Tenth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

Massimo Montanari defines the experience of eating geographically as the way in which individuals know or express a culture of a specific region through cooking, local products, and/or recipes. That is, eating “local” is a contradictory notion that is used to give “authenticity” and differentiation to the cuisine of a region. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the inherent contradictions found in official tourist propaganda discourses, and in their interest in selling a mediated idea of Puerto Rico without problematizing the multiple influences that characterize what is considered as “authentic” Puerto Rican food. Attention is given to the composition and the visual discourse utilized in advertisements on the websites of government-owned tourism companies. In this discussion, it is important to take into account the role played by government tourism offices in marketing so-called Puerto Rican food. The analysis focuses on the pages endorsed by the Tourism Company of Puerto Rico, including their Discover Puerto Rico page, and the gastronomic event, Saborea Puerto Rico announcing the Puerto Rican cuisine. Likewise, I examine the discourse of the electronic portals of gastronomic companies that sell “authentic” experiences of Puerto Rican cuisine to tourists.