Jun 14, 2021
Food Technology is a new and exciting subject here in Diyafah that covers a broad scope of topics. The subject covers areas ranging from diet and nutrition, household technology, food hygiene, special diets, food commodities, processing and preservation, health and safety in the kitchen, and that’s before we even head into the Food Technology lab for the practical side of the subject! To summarize the subject of Food Technology, we simply learn about always making the better choice.
Our world is developing rapidly in terms of technology and nowadays everything can be within our grasp at the touch of a button. It is as simple as opening an app on our phones where we can then have something tasty delivered to our door in a matter of minutes. In Food Technology, students become empowered with the ability to go to the supermarket, chose fresh, wholesome ingredients, head to the kitchen and cook a delicious, and nutritious meal from scratch! Learning to cook homemade meals provides students with a sense of accomplishment, and along with that, it teaches them that there is always a better choice that can be made. In a world where the rate of obesity related disease globally is quickly surpassing hunger levels in Third World Countries, it is vital that our students develop the tools at a young age to make the better choice when it comes to health and nutrition.
With staff and students from all over the world in Diyafah, we learn about the different cuisines of the world and try to enrich our palates with the tastes of food from different countries. For International day, each class chose a dish from their chosen country and learned how to make it. We had dishes varying from falafel, piroshki, kung-pao chicken, teriyaki tofu, jollof rice and many more. In our fully equipped kitchen, students are beginning their journey to become self sufficient adults that can cook sustainable meals each and every day. During the practical lessons, we discuss the reasons behind everything we do, for example, why is it so important that we keep raw and cooked foods separate, or why do we need to add an acid and a base together when making our flatbread? Students are quickly developing skills in the kitchen to help them prepare meals in a clean, hygienic manner, with cheap and nutritious ingredients, in a short amount of time. Below are the voices of our students at Diyafah that have studied Food Technology previously.
Joel Manima (Y8B2) “I truly believe Food Technology will really come in handy, now and in the future, whether I’m out shopping or preparing a meal. I will know what to use and what the healthiest, yet tastiest options are. Food technology, I feel, is a resourceful way for all the students to understand home economics and thrive in something they enjoy. We got the opportunity to cook some very delicious meals, of which my favourites were the cupcakes, tea scones, banana bread and the mac and cheese. They were all so delicious, but even more fun to make. Food technology has a lot of potential and is a wonderful subject to be learning.
Fathima Risvi (Y9G1) “Learning Food Tech as a subject was something new and exciting. It is nothing I have experienced before with other subjects. The most exciting thing we did was cooking. To be honest, I have never cooked in my life, so I was a complete beginner, but I really enjoyed learning how to use all the different equipment and how to prepare different foods. Thanks to Miss Gillian’s help and tips, I am able to prepare and cook more meals for myself at home.
Masa Khaled (6G2) “I really love cooking and I loved Food Tech because when I grow up, I want to be a chef. I learned a lot about cooking and baking and this will help me a lot in the future.”