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Huhu grubs, bull semen shots and koki: Visceral geographies of regional food festivals in Aotearoa
Author(s) -
Modlik Melanie,
Johnston Lynda
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
new zealand geographer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.335
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1745-7939
pISSN - 0028-8144
DOI - 10.1111/nzg.12148
Subject(s) - aotearoa , disgust , embodied cognition , pleasure , tourism , feeling , sociology , food studies , gender studies , geography , social psychology , psychology , anthropology , epistemology , archaeology , philosophy , anger , neuroscience
This article draws attention to the visceral geographies of two unique Aotearoa New Zealand regional food festivals – Kāwhia KaiFest and Wildfoods Hokitika. We address the question: how do organisers and attendees sensually experience place through food festivals? Interviews, participant ‘sensing’, the researchers’ own bodies and ‘gut feelings’ were used as research instruments. The affective work of visceral pleasure and disgust highlight food that is deemed (in)edible. We argue that the visceral is crucial to understanding place for wild Hokitika or calm Kāwhia. The two food festivals provide insights and paradoxes into the embodied experiences of regional and culturally diverse tourism geographies.