Authentic Anachronisms

Abstract

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Introduction: Losing appetite for the EU? Tensions around food in Central and Eastern Europe

“…As Shkodrova explains in this issue, Bulgarians and Serbs felt ʻEuropean, but not quiteʼ already in the nineteenth century. Similar notions have informed the introduction of radical neoliberal market policies in Lithuania (Blumberg and Mincyte, this issue); inspired a sense of relief in Bulgarian migrants once they qualified as 'desirable migrants' (Ranta and Nancheva, this issue); and prompted Baltic government officials to seek an EU endorsement of their local products as the national cultural heritage (Bardone and Spalvēna, this issue; also see Aistara, 2014).…”

“…Zsuzsa Gille (2016) draws on the work of John and Jean Comaroff (2009) to suggest that the EU constitutes a new identity economy that knits together ethnicity and the market and transforms cultural products into commodities. Geographical indications and food quality schemes are but one legal instrument for commodifying ethnicity and authenticity to create 'European' products (Aistara, 2014;Gille, 2016). Once on the EU map, the 'national' becomes a 'destination' and the foreigner and tourist gaze becomes crucial in sustaining small 'ethnopreneurial' (Comaroff & Comaroff, 2009) ventures.…”

Recognising, Safeguarding, and Promoting Food Heritage: Challenges and Prospects for the Future of Sustainable Food Systems

“…Timothy and Ron [49] (p. 99) include in this definition "a mix of tangible (e.g., ingredients and cooking accoutrements) and intangible (e.g., tastes, smells, recipes and eating traditions) elements that contribute to the cultural values and characteristics of places". A strong emphasis is given to socio-cultural elements attached to the culinary sphere [11,50], its ethnic or national dimension [51], and its role as an identity marker [52]. Some definitions also denote the centrality of the continuity and evolution of practices and knowledge, as well as their intergenerational transmission [53].…”

“…The stress resulting from these events can foster a need to fill a sense of nostalgia for bygone food and culinary worlds [54] to counteract the perceived loss of identity and sense of alienation that stem from these dynamics [50,64,65].…”

“…In some circumstances, legitimisation can lead to the creation of new economic opportunities for local communities (e.g., value chains and food tourism). This can happen when the heritagised element is a food traditionally intended for subsistence or is marketed through informal networks [47,50].…”