Welcome

CHAA Meetings

The Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor generally meet on the third Sunday of the month at 4 p.m. Eastern, September through May. Meeting invitations are sent to members and other interested individuals, but all are welcome to attend. Some of our meetings are held in person at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library and streamed on YouTube, and some are held online via Zoom. Please check this website for the date and location and format of each meeting, as these will vary. 

Members receive emailed information regarding meetings in advance and a reminder on the day of each meeting.

NEXT MEETING

Sunday, March 24, 4-5:30 p.m.
Ann Arbor District Library – Downtown
343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor
and online here

Register to receive a reminder of this program a day or so before the event.

Popcorn as a Food, a Crop and a Business

Popcorn in bowlAmaizin’ Pop LLC is an Ann Arbor-area seed company that develops new, improved strains of the popcorn plant and also wholesales popcorn to a dozen local retail outlets. Today, corn hybrids pioneered by Amaizin’ Pop are being grown in the US, Brazil, Hungary, Russia, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, South Africa and India.

In this presentation, owner/operator Dr. Charles Sing will explain the biology of the popcorn plant, describe his personal experiences developing hybrids, and outline how popcorn is grown, processed, and distributed to consumers. If you savor popcorn, then you’ll savor this fun event!

About the Speaker

Man in corn fieldWhen he was growing up in Illinois, Charlie Sing expected to follow his ancestors into farming. Instead, he ended up earning a PhD in corn genetics. A chance encounter with the founders of the University of Michigan Department of Human Genetics landed him in a career studying human variability in the risk of developing hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Meanwhile, as a hobby, he pursued developing hybrid strains of popcorn. After all, you can take a boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy! Following retirement, Charlie’s popcorn breeding hobby became his full-time passion.

Upcoming programs and links to past programs.

Join Us!

Our membership year runs from September to September. The annual membership is $25. You can print out the membership form here. We also accept membership dues via PayPal. Click on the membership link at the top of this page for more information. 

The Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor (CHAA), founded in 1983 by Jan Longone and friends, is an organization of scholars, cooks, food writers, nutritionists, collectors, students, and others interested in the study of culinary history and gastronomy.

Kitchen sceneThe mission of the group is to promote the study of culinary history through regular programs open to members and guests, through the quarterly publication Repast, and through exchanges of information with other such organizations.

Monthly meetings of the CHAA are normally held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from September through May on the third Sunday of the month at 4 p.m. (unless otherwise announced).

Membership in CHAA is open to anyone interested in culinary history. Dues are $25.00 for an individual or couple and include a subscription to Repast. The membership year is from September to September. For those who cannot attend meetings, a yearly subscription to Repast is $20.00.

Repast is the official quarterly publication of CHAA. Besides announcements of future meetings and reports of past meetings, it also contains feature articles, book reviews, a calendar of upcoming events of culinary interest, and special events. For information about contributing articles, placing information, announcements, or other regular features, contact the Editor.

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