University Open Air: Food Preservation and Terroir
This class explores how food preservation, access, and consumption intersect with identity, politics, and cultural norms. Focusing on preservation techniques—such as fermenting, pickling, and drying—we’ll examine how these age-old methods foster resilience, self-sufficiency, and collective care. We’ll also consider the role of local and seasonal eating in shaping taste, sense of place, and ecological awareness—and how it can serve as a political act. Through hands-on demos and tastings, participants will experience the deep flavors and possibilities of preserved foods while reflecting on how everyday food choices shape and challenge larger systems—making them acts of connection, resistance, and transformation.
Naama Levit is a chef and artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Her work explores food as a medium for cultural inquiry, critical thinking, and performance. With a background in both fine art and culinary practice, she has worked in restaurants, test kitchens, and food startups, blending research, experimentation, and storytelling. She collaborates with cultural institutions and teaches, developing projects that examine the intersections of food, materiality, and social dynamics.
University Open Air is generously supported by The Morris & Alma Schapiro Fund.
