Latino food and culture will explored by Dr. Zilkia Janer, a Duke University professor and author, in a talk, “Latinx Food and Culture: More than Heritage,” at the opening ceremony of the State University of New York at Fredonia’s Latino Heritage Month on Friday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m., in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room.

As the author of “Latino Food and Culture,” Dr. Janer is an ideal fit for the theme of the month’s activities, “Salsa con Fuego,” as chosen by members of the campus group Latinos Unidos. The subject highlights the important intersections of food, culture and history.

In her book, Janer explores Latin American food cultures in the United States by examining the ways that cultural blending has developed a pan-Latino food culture. She studies the ways that documented and undocumented immigrants, refugees and exiles have combined their food traditions in kaleidoscopic ways to create selections, both amazing and delicious, that reflect their shared gastronomic wealth of Spanish and American-Indian cuisines with different African, European and Asian culinary traditions.

Janer is a professor of Global Studies and Geography at Hofstra University.

The opening ceremony is free and open to the public, but tickets are required and can be obtained at the Fredonia Ticket Office in the Williams Center. Sweets and fruit will be served. The event is sponsored by the Ethnic Studies Speakers Series and Latinos Unidos.