Foods Shape Cultural Identity

Like other immigrant enclaves around the world, a Puerto Rican community in Hartford, Connecticut, has created a home away from home through a cuisine so authentic it caught the attention of scientists.

Botany researchers recently took a close look at the fresh crops in the Puerto Rican markets of Hartford and uncovered evidence that gives new meaning to a familiar phrases: home is in the kitchen.

"Culinary preferences tell us a good deal about human culture, what is important, and what constitutes a feeling of well-being," says David W. Taylor of the University of Portland. "As biologists, and specifically as botanists, what really struck us was the diversity of fresh plant crops, mostly of subtropical/tropical origin, that were available in ethnic markets in the northern U.S."

"The similarities between the market foods in temperate Hartford and tropical Puerto Rico demonstrate the great cultural value that the Puerto Rican community places on its cuisine — which they have recreated after moving to a climatically, culturally, and agriculturally different environment," explains Gregory J. Anderson of the University of Connecticut. "This shows that everyone has a commitment to cultural foundations, and food is one of the most important."

Like their ancestors who immigrated from Europe, Africa, and Asia with favorite foodstuffs, the Puerto Ricans of Hartford have maintained cuisine as an important component of their identity. Such a strong relationship to food has had a profound impact on human health by reshaping environmental biodiversity, influencing the diets of neighbors, and preserving elements of culture.

Over the course of nearly two decades, Taylor and Anderson carefully and patiently measured the diversity of crops in the marketplace, their availability over time, the proportion of market space dedicated to each, and the willingness of consumers to pay for preferred items. The study, published in the American Journal of Botany, includes an analysis of nearly 100 tropical crops and offers a new approach to understanding their meaning.

Results showed that the Puerto Ricans were often willing to pay more for culturally significant crops despite the availability of less-expensive nutritional equivalents. Fresh starchy plants, called viandas, were most essential for re-creating a sense of home. These include true yams, cassava, breadfruit, and malangas. Their preparation - fried, mashed or boiled - was also important.

The researchers' observations identified what they call "Culinary Cultural Conservation," or the preservation of cuisine over time and distance, and "Cultural Keystone Food Groups," or foods that prove to be more vital to the cuisine than others.

These concepts are helping scientists nderstand how market crops are being utilized by migrant communities worldwide and showing how foods shape our identity and create an essential connection to home.

Source:
David W. Taylor and Gregory J. Anderson. Key plants preserve elements of culture: A study over distance and time of fresh crops in Puerto Rican markets in Hartford, Connecticut, "A moveable feast" American Journal of Botany April 2014 101:624-636.

Artwork: Casava
Artwork: Malanga
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