Date of Award
2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Southern Studies
Department
Southern Studies
First Advisor
Andy Harper
Second Advisor
Simone Delerme
Third Advisor
Charles Reagan Wilson
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
This thesis interrogates the datil pepper (capsicum chinense) as a potent cultural symbol against a backdrop of heritage tourism in St. Augustine, Florida, widely known as "the nation's oldest city." the datil is a locally popular and regionally unique heirloom pepper endemic to St. Augustine and the surrounding environs. A romantic origin story and local lore are embedded on this spicy pepper, tying it to north Florida's Minorcan population, a group descended from indentured workers brought to the area in the late 1700s. The prominence of this mythology speaks to heritage tourism's demand for consumable cultural emblems, and the datil pepper becomes a through line to the inner-workings of this market. This paper challenges notions of heritage in cultural tourism, highlighting the role that tourism proponents play in shaping representations of history.
Recommended Citation
Hamilton, Anna, "Bottling Hell: Myth-Making, Cultural Identity And The Datil Pepper Of St. Augustine, Florida" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1161.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/1161