Culinary Encounters and Family Bonds: Food, Travel, and Culture in Tahir Shah’s The Caliph’s House

Abstract

Aims: Central to Shah's portrayal of his year in Casablanca in The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca is the role of food as a binding force within the family structure. This paper explores how Shah uses food as a symbol of cultural exchange and a medium for navigating his relationship with Morocco, emphasizing food's capacity to offer connection, comfort, and negotiation with the unfamiliar.

Methodology and Approaches: The study employs Lucy Long's theory of culinary tourism, which highlights food as a gateway to understanding broader cultural and social contexts. Long's framework is used to analyze food as a vehicle for individual and collective identity formation, shaping Shah's perception of himself and his family within a foreign cultural setting.

Outcome: The analysis reveals that food in The Caliph's House operates as a cultural artifact, a medium of hospitality, and a means of belonging. The act of eating and sharing meals emerges as more than a physical necessity; it becomes an embodied practice through which tourists and residents can experience and engage with new cultures.

Conclusion and Suggestions: The paper underscores the interconnectedness of food, travel, and culture, suggesting that travel reshapes perceptions of home and family. By engaging with food as a cultural medium, Shah bridges the gap between his own identity and the unfamiliar environment, offering insights into how culinary experiences can foster deeper cultural understanding and belonging.