Food is a fundamental part of our daily life. There is no class or society that does not eat, and every culture has its own unique cuisine. Yet it is only in the last decade that institutions like UNESCO have marked food traditions and history as essential to cultural preservation.

Irish food and food traditions encompass a rich culture that has been unfairly overshadowed by more famous European cuisine. Join Ella Padden as she discusses how food culture has evolved in Ireland through the eyes of archivists, food historians, and chefs. Learn how archivists and community members can come together to create equal and thoughtful stewardship of food for future generations.

Ella Padden has a Masters degree in Archives and Records Management degree from University College Dublin (UCD) and Bachelors degree in History from South Dakota State University (SDSU).  Her professional experience includes working at the UCD Archives and SDSU Archives. She will be presenting her masters thesis “Out of the Pantry and Into the Frying Pan; Food Records as Community Archives in Ireland” at the Dublin Gastronomy Symposium in May, 2024.