“We all have a family tree, and those are depicted with you and your relatives in a branching pattern,” Osborn says. “All living organisms on the earth today as well as extinct organisms also have a family tree and we call that the tree of life. One of the central goals of this event was to help people attending to sample as many different kinds of species as possible from broadly diverse branches on the tree.”

Before the event, the school of science and the dining department worked together to develop menus and recipes. At the event, students from the school of science acted as “field guides” at each station, offering information and making the event engaging.

“This was not just an event sponsored by the biology department,” Osborn says. “It was a true collaboration from the beginning. The thing that makes this so powerful is that we have a wonderful partner in dining services.”

The modern agricultural industry is dominated by three crops: corn, wheat and rice. Biologists who study the global food economy look at new crops that can we can eat, including jackfruit.

The topic of underutilized crops was highlighted at the 31 North deli station and C-Street Grill. The fleshy “meat” of the jackfruit was used to make several dishes. “The driver was, how do we get as many different species as possible from across the tree of life into different meals,” Osborn says.

The dining team created grilled jackfruit Reubens, complete with melted Swiss cheese and marble rye.

Another item used jackfruit in one of its most popular uses: as a convincing stand-in for pulled pork. Also at the station was vegetarian “chicken salad” with cranberries and pistachios. Another station served ancient grains like amaranth and bulgur wheat, illustrating genetic diversity in crops. Learn more here.

The event also featured a keynote speaker, Nyree Zerega, a botanist who studies plant evolution with a focus on food crops and pollination. She addressed the idea of bugs on the menu as part of her talk on underutilized crops and sustainable agriculture.

Could Americans ever eat bugs as part of their regular diet? “There’s certainly the possibility someday…plenty of cultures do,” Osborn says, referring to whether or not we’re ready for crickets, mealworms and larvae. “There are graphs that show the percentage of the organism (like a cow) that’s wasted, and how much energy is wasted and how inefficient it is. It got people thinking differently.”

“Some organisms can be brought together and blended into a different kind of organism that renders a food item tastier,” Osborn says, referring to kimchi, which is made by fermentation.

The event also featured other foods made with scientific processes, like artisanal sausages, salami and cheese. All aspects of the menu and the event are available on an interactive website for anyone who wants to delve deeper into the topic of biodiversity.