Through its Ursino project, the Constellasio Association – the Esperanto-speaking constellation – seeks to build bridges between young people from different cultures through culinary traditions. In Esperanto, the word “bear” means Ursino, the association’s choice to refer to the Big Dipper’s constellation, known as the Recognition of the Culinary Arts. The itinerary includes teenagers from France, Lebanon, Italy, Morocco and Ireland, with the first phase lasting until the end of this year and the others ending in the second phase from New Zealand, Benin, Argentina and Canada. End of 2023. “Cultures are like stars. They are more or less distant from each other. They all have their own stories. The closer we get to them, the less they dazzle us and the less we see others. But when we connect them, we find in them a meaning represented by the constellations. Charlotte Courtois explains a little poetically. For Constalacio, encouraging young people to value their own cultural identities is just as important as stimulating their interest in exploring other cultures. From this perspective, the Urbino Project invites teens to explore the roots of their traditional cuisine and the origins of the ingredients they combine, so that in the end, over time, they find it rich. Cultural mix. “The idea is to show that our cultures are already the result of conversations and conflicts between people. Even dishes modeled on our cultures contain ingredients from elsewhere, ”continues Charlotte Cortois. For Nyla Khoury Down, the school director of Three Doctors in Lebanon, Ursino is a lesson in history. If the project raises awareness about “cultural diversity”, she says, “we ignore the fact that we sometimes have similar habits in distant lands because we do not know them. Beware. It helps to develop tolerance.” Charlotte Courtois also points out that gratitude is the number of exchanges with other peoples, or the role played by expatriates in the distribution of its symbolic resources.

Common or endangered Lebanese dishes

In Lebanon, Constalacio supported thirteen 14-year-olds, an inclusive school that welcomes students at Three Doctor’s School, as well as other students with learning disabilities. Implemented in three phases, one week each, the project, which began in Lebanon in October 2019, was put on hold due to a coronavirus pandemic before it was interrupted by violent protests. In the first week, these 12-year-old students collected traditional recipes from their families and communities. “I wanted to take part in this project to learn about my culture and heritage,” recalls Kyra Mubarak. The Constellosio team encouraged these young people to explore non-recipe aspects, their memories, the rituals associated with the dish, the person who handed them the recipe, or possible variants of it. “It’s a discussion with their families, and Charlotte Courtois observes that when we work with children, we always aim to ask questions so that they can find themselves and learn to share their own culture,” she added. “This is a well-known resource in Lebanon. We looked for similar recipes, but we did not expect so many other recipes,” she says. Historical research has been done. Michelle Yacoub, who also worked on Moosa’s recipes based on Na, agrees. In the second phase, the information received by the youth was sent to the Lebanese NGO Food Heritage Foundation for verification and correction. One of Ursino’s principles is to collaborate with local institutions, food historians and a chef. In Lebanon, Chef Yusuf Akiki talked to students about his journey and the recipes he was missing, and invited them to do an internship with him. In the third phase, Constellasio produced videos in which the young participants explained their findings. “What is interesting about this approach is the intergenerational concept, but the opposite. Normally, adults teach children what their culture is, but here, young people go in search of information, analyze it and pass it on, and their research is rich, “Charlotte Cortois enthusiastically points out. “Helps me get closer to the country,” she believes, as projects develop in countries. “I hope the Ursino Project will help people better understand the cultures of others through videos,” said Michael Jacobs. , “Says Kyra Mubarak. At the end of the project, Constellasio will publish a cookbook containing 5 recipes for each country, their photos, as well as anecdotes and rituals. Students report and with historical factors as a result of their research. To learn more about this project: Instagram konstelacio_officiel; On Facebook Konstelacio and Youtube

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