Under the Jaguar Sun is a novel written by Italo Calvino and published in 1986. Calvino is an Italian author and journalist. This novel was first written and published in Italian, but it was soon translated into English in 1988. In fact, Calvino is the most translated Italian author so far. He wrote much about experiences through the senses, and he was going to publish a book named The Five Senses but Calvino passed away before he could even start the sections for touch and vision. In Under the Jaguar Sun, Calvino included three short stories, covering the other senses, tasting, smelling, and hearing.
In the English translation of Under the Jaguar Sun, the short stories are arranged by length, with “Under the Jaguar Sun” first, “A King Listens” second, and “The Name, The Nose” last. "Under the Jaguar Sun" is the short story that involves a couple who is struggling in their relationship. They are on vacation together in Mexico, which is specifically described in this story as a country with a violent and bloody history. The sense of taste is the important one in this story, and as the couple travels along, tasting different dishes, they encounter one that may contain human flesh.