Abstract

BABOT, María del Pilar; LUND, Julia  and  OLMOS, Adriana Valeria. Taphonomy in the kitchen: culinary practices and processing residues of native tuberous plants of the south-central Andes. Intersecciones antropol. [online]. 2014, vol.15, suppl.1, pp.35-53. ISSN 1850-373X.

We present comparative material for the identification of culinary residues of cooked tubers of Solanum sp., Oxalis tuberosa and Ullucus tuberosus. We use a broad concept of taphonomy that includes the study of plant modifications resulting from the preparation of food, in this case the boiling and cooking al rescoldo of fresh tubers. We undertake a number of controlled cooking experiments and compare the results with fresh samples. We discuss morphological and optical modifications of tissue fragments and intracellular particles resulting from our cooking experiments. Finally, we discuss the possibility of recognizing cooking techniques from microscopic analysis of tuber remains.

Keywords : Taphonomy; Culinary techniques; Plant processing; Starch; Tubers.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English     · English ( pdf )