Professor By Day, Foodie By Night

-Jamie Hershman

She’s known around campus as Professor Jennifer Burns Levin, but she’s better known globally as an international foodie and blogger. Growing up, Levin’s grandmother introduced her to the world of cooking, and Levin became increasingly interested in recipes and food along the way. During her high school days, she became a passionate collector of ethnic cookbooks at garage sales and has continued her life through her passion of food.

Levin recently returned from a week long food tour in Taiwan, after being personally invited by the Taiwanese Government Information Office. From her appealing food blog to her adoration of food, Minister Philip Yang jumped at the opportunity to have Levin experience Taiwanese food and blog about all of the delicacies and treats Taiwan has to offer.

She has said that there is “nothing better in life than eating a dumpling.” So naturally Levin’s favorite part of her trip was going to a dumpling house called Din Tai Fung. Watching them prepare the mouth-watering delight right before her eyes would be enjoyment for anyone outside the realm of epicurean.

In her attempt to bring some of the Taiwanese culture back home to Eugene, Levin went to multiple markets in Taiwan to find some sichuan peppers. But it turns out sichuan peppers are hard to find even in Taiwan, a country where sichuan is a popular ingredient. Luckily, after much search and help from the locals, she discovered a man who produces seventy percent of the Taiwanese sichuan supply. Levin hopes to bring some of his business out here to increase sichuan pepper circulation in the pacific northwest.

Her food influence doesn’t end at blogging; in her free time she loves to freelance for the Register Guard and the Eugene Weekly with food-related stories. She teaches food preparation classes with the OSU Extension Master Food Preservers and also co-hosts a radio show titled “Food for Thought.”

A double-threat, Levin’s passion for food and teaching is more than obvious. And all this time I thought she was just my literature professor.