Food Culture in South America (Food Culture around the World)

This volume tells the story of the South Americans and their history through a survey of their food culture. Food in the various countries differs in some ways because of cultural heritage, cooking techniques, and geography, here divided into four zones. The traditions of the primary groups?€”Indians, Europeans, and Africans?€”and their five centuries of mixing have still resulted in a stable food culture. The foods of the Indians before European contact still play an important role, along with other foods brought by successive immigrant groups. Europeans tried to establish their staples, wheat and wine, with little success. Many dishes, cooking methods, and food habits have survived with little modification since time immemorial.Students and other readers will learn much about the South American foodways in daily life today, with special attention paid to historical perspective and any rural and urban differences. For example, in all the major cultural groups, food preparation and cooking have always been women's work, with the exception of the meat roast (asado) by llaneros and gauchos. The rise of the cooking profession is discussed as well. A fascinating look at the daily meal schedule includes insight in to how the European conquerors imposed their eating habits and encouraged overeating, with the abundance found in the New World. Modern life is shown to affect where people eat, as buying meals, often from street vendors, during the workday has become more of a necessity. The survey includes a discussion of special occasions, including agricultural celebrations and Catholic feasts with indigenous elements. The overview is completed by a chapter on diet and health, covering such topics as botanical knowledge and science and an assessment of the nutritional value of the South American staples. Classic recipes from many of the countries and illustrations complement the narrative. This volume tells the story of the South Americans and their history through a survey of their food culture. Food in the various countries differs in some ways because of cultural heritage, cooking techniques, and geography, here divided into four zones. The traditions of the primary groupsIndians, Europeans, and Africansand their five centuries of mixing have still resulted in a stable food culture. The foods of the Indians before European contact still play an important role, along with other foods brought by successive immigrant groups. Europeans tried to establish their staples, wheat and wine, with little success. Many dishes, cooking methods, and food habits have survived with little modification since time immemorial. Students and other readers will learn much about the South American foodways in daily life today, with special attention paid to historical perspective and any rural and urban differences. For example, in all the major cultural groups, food preparation and cooking have always been women's work, with the exception of the meat roast (asado) by llaneros and gauchos. The rise of the cooking profession is discussed as well. A fascinating look at the daily meal schedule includes insight in to how the European conquerors imposed their eating habits and encouraged overeating, with the abundance found in the New World. Modern life is shown to affect where people eat, as buying meals, often from street vendors, during the workday has become more of a necessity. The survey includes a discussion of special occasions, including agricultural celebrations and Catholic feasts with indigenous elements. The overview is completed by a chapter on diet and health, covering such topics as botanical knowledge and science and an assessment of the nutritional value of the South American staples. Classic recipes from many of the countries and illustrations complement the narrative. Tells the story of the South Americans and their history through a survey of their food culture This volume tells the story of the people of South America and their history through a survey of their food culture. The cuisines of the various countries differ because of cultural heritage, cooking techniques and geography, and here they are divided into four zones. The traditions of the primary groups - Indians, Europeans, and Africans - and their five centuries of mixing have resulted in a stable food culture. The foods of the Indians before European contact still play an important role, along with other foods brought by successive immigrant groups. Europeans tried to establish their staples, wheat and wine, with little success. Many dishes, cooking methods, and food habits have survived with little modification since time immemorial. Students and other readers will learn much about South American food culture in daily life today, with special attention paid to historical perspective and rural and urban differences. The role of women in food preparation is discussed, along with the male cult of the meat roast (asado) among llaneros and gauchos (cowboys). The rise of the cooking profession is discussed, as well as the impact of the European conquerors on eating habits, the role of religious festivals and special occasions, and the effect of modern life on food traditions. The overview is completed by a chapter on diet and health, covering such topics as botanical knowledge, science, and nutrition. Classic recipes from many of the countries and illustrations complement the narrative This volumetells the story of South Americans and their history through a survey of their food culture. Food in the various countries differs in some ways because of cultural heritage, cooking techniques and geography, here divided into four zones. The traditions of the primary groups-Indians, Europeans, and Africans-have resulted in a complex food culture. A fascinating look at the daily meal schedule includes insight into how the European conquerors imposed their eating habits and encouraged overeating. Modern life is shown to affect where people eat, as buying meals, often from street vendors, during the workday has become more of a necessity for urbanites. The survey includes a discussion of special occasions, including agricultural celebrations and Catholic feasts with indigenous elements. The overview is completed by a chapter on diet and health, covering such topics as botanical knowledge and science and an assessment of the nutritional value of the South American staples. Classic recipes and illustrations complement the narrative.

What you can get, how you prepare it, how you serve it and to whom, and what you think about it pretty much sums up our relationship with food, but in South America each step has its own myths, lore, and intention, depending on location (primarily the Andes, the Llanos and Pampas, Amazonia and the coastal areas) and situation, including the religious and social calendar. Lovera (history, U. Central de Venezuela), who is also the director of a program that trains chefs and promotes South American gastronomy, gives an extensive overview of why certain foods are prepared in certain ways and includes a very interesting chapter on perceptions about health and diet, along with photographs, maps, and a collection of complete menus for meals with recipes. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR