Interview with Alex Carvajal: Food and national identity

Introducing one of my dearest friends, Alex Carvajal. This is the first in a series of interviews with friends, classmates, colleagues and acquaintances talking about their food interests (and mine).

Alex and I have known each other since I moved to London about 6 years ago. I had known him for about two years before I found out that he used to be a chef. That night we bonded over our love of food, and it has continued to be a focal point of our conversations ever since.

I have created this short video to introduce you to Alex and some of the themes covered in the interview. 

The main focus of this interview is on his Colombian heritage and how this has influenced his foodways in Britain. This ties in with the theme on the blog this week, which is around food and identity. In the interview Alex talks about his memories of Colombia, the important links for him between food and family, as well as sharing food, and his take on Colombian and British cuisines.

Having spoken to Alex so much about food in the past, I was surprised how much I learnt in conducting this interview. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. 

Comments

[Gizelle Rozensvaig]

Their food is spectacular. I once tried a delicious couscous! I have memories to that food even today...

[Jen]

Fascinating interview Vic. Great insight to food culture in both Columbia and UK.

[Vix]

Hi Gizelle, Alex has actually made me a delicious couscous before! I am not sure whether it was Colombian though, the flavours were more Mediterranean... I'll have to ask him :)

Hi Jen, thanks! Your boy is up next so keep a look out :) x

[Ma]

What a fabulously interesting interview with Alex. The way he talked about food really brought to life the links between food and identity that you've been exploring in academia. His perspective on British food as well as Columbian was also very insightful. I think he is spot on with citing pies and baking and the roast dinner as quintessentially British food. Even though my mother didnt do a lot of baking - I certainly don't remember her making pastry- she did used to bake cakes periodically, and I can go quite weak at the knees if I spot a coffee and walnut cake at a country fete in old blighty . It takes me right back to our kitchen in Kiddy. That was my favourite.But as I think I've mentioned before , just as fundamental for me are baked beans on toast and Heinz tomato soup. I had them for tea nearly every day. It would be interesting to hear from more people on what foods they think are very British. I think steak and kidney pie would be another.

[Vix]

Hi Ma, I am glad you enjoyed the interview. I really enjoyed interviewing Alex. He has such a calm and collected way of talking, as well as lots of interesting things to say. Yes, those are all things I identify with British cuisine too, although more puddings than cakes. Heinz seems to be a reoccuring theme, which as you said in your previous comment, is funny given it is American. Spaghetti hoops were one of my favourite things to eat when we came to the UK, since we didn't have them in Australia at that time. I will certainly ask people what they think. I have two more national identity podcasts coming up, so I will ask people after that.

[Charlie Brown]

Really great interview Vix. Alex's insights are really interesting and I particularly liked hearing about his family dinners and the day long preparation of the pig. I really love the attachment he has with his family's food and background and how it is so intertwined.
It was also interesting to hear that he felt 'too comfortable with what food he liked' to be a chef. I think if I was a chef I would find this same issue - Chris often says I am far too predictable because any time he asks for some ideas for the menu I always have certain things that I go back to!!
Finally the way Alex describes the generosity and gift of food really struck a chord and its so true, as whatever culture, background etc you come from everyone can bond over food.