Understand the historical importance of exploration, immigration, migration, and major historical events in relation to food.
UNLV course home
FAB 333: Culture and Cuisine
An interactive course on global food cultures, cuisine, migration, religion, sustainability, etiquette, and the ways food helps people understand one another.
Class moments
Photos and highlights
A Spring 2026 classroom moment from FAB 333.
A tasting-centered class moment from Culture and Cuisine.
A cuisine-focused class moment connected to Spanish foodways and shared meals.
Description
Course description
A study of how food habits, production, preservation, preparation, beliefs, and dining behavior vary across cultures and change over time. Students examine geography, history, technology, religion, migration, exploration, etiquette, and sustainability through the lens of cuisine.
Students study how geography, history, technology, religion, migration, exploration, and major historical events shape food-related behavior. The class emphasizes discussion, cultural openness, group learning, tasting, and applied observation.
Objectives
Learning objectives
Assess and discuss gastronomy, taste, sensory perception, dining etiquette, and food consumption habits.
Define culture, acculturation, ethnocentrism, and intercultural relations through food.
Identify how food fusion affects processing and culinary methods in homes and foodservice establishments.
Identify cultural differences in verbal and non-verbal communication styles.
Discuss the economic impact of food production and consumption historically and today.
Discuss beliefs and food practices connected to major religions.
Compare definitions for a globally sustainable food production system.
Assessment
Assignments, grading, and scale
Online quizzes
Weeks 1-11
A93% and above
A-90% to 92.9%
B+87% to 89.9%
B83% to 86.9%
B-80% to 82.9%
C+77% to 79.9%
C73% to 76.9%
C-70% to 72.9%
D60% to 69.9%
FBelow 60%
Schedule
Semester calendar
January
202628
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
UNLV campus closed. Classes begin the following day.
20
Spring 2026 instruction begins at UNLV.
21
22
23
24
25
26
Last day to add classes online, drop for a 100% refund, and pay without late penalties.
27
28
29
30
31
February
20261
2
3
4
5
6
Last day to add classes with department permission.
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
UNLV campus closed. Monday class does not meet.
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Last day to completely withdraw from all classes and receive a 50% refund if the account is paid in full.
28
March
20261
Last day for undergraduates to apply for May 2026 degree conferral.
2
Summer 2026 registration opens.
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Classes are not held for spring break and resume Monday, March 23.
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
April
202629
30
31
1
2
3
Last day to drop classes without a refund or change from credit to audit.
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Fall 2026 registration opens.
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
2
May
202626
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
4
Classes are scheduled, but major written exams are not given.
5
6
7
8
9
Spring 2026 instruction ends.
10
11
Final examinations begin and are scheduled to be two hours long.
12
13
14
15
16
Spring semester ends, undergraduate commencement takes place, and degrees are conferred.
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
Materials
Course materials, assignments, and links
HTML syllabus
Accessible web version of the Spring 2026 syllabus.
Open resourcePDF syllabus
Downloadable PDF copy of the course syllabus.
Open resourceWine tasting scorecard
A structured tasting worksheet for in-class discussion and sensory observation.
Open resource