An exploration of the dish around the world, from the culinary variances of this inherently local dish from cultures across Brazil to West Africa, to a broader account of the universal significance and symbolism of Rice and Beans as a cultural cornerstone amidst forces of globalization and nation-building.

1. Introduction, Richard Wilk, Indiana University, USA and Livia Barbosa, Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing, Brazil 2. The National Dish of the 'Motherland': Rice, Beans and African Beginnings Michael W. Twitty, Independent Scholar, Maryland, USA 3. Sustenance in Special Times: Rice and Beans in Post-Soviet Cuba, Anna Cristina Pertierra, University of Queensland, Australia 4. Jamaican Versions of Rice and Peas, B.W. Higman, Australian National University, Australia 5. Rice and Beans in the Eastern Caribbean, Riva Berleant, University of Connecticut, USA 6. Rice with Beans and Beans with Rice, Livia Barbosa, Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing, Brazil 7. Beans as Patria, Locus and Domus in Brazilian Cuisine, Carlos Alberto Dória, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil 8. 'Cook-up Rice': Constructing Guyanese Identities with Rice and Beans, Gillian Richards-Greaves, Indiana University, USA 9. All in One Pot: The Place of Rice and Beans in Panama's Regional and National Cuisine, Carla Guerrón Montero, University of Delaware, USA 10. Defending National Foodways: Laying Claim to Tradition in Costa Rica, Theresa Preston-Werner, Northwestern University, USA 11. Independence, Globalization and Rice and Beans, Richard Wilk, Indiana University, USA 12. Rice and Beans, Staple of Even the Most Respectable Mexicans, Mari-Jose Amerlinck, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico 13. Red Beans and Rebuilding: An Iconic Dish, Memory and Culture in New Orleans, David Beriss, University of New Orleans, USA 14. Conclusion, Sidney Mintz, Johns Hopkins University, USA

An exploration of the dish around the world, from the culinary variances of this inherently local dish from cultures across Brazil to West Africa, to a broader account of the universal significance and symbolism of Rice and Beans as a cultural cornerstone amidst forces of globalization and nation-building.