STRAVA AKO ETNOIDENTIFIKAČNÝ FAKTOR ZAHRANIČNÝCH SLOVÁKOV NA PRÍKLADE SLOVÁKOV V KANADE

The paper deals with the phenomenon of national cuisine and traditional food in the perception of Slovaks living abroad. Through a key study in selected localities in Canada, it follows the dishes referred to as „typical Slovak,“ their preferences, methods of preparation and presentation. As it turns out, the processes of perception of national cuisine or dishes labelled as typically Slovak in the environment of Slovaks abroad often have an emotional charge rather than rational justifications. In general, it could be said that the perception of the so-called national cuisine is a metaphor conditioned by individual experiences, patterns or family and historical experiences rather than a precisely identifiable reality, and they are closely correlated with the formation or maintenance of the national consciousness of individuals abroad.