Abstract

The Science and Culture of Latin American Foods: Harnessing Ingredients for Health combines science and technology to demonstrate the importance of rescuing and preserving traditional and ancestral knowledge to exploit the functional benefits of the regions’ many roots, plants, seeds, insects, and more. Divided into four sections, Ingredients, Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Cuisine, the book discusses the sustainable development of these ingredients while highlighting origin, production, classification, and medicinal properties. Readers will discover the potential of potent bioactive peptides derived from native foods like cacao, chipilín leaves, and Huauzontle, a pre-Hispanic ingredient thriving and surviving in Mexican cuisine. In addition, they will learn how Asia and Africa influence Latin American cuisine and about the importance these regional culinary dishes have in global gastronomy today.