Ensalada caliente y carnero verde: imágenes de la vianda en la poesía satírico-burlesca de Francisco de Quevedo

Abstract

This article analyzes social identity and culinary history as revealed through the food imagery in Francisco de Quevedo’s burlesque-satirical poetry. Specifically «Matraca de las flores y la hortaliza», «Boda y acompanamiento del campo», and «Los sopones de Salamanca», together with the contemporary cookbooks of Granado, Hernandez de Maceras and Martinez Montino, show that meat was privileged over vegetables; mutton, over beef; and salads were not consumed in the highest social circles. Drawing from Bourdieu’s notion of cultural capital, we understand that these food choices reflect social status. In terms of Spain’s culinary history, these works provide a glimpse into early seventeenthcentury cultural practices. Cucumbers were associated with curative properties, lettuce (commonly accepted as an anti-aphrodisiac) was cooked rather than eaten raw, and the best ham came from the towns of Rute and Algarrovillas. Together, these examples offer us a deeper understanding of the history of Spain’s food and its cultural and social implications.