The unity and diversity of La olla podrida: an autochthonous model of Spanish culinary nationalism

Abstract

Penning their gastronomic texts at the same time that the Spanish nation was being written into existence in laws, literature and history (see Labanyi 1–28), Spain's pioneering gastronomes debated the question of their nation's culinary identity. As this article discusses, one of the outcomes of this exchange was the inclusion of la olla podrida (the “rotten pot”) at the royal table. Indeed, when Dr. Thebussem made his unorthodox suggestion to the King's Chef that la olla podrida be served at official court banquets as Spain's national dish, he not only influenced the dining habits of the country's elite but also introduced the importance of regional cuisines to Spanish culinary identity. Such was (and is) the strength of regional bonds in Spain that Dr. Thebussem realized any discussion about a national cuisine or dish would need to take into account the diversity of Spain's regional foodscapes, and thus from the outset his vision of Spanish cuisine contrasted with the dominant assimilationist French model of nationalism. In choosing a national dish that promoted both national unity and regional diversity, Dr. Thebussem highlighted the importance of not reducing Spain's multiple cuisines to a single, homogenized repertoire. This article argues that the “recipe” offered up for Spanish culinary nationalization, therefore, is unique, offering unity in diversity. The persistence of this approach, I argue, emphasises the continued aptness of this model in the context of a country that is regionally diverse, and celebrated for being so.