Student Info
Name: Curtis A. Baker
Term: Winter 25
Credits: 4
Title of ILC or Group Project: Capsaicin of the Caribbean
An exploration of the culinary culture of spice in Jamaican food with a spotlight on the Scotch Bonnet pepper.
Field Supervisor
Field supervisor: Rodjé Malcolm
Title: On Site Coordinator
Organization: One Regeneration
Subcontractor
Name: Dr. Sarah Williams
Title: Professor
Organization: Evergreen State College
Program of Project Description
Narrative:
| Learning objective | Activity | Deliverable |
| What is the history of culinary culture of hot peppers in the Caribbean, their significance as a food source and flavor additive, and what types of unique peppers are indigenous to the region? | Archival research on the history of peppers as a food source from precolonial times, during the enslavement and exploitation of the region, and beyond to present day. | I will consolidate my findings into a Word Press (WP) document and present and incorporate my own journey of discovery alongside. |
| How can I engage with the people and peppers of Jamaica; conversations with local farmers, vendors, food preparers, and heat aficionados while on ground during my study abroad semester? | Ethnographic cataloguing of locations, individuals, and conversations had in support of this undertaking. Records of dishes prepared and consumed involving local pepper species. | I will track my encounters as physical field notes and Bluesky (BS) ejournal postings. I will include them in WP posting prepared weekly. |
| How will I catalogue my own experiences with the plant, its fruit, and the people that grow or prepare it from the lens of an outsider seeking an immersive, experiential exchange? | Personalized experiential descriptive writing of my own journey of discovery and what it may mean to/for me as an individual experience of immersion in this unique aspect of Jamaica’s food identity. | I will include these lived experiences in my BS and present it within a weekly WP posting. |
Evaluation of Work
- WordPress ePortfolio
- Final week ten presentation
- Narrative evaluations from field supervisor and/or subcontractor
- Narrative mid-quarter and final self-evaluations