A Pot Where Many Worlds Fit: Culinary Relations in the Andes of Northern Argentina

• DOI: 10.18441/ind.v35i2.271-296
• Publication Date: 2018-12-17
• Authors: Francisco Pazzarelli; Verónica S. Lema
• Keywords: Sociality; Phenomenon

Many ethnographies in the Andean region recognize importance of indigenous cuisine constitution social relations that define groups, and central place commensality both between people other types beings (non-humans) have defining networks connecting specific ‘worlds’. In this ethnographic essay, we consider as ‘culinary’ all those which deal, logically materially, with transformation substances bodies connect different under general code ingesting commensality. Following our research aboriginal community Huachichocana, located Jujuy, Northwestern Argentina (Southern Andes), work reconstructs how local culinary is deeply interwoven logics ‘mutual nurturing’ ( crianza mutua ) bear sociality links flows humans non-humans. We present situations world emerges from these experiences susceptible to dis-encounters worlds being seen enacted by ‘outsiders’ or ‘insiders’ nurturing relations, considering disencounters can be understood “equivocations” (Viveiros de Castro 2004). The coexistence – sides equivocations unfold leads us appeal “cosmopolitical proposal” Stengers (2005) possibility “partial connections” following Strathern (2004), order think disencountered cohabit collide, at same time necessaries understand a phenomenon first glance seem simple food.