Comida e diáspora: as práticas aimentares da comunidade macaense no Brasil

Abstract

This dissertation is part of the field of Sociology of Food, specifically, the debate on national food in a diasporic context. The objects of investigation are the food practices of the Macanese community in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. This includes recipes, methods of preparation, ingredients used, and the social contexts in which these practices take place, such as events and community meals. The objective is to investigate how these food practices have been preserved, modified, and reinterpreted as a result of migration and the context of reception, and how they contribute to the maintenance of the Macanese cultural identity. The methodology consists of the application of semi-structured interviews and ethnography around the relationships that this community has around food, with a focus on fourteen months of field research, from October 2023 to December 2024. My hypothesis is that the food practices of the Macanese community in these Brazilian cities undergo adaptations due to the lack of native ingredients and the interaction with other food cultures, but continue to be an essential element in the construction of their cultural identity and traditions. The meal, especially at social events and collective rituals, acts as a space for identity celebration.