Peru is in the midst of what many have called a gastronomic revolution. Dominant narratives in the country and beyond celebrate the fusion of Peru’s diversity (cultural, racial, culinary) as a pathway to social inclusion and Peruvian economic success. While culinary fusion has been a key part of this moment, the rise of chef Virgilio Martínez—famously known as the chef who “cooks ecosystems”—has expanded discussions (gastronomic and political) to highlight Peruvian biodiversity, indigeneity and cultural “authenticity.” In this talk I explore this moment as one that illuminates the contemporary aesthetics of what Peruvian theorist Anibal Quijano has termed “the coloniality of power.” While there may indeed be some material benefits for emerging young chefs and some indigenous producers, I argue that this gastronomic boom in fact perpetuates gendered and racial hierarchies in the country, and obscures violence against marginalized human and non-human bodies.

The Michigan Anthropology Colloquia Series presents speakers on current topics in the field of anthropology