The Spanish colonization of the Americas is unquestionably one of the largest factors in shaping that region’s unique and complex food culture. Modern South American cuisine has an instantly recognizable flavor, characterized by a combination of traditional American staple crops as well as imported Spanish goods. Before the arrival of Spanish colonists, the majority of Mesoamerican cuisines were centered on simple rice-and-bean dishes, but after the introduction of domesticated for-food livestock, meat and poultry plates became much more popular among Native American groups. After only a few generations, Spanish crops and goods manifested themselves at the heart of many South American nations’ most basic foods, cementing together the backgrounds of both the Spanish colonists and the indigenous people. Despite the almost seamless nature with which two opposing culinary styles were able to mold together, this hasn’t been the case for all western people. Several nations in the heart of Mesoamerica, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, and most noticeably Nicaragua, have managed to retain a traditional, untainted style of cooking.
In 1524, Francisco Hernando de Cordoba established Granada and Leon, the first two permanent Spanish colonies in Nicaragua. At this time, the majority of people living near the Andean border of Nicaragua was working as self-sufficient farmers, and lived together in multi-family hamlets. Along with the variety of new spices and goods however, came an illness that wiped out almost all the Nicaraguan natives, and allowed many Columbians to travel north into Nicaragua. This near-extinction drastically upset the racial balance within Nicaragua – with such a drastic drop in ethnic Mayans, the most common ethnicity became mestizo, a mix of Mayan and white European.
In the midst of researching the development of cooking styles and techniques in Central America, I’ve begun to realize that nutritional anthropology, the study of foods’ effects on a particular ethnic, social, or geographic group, is hardly at the forefront of anthropological research. Many of the books and journals I’ve read will cover the lasting effects of colonialism and the American conquests, but only make a slight mention of its effects on the home front or the dinner table. Because of this I’m relying heavily on my own experiences with Nicaraguan cuisine, as well as the interviews I conducted with both Nicaraguans and other Central American citizens while working there. While I’m glad because experiencing the limited information available has helped me to consider what is and is not necessary to include for my specific reading audience, it has been grueling at times to pick through volumes for a passage about gallo pinto or a few sentences that make a mention of carne asada.
The Spanish colonization of the Americas is unquestionably one of the largest factors in shaping that region’s unique and complex food culture. Modern South American cuisine has an instantly recognizable flavor, characterized by a combination of traditional American staple crops as well as imported Spanish goods. Before the arrival of Spanish colonists, the majority of Mesoamerican cuisines were centered on simple rice-and-bean dishes, but after the introduction of domesticated for-food livestock, meat and poultry plates became much more popular among Native American groups. After only a few generations, Spanish crops and goods manifested themselves at the heart of many South American nations’ most basic foods, cementing together the backgrounds of both the Spanish colonists and the indigenous people. Despite the almost seamless nature with which two opposing culinary styles were able to mold together, this hasn’t been the case for all western people. Several nations in the heart of Mesoamerica, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, and most noticeably Nicaragua, have managed to retain a traditional, untainted style of cooking.
In 1524, Francisco Hernando de Cordoba established Granada and Leon, the first two permanent Spanish colonies in Nicaragua. At this time, the majority of people living near the Andean border of Nicaragua was working as self-sufficient farmers, and lived together in multi-family hamlets. Along with the variety of new spices and goods however, came an illness that wiped out almost all the Nicaraguan natives, and allowed many Columbians to travel north into Nicaragua. This near-extinction drastically upset the racial balance within Nicaragua – with such a drastic drop in ethnic Mayans, the most common ethnicity became mestizo, a mix of Mayan and white European.
In the midst of researching the development of cooking styles and techniques in Central America, I’ve begun to realize that nutritional anthropology, the study of foods’ effects on a particular ethnic, social, or geographic group, is hardly at the forefront of anthropological research. Many of the books and journals I’ve read will cover the lasting effects of colonialism and the American conquests, but only make a slight mention of its effects on the home front or the dinner table. Because of this I’m relying heavily on my own experiences with Nicaraguan cuisine, as well as the interviews I conducted with both Nicaraguans and other Central American citizens while working there. While I’m glad because experiencing the limited information available has helped me to consider what is and is not necessary to include for my specific reading audience, it has been grueling at times to pick through volumes for a passage about gallo pinto or a few sentences that make a mention of carne asada.