Dr. Rodriguez is thrilled to live in a time when underrepresented voices, cultures, and cuisines can easily take the world by viral storm. She’s quick to point out that for many cuisines, blanket terms like “Mexican” or “Asian” just don’t do it anymore – the people, and the food, deserve more.
When the Spanish colonized a large swath of Central and South America, they introduced new forms of foods, like pigs and goats. At the time, the indigenous land was fertile with crops like beans, avocados, and papayas, but the Spanish felt deprived of nutrients that they were accustomed to. Thus, by the 17th century, the Spanish had imported countless herds of cows, pigs, sheep and goats to Ecuador.
