Food and cultural heritage. Diffusion and innovation studies of the Danish food tradition in Tranquebar

Project by Sabine Karg, The National Museum of Denmark

• The project is part of Galathea3 and financed by the Bikuben Foundation

The project deals with the interactions between the indigenous cuisine and the new foodstuffs and dishes introduced by the Danish colonists.

Food represents an essential part of our daily life and the history of foodstuffs is a central element of our cultural heritage. In Tranquebar, one of the most important economical aspect was set in the trade with spices. In the present project we want to enlighten the interplay between the colonists and the local residents concerning their food traditions and their treatment with the newly introduced food.

How were the new foodstuffs – the Danish and the foreign ones – accepted and later integrated into the traditional cuisine? When and how quick did the newly imported spices find their way into the Danish kitchen?

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