Raúl Matta

Raúl Matta is a Research Fellow at the University of Göttingen and a senior researcher at the Institut Lyfe Research Center (formerly Institut Paul Bocuse). He holds a doctorate in Sociology from the University of Paris – Sorbonne Nouvelle (2009) and has conducted postdoctoral research at the Free University of Berlin and the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement in Paris.

• Doctorate: University of Paris – Sorbonne Nouvelle (2009)
• Postdoctoral: Free University of Berlin
• Postdoctoral: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (Paris)

Matta's research focuses on the intersection of food anthropology, cultural heritage, and cultural studies, with particular emphasis on the cultural, social, and political uses of food. His work critically examines how food heritage is constructed and mobilized for political purposes, particularly in Latin America. He investigates the impacts of culinary heritage-making on social inclusion, inequality, and national identity formation, with special attention to Peru and Mexico.

His extensive publication record reveals consistent engagement with themes of gastro-politics, food heritage governance, and the neoliberal dimensions of culinary multiculturalism. Matta's research demonstrates how food becomes a terrain for cultural friction, where global heritage frameworks interact with local knowledge systems, often creating tensions between preservation and commodification. His work particularly highlights how indigenous communities and women navigate these complex heritage landscapes.

Matta directs the DFG-funded project "Food as Cultural Heritage" and assists with the ANR-funded Project FoodHerit. His research has been supported by major funding bodies including the German Research Foundation and the French National Research Agency, reflecting the significance of his contributions to understanding the political dimensions of food heritage.