Food, Glorious Food

"Michigan Eats," an exhibition that opened in the Heritage Gallery at Michigan State University in April, comes to an end Sunday, Nov. 15 when the gallery closes at 5 p.m.

"Michigan Eats: Regional Culture Through Food" explores the state's regional specialties, the development of certain favorites and the importance of the distinctive tastes.

"Foodways" is the term used to refer to the system of ideals and beliefs surrounding food, its preparation and consumption, and the location of those traditions. The picture of Michigan to the left shows certain foods that are connected to certain places, such as pasties in the U.P.

Yvonne Lockwood, the MSU Museum curator of folklife, explains that "the biological necessity to eat is unquestionable; however, it is to culture, not biology, that we must look to explain why we eat what we eat."

Admission is free, though donations are appreciated. For more info, call (517) 355-2370 or visit the museum's Web site.