Princeton UP Ideas Podcast Christine Folch, "The Book of Yerba Mate: A Stimulating History" (Princeton UP, 2024)
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Sep 1, 2024 Christine Folch, a cultural anthropology professor at Duke University, shares her insights on yerba mate, the beloved South American drink. She explores its rich history, tracing roots from Indigenous practices to its current global appeal. Folch highlights mate’s role in fostering community and spirituality, as well as its surprising connections to historical events and cultural phenomena, like the first written tango and puppet shows by Syrian dissidents. Additionally, she examines the challenges mate faces in gaining international recognition alongside other global commodities.
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Lunch from Home
- Christine Folch's childhood experience with food from her family's Latin American heritage influenced her interest in food studies.
- People reacted negatively to her bringing food from home, motivating her to showcase Latin American cuisine.
Food's Dual Nature
- Food connects personal experiences with global processes.
- Studying food allows exploration of both intimate memories and large-scale systems.
Materva Memory
- Folch's first exposure to Yerba Mate was not in its traditional form, but as the Cuban soft drink Materva.
- This childhood connection adds a personal dimension to her research on the beverage.
