HRANA U PUTOPISIMA: MOGUĆNOSTI SPOZNAJE ŠPANSKOG IDENTITETA

Abstract

Relying on the tenets of imagology, which is based on an interdisciplinary approach to text and uses theoretical elements of other disciplines, such as history, anthropology, ethnology, sociology, etc., this paper examines the image of Spain built in the travel stories of Miloš Crnjanski. The identity of Spain is questioned starting from the travelogue as a cultural praxis which constructs the image of another people and bases it on the differences in relation to the culture of origin. We pay particular attention to the traveller’s observation of Spanish cuisine and interpret the contexts in which those moments appear, especially the banquets prepared in honour of foreign visitors. Food is seen as a sociological and symbolic act with political implications on the construction of the identity of Spain as the Other in the travel accounts of Miloš Crnjanski. We interpret the attitude of Spaniards towards foreign visitors and the emphasis of hospitality as a feature of their national character, as well as their choice of food for visitors, with the representation of regional culinary diversity. We recognize the importance of spaces in which banquets are given as an ideological means of pointing out the traditional and at the same time modern character of Spain.