Consider food as a major catalyst in human history, and what food choices reveal about our values and ambitions. Then study food culture in prehistoric times - our ancestors' wide-ranging diet of everything from mammoths and seafood to acorns, insects, seeds, and grasses- and the ways in which how they ate directly drove evolution.

"Food Is Culture explores the innovative premise that everything having to do with food - its capture, cultivation, preparation, and consumption - represents a cultural act. Even the "choices" made by primitive hunters and gatherers were determined by a culture of economics (availability) and medicine (digestibility and nutrition) that led to the development of specific social structures and traditions."--BOOK JACKET.

Explores the premise that everything having to do with food - its capture, cultivation, preparation, and consumption - represents a cultural act. Provides insights into many patterns of culinary behavior and tradition.

When did we first serve meals at regular hours? Why did we begin using individual plates and utensils to eat? When did "cuisine" become a concept and how did we come to judge food by its method of preparation, manner of consumption, and gastronomic merit? Food: A Culinary History explores culinary evolution and eating habits from prehistoric times to the present, offering surprising insights into our social and agricultural practices, religious beliefs, and most unreflected habits. The volume dispels myths such as the tale that Marco Polo brought pasta to Europe from China, that the original recipe for chocolate contained chili instead of sugar, and more. As it builds its history, the text also reveals the dietary rules of the ancient Hebrews, the contributions of Arabic cookery to European cuisine, the table etiquette of the Middle Ages, and the evolution of beverage styles in early America. It concludes with a discussion on the McDonaldization of food and growing popularity of foreign foods today.

A fascinating, funny and downright bizarre history of food by one of Australia's best-loved comedians In this irreverent romp through history via the seven deadly sins, Mikey Robins uncovers the most bizarre food-related facts of all time. From the Ancient Egyptians to the Romans, and from the medieval monarchs to the first celebrity chefs, our ancestors have left their mark ... and show us that wherever there is food there is folly. In Gluttony, Mikey exposes our historic obsession with overconsumption and food waste, and Pride reveals some of the most arrogant dinner hosts in history and how the humble chef has now achieved rock god status. Lust shows us just about every aphrodisiac there has been and the most desired foods in history; and Sloth is about the shocking rise of fast food and the history of preservatives. We hear of the revolution that led to the birth of the modern restaurant; we learn about the accidental invention of the microwave; we see how the pineapple gained sacred status; we learn about the 'Sin Eaters', the world's most famous 'Gluttons' and the most deadly 'Poisoners' of all time.