Today, travel and media, international trade, and population shifts bring global gustatory delights into our lives. Worldwide adventurers can map their routes with food cultures as their destinations. Folks at home can discover foods from across the globe in any grocery store, explore new cuisines on TV and the Internet, and sample new flavors in vibrant restaurant venues. At the same time, a burgeoning desire for sustainability stimulates greater demand for local harvests.

The United States, once considered a "melting pot" of nationalities, now is home to communities that retain their uniqueness—no longer melting but mixing—to offer a buffet of cuisines. Traditional specialties inspire new fusions, as chefs create distinctive menus that combine flavors and techniques from a variety of continents and cultures.

These tools from long ago or far away offer a taste of various innovative solutions people have devised for preparing, cooking, carrying, and serving meals. Items like these may be found in Kendall kitchens, where students create menus that respond to local and global food trends.