The food and its protocol. Sense and meaning of table manners among Otomies of San Gregorio Macapexco Community in Mexico State.

The aim of this paper is to describe and understand the meaning that protocol in the table has among the Otomies of the North of the State of Mexico. In this paper, preliminary results of the ethnographic work carried out during February. March and April, 2010 will be presented. The information, obtained through a series of free and semi-guided interviews, consists of the uses and customs when eating-activity of supreme importance for the social cohesion in this community. The results of this research show, up to this moment, that such protocol may vary depending on the meal to be eaten; the people taking part in it; or even the festivity in which such meal is to be held. All this, based on the predominant usage within this indigenous community. This study is intended to contribute, on a non-documented basis, on the cultural intangible heritage, as well as on the table manners and its current approach among the Otomies living in the part of the region above mentioned.