Forson, Michael Innis-Jimenez)
11:30-12 pm: Roundtable discussion with speakers and audience
12-1:30 pm: Lunch break
1:30 pm: Better Than Pop: A History of Midwestern Beer and its National Influence (Liz Garibay and Alison Orton)
2:10-2:30 pm: Roundtable discussion with speakers and audience
2:30-3:30 pm: Reception with Midwestern craft beers and snacks
This program is part of the Newberry’s What Is the Midwest? project, funded by a major grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
For more information, and to register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/foodways-of-the-midwest-tickets-91329215141
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Tags: Alison Orton, Chicago, Cynthia Clampitt, Eli Suzukovich, Foodways of the Midwest, Liz Garibay, Michael Innis-Jimenez, Near North Side, Newberry Library, Psyche Williams-Forson
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