Transcript Document 7221061

Introduction to
the History of
Food
Historians study food in relation
to:
Nutrition
Class
Ethnic identity
Gender
National Identity
Rituals surrounding food consumption
and preparation
Food production and its social and
ecological consequences
Nutrition
What did people eat in the past?
How nutritious were their diets?
How have eating habits evolved over
time?
How have ideas about nutrition and
health changed?
Why?
Technological innovation
How has technology affected eating
habits?
Preservation
Transportation
Commercialisation
Class
Social class affects diet
Elites consume more varied and
exotic diet, though not necessarily a
more healthy one
Elites often consume more meat and
luxury foodstuffs
Class considerations proscribe the
consumption of certain foods by
certain groups
Race
Food can function as a marker of
ethnic identity
Maize and insects regarded as
‘Indian’ food in Latin America
Cannibalism
Eating conventions also important. Is
food served raw or cooked? In what
order? How is it eaten?
Gender
Food cultivation/preparation mirrored
gender divisions
Mexican women given the task of
grinding maize to make tortillas
Women also associated with the
consumption of certain foods, e.g.
chocolate
National Identity
Food can help to construct national
identities
What food should constitute a
‘national’ cuisine?
Regional variations
European v. indigenous dishes
National cookbooks - El cocinero
mexicano (The Mexican Chef),
published in 1831
Food and Ritual
Social and religious significance of
food
Meaning of food in Pre-Columbian
societies
Symbolic qualities of certain foods
Key Themes of this Module
Reception of New World foods in
Europe and beyond
Introduction of non-American
foodstuffs to Latin America
Food’s link to identity – national, class,
racial
Food production – sugar, coffee – and
its social, political and ecological
implications
Symbolical and metaphorical aspects