Students bake cakes as part of four-year UG programme on Food, Literature and Culture

First-year students of Food, Literature and Culture FYUGP at Govt Arts College, Thiruvananthapuram, with their HoD Chribuna Viswas P.S.

Christmas is still more than a month away, but students at Government Arts College in the city have already begun trying their hand at baking cakes. Students taking Food, Literature and Culture in the Department of English as part of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) baked cakes as part of their practicum, an innovative component of the undergraduate curriculum.

Replacing conventional written assignments with a creative, experiential approach, the activity brought together culinary practice and cultural learning, offering students an engaging opportunity to explore the relationship between food, literature and culture beyond the confines of the classroom. As part of the assignment, students were invited to select a cake recipe from the celebrated baking volume, The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum and bring it to life through their culinary skills.

The initiative also seeks to nurture patience, perseverance and resilience among Generation Z, according to Chribuna Viswas P.S., head of the Department of English. The painstaking process of baking — from preparing multiple layers and mastering intricate techniques to allowing cakes to bake slowly to perfection — demands precision, discipline and time. Through this hands-on practicum, students gain first-hand experience of the challenges involved in baking, learning to appreciate the effort behind each creation.

The exercise thus extends beyond culinary practice, offering valuable lessons in patience, problem-solving and the rewards of sustained effort, while enabling students to share their experiences and recognise the often-overlooked complexities of the craft,” he said. The cake festival was coordinated by Anagha S.A. of the Department of Commerce.

The students chose from an enticing range of recipes, each offering an opportunity to explore distinct flavours, textures and baking techniques.