Culinary Nationalism in Asia

(Paperback)

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With culinary nationalism defined as a process in flux, as opposed to the limited concept of national cuisine, the contributors of this book call for explicit critical comparisons of cases of culinary nationalism among Asian regions, with the intention of recognizing patterns of modern culinary development. As a result, the formation of modern cuisine is revealed to be a process that takes place around the world, in different forms and periods, and not exclusive to current Eurocentric models. Key themes include the historical legacies of imperialism/colonialism, nationalism, the Cold War, and global capitalism in Asian cuisines; internal culinary boundaries between genders, ethnicities, social classes, religious groups, and perceived traditions/modernities; and global contexts of Asian cuisines as both nationalist and internationalist enterprises, and "Asia" itself as a vibrant culinary imaginary. The book, which includes a foreword from Krishnendu Ray and an afterword from James L. Watson, sets out a fresh agenda for thinking about future food studies scholarship.

Reviews

This edited collection addresses a topic that is both timely and critical considering the current state of international relations. It contributes to the further refinement of theoretical considerations around the use of food to construct and assert national identities, setting those strategies within historical as well as contemporary contexts. Although it focuses on nations in Asia, its observations are universally relevant, and can be applied to all cultural forms, not just food As such, this volume will become foundational reading in a number of disciplines, including Asian studies, international studies, mobility studies, history, heritage studies, and political science, as well as food studies. * ASFS Book Award Judges *
Gathering a prominent group of scholars and publishing a book on this topic, is quite an accomplishment that definitely puts Dr. Kings name on the list of food scholars. * Food, Culture & Society *
With chapters by leading scholars in Asian food studies, Michelle Kings essential volume takes us beyond the usual accounts of national cuisines as menus of inclusion and exclusion to analyze more diverse expressions of culinary nationalism. * Jeffrey M. Pilcher, University of Toronto, Canada *
This book will be a great discovery to everyone interested in transformation of cuisine and nation-making in modern Asia. It brings readers to understand the meal in the political context for different historical trajectories in various Asian countries. The editor has done a great job by using the framework of culinary nationalism to enhance the vibrant discussions of food in relations to government policy, market consumption, and individual choices with excellent case studies all over Asia. * Sidney C. H. Cheung, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong *
This electric collection of essays offers provocative insights into the dynamics of culinary nationalism across East, Southeast, and South Asia. Bringing together historical work, contemporary sociological analysis, and evocative studies of film and literature, Culinary Nationalism in Asia is redolent of laksa and kimchi alongside beef biryani and zongzi, and will be certain to stimulate lively debate and new work on the complex interplay between food cultures and nation-building. * Ben Siegel, Boston University, USA *
Culinary Nationalism in Asia is a pioneering interdisciplinary work on food and nationalism in Asia. Creatively crossing disciplinary and geographical boundaries, the authors of essays illuminate an extraordinarily wide range of subjects, from religious tradition to scientific nutrition, to military ration, to the high-tech kitchen appliance. This is an outstanding contribution to food studies. * Seung-joon Lee, National University of Singapore, Singapore and author of Gourmets in the Land of Famine (2011) *
The rich culinary diversity in Asia is the focus of Michelle Kings superb collection which sensitively analyses the connection between cuisine and nation. The concept of culinary nationalism revisits previous studies on national cuisine and illuminates geographical, historical and social aspects of cuisine as nations seek recognition for their culinary assets from UNESCO and the Michelin guide. This book is essential reading in sociology, anthropology, history and Asian Studies. * Stephanie Assmann, Hokkaido University, Japan *
This territorially and conceptually ambitious monograph ably interrogates hierarchies and stereotypes of cuisines, ingredients, and tastes through the lens of nation-making, national imaginings, genealogies of belonging and un-belonging in a brilliantly multi-stranded volume that showcases cutting-edge research by established and emerging scholars across an array of disciplines such as anthropology, Asian studies, history, film, geography, food studies, and sociology. * Jayeeta Sharma, University of Toronto, Canada *
This timely, thought-provoking collection deftly interrogates the relationships between foodways, modern nation-making, and the construction of class and ethnic boundaries within and across nations. Geographically spanning East, Southeast, and South Asia, and chronologically reaching from the late 19th century to contemporary times, this excellent volume allow us to comprehend how food-related practices and values have been key arenas for asserting and contesting identities in modern nation-states throughout Asia. * Nancy Stalker, University of Hawaii, USA *

Author Bio

Michelle T. King is Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. She is the author of Between Birth and Death: Female Infanticide in Nineteenth-Century China (2014).