L’espace social alimentaire d’un village provençal : vivre une cuisine régionale au quotidien
The concept of a 6-fold ‘social landscape of foodways’ (l’espace social alimentaire) was designed to facilitate the analysis of the social aspects of food practices. When analyzed in this manner, regional culinary practices come to be understood through the daily experiences of local people, and it becomes clear that the promotion of regional cuisine is often based on iconic food products that are not necessarily consumed on a daily basis. In the village of Sault, located in a part of Provence that has remained largely off the beaten path of mainstream tourism, I examined the food practices of local Provencal residents. Do their practices correspond to the image of Provencal cuisine that is so often promoted within culinary circles and the mass media? In examining the social aspects of Sault’s foodways, I discuss the specific elements that make up the community’s food practices: a Provencal identity through a micro-regional discourse and French customs.
Anthropology Regional cuisine France Provence Identity Ethnology Espace social alimentaire Social landscape of foodways