The Ethnoarchaeology of Restaurants in Southern Vietnam: Fish Stew Culinary Practices and Organic Residues in Earthenware Cooking Pots

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ethnoarchaeological studies of food and culinary practices are typically conducted in communities and households that still practice traditional ways of food preparation and consumption. This article presents ethnoarchaeological research in small, contemporary restaurants in Vietnam that serve cá kho tộ, a braised caramelized fish stew prepared in earthenware cooking pots. Comparative reference samples of pottery were collected from the restaurants for organic residue analysis, and the results were compared with residue analysis of pottery sherds recovered from archaeological sites in Southern Vietnam. The results contribute novel insights to both ancient and present-day culinary practices in the region and to the study of open earthenware pots and pottery sherds with interior surface charred residues.