Regional cuisines and “cocineras tradicionales” (traditional female cooks) in the state of Coahuila (Mexico): heritage, social discourses, identities and socioeconomic development
Abstract
The UNESCO designed in 2010 the traditional Mexican cuisine as a cultural model that includes agricultural activities, ritual practices, ancient practical knowledge, culinary techniques and ancestral community behaviours. Traditional female cooks are, by official definition, the recipients and transmitters of this heritage. We carried out fieldwork in the state of Coahuila (NE Mexico) with groups of cocineras in the municipalities of Saltillo, Arteaga and Viesca, where meetings, fairs and festivals of traditional cuisine are currently organized. Specially in Saltillo, capital of the State, and supported by the City Council, the traditional female cooks were recognized as ambassadors of the city for tourism, culture and gastronomy, due to their work in favor of the preservation of the traditional cuisine. In this article we reflect about these activities and we analyse different discourses built around this movement.
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