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Artículo
https://doi.org/10.56219/letras.v64i105.3281
The traditional recipes of the indigenous community of Brorán, Costa Rica, as an
identity resource
ABSTRACT
Culinary traditions and the lexicon associated with them serve as reflections of a community's worldview, encapsulating the environmental, social, and historical conditions under which a people has evolved. In light of this, this paper examines the nouns most frequently associated with ingredients, recipe names, and culinary techniques within the Brorán indigenous community of Costa Rica, as documented in the Diccionario-recetario pictográfico de la alimentación tradicional en Brörán qu'ercuó (the language of Térraba) (Sánchez et al., 2016). The classification of ingredients follows Eberenz's (2016) categorization into simple foods, prepared foods, cooking utensils, and other relevant items, thereby facilitating the acquisition of the most commonly used vocabulary. Fruits and vegetables emerge as the predominant food sources, a pattern shaped by the community's geographical proximity to both a river and a forest, which restricts the availability of animal-derived ingredients to fish and wild game. Additionally, the Christianization of the Brorán people introduced salt as a fundamental ingredient —an element notably absent in the culinary practices of the Teribe, their sister culture. This study not only highlights the significance of ingredients in shaping culinary identity but also underscores the impact of cultural exchanges and environmental factors on the evolution of the Brorán lexicon.
Keywords: culinary traditions, indigenous community, Brorán, Costa Rica.
Les recettes traditionnelles de la communauté indigène de Brorán, Costa Rica, comme
ressource identitaire
RÉSUMÉ
Les traditions culinaires et le lexique lié à ce domaine reflètent la conception du monde et montrent les conditions dans lesquelles un peuple s'est développé. Dans ce cadre, cet article analyse les substantifs associés aux ingrédients les plus fréquents, les noms de recettes et les techniques culinaires de la communauté indigène de Brorán, située au Costa Rica, tels que documentés dans le Diccionario -recetario pictográfico de l’alimentation traditionnelle en Brörán qu'ercuó (la langue de Térraba) (Sánchez et al, 2016). La classification des