How to Show a National Cuisine: Food and National Identities in the Masterchef Kitchen

Abstract

In this article, I analyse some aspects that characterise the relationship between food preparation practices and national identities in the first American, Spanish and Italian edition of the Masterchef international television format. The article is divided into two parts: in the first one, I perform a comparative analysis of the representation and the spectacularization of national identities in terms of how they are conveyed in the Masterchef kitchens. Conversely, in the second part, I highlight the aspect of self-storytelling through a specific perspective on the work of the chef and its media representation by relating it to the economic and employment crisis that has affected the West at various levels in recent years.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2015.v4n2p257