From praying to eating in Dona Flor and her two husbands: sacred food practices in bahian literature

Abstract

This article is the result of the chapter of the dissertation "The art of cooking and eating in Dona Flor and her two husbands, by Jorge Amado" defended in 2023 at PPGEL/UNEB. This text presents reflections on sacred commensal traditions analyzed through the novel Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, published in 1966 by Jorge Amado. The study aims to understand the relationship between Amado’s fiction and popular food and religious culture in the city of Salvador and the microregion of the Recôncavo Baiano. In this context, the act of eating depicted in the novel was analyzed in relation to Bahian culinary traditions, drawing on theoretical contributions from anthropology, food history, and studies of everyday practices. This approach allows for the recognition of the sociocultural languages that integrate Brazilian and Bahian food culture, directly linked to religious practices and syncretism. Furthermore, the novel is shown to realistically portray the culinary practices of Salvador and the Recôncavo, closely connected to sacred aspects and the established religions in Bahia.