O,The Roast Beef of Old England! Brexit and Gastronationalism |
| |
Authors: | Jason Edwards |
| |
Abstract: | ‘Gastronationalism’ is the idea that there are distinctive and authentic national food cultures that are threatened by the forces of globalisation. It is a myth: there are no unique or authentically distinctive national culinary cultures. But the idea of gastronationalism is a powerful one that can have important political effects, as Brexit shows. In this article, I chart the rise of British food with regard to Britain’s historical relationship with Europe and the EU. I consider how different understandings of British food culture—one more nativist, one more cosmopolitan—have played a symbolic role in the debate on Brexit, before considering the broader relationship between contemporary populist nationalism and gastronationalism. |
| |
Keywords: | gastronationalism food authenticity food imaginaries Brexit populism |
|
|