Thesis defence Aroma Português: Jesuit Missionaries, Samurai Culture, and The Making of a Culinary Taste in Japan, c.1550-1700. Add to calendar 2026-01-14 15:00 2026-01-14 17:00 Europe/Rome Aroma Português: Jesuit Missionaries, Samurai Culture, and The Making of a Culinary Taste in Japan, c.1550-1700. Sala dei Levrieri, Villa Salviati, and via Zoom YYYY-MM-DD Print Share: Share on Facebook Share on BlueSky Share on X Share on LinkedIn Send by email Scheduled dates Jan 14 2026 15:00 - 17:00 CET Sala dei Levrieri, Villa Salviati, and via Zoom Organised by Department of History PhD thesis defence by Simone Zirolia This project examines the emergence of Iberian-style foods in early Edo Japan (c. 1600-1700), as a result of the enduring Christian activities in the archipelago (1549-1639). In this study, food is a lens through which to re-interpret the Iberian presence in Japan as well as the role of culinary practices in shaping human interactions across cultural boundaries. From matters of taste and disgust, health and medicine, sense of community and affiliation, religious symbolism and beliefs as well as gift-exchanges to diplomacy and relationships of power, commensality permeated daily interactions between the Jesuits and the Japanese population functioning as a system of non-verbal communication. The introduction of typical Iberian foods and drinks in Japan was a conscious endeavour by the European missionaries to articulate and negotiate their modes of identification in communication with the Japanese. Christian and Iberian practices intersected on a daily basis with the particularities of Japanese culture in a constant tension between established practices and unfamiliar habits. At the same time, while the Jesuits played a central role in introducing so-called 'namban food' to specific regions of the archipelago through repeated acts of commensality, it was the agency of local actors – both kirishitan and non-Christian, commoners and high-ranking samurai – that proved decisive in their local production, adaptation and popularisation. In doing so, this study highlights the processes of appropriation, reinvention, and enduring legacies of Iberian culinary practices in Japan beyond the Iberian presence. Register