Culture & Heritage: India

In India, a single dish can carry centuries of history, geography, religion and regional identity, and this trip explores how.

In New Delhi, students visit local markets to study Indian spices, preparation methods and the cultural meaning behind how dishes are named, guided by a local chef who connects food to religious practice, dialect and belief. Students examine how food in India marks caste, class, family lineage, religion and ethnicity, and increasingly, secular identity as well.

Travelling through Punjab's wheat-growing farmland, students see the agricultural origin of staples like naan bread, connecting what's on the plate to the land it comes from. A visit to a local culinary school deepens this understanding of food's history and evolution, including how rice, now a staple, was once a food reserved for the wealthy, while most Indians ate millet and sorghum.

In Agra, students visit the Taj Mahal, and sample and document traditional dishes at authentic local restaurants, guided by food experts who connect the region's cuisine to its history and architecture.