Overview
Available for the first time in English, Cruz Miguel Ortiz Cuadra's magisterial history of the foods and eating habits of Puerto Rico unfolds into an examination of Puerto Rican society from the Spanish conquest to the present. Each chapter is centered on an iconic Puerto Rican foodstuff, from rice and cornmeal to beans, roots, herbs, fish, and meat. Ortiz shows how their production and consumption connects with race, ethnicity, gender, social class, and cultural appropriation in Puerto Rico. Using a multidisciplinary approach and a sweeping array of sources, Ortiz asks whether Puerto Ricans really still are what they ate. Whether judging by a host of social and economic factors - or by the foods once eaten that have now disappeared - Ortiz concludes that the nature of daily life in Puerto Rico has experienced a sea change.
Reviews
Cruz Miguel Ort&305; z Cuadra grounds culinary culture in the logistics of conquest and colonization; migration; gender, class, and racialized struggles; climate and soil fertility; technological advances in cultivation, preservation, and transport; and the ebbs and flows of market exchanges and financial investments. Ort&305;z Cuadra employs an impressive range of sources and has creatively put together a multidisciplinary methodological apparatus to meet the challenge of historicizing symbolic practices such as taste, food preferences, and national belonging. In sum, Ort&305;z Cuadra provides an innovative introduction to the histories of colonialism, struggle, and cultural hybridization that is useful in the classroom and beyond--Hispanic American Historical Review An important contribution to the social and cultural history of the Caribbean.--The Historian A feast for the mind . . . . highly readable and frequently entertaining.--Journal of Latin American Geography Well translated. . . . Recommended. All levels/libraries.--Choice [Ortiz Cuadra] is a man dedicated to understanding and exploring the precise spot where food and history intersect en la isla del encanto.--NBC Latino Cruz Miguel Ortiz Cuadra's innovative methodology relies on primary sources, such as menus at religious convents, hospitals, prisons, and public schools; home economics class records; and cookbooks. The book is an important contribution to the social and cultural history of the Caribbean and may also be fruitful as a primary source for studies of colonialism, Third World poverty, and underdevelopment.--The Historian A great resource for scholars focusing on food in the Caribbean.--Food, Culture and Society: An International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Engaging and well-written....provides valuable insights into the connection between food and identity.--Journal of American Culture Well researched, with an accessible organization, engaging writing, and plenty of data . . . will be useful for food scholars, educated audiences, and lay readers.--New West Indian Guide As much as Oriz Cuadra succeeds in demythologizing the basic staples of Puerto Rican cuuisine by explaining how rice, benas, cornmeal, codfish, beef, and pork arrived on the island and how they became as popular ad they did, he also skillfully deconstucts the category of Puerto Rican into multiple populations defined by gender, rural vs. urban, literacy and education levels, laboring class, immigrant or island-born, government vs. private sector, and colonizer or colonized, among others.--American Historical Review Charming and learned . . . [but] also bittersweet. . . . One ends up wondering whether, finally, the question has to be: 'Who really determines what choices are available?'--Sidney W. Mintz, Gastronomica Innovative work on Puerto Rico. . . . A food-centered history.--The Americas Ortiz treats his subject with respect and academic rigor. Ortiz's primary research is as impressive as his mastery of relevant secondary literature, and he provides a model for how best to exploit the archives to construct his food history.--Reviews in American History
Cruz Miguel Ort&305;z Cuadra grounds culinary culture in the logistics of conquest and colonization; migration; gender, class, and racialized struggles; climate and soil fertility; technological advances in cultivation, preservation, and transport; and the ebbs and flows of market exchanges and financial investments. Ort&305;z Cuadra employs an impressive range of sources and has creatively put together a multidisciplinary methodological apparatus to meet the challenge of historicizing symbolic practices such as taste, food preferences, and national belonging. In sum, Ort&305;z Cuadra provides an innovative introduction to the histories of colonialism, struggle, and cultural hybridization that is useful in the classroom and beyond--Hispanic American Historical Review As much as Oriz Cuadra succeeds in demythologizing the basic staples of Puerto Rican cuuisine by explaining how rice, benas, cornmeal, codfish, beef, and pork arrived on the island and how they became as popular ad they did, he also skillfully deconstucts the category of Puerto Rican into multiple populations defined by gender, rural vs. urban, literacy and education levels, laboring class, immigrant or island-born, government vs. private sector, and colonizer or colonized, among others.--American Historical Review [Ortiz Cuadra] is a man dedicated to understanding and exploring the precise spot where food and history intersect en la isla del encanto.--NBC Latino A feast for the mind . . . . highly readable and frequently entertaining.--Journal of Latin American Geography A great resource for scholars focusing on food in the Caribbean.--Food, Culture and Society: An International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research An important contribution to the social and cultural history of the Caribbean.--The Historian Charming and learned . . . [but] also bittersweet. . . . One ends up wondering whether, finally, the question has to be: 'Who really determines what choices are available?'--Sidney W. Mintz, Gastronomica Cruz Miguel Ortiz Cuadra's innovative methodology relies on primary sources, such as menus at religious convents, hospitals, prisons, and public schools; home economics class records; and cookbooks. The book is an important contribution to the social and cultural history of the Caribbean and may also be fruitful as a primary source for studies of colonialism, Third World poverty, and underdevelopment.--The Historian Engaging and well-written....provides valuable insights into the connection between food and identity.--Journal of American Culture Innovative work on Puerto Rico. . . . A food-centered history.--The Americas Ortiz treats his subject with respect and academic rigor. Ortiz's primary research is as impressive as his mastery of relevant secondary literature, and he provides a model for how best to exploit the archives to construct his food history.--Reviews in American History Well researched, with an accessible organization, engaging writing, and plenty of data . . . will be useful for food scholars, educated audiences, and lay readers.--New West Indian Guide Well translated. . . . Recommended. All levels/libraries.--Choice
Engaging and well-written .provides valuable insights into the connection between food and identity.-- Journal of American Culture
<i> Cruz Miguel Ort&</i>305;z Cuadra grounds culinary culture in the logistics of conquest and colonization; migration; gender, class, and racialized struggles; climate and soil fertility; technological advances in cultivation, preservation, and transport; and the ebbs and flows of market exchanges and financial investments. Ort&</i>305;z Cuadra employs an impressive range of sources and has creatively put together a multidisciplinary methodological apparatus to meet the challenge of historicizing symbolic practices such as taste, food preferences, and national belonging. In sum, Ort&</i>305;z Cuadra provides an innovative introduction to the histories of colonialism, struggle, and cultural hybridization that is useful in the classroom and beyond--</i>Hispanic American Historical Review</i>
Cruz Miguel Ort&305;z Cuadra grounds culinary culture in the logistics of conquest and colonization; migration; gender, class, and racialized struggles; climate and soil fertility; technological advances in cultivation, preservation, and transport; and the ebbs and flows of market exchanges and financial investments. Ort&305;z Cuadra employs an impressive range of sources and has creatively put together a multidisciplinary methodological apparatus to meet the challenge of historicizing symbolic practices such as taste, food preferences, and national belonging. In sum, Ort&305;z Cuadra provides an innovative introduction to the histories of colonialism, struggle, and cultural hybridization that is useful in the classroom and beyond--Hispanic American Historical Review
Cruz Miguel Ort&305; z Cuadra grounds culinary culture in the logistics of conquest and colonization; migration; gender, class, and racialized struggles; climate and soil fertility; technological advances in cultivation, preservation, and transport; and the ebbs and flows of market exchanges and financial investments. Ort&305;z Cuadra employs an impressive range of sources and has creatively put together a multidisciplinary methodological apparatus to meet the challenge of historicizing symbolic practices such as taste, food preferences, and national belonging. In sum, Ort&305;z Cuadra provides an innovative introduction to the histories of colonialism, struggle, and cultural hybridization that is useful in the classroom and beyond--Hispanic American Historical Review An important contribution to the social and cultural history of the Caribbean.--The Historian A feast for the mind . . . . highly readable and frequently entertaining.--Journal of Latin American Geography Charming and learned . . . [but] also bittersweet. . . . One ends up wondering whether, finally, the question has to be: 'Who really determines what choices are available?'--Sidney W. Mintz, Gastronomica A great resource for scholars focusing on food in the Caribbean.--Food, Culture and Society: An International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Engaging and well-written....provides valuable insights into the connection between food and identity.--Journal of American Culture Ortiz treats his subject with respect and academic rigor. Ortiz's primary research is as impressive as his mastery of relevant secondary literature, and he provides a model for how best to exploit the archives to construct his food history.--Reviews in American History As much as Oriz Cuadra succeeds in demythologizing the basic staples of Puerto Rican cuuisine by explaining how rice, benas, cornmeal, codfish, beef, and pork arrived on the island and how they became as popular ad they did, he also skillfully deconstucts the category of Puerto Rican into multiple populations defined by gender, rural vs. urban, literacy and education levels, laboring class, immigrant or island-born, government vs. private sector, and colonizer or colonized, among others.--American Historical Review Well translated. . . . Recommended. All levels/libraries.--Choice [Ortiz Cuadra] is a man dedicated to understanding and exploring the precise spot where food and history intersect en la isla del encanto.--NBC Latino Cruz Miguel Ortiz Cuadra's innovative methodology relies on primary sources, such as menus at religious convents, hospitals, prisons, and public schools; home economics class records; and cookbooks. The book is an important contribution to the social and cultural history of the Caribbean and may also be fruitful as a primary source for studies of colonialism, Third World poverty, and underdevelopment.--The Historian Innovative work on Puerto Rico. . . . A food-centered history.--The Americas Well researched, with an accessible organization, engaging writing, and plenty of data . . . will be useful for food scholars, educated audiences, and lay readers.--New West Indian Guide
Cruz Miguel Ort&305;z Cuadra grounds culinary culture in the logistics of conquest and colonization; migration; gender, class, and racialized struggles; climate and soil fertility; technological advances in cultivation, preservation, and transport; and the ebbs and flows of market exchanges and financial investments. Ort&305;z Cuadra employs an impressive range of sources and has creatively put together a multidisciplinary methodological apparatus to meet the challenge of historicizing symbolic practices such as taste, food preferences, and national belonging. In sum, Ort&305;z Cuadra provides an innovative introduction to the histories of colonialism, struggle, and cultural hybridization that is useful in the classroom and beyond--Hispanic American Historical Review A feast for the mind . . . . highly readable and frequently entertaining.--Journal of Latin American Geography [Ortiz Cuadra] is a man dedicated to understanding and exploring the precise spot where food and history intersect en la isla del encanto.--NBC Latino Charming and learned . . . [but] also bittersweet. . . . One ends up wondering whether, finally, the question has to be: 'Who really determines what choices are available?'--Sidney W. Mintz, Gastronomica Innovative work on Puerto Rico. . . . A food-centered history.--The Americas Well researched, with an accessible organization, engaging writing, and plenty of data . . . will be useful for food scholars, educated audiences, and lay readers.--New West Indian Guide Ortiz treats his subject with respect and academic rigor. Ortiz's primary research is as impressive as his mastery of relevant secondary literature, and he provides a model for how best to exploit the archives to construct his food history.--Reviews in American History An important contribution to the social and cultural history of the Caribbean.--The Historian As much as Oriz Cuadra succeeds in demythologizing the basic staples of Puerto Rican cuuisine by explaining how rice, benas, cornmeal, codfish, beef, and pork arrived on the island and how they became as popular ad they did, he also skillfully deconstucts the category of Puerto Rican into multiple populations defined by gender, rural vs. urban, literacy and education levels, laboring class, immigrant or island-born, government vs. private sector, and colonizer or colonized, among others.--American Historical Review Well translated. . . . Recommended. All levels/libraries.--Choice Cruz Miguel Ortiz Cuadra's innovative methodology relies on primary sources, such as menus at religious convents, hospitals, prisons, and public schools; home economics class records; and cookbooks. The book is an important contribution to the social and cultural history of the Caribbean and may also be fruitful as a primary source for studies of colonialism, Third World poverty, and underdevelopment.--The Historian A great resource for scholars focusing on food in the Caribbean.--Food, Culture and Society: An International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Engaging and well-written....provides valuable insights into the connection between food and identity.--Journal of American Culture
Well researched, with an accessible organization, engaging writing, and plenty of data . . . will be useful for food scholars, educated audiences, and lay readers.-- New West Indian Guide
Innovative work on Puerto Rico. . . . A food-centered history. -- The Americas Cruz Miguel Ort&305;z Cuadra grounds culinary culture in the logistics of conquest and colonization; migration; gender, class, and racialized struggles; climate and soil fertility; technological advances in cultivation, preservation, and transport; and the ebbs and flows of market exchanges and financial investments. Ort&305;z Cuadra employs an impressive range of sources and has creatively put together a multidisciplinary methodological apparatus to meet the challenge of historicizing symbolic practices such as taste, food preferences, and national belonging. In sum, Ort&305;z Cuadra provides an innovative introduction to the histories of colonialism, struggle, and cultural hybridization that is useful in the classroom and beyond--Hispanic American Historical Review An important contribution to the social and cultural history of the Caribbean.--The Historian As much as Oriz Cuadra succeeds in demythologizing the basic staples of Puerto Rican cuuisine by explaining how rice, benas, cornmeal, codfish, beef, and pork arrived on the island and how they became as popular ad they did, he also skillfully deconstucts the category of Puerto Rican into multiple populations defined by gender, rural vs. urban, literacy and education levels, laboring class, immigrant or island-born, government vs. private sector, and colonizer or colonized, among others.--American Historical Review A feast for the mind . . . . highly readable and frequently entertaining.--Journal of Latin American Geography Well translated. . . . Recommended. All levels/libraries.--Choice [Ortiz Cuadra] is a man dedicated to understanding and exploring the precise spot where food and history intersect en la isla del encanto.--NBC Latino Charming and learned . . . [but] also bittersweet. . . . One ends up wondering whether, finally, the question has to be: 'Who really determines what choices are available?'--Sidney W. Mintz, Gastronomica Cruz Miguel Ortiz Cuadra's innovative methodology relies on primary sources, such as menus at religious convents, hospitals, prisons, and public schools; home economics class records; and cookbooks. The book is an important contribution to the social and cultural history of the Caribbean and may also be fruitful as a primary source for studies of colonialism, Third World poverty, and underdevelopment.--The Historian A great resource for scholars focusing on food in the Caribbean.--Food, Culture and Society: An International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Innovative work on Puerto Rico. . . . A food-centered history.--The Americas Engaging and well-written....provides valuable insights into the connection between food and identity.--Journal of American Culture Well researched, with an accessible organization, engaging writing, and plenty of data . . . will be useful for food scholars, educated audiences, and lay readers.--New West Indian Guide Ortiz treats his subject with respect and academic rigor. Ortiz's primary research is as impressive as his mastery of relevant secondary literature, and he provides a model for how best to exploit the archives to construct his food history.--Reviews in American History Engaging and well-written .provides valuable insights into the connection between food and identity.--Journal of American Culture Cruz Miguel Ort& 305;z Cuadra grounds culinary culture in the logistics of conquest and colonization; migration; gender, class, and racialized struggles; climate and soil fertility; technological advances in cultivation, preservation, and transport; and the ebbs and flows of market exchanges and financial investments. Ort& 305;z Cuadra employs an impressive range of sources and has creatively put together a multidisciplinary methodological apparatus to meet the challenge of historicizing symbolic practices such as taste, food preferences, and national belonging. In sum, Ort& 305;z Cuadra provides an innovative introduction to the histories of colonialism, struggle, and cultural hybridization that is useful in the classroom and beyond-- Hispanic American Historical Review A feast for the mind . . . . highly readable and frequently entertaining.-- Journal of Latin American Geography A great resource for scholars focusing on food in the Caribbean.-- Food, Culture and Society: An International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research A feast for the mind . . . . highly readable and frequently entertaining.-- Journal of Latin American Geography [Ortiz Cuadra] is a man dedicated to understanding and exploring the precise spot where food and history intersect en la isla del encanto. --NBC Latino Charming and learned . . . [but] also bittersweet. . . . One ends up wondering whether, finally, the question has to be: 'Who really determines what choices are available?' --Sidney W. Mintz, Gastronomica Well translated. . . . Recommended. All levels/libraries. -- Choice
