Food Culture in South America (Food Culture around the World) PDF
Preview Food Culture in South America (Food Culture around the World)
Food Culture in South America JOSE RAFAEL LOVERA Translated by Ainoa Larrauri Food Culture around the World Ken Albala, Series Editor GREENWOOD PRESS Westport, Connecticut - London Library of Congress Cataloging^in-Publication Data Lovera, Jose Rafael. Food culture in South America / Jose Rafael Lovera ; translated by Ainoa Larrauri. p. cm. — (Food culture around the world, ISSN 1545-2638) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-313-32752-1 (alk. paper) 1. Cookery, Latin American. 2. Cookery—South America. 3. Food habits—South America. I. Title. II. Series. TX716.A1L68 2005 641.598—dc22 2005005501 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 2005 by Jose Rafael Lovera All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2005005501 ISBN: 0-313-32752-1 ISSN: 1545-2638 First published in 2005 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. www.greenwood.com Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Illustrations by J. Susan Cole Stone. The publisher has done its best to make sure the instructions and/or recipes in this book are correct. However, users should apply judgment and experience when preparing reci pes, especially parents and teachers working with young people. The publisher accepts no responsibility for the outcome of any recipe included in this volume. Contents Series Foreword by Ken Albala vii Acknowledgments ix Introduction xi Timeline xv 1. Historical Overview 1 2. Major Foods and Ingredients 39 3. Cooking 77 4. Typical Meals 93 5. Eating Out 127 6. Special Occasions 137 7. Diet and Health 153 Glossary 165 Resource Guide 167 Bibliography 175 Index 177 This page intentionally left blank Series Foreword The appearance of the Food Culture around the World series marks a definitive stage in the maturation of Food Studies as a discipline to reach a wider audience of students, general readers, and foodies alike. In com- prehensive interdisciplinary reference volumes, each on the food culture of a country or region for which information is most in demand, a remark able team of experts from around the world offers a deeper understanding and appreciation of the role of food in shaping human culture for a whole new generation. I am honored to have been associated with this project as series editor. Each volume follows a series format, with a chronology of food-related dates and narrative chapters entitled Introduction, Historical Overview, Major Foods and Ingredients, Cooking, Typical Meals, Eating Out, Spe cial Occasions, and Diet and Health. Each also includes a glossary, bibli ography, resource guide, and illustrations. Finding or growing food has of course been the major preoccupation of our species throughout history, but how various peoples around the world learn to exploit their natural resources, come to esteem or shun specific foods and develop unique cuisines reveals much more about what it is to be human. There is perhaps no better way to understand a culture, its values, preoccupations and fears, than by examining its attitudes toward food. Food provides the daily sustenance around which families and com munities bond. It provides the material basis for rituals through which people celebrate the passage of life stages and their connection to divinity. Vlll Series Foreword Food preferences also serve to separate individuals and groups from each other, and as one of the most powerful factors in the construction of iden tity, we physically, emotionally and spiritually become what we eat. By studying the foodways of people different from ourselves we also grow to understand and tolerate the rich diversity of practices around the world. What seems strange or frightening among other people becomes perfectly rational when set in context. It is my hope that readers will gain from these volumes not only an aesthetic appreciation for the glo ries of the many culinary traditions described, but also ultimately a more profound respect for the peoples who devised them. Whether it is eating New Year s dumplings in China, folding tamales with friends in Mexico or going out to a famous Michelin-starred restaurant in France, understand ing these food traditions helps us to understand the people themselves. As globalization proceeds apace in the twenty-first century it is also more important than ever to preserve unique local and regional traditions. In many cases these books describe ways of eating that have already begun to disappear or have been seriously transformed by modernity. To know how and why these losses occur today also enables us to decide what tradi tions, whether from our own heritage or that of others, we wish to keep alive. These books are thus not only about the food and culture of peoples around the world, but also about ourselves and who we hope to be. Ken Albala University of the Pacific Writing this book has been a challenge and a pleasure at the same time. A challenge, because great efforts were necessary to compress the vast infor mation represented by the food culture of more than 12 countries. And a pleasure, because for years I have been dedicated to the study of this topic and because, as a South American, I am pleased to be given the opportu nity to spread this culture in the United States. Many people have made contributions to this book. It would be impossible to mention them all, but I want to refer to some of them either by name or in a general way, to all of whom I express my most sincere gratitude. Both the editor of this se ries, Ken Albala, and the acquisitions editor of Greenwood Press, Wendi Schnaufer, not only allowed me to be the author of this book, but also patiently read each of the chapters, making suggestions and encouraging me constantly throughout the work. I particularly want to express my pro found appreciation for the contribution of the numerous friends—experts on the gastronomy of the different South American countries—who have conversed with me during the journeys I have undertaken for a number of years to the different zones of the continent. I must also express my gratitude to two persons who worked as my research assistants, namely Cordelia Arias Toledo and Marilyn Sivira, who were also involved in the transcription of the manuscript. Similarly, I need to mention Ainoa Lar rauri, whom I hired to translate the manuscript—a task she performed to my satisfaction. I had fruitful long talks with her aimed at guaranteeing X Acknowledgments that the English version accurately expressed my ideas and the informa tion I had gathered. I also want to thank Graciela Valery de Velez, among other people, for help with recipes. I hope I have fulfilled the objective of spreading the South American food culture, while I assume the entire responsibility for any possible defects of my work. Introduction Giving a detailed account of South American food culture is a challeng ing task. This continent comprises more than 10 countries, its inhabitants do not all speak the same language, and the food traditions of the different societies vary in some ways. People's diets are not only the result of certain traditions—cultural heritage, cooking techniques, and so on—but they are also strongly related to the geographical environment. The vast South American continent can roughly be divided into four large zones, taking into consideration geographical and cultural characteristics: the Andes, the Llanos and Pampas, Amazonia, and the coastal areas. The Andean region starts from western Venezuela and runs in a southerly direction along Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, down to Tierra del Fuego. The Andes can be considered South America's backbone. They feature a great number of mountains, plateaus, hillsides, and valleys. Countless rivers run from their highlands, while perennial snows cover their summits. Almost all climates can be found in this elon gated region, from hot to cold. It was the cradle of the only urban cultures that existed in the region in pre-Hispanic times and, traditionally, the place where the largest number of inhabitants would settle. Headquarters of the most developed agricultural systems in ancient South America, the Andes are the birthplace of the potato, which is a staple food of the con tinent, and the place where corn and beans were grown—two key foods that were never totally displaced despite the transculturation process that took place with the arrival of the Europeans.
Description:The list of books you might like
