[CFP] Herbs and Spices: Traditional Asian Foods and Foodways in Modern Society

Readers may be interested in this conference about food and foodways at Chulalongkorn University happening in August. There is a current call for papers, ending on 31 May 2023.

Spice and herbs are dominant in Asian Cuisine. It provides an aroma and taste that light up the dishes. Every spice and herbs also supports health benefits, turning daily food into eatable medicine. Asian people use various spice and herbs in their dishes ranging from raw materials to seasoning. The combination of protein, both from plants and animal, generously added with spices and herbal plants is the most common cooking technique for many Asian foods. Besides, the more complex dish involves in mixing various spices with herbs, the more distinctive character the dish becomes.

In terms of history, spice is an unsung chronicle of culture. The linkage and exchange between east and west, both from the silk road trading and during the time of imperialism, are all concerned with food culture focusing on using spices. It is considered that the influence of Asian spices in all food from around the world is a footprint of the legacy of our intangible cultural heritage tracing the journey and understanding the rich culture of tossing it in various cuisines. Resulting in enhancing the understanding of the relation about food and life.

This year Asian Food Study Conference will focus on the knowledge and the usage of herbs and spices in Asian food. The researchers are invited to discover and rediscover the uniqueness of spices from Asia in all aspects; culinary, anthropology, food science and technology, history, future food, food safety, food security, sustainable development, cultural phenomena, contemporary and popular food, food matrix and standard, etc. Although the main purpose of our conference is to bring scholars interested in food culture studies, we also welcome other topics that will enlarge the knowledge about food origins and practiced in Asia.