Study Abroad
Choco Rica: The Science, History, and Culture of Chocolate
This course is taught at the University of Georgia's campus in San Luis de Monteverde, Costa Rica. Students participated in activities and learned:
- Experience a hands-on workshop on chocolate manufacture from bean to bar
- Tour cacao farms in the Upala region north of the country
- Visit artisanal and industrial chocolate processing facilities
- Participate in a workshop on chocolate and truffle confection in Monteverde
- Learn the historical and cultural significance of cacao production in Costa Rica and Latin America
- Enjoy on-site observation and reflection on the production and growing conditions and the socio-economic impact of cacao production in Costa Rica
- Gain hands-on experience in the manufacture of chocolate from dry cocoa beans
- Experiential assessment of quality characteristics and sensory properties, and their relationship to the chemistry and biochemistry of cacao; bioactive components, health aspects, and the technology that justifies why this plant genus was called “Food of the gods”
Viticulture and Enology in the Mediterranean Region
This 4-credit hour course is taught during Maymester at the UGA campus in Cortona, Italy. Centrally located within the Tuscany region on the crest of Mont S. Egidio overlooking the vast Val di Chiana, Cortona is surrounded by beautiful olive groves, vineyards, rich valley farmland and immense history. The course will consist of a combination of lectures, horticulture and sensory labs, as well as field trips to vineyards and wineries. Activities and knowledge attained include:
- Identify wine types and common taste components of red and white wines
- Learn how to pair wine with food
- Study the health implications of wine consumption
- Identify common varietals by sensory analysis
- Study the characteristics of different grape varieties
- Gain knowledge of different cultivation techniques
- See different grapevine diseases and pest management techniques
- Tour wine making facilities
- Learn of microbiological and chemical processes associated with vinification
- Sensory implications of wine making decisions
