ABSTRACT
Thi his chapter analyzes the relation between consumption and identity through the examination of a single good, meat, in a single setting, nineteenth century Chile. At first glance there would seem to be very little that is unusual or noteworthy about this topic. Few readers are likely to be startled at the mention of certain facts about that country at that time; that there was considerable range in wealth and income, and that the rich ate a good deal more meat than the poor. Class inequality is a familiar feature of Latin American societies, and, as Goody has described, the uneven distribution of prestige food items marks cuisines throughout Europe, Asia and many postcolonial nations (Goody 1982:97-153). Moreover, the strong desire for meat has been found in many societies. Whether or not one accepts the notion that this desire is a universal human propensity, resting on some biological feature which all members of our species share with one another, meat could seem a less promising topic of inquiry for the study of consumption and identity than, say, kula valuables, Coca-Cola, or automobiles.
