Food studies in spanish

Current research in gastronomy and communication

Abstract

The edited volume Food Studies en español. Investigación actual en gastronomía y comunicación, edited by Yanet Acosta and Rebecca Ingram, represents a key contribution to the consolidation of gastronomy and communication studies within Spanish academia. Starting from the observation that food studies remains underrepresented in academic research in Spain, the book adopts an interdisciplinary approach inspired by cultural studies, with particular attention to issues of identity, gender, power, heritage, and communication. Written entirely in Spanish and bringing together contributors from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, the volume fosters the development of academic networks across the Spanish-speaking world and serves as a highly valuable pedagogical resource.

The chapters address both theoretical and methodological foundations—such as cultural studies, the feminist potential of food studies, the analysis of recipes as texts, and the concept of food heritage—as well as case studies that illustrate these approaches. These include historical cookbooks, gastronomic archives, culinary journalism, literature by racialized authors, and analyses of visual culture. Throughout the volume, particular emphasis is placed on the central role of women, minorities, and everyday forms of knowledge in the construction of food cultures, as well as on the political dimensions of archives, tourism, and representation.

Taken as a whole, the book presents itself as an open and “hospitable” invitation to researchers, educators, and students to recognize gastronomy as a fertile field of academic inquiry, characterized by methodological diversity and a strong critical commitment, further reinforced by its availability in open access.