The Mediterranean Diet as a Heritage Object
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The Mediterranean Diet as a
Heritage Object
Isabel González Turmo. Universidad de Sevilla
Over the centuries, the exchange of ideas, values and practices in the Mediterranean basin has
developed the eating and culinary habits of the Mediterranean peoples and cultures. Thus, at
present there is a set of complex and interactive food systems in the basin to be identified and
which make up the Mediterranean diet, so valued and recognised worldwide. The safeguarding
of this food and culinary heritage is only possible through an exercise in shared identity. To this
end, consumers on both shores must adopt the role of social actors, responsible for their own
food and cultural wealth.
Food heritage also encompasses objects, sites, it is almost impossible to delimit the territory
practices, representations, expressions, know- which must fully nourish a human population.
ledge and skills, which are the result of the Globalisation has blurred the boundaries which
ongoing historical action of social communities identified food with territory. The defence of
and groups. The daily recreation of such a nec- food heritage cannot be limited, therefore, to
essary activity, in interaction with nature and the protection of determined foods or the terri-
society, has given rise to forms of exploitation, tory in which they are produced. Similarly, an
exchange networks and flows of knowledge, efficient policy cannot be lost in the diversity of
which have promoted human creativity and products within a food system, whatever it is.
communication. Those food ambits capable of representing
Food systems, so threatened by the globali- a symbolic conception of the order of things,
sation of the agrifood market, therefore deserve expressing a valuable message for human-
to be safeguarded as intangible cultural herit- ity, being culturally meaningful, manifesting
age. Only in this way will they be holistically themselves as an acting force, and transcending
considered and preserved. If the argument universally, must be holistically researched and
was only applied to food it would be partial: preserved as intangible cultural heritage. Only
food forms part of heritage, it is a tangible, in this way is it possible to be aware of, protect,
yet perishable, good but diet is more than this. appreciate and promote the cultural richness
Similarly, if the argument was only applied to a that human beings have developed around food.
territory with a specific food system, it would be This is the case of the Mediterranean diet.
incomplete as well as inefficient. Food heritage Mediterranean people have historically
is certainly linked to the defence of the land- based their diet on the exchange of ideas, val-
scape. Food and cultural landscape can be con- ues, practices and habits, which are recognised
sidered inherent realities. However, at present by communities, groups and individuals as their46 The Mediterranean Diet as a Heritage Object Isabel González Turmo
own. They have interactively woven their di- dressing, roasting, kneading, whisking, sift-
etary style, whether through the dissemination ing, cooking, seasoning, browning, breading,
and adoption of habits or through the definition rolling, stewing, frying, cooking au gratin,
of their own habits in relation to those of “oth- covering with pastry, baking, marinating,
ers”, either from the other shore or from the crushing, larding, cutting, grating, battering,
neighbouring village. Thus, the Mediterranean shaping, basting, sautéing, stuffing, sprinkling,
people have needed and related to each other grinding, chopping, soaking and spraying.
as much as they have competed. Closeness and However, Mediterranean people of all
plurality are, therefore, the two complementary times have not eaten the same, not even in
sides of the Mediterranean diet. combinations as repeated as those of bread, oil
The environment, history, food, knowledge and garlic. These ingredients, seasonings and
and meanings are shared. But the result for procedures have not been evenly distributed in
the palate, the meals created through culinary the long history of such a wide world. But these
mediation, despite sharing the same culinary differences are compatible with belonging to
system, inevitably lead to the rich plurality of the same system.
the Mediterranean cultures. This is why, in Out of the culinary system we extract, in
order to understand what gives the Mediter- their turn, the typologies, which are specific
ranean diet its closeness and distinctiveness, it combinations of ingredients, seasonings and
is necessary to start by describing its culinary procedures repeated over the centuries. In this
system. way, before we reach the recipe or the dish, we
must stop to consider, from an analytical point
The methods of combining their of view, the typology, which is only a reference.
ingredients, seasonings and procedures, In the case of the Mediterranean, we have as
which have passed from generation to references baked bread, fried pastries, boiled
generation still define the way of cooking semolina with oil, etc. There are many kinds
and eating and are recognised as their own of bread, many kinds of pastries, many kinds
by the Mediterranean people of semolina and countless kinds of couscous,
just to cite a few, but each one forms part of
The culinary system in the Mediterranean its typology.
has been historically defined through the fol- The culinary typologies of the Mediter-
lowing set of ingredients, seasonings and proce- ranean are, therefore, those prototypes which
dures: as a basis, cereals, mainly wheat, but also have been disseminated among the peoples
barley, rye, millet and spelt; and pulses: broad and have endured long enough to finally char-
beans, chickpeas, beans, and lentils; among the acterise their cuisines. Some already existed
secondary ingredients, a little meat, mainly in the classical world; others have their origin
from goats and sheep, fish on the coast and a in the Jewish, Christian or Muslim medieval
wide range of vegetables and fruit, historically cuisines; others come from the incorporation
mostly imported. As seasonings, we have fats, of American products in the Modern Age or
olive oil and beef and pork lards, and many even in the Contemporary Age; others were
aromatic herbs and spices, including thyme, conceived in the regional cuisines of the 19th
oregano, rosemary, cumin, coriander, rue, and 20th centuries. In any case, especially
basil, parsley, mint, nutmeg, pepper, saffron, successful in the Mediterranean cuisines are
clove and cinnamon. Finally, we have the fol- the methods of combining their ingredients,
lowing culinary procedures: pickling, refining, seasonings and procedures, which have passedQuaderns de la Mediterrània 13, 2010: 45-49 47
from generation to generation, and still define with savoury, sweet and/or spicy mixtures,
the way of cooking and eating and are rec- stewed, roasted or baked.
ognised as their own by the Mediterranean • Stuffed, stewed or baked meat and fish.
people. I have been able to identify twenty- • Meat in large pieces, seasoned, roasted or
nine culinary typologies shared by the Medi- stewed.
terranean people: • Cereal sheets or dough, stuffed with meat
or fish and baked, forming empanadas and
• Cereals (wheat, semolina, balls, sheets, savoury pies.
noodles, pastas, pancakes, bread), dressed • Fried seasoned fish, meat and vegetables.
with fats, herbs, spices and dried fruits, ei- • Tripe and offal, seasoned, roasted, stewed or
ther sweet (sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, dairy baked.
products) or savoury (meat, fish and veg- • Stewed escargots.
etables), and moulded, kneaded, steamed, • Game stews with aromatic herbs.
baked, fried or basted. • Preserves of meat in fat, olives in brine,
• Cold or tepid soups or stews, of bread, oil, marinated or seasoned; baked, dried or
garlic or other spicy and/or sour season- pickled vegetables; fruits in syrup, compote
ings. or brine, which can be used as seasonings.
• Thick soups and stews with vegetables, fish • Dairy derivatives in sauces, soups, salads and
or meat and bread or pasta. dishes cooked au gratin.
• Thick porridge and purées of pulses, cereals • Sauces and oils flavoured with herbs, as
or vegetables. seasonings.
• Dry or watery rice stews with vegetables, • Fresh and dried fruits in savoury meat and
meat and/or fish. vegetable stews.
• Cooked pulses seasoned with fats, herbs, • Fried pastries and bread.
vegetables and, sometimes, with meat or • Baked pastries, with dried fruits and honey
fish. or syrup.
• Entomatados of flour, rice, meat or fish, • Sugared dried fruits, nougats or sweet fried
stewed, fried or baked. food.
• Seasoned and sautéed, stewed or grilled wild
vegetables and plants. Some of these typologies, such as the cooked
• Raw, cooked or grilled vegetables or ac- pulses or game stews with aromatic herbs,
companied with sauces for salads, option- among others, can be identified in other culi-
ally with fruit. nary systems, but not with all the ingredients,
• Vegetables stuffed with minced and sea- seasonings and procedures with which we have
soned meat. previously characterised the Mediterranean
• Boiled, poached, fried eggs or omelettes, as culinary system. In fact, these ingredients,
well as sauce thickeners, for breading and seasonings and procedures are those which,
seasoning. when combined, generate distinctive typolo-
• Ground, seasoned and stuffed meat. gies for each culinary system; in this case, the
• Minced meat and fish, round-shaped and Mediterranean.
fried, stewed or baked. A culinary system can be found, therefore,
• Meat or fish brochettes with optional sea- in many cuisines and dishes. This does not im-
soning and vegetables. ply the existence of similar cuisines as, based
• Chopped or torn meat and fish, seasoned on this system understood as an abstraction,48 The Mediterranean Diet as a Heritage Object Isabel González Turmo
the possibilities of combination are many and The methodological proposals have been
each way of selecting the proportion in which set out. The networks are being developed.
its different elements are grouped can produce It is now time to produce messages allowing
distinct cuisines. Similarly, the techniques of a the identification. It is necessary to develop a
determined cuisine can produce many culinary discourse which is aware of the diversity and,
results: one only has to select one fat over an- at the same time, accurate in the choice of
other, add more of a specific seasoning or ingre- univocal signs where all can feel represented.
dient or only change the texture or temperature It is necessary to disseminate messages which
for the same dish to have a different taste. This enhance this identification and makes consum-
is why the journey from culinary systems to ers into social actors, capable of safeguarding
cuisines and subsequently to techniques can be their food heritage. Food and, in this case, the
understood as a process of multiplication and, Mediterranean diet must reclaim the consid-
finally, of atomisation. eration they deserve in human activities.
The Mediterranean diet is, in short, the The main criterion cannot be the quantity
recognition and manifestation of the shared of food produced but its global quality, which
identity which holistically comprises the food also includes flavour and variety, environmental
system and is the result of the daily recrea- respect and appreciation of the work of food
tion of some necessary and shared practices, producers. Without this ambition, the defence
transmitted from generation to generation, of food as heritage is not possible. These objec-
based on respect for human cultural diversity tives, equally necessary and difficult, require
and creativity. international support enhancing national and
supranational policies, capable of returning
It is necessary to disseminate messages dignity to the majority of people who produce
which enhance this identification and food for the rest, as well as making the young
makes consumers into social actors, the active inheritors of their food heritage.
capable of safeguarding their food The safeguarding of food can and must be the
heritage driving force of these kinds of initiatives. We
must regain the respect for food, and defend
However, there is no doubt that it is not a the diversity developed thanks to the work of
simple food model, which can be defined with women and men over the centuries.
the mere enumeration of its most characteris-
tic foods. Given that it is an ambit of marked
ecological and productive contrasts, the cradle References
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the Mediterranean Area”, Rivista di Antropologia,
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GARINE, I. de, “Alimentation méditerranéenne et
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