Gastronativism: Food, Identity, Politics

The Italian political right is outraged by halal tortellini and a pork-free lasagna served at the Vatican. In India, Hindu fundamentalists organize attacks on Muslims who sell beef. European anti-immigrant politicians denounce couscous and kebabs. In an era of nationalist and exclusionary movements, food has become a potent symbol of identity. Why has eating become so politically charged-and can the emotions surrounding food be redirected in a healthier direction?

Fabio Parasecoli identifies and defines the phenomenon of "gastronativism," the ideological use of food to advance ideas about who belongs to a community and who does not. As globalization and neoliberalism have transformed food systems, people have responded by seeking to return to their roots. Many have embraced local ingredients and notions of cultural heritage, but this impulse can play into the hands of nationalist and xenophobic political projects. Such movements draw on the strong emotions connected with eating to stoke resentment and contempt for other people and cultures.

Parasecoli emphasizes that gastronativism is a worldwide phenomenon, even as it often purports to oppose local aspects and consequences of globalization. He also explores how to channel pride in culinary traditions toward resisting transnational corporations, uplifting marginalized and oppressed groups, and assisting people left behind by globalization. Featuring a wide array of examples from all over the world, Gastronativism is a timely, incisive, and lively analysis of how and why food has become a powerful political tool.

Review: Fabio Parasecoli draws on his deep international experience in this thoughtful analysis of how food gets ensnared in political ideology to separate "us" from "them." Gastronativism argues convincingly that food systems are indeed global, and the sooner we get those systems to bring people together, the better. -- Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health
This timely book clearly shows how foods have become tangible tools for people's frustrations with global social change. Parasecoli unpacks the 'gastronativist' demands and actions of people and communities who use food to score political points, stoke vicious resentment, and resist globalization. His engaging and readable prose helps us understand the bitterness that can season contemporary food politics. -- Michaela DeSoucey, author of Contested Tastes: Foie Gras and the Politics of Food
This book coins and explains the concept of gastronativism to help us understand how and why food has transformed into a powerful ideological tool. Using a wide array of timely examples from all over the world, Parasecoli shows how food is increasingly invoked in efforts to construct ideas of an 'Us' and a 'Them,' offering an important framework for understanding the ways food and identity-making intersect in our globalized world. -- Emma McDonell, coauthor of Critical Approaches to Superfoods