Taste as Tradition: Exploring Cultural Memory in Dong Cuisine

Food functions as more than mere sustenance; it embodies memory, identity, and cultural communication. Among the Dong ethnic group in southern China—primarily in Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangxi—traditional foods serve as powerful mediums for transmitting cultural values, rituals, and historical narratives across generations. Dong delicacies encapsulate collective memory and reinforce social cohesion, linking community members through shared culinary practices. In the context of globalization, which introduces both cultural exchange and the potential erosion of local customs, these traditional foodways are experiencing processes of transformation, adaptation, and revival. This study examines Dong culinary practices to explore how food operates as a repository of cultural memory and a marker of ethnic identity. Findings highlight the role of Dong delicacies in preserving cultural heritage, sustaining intergenerational bonds, and negotiating identity in a rapidly changing socio-cultural landscape