Introduction
In this webquest, you will be exploring different types of authentic Mexican Cuisine! Get ready for a line-up of mouth watering delicacies!
Task
You will be able to name several different types of dishes and where they all originated from.
You will be able to list each dish as a meal for desayuna, almuerza, or cena.
You will be able to list the ingredients in each dish in both English and Spanish.
Process
1. Listen and read the descriptions of some authentic Spanish dishes from the URL below. Record the spelling in Spanish and describe the dish in English--do not copy, summarize.
a. Is there a pattern between the different types of food that could explain why they have these ingredients and we don't?
b. Why can't American chefs seem to master the flavor that Hispanic chefs are able to dominate? Think about it, American-Mexican food is never as good as Authentic-Mexican food.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primarylanguages/spanish/food_and_drink/sp…
2. Use the first URL to explore different types of Spanish recipes. Choose 5 that seem the most delicious and write out each ingredient that is used in your yummy dish. Then, use the second link to translate each ingredient into Spanish. Classify each as a meat, fruit, vegatable, seasoning/spice, or other.
a. Which ingredient is repeated between any of your dishes? Why do you think this is? If there is no repetition, choose an ingredient that is foreign to you and explain why you think it is used in this dish and not in American cuisine.
b. Compare and Contrast the spices/seasonings in two of your dishes. Do some research using http://www.google.com/ to determine the different flavors that each spice gives. What kick do these seasonings present to your meal?
http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/europe/spanish/
3. Finally, use http://www.google.com/ to determine the origin of each of your dishes you selected. Type the dish into the search bar followed with 'origin' or some other word that could help you determine where the dish originated from. List the country behind the dish name in parentheses.
a. Thinking about the location of the countries in which your dish originated from, is there anything that you can infer about the similarities or differences in the types of ingredients they use to create that dish?
b. Are there any outside-cultural influences on your dish? i.e. Many Mexican restaurants have begun to serve french fries as a side for a burrito. This is American influence on Mexican cuisine.
4. One final aspect to this project is to categorize each of the dishes from http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/europe/spanish/ (EVERY SINGLE DISH, not just your 5) as a meal for desayuna, almuerza, o cena!
a. Which of the dishes could work for multiple meals? Why do you know this?
b. Do you think the Spanish culture intermixes their types of meals like Americans do? For example, we have no problem eating pancakes and eggs for dinner. Is this true for other cultures as well?
Evaluation
Your grade will be based upon the thoroughness of your answers and your ability to follow all directions.
Learning about Spanish cuisine is the most important goal that should have been achieved. At the end of this unit, you will be giving a 5 minute presentation on what you learned about authentic Mexican/Spanish/etc. dishes. You will describe what is in each one, where they originated, if there are any ingredients that are foreign to the American dishes, and you will prepare one of the dishes for the class. I will help you find any ingredients that are not easily obtainable.
1. Why is learning about other culture's cuisine important?
2. What was the most surprising part of what you learned through this webquest?
Conclusion
What you learn from this webquest is up to you and how excited you are to learn about food! Food is a universal concept and it is important to be familiar with all different types of cuisine. Hopefully you learned a little bit about the food in Spanish culture!
For further reading, check out the following links:
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/discoverspanishfood/a/introtospanfood.h…
http://www.foodbycountry.com/Spain-to-Zimbabwe-Cumulative-Index/Spain.h…
http://www.mediterrasian.com/cuisine_of_month_spain.htm