The Culinary Horticulture Club at NC State is a newly established student-led group focused on bringing together students and community members who have a deep interest in the history, sociology, science, and culinary attributes of horticultural crops. As a club we aim to delve deep into the rich history and background of these crops through discussions, readings, field trips to restaurants/markets, and cooking together as a group. In the end, this club is about enjoying food together as a group. There are no requirements for joining other than being curious about food and willing to try something new and different every now and then.
One of the main activities conducted by club members is putting on the Our Table seminar series. Our Table was initially started by a handful of graduate students and Dr. Chris Gunter. The idea behind this series is to have TEDtalk-esk informal seminars centered around a horticultural crop. The aim of these talks is to bring together the culinary, scientific, historical, and cultural background of a crop together at Our Table. Themes for previous talks have been Sweet Potatoes, Cacao, and most recently Apples. NC State’s own Dr. Mike Parker, Tree Fruits Specialist in the Department of Horticultural Science, spoke about the science and cultural management of apples in North Carolina. Additionally, Mr. Lee Calhoun, author of Old Southern Apples, spoke on the rich tradition and variety of antique Southern apples. The seminar concluded with a tasting of many commercial and antique apple varieties grown in NC. For more information on Our Table seminars or Culinary Horticulture Club please contact David Suchoff at dsuchoff@gmail.com.
