Michigan Eats! Regional Culture Through Food February 21, 2011

We are what we eat! For Michiganders this means pasties, muskrat dinners, coneys, fish fries, cherry pie, and much more. What makes these Michigan foods? After all there is nothing that all Michiganders and only they eat. Michigan foods are those of the many communities--ethnic, regional, local--that constitute the state. State boundaries, however, do not dictate cultural boundaries. Nonetheless, it is possible to generalize about Michigan's food and foodways by looking at food traditions in specific regions and locales. The term "foodways" means more than just food; it includes the entire complex of behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs associated with food, from cultivation to consumption. The exhibit consists of 34 interpretive panels that convey in words and images many of the diverse food traditions found around the state. The exhibit also includes historic and contemporary objects from the Michigan State University Museum and private collections that illustrate various aspects of Michigan foodways, such as: kitchen utensils; implements used in the production of maple syrup; and packaging from some of Michigan's best known food producers, like Kellogg, Jiffy, and Vernors. Visitors can also listen to clips from food-themed songs and stories about Michigan food on the exhibit's interactive listening station.