Sweet talk: Anthropologist presents discussion on state treats June 18

Published 1:26 pm Thursday, May 30, 2013

For the Reporter

The diverse range of treats people enjoy throughout the state reveals much about Washington’s shared history and culture. Each of these sweets tells a story: Ingredients illustrate trade routes and trends, recipes record migration patterns and special forms point to special occasions.

To explain this, Julia Harrison, an anthropologist specializing in sweets, will present A World of Sweets in Washington State, the latest discussion presented by the Greater Kent Historical Society.

The talk is 7 p.m. June 18 at the Kent Senior Center, 600 E. Smith St.

Harrison, an avid traveler for whom all roads lead to sweets, has traced Turkish delight to Istanbul’s oldest lokum store, elbowed into a crowded cafe for London’s best Portuguese-style egg custard tarts and experienced the perfect watermelon during an accidental lunch at a Japanese temple.

She received a master’s in applied anthropology from Macquarie University in Australia, and did two years of additional study on material culture theory and methodology at University College London.

Harrison lives in Seattle.

For more information, visit www.kenthistoricalmuseum.org.