Chios, Greece: Mediterranean Nutrition and Food Systems

Summary

*** Info Session: Thursday, January 30, 4-5 p.m. Register here *** 

Discover the importance of traditional foodways by examining key elements of the Mediterranean dietary pattern, discussing how various factors promote human and planetary health, and experiencing Mediterranean food culture. Study food systems through specific ingredients produced in Chios, Greece and explore Greek and Mediterranean dietary habits with a globally-inclusive perspective.
 

The Mediterranean Diet is a way of eating based on the traditional cuisine of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Studies consistently demonstrate that the Mediterranean dietary pattern reduces the risk of many chronic diseases and that adherence rates are higher compared to other diets prescribed to promote health. It does this all while having a lower environmental impact than the common dietary pattern in most industrialized nations. This program will examine the key elements of the Mediterranean dietary pattern, including food culture in the Mediterranean, and discuss how the various factors combine to promote health.
 

This is an interactive summer study abroad program in the beautiful and culturally rich island of Chios, Greece. This program offers a balanced approach of theory and practice, with experiential field trips to local producers who incorporate both traditional and innovative methods. Classroom instruction, shared meals, discussion, reading, assignments, presentations, and experiential learning will contribute to a memorable experience.

The foodways of Chios and Greece in general will be used as a home base for exploring and analyzing Mediterranean ingredients and food customs, as well as comparing other Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean dietary patterns. We will study food systems through specific ingredients produced in Chios such as honey, citrus, wine, olive oil, herbs, and mastic, an evergreen tree grown only in Chios for its culinary and medicinal properties.
 

Highlights include:

• Experience the local cuisine through daily meals featuring the healthy and delicious foods that you are studying.
• Attend field trips to discover how the food travels from field to plate. Visit olive groves, citrus and egg farms, beekeeper cooperatives, wineries, and more!
• Participate in a foraging excursion in the countryside, learning how to identify, harvest, and use wild greek herbs.
• Interact with course concepts through a hands-on cooking class preparing foods with ingredients typical to Chios and the Mediterranean.
• Ride a ferry across the Aegean with your classmates for a unique culinary and cultural experience outside of Chios either on a neighboring island or the farmers markets of Alacati in Turkey.

Dates:

Program dates: June 14 - July 10, 2025

All dates are subject to change.

Courses:

In this program you will be enrolled in two courses for a total of 6 units:

• Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology 105 (3 units) +
• Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology 197 (3 units) = Total 6 Units

Please note: Students should not take other online courses concurrent with this program.

Total Units: 6

Language of Instruction: English

Requirements Satisfied through this Program:

• 3 units of Upper Division Major Elective credits for Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology Majors/Physiology and Metabolism and Toxicology majors. 3 units for the Food Systems Minor: Food & Community Health elective
• If you are not a NST major or Food Systems Minor, consult with your college/major advisor to see which additional degree requirements this course may fulfill.
• International Studies L&S Breadth

Note: Requirements above must be satisfied through full participation (all courses must be completed with C-/P or better)

Eligibility:

• At least one year of college coursework completed by the start of the program
• 2.0 GPA or higher
• Must be 18+ years old at the time of application
• May not be on academic probation or under censure for student misconduct at any point from application review to the end of your program.

Housing:

• Students will live in a hotel in Chios, Greece
• Three students per room with a bathroom in each room. Wi-fi, Air conditioning, Balcony, Bathroom amenities, Bathtub, Cable TV, Digital safe, Hair dryer, Smoke detection, sprinklers, & telephone
• Please note that students will be paired with roommates based on the gender listed on their passports. However, gender inclusive options are available. If you have clarifying questions, please reach out to the program staff.

Food:

• Complimentary breakfast is provided daily in the hotel.
• Lunch (or dinner) are provided most days on the program when there are scheduled class activities. These meals are covered in the cost of the program fee. Lunch or dinner are provided at local restaurants and will include a variety of Mediterranean products and local cuisine. Vegetarian options are available but vegan options are very limited. Please note that the program may not be able to accommodate all dietary restrictions. If you have questions, please contact the Faculty Director.
• Weekends or free days do not have meals provided, unless there is a scheduled activity. (e.g. arrival weekend includes meals, Turkey trip on Saturday includes meal)

Application:

• Application opens February 5, 2025
• Space is limited and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply early!
• Deadline to apply is March 12, 2025

Courses

During the program, you will be automatically enrolled to take two courses for a total of six UC Berkeley units.

• Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology 105 (3 units) +
• Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology 197 (3 units) = Total 6 Units

Course: Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology (NST) 105

Title: Mediterranean Nutrition and Food Systems

Instructors: Kristen Rasmussen, MS, RDN & Ioannis Mourtzinos, PHD

Units: 3 units

Due to its health-promoting properties, the Mediterranean diet has piqued scientific interest for decades. Studies consistently demonstrate that this dietary pattern reduces the risk of chronic disease such as coronary heart disease and certain cancers and, perhaps more importantly, that adherence rates are higher compared to other diets prescribed to promote health. More recently, the Mediterranean way of eating has been highlighted as an example of a diet with a lower environmental impact than the common dietary pattern in most industrialized nations. While many nutrition courses discuss the Mediterranean diet, this course will be a deep dive into the topic. We will examine the key elements of the Mediterranean dietary pattern in different countries including food culture in the Mediterranean, how to replicate the benefits around the world, and discuss how the various factors in combination are greater than the sum of their parts from a nutrition and sustainability perspective.

The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating based on the traditional cuisine of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea – there is no one Mediterranean diet, but all share similar characteristics. As this course is located in Greece, Grecian foodways will be used as a home base for exploring and analyzing Mediterranean ingredients and food customs as well as comparing other Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean dietary patterns.

This is a fast-paced, intensive summer study abroad course in the beautiful and culturally rich island of Chios, Greece. We will study food systems through specific ingredients produced in Chios such as honey, citrus, wine, olive oil, and mastic, an evergreen tree grown only in Chios for its medicinal and culinary properties. Learning will occur via various educational approaches including classroom instruction, discussion, reading, assignments, presentations, and experiential learning. The recommended (but not required) prerequisite to this course is an introductory nutrition course and this course must be taken in conjunction with 3-units of NST 197 field work.

Course: NST 197

Title: Field Work

Instructor: Kristen Rasmussen, MS, RDN

Units: 3 units

Description: Fieldwork and independent study that must be taken in conjunction with NST105. In this course, we will visit agricultural and food production sites to learn more in depth about the Mediterranean diet and food systems. Visits include (but aren’t limited to) a beekeeper’s collective, mastic museum, and an egg/sheep farm. Students will be expected to come prepared for the field excursions and a journal entry will be required for each experience.

Requirements Satisfied through this Program:

• 3 units of Upper Division Major Elective credits for Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology Majors/Physiology and Metabolism and Toxicology majors. 3 units for the Food Systems Minor: Food & Community Health elective
• If you are not a NST major or Food Systems Minor, consult with your college/major advisor to see which additional degree requirements this course may fulfill.
• International Studies L&S Breadth

Note: Requirements above must be satisfied through full participation (all courses must be completed with C-/P or better)

Course Enrollment:

Summer Abroad staff will enroll you in courses after your acceptance to the program. Please make sure there are no active blocks on your student account that may impact your course enrollment.

Costs

The fees to participate in this program are broken down into 1) tuition and 2) program fees, which are applied to your student billing account as follows:

Fees are subject to change. All non-Berkeley students must pay an additional Document Management Fee of $71.

Estimated Out-Of-Pocket Expenses

In addition to the fees outlined above, Berkeley Study Abroad has estimated amounts for out-of-pocket expenses. These amounts are used to calculate financial aid packages for eligible students. Actual expenses will vary depending on your lifestyle and spending habits.

It is your responsibility to obtain any necessary travel documentation for your program destination (i.e. passport, visa, etc). This may require you to pay fees of up to a few hundred dollars depending on the type of paperwork required.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available for Berkeley students who are enrolled in at least 6 units during the summer.  Students can request a financial aid package estimate to understand what their individual financial aid package will look like. We recommend all financial aid eligible students request a financial aid estimate.

​​Requesting a financial aid package estimate: If you wish to receive a financial aid package estimate, please fill out this form (CalNet Authentication required). You will receive an email with your financial aid estimate (please allow a minimum of one week for response).

If you have a specific question about a study abroad financial aid issue you are encountering, please email TravelAid@berkeley.edu. Please do not email to request a financial aid estimate, these requests should be made using the form above.

All other students should contact the financial aid office at their home institution for more information.

Explanation of Fees

Tuition is based on a per unit cost:

• The UC undergraduate student rate is $419 per unit
• The visiting student rate for all non-UC participants is $615 per unit

The program fee includes the following items:

• Student housing with some meals provided (see summary page for more detailed information on meals and housing)
• On-site orientation activities, excursions, etc.
• Travel insurance to cover accident/sickness medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation, security extraction, and other travel assistance services
• Other program-related costs including fees for group transportation, guest speakers, etc.
• The $300 deposit. If accepted to the program, the $300 deposit will be applied towards your program fee. If you are waitlisted or denied admission to the program, your deposit will be refunded. If you request to withdraw your application prior to an admission decision being issued, or cancel your participation after being accepted to the program, the deposit will remain charged to your account.

*Please note that the list of items included in the program fee is not all-inclusive and is subject to change.

The following items are excluded from the program fee and included in the Out of Pocket expenses estimate:

• International airfare
• Personal expenses (souvenirs, routine medical expenses, toiletries, etc.)
• Course materials (textbooks and readers) as applicable. Contact instructor for more information
• Other travel expenses (passport, visa, etc.)
• Additional meals

Timeline

* The pre-departure orientation is mandatory and takes place on the UC Berkeley campus. If you are not on campus during this time, we will schedule a meeting via phone or Zoom.

† Students are expected to check into program housing in Chios, Greece on June 14, 2025, and are expected to check out of program housing on July 10, 2025. Students who arrive in-country early or depart after the last day may do so, but they are responsible for arranging their own accommodations outside of the program dates.

All dates are subject to change.

Instructors

Program Director: Kristen Rasmussen

Email: krasmussen@berkeley.edu

A culinary nutrition and food system expert, Rasmussen’s work has led her many places – from conducting sensory studies in Copenhagen to implementing plant-based menu revamps and exploring fermentation. She is a teaching faculty member at UC Berkeley, past adjunct faculty at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist consultant for various organizations and restaurants. Additionally, Kristen helped initiate Berkeley Open Source Food (forage.berkeley.edu), a non-profit dedicated to increasing availability and consumption of wild edible plants through research, education, and outreach. Kristen is passionate about exploring traditional food practices for a modern world. You can find more about Kristen at Rooted Food (rootedfood.com), where she documents her gastronomic ventures from food science to foraging.

Local Instructor: Prof. Ioannis Mourtzinos

Ioannis Mourtzinos is an Assistant Professor in Food Chemistry and Analysis in the Dept. of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He received his Bachelor in Chemistry (2001) and his M.Sc. in Food Chemistry and Technology (2003) from the same University and his Ph.D. (2007) from Harokopio University.

He participated in courses at Ghent University (Belgium) and Corvinus University (Hungary) on issues related to food safety and health. He worked in the R&D department of Pepsi Co – Ivi (2008-2009) and also in the R&D and QA/QC departments of APIVITA (2010-2014). His research interests include the extraction and characterization of plants’ bioactive ingredients, encapsulation of nutraceutical compounds and the study of antioxidants during heat treatment using techniques such as High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Gas chromatography (GC-MS, GC-FID), NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C- NMR), and UV-Vis Spectroscopy. He is the author/co-author of 22 peer-reviewed publications (SCI journals) and 16 contributions to international conferences and over 790 citations (h-factor 12). He participated in four European and international research projects and he has three patents.