180min

Historical Cookbook Recreation: Match, Illustrate, Rewrite, Pick and Make It Happen

Learners explore culinary heritage by reconstructing and reimagining historical recipes from primary sources. This sensory, hands-on activity builds food-related vocabulary, procedural language, and cultural storytelling while fostering teamwork, creativity, and digital skills. Participants engage with authentic cultural sources, rewrite recipes in contemporary language, illustrate them, and if feasible, prepare and present their dishes.

Themes:

Project-based learning

Foodscapes

Experiential learning

Objectives

Develop food-related vocabulary and instructional language (e.g., measurements, steps, ingredients).
Understand cultural food traditions and their historical significance.
Use procedural and temporal language (e.g., 'chop,' 'simmer,' 'until golden').
Practice writing and reading in the target language through recipe adaptation.
Cultivate creativity, teamwork, and collaboration in the target language.
Improve presentation skills and digital literacy (e.g., documenting and sharing results online).
Raise awareness of cultural heritage through primary sources.
Encourage intercultural dialogue by sharing traditions and personal experiences.
Develop soft skills: communication, problem-solving, and group coordination.

Settings

In-person: Community kitchens, cultural spaces, or classrooms with access to cooking facilities.

Online: Virtual platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams).

Materials

Physical

Recipe cards/handouts
Cookbooks
Pictures
Recipe templates
Cooking utensils and ingredients
Paper, pens, markers
Word banks/visual glossaries
Storytelling cubes

Digital

Smartphones, laptops
E-catalogues of recipes
Virtual cookbook templates

Overview

What is it? A multisensory, project-based activity where learners reconstruct historical recipes from primary sources, adapting them into contemporary language and creating illustrated cookbooks. The activity culminates in preparing a dish (and/or modifying it) and documenting the process for presentation, blending language practice, cultural exploration, and digital skills.

Step-by-step description

Introduction: Introduce the cultural or historical context of the recipes theme (e.g., Masopust/Mardi Gras, Christmas Eve dinner, weddings). Use videos, images, and primary/secondary sources to explore traditions, ingredients, and preparation methods. Discuss participants’ personal experiences with food traditions: ”What dishes do you associate with festivities and celebrations?”
Recipe selection: Divide participants into small groups. Provide historical recipe sources (e.g., handwritten or cookbooks). Let them pick a recipe. Groups analyze and discuss their chosen recipe: “What ingredients are unfamiliar?” “How might the dish taste or look? What cultural stories or traditions are connected to it?”
Rewrite & illustrate: Let them rewrite the text in a contemporary, accessible language. Create an illustration or collage for their ”new cookbook,” incorporating: Historical accuracy (e.g., old photos, traditional utensils); Personal creativity (e.g., modern twists, artistic and cultural interpretations feeding from their own experience). Use storytelling cubes or drama elements to brainstorm presentation ideas.
Prepare & adapt: Groups prepare their dish, following their adapted recipe. Document the process with photos or videos. Discuss challenges and discoveries (e.g., ingredient substitutions, cooking techniques). If cooking isn’t feasible, groups theoretically modify the recipe (e.g., vegan adaptations, fusion cuisine) and present their ideas.
Post-task: Groups present their recipes, including: the historical context and cultural significance of their adaptation, their rewritten recipe and illustrations. Facilitators and participants share meals together: Taste dishes, compare results, and reflect on the experience. Optional digital sharing: Create social media posts or a virtual cookbook to showcase their work.

Practical insights

What worked well:

Theoretical Adaptation: If cooking isn’t possible, focus on rewriting and illustrating recipes (e.g., cold dishes or no-cook adaptations).
Cultural Connection: Discussing personal and historical food traditions deepened engagement and intercultural exchange.
Collaborative Learning: The activity united learners across language levels through shared tasks and creativity.
Digital Extension: Have participants create blog posts or videos to share their recipes online.

Common challenges and solutions:

Limited Cooking Facilities: Shift to a theoretical cookbook project or focus on cold dishes (e.g., salads, desserts).
Time and Budget Constraints: Simplify recipes or pre-prepare ingredients to streamline the process.
Language Barriers: Provide word banks, visual glossaries.

Field reflections

The workshops in Prague took place in a community kitchen, themed around Masopust (Mardi Gras) and traditional festive Czech Christmas Eve dinner. During the pre-task, participants explored the festivities through videos, images, and primary sources, discussing typical dishes and ingredients. The activity also included discussions on contemporary urban reenactments of folk festivities, exploring how culture is interpreted and kept alive in modern contexts. Groups selected a recipe, rewrote it, and either prepared it or theoretically adapted it (e.g., modernizing a historical dish and/or adapting it according to their own culinary culture experience). They worked with an empty recipe sheet as a navigation. One participant, for example, adapted a Czech dish to Tunisian cuisine, showcasing the activity’s potential for intercultural exchange. Post-task presentations sparked discussions and sharing of cultural similarities (e.g. between Czech and Ukrainian folk cuisine), followed by a shared meal and cleanup. The activity was time- and resource-intensive but highly engaging. Contextualizing the recipes (e.g., tying them to holidays or life events) enriched the language and cultural learning. Cooking together fostered collaboration and created inclusive space for the target language use.

In Luxembourg, the session was linked to a Cultural Comparison activity, introducing learners to Luxembourgish culinary traditions. The focus began with exploring traditional dishes, their cultural significance, and essential vocabulary before moving to a hands-on cooking experience. The group prepared Kniddelen, a classic Luxembourgish dish. To ensure inclusivity, the educator adapted the recipe to accommodate Muslim and vegetarian participants by offering alternative ingredients. This thoughtful adjustment allowed everyone to engage fully in the activity while respecting dietary needs.