Cuisine and Farming at the Borders of Greece

Study in Greece will take place May 25-June 6, 2026.*

Please note that this program includes a second eight-weeks spring semester course that will meet on campus.

*All travel dates are tentative and subject to international travel restrictions.

Course Title: HON-H251: Cuisine and Farming at the Borders of Greece

Academic Director & Instructor:  Olga Kalentzidou

Syllabus Description:

This international study course will expose students to alternative culinary and farming histories of Greece at a border region. Thrace defines the northeastern most region in modern Greece. As a border area to Turkey, the region’s geography, history, and culinary legacy are tied to its Southern Balkan and Eastern neighbors. As a recent (post-1923) addition to the Greek nation-state, it is included in the national narrative, but only partially and on occasion. The region is home to a sizeable Muslim minority; significant in terms of debates about immigration to Europe; and, most recently, strategically poised to be an important NATO military base. Amidst its historical specificity, though, food has always played a defining role in explaining who the people are and how they are connected to the rest of the country’s culinary heritage.  

We will study the tale of two narratives: one of big agriculture (conventional, irrigated, and driven by EU quota and policies), and local resistance to rows of corn, fields of cotton, and asparagus beds aimed at northern European consumers. We will study how commodity crop production is juxtaposed to local small-scale farms that support and promote local ingredients, local knowledge and terroir. We will visit the sites of food production (fields, small farms, orchards, factories, and distribution centers), and food consumption (restaurants, butcher shops, olive oil and cheese shops, delicatessen, and farmers’ markets). We will also engage in conversations with food activists who preserve local seeds and are concerned about biodiversity, sustainability, and regenerative agriculture. Finally, we will engage in cooking local recipes while listening to stories about cuisine and eating.  

While we start our learning journey in Indiana, once in Greece we will be in Evros. From Alexandroupolis, we will journey into Northern Evros and Samothrace to appreciate how Thracian culinary identity is shaped by its geography and is subject to continuity and change. 

Daily course excursions to different sites of the city, including:

• Visits to sites of food production and food consumption
• Cooking local recipes while listening to stories about cuisine and eating
• Tours of museums and historical sites

Program participants will stay in a hotel in the center of the city with access to food venues and easy access to bus and other transportation hubs. The rooms are fully furnished and equipped with individual bathrooms, fans, and standard hotel services.

Program Fee - $1850*

The program fee includes airport transfers in country, accommodations in Greece, some meals, transportation to and from all excursion sites, entry fees to all museums and historical sites, student travel insurance, and administrative fees

*Program fee is subject to change due to unforeseeable circumstances.

IUB Tuition

If you are enrolled as a full-time student during the spring semester and enroll in HON-H251 as part of your block credits, there is no additional tuition cost to participate in Cuisine and Farming at the Borders of Greece.

Additional Variable Costs

Variable costs are paid before and after you arrive in Greece as you pay for roundtrip international airfare, some meals, snacks, personal expenses, and independent travel outside the program. 

Note: The program fee will appear on your bursar bill and is paid directly to IU. See the program fee sheet for more details.

Scholarships

All admitted program participants are awarded an automatic HIEP Hutton Honors Study Abroad Scholarship of $500 applied directly to the program fee. No separate application is required.

Additionally, applicants to Hutton Honors Study Abroad programs may be considered for additional merit and need-based scholarships. If finances will be a barrier to participating in your study abroad experience, we invite you to apply for these awards. Please submit your application no later than your program's final application deadline.

Note: Program participants are not eligible to apply for the HIEP Grant.

Please see the IU Education Abroad Office website for more information on other available scholarships and financial aid opportunities.

IU OVST Getting Started Handbook

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