Food as a sign of cultural identity In the Eighteen Century written works about Aleppo

Abstract

Objectives: This paper examines the relationship between food and cultural identity and follows its transformations during the second half of the eighteenth century, according to what was mentioned in the written works related to the city of Aleppo.

Methods: Two diverse works are analyzed: "The Natural History of Aleppo in the Eighteenth Century" by the Russell Brothers, English physicians accompanying the British trade delegation, and "The Book of Tourism" by Hanna Diab, an Aleppo translator accompanying the French King Louis XIV's representative. We investigate food-related aspects in local culture, behaviors, table manners, and rituals, particularly with religious backgrounds, correlating them with identity shifts.

Results: We found differences in the focus on types of food, and the distinction in table manners between the three main religious sectors in Aleppo: Muslims, Christians, and Jews, which indicates to the priority of religious distinction. Then we found a distinction in the food of Europeans who represent (the other) in front of the local population, which refers to the presence of two awareness of the concept of identity in That era: religious identity and national identity.

Conclusion: The main reference for food in the early period was religion, and it affected the determination of the food’s type, availability, rituals, and method of preparation, then food became an indicator of national identity, as the discrimination in food, etiquette, and method of preparation accrued became between Arabs and Europeans. This is because of the relationship with the other through trips or the colonial movement.