Restaurants as scientific research centers for study and conservation of traditional food culture: the new experimental experience of Sicily
Keywords:
Sicily, traditional cuisine, scientific centers for the study of food, restaurants, experimental approach to the study of tradition, reconstruction and support of the food traditionsAbstract
At present, the kitchen is getting increased attention from researchers not only as a unity of specific elements of material culture, but also as a set of cultural codes of a certain ethnic community, as a means of its self-identification and consolidating the element of identity of its representatives. For this reason, many countries have embarked on the search and preservation of authentic alimentary heritage. It is interesting to look at the unusual experience Sicily has in preserving and reviving local food traditions with a strong focus on authenticity, i. e. freedom from cultural borrowings. Many restaurants have been turned into research centers staffed with researchers. They play a leading role in carrying out serious scientific studies of the local alimentary traditions, including field research. They cooperate with universities and research institutions, invest part of their income in research, publish papers, and teach ethnography to restaurateurs. In these centers of reconstruction of the traditions, the kitchen and the dining area work as “demonstration space” to display the outcomes of these studies.
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