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‘Culture Bites’ celebrates NKY’s ethnic cuisines; by NKU’s Public History program exhibit opens April 22


Food, glorious food! We need it to live. It also shapes the way we live.
 
The impact of food from diverse immigrant populations on Northern Kentucky’s social and cultural development is the focus of a new exhibit developed by students in Northern Kentucky University’s Kentucky University’s Public History Graduate Program in cooperation with Behringer-Crawford Museum.

“CULTURE BITES: Northern Kentucky’s Food Traditions” will run from April 22 to August 31. Admission is free for BCM members and included with regular museum admission for future members.
 
An opening reception, featuring food samples from participating restaurants, will take place from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, April 21. It is free for BCM members and $5 for non-members.

The exhibit will spotlight Northern Kentucky restaurants, delis and food producers, featuring a variety of cuisines from different countries and ethnic backgrounds. It will explore their origins and traditions, their cooking methods and tools, their ingredients and condiments. On display will be old cookbooks, antique cooking utensils and everyday items immigrants brought with them on their journeys from their home countries to Northern Kentucky, such as clothing and steamer trunks.

Visitors will have the opportunity to smell the spices from various ethnic recipes and to create their own cookbooks as they tour the exhibit.

“The exhibit is about how immigrants and the culture of ethnic foods have shaped what we eat in Northern Kentucky,” explained Rachel Ellison, chair of the exhibit’s design committee. “Visitors will be immersed in the history of their favorite Northern Kentucky restaurants, where they can touch, smell, and even create their own recipes. This exhibit brings the food that Northern Kentuckians love together in one place.”
 
Marketing chair Hannah Richards added. “The unique concept about this exhibit is, rather than giving you facts, dates and names, it is offering an experience to learn the stories behind restaurants all Northern Kentucky residents are familiar with. The class has worked really hard to create a visually stimulating and interactive experience, hopefully something the visitors have never seen.”
 
Establishments showcased in “CULTURE BITES” include: Dixie Chili, House of Grill, La Mexicana, Wunderbar, Katharina’s, Riverside Korean, Oriental Wok, Pompilio’s, Colonial Cottage, Molly Malone’s, LaRosa’s, Glier’s and Finke’s Goetta.
 
“These establishments currently and historically have kept the people of our community healthy and strong for many generations,” said committee member Eric Goetz, “Visitors will learn about their heritage and how important good food really is.”
 
Brian Hackett, director of the NKU public history graduate program, said, “I really think it is incredible what these students have done. It is fascinating to see what raw talent can produce. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with the professional staff at Behringer-Crawford Museum. Their mentorship and patience with our students has been a blessing.”
 
“Culture Bites is a great way to connect with the people of Northern Kentucky and learn how diversity helped shaped this area,” added committee member Stephen Young. “It will not disappoint and it will for sure make the visitor hungry afterwards.”

From Behringer-Crawford Museum
 


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