Migrants’ Relationship to the Culinary Traditions of Their Countries of Origin in New Countries : A Case Study About Male Migrants in the Regional Area of Copenhagen

This bachelor thesis investigates how male migrants in Copenhagen relate to the culinary traditions of their country of origin, after moving to Denmark, with focus on the role of food and preserving cultural identity. Food is vital to sustain human lives, but food itself is more than nutrients and carries on culture. It plays a role in fostering the feelings of belonging somewhere. Using 8 qualitative semi-structured interviews with interviewees in Copenhagen from different countries and continents, the research detects the strategies migrants implement to adapt their culinary traditions in new societies. The thesis makes use of the “Acculturation theory” and it will navigate the whole paper. Findings will prove that food works as a bridge between “sending” countries and the “receiving” ones. The study results eventually highlight, how men adapt in the new societies. They either integrate, separate or assimilate and the reasons, this happens, are described in detail in connection to factors such as nostalgia and religion.