Журнал Фронтирных Исследований (Sep 2021)
We Will Feed Our and a New World: Several Cases of Food Ways of Frontier Regions. Part 2
Abstract
This article is the second part of the study of regional foodways. If the first part is devoted to the analysis of the foodscape of Astrakhan, the second part analyzes the food system of the Republic of Peru. The choice of this object of study is based on the frontier nature of the region, the diversity of economic and cultural types, and hybridity. All these factors allow us to compare the ways of formation of the foodways of these regions. The Peruvian alimentary landscape began to form in the 16th century, after the conquest of Peru by the Spanish conquistadors. As a result of mutual influences and struggles between elements of autochthonous and alien cultures, a new "hybrid" phenomenon takes shape. The turning point in the development of national cuisine was in the 1930s, when, as a result of gastropolitical strategies, the government managed to create a food system accessible to the workers of large cities. The opening of “people's restaurants” allowed workers to have calorie-dense food. It also contributed to the creation of a national food system. The search for national identity among the Peruvian elite led to the “discovery” of their national roots. The fact that Peruvian culture was based on natural and ethnic diversity made the country's alimentary system diverse and rich. This process coincided with global trends in the approach to food in the sense of a focus on “simple” and “healthy” peasant foods, as opposed to foods undergone of maximum processing. Ultimately, this was manifested in the creation of a “new Andean cuisine” that embraced Peru's centuries-old traditions and the country's natural diversity. In doing so, Peruvian restaurateurs used both familiar approaches to business and invented new ones that went beyond the culinary arts. As a result of the efforts of many culinary masters and restaurateurs, in competition with internationally renowned culinary brands, a new global culinary brand has been created, recognized around the world.
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