Convivencia: A solution to the halal/pork tension in Spain?

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Leela Riesz

Abstract

This work illuminates the connection between foodways and identity forging in Spain’s migration con­text. The concern of Moroccan and Pakistani Muslims over maintaining halal food practices conflicts with Spain’s reliance on and celebration of Iberian ham. This “two food cultures conflict,” which I con­ceptualize as a halal/pork binary, can be traced back to the 15th century Spanish reconquista. However, Moroccan restaurateurs’ current revival of the convivencia (coexistence) narrative, their emphasis on a collective Andaluzi identity, and tapasization and halalization of Moroccan-Muslim and Spanish foo­dways are possible solutions to this tension. This identity work in the restaurant allows them to reconcile the cultural, religious, and gastronomic tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims in Spain and rewri­tes halal foodways into the Spanish foodscape.

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How to Cite
RIESZ, Leela. Convivencia: A solution to the halal/pork tension in Spain?. RAE - Revista de Administracao de Empresas , [S. l.], v. 58, n. 3, p. 222–232, 2018. DOI: 10.1590/S0034-759020180303. Disponível em: https://periodicos.fgv.br/rae/article/view/74957. Acesso em: 10 nov. 2026.
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