Foodways and Culinary Capital in the Diaspora: Indian Women Expatriates in South Africa

Abstract

As people and families migrate, so too do their gastronomies (cooking, preparing, dining and eating styles of a particular place) travel with them across space and time, modifying according to social and environmental circumstances. As trans-migrant communities spread across the globe, foods gain significance in the diaspora as much for their novelty as for their nostalgia and ties to the homeland. This study is about the negotiation of practices and beliefs around food preference and consumption among a group of Indian expatriate families in two major cities in South Africa. It specifically examines the food preparation, consumption choices and culinary capital of a group of Indian women expatriates residing in Durban and Johannesburg, South Africa.