The history of food is such a fascinating study. Think of all the epic moments in time that were centered on food; wars, famines, other great tragedies, as well as times of great merriment.

We celebrate with food, we console with food. This all takes place with ethnic and regional diversity that truly is the spice of life. I have traveled through four continents (so far) and constantly marvel at the differences and the similarities of food as a consumable item and as a part of these varied cultures. What better way to get to know someone, then to dine with them. Some of my fondest memories, traveling to distant places, are of those meals we shared with locals. And to bring those ideas home, to share the meals with friends and family, to in some small way relive the moment from our travels – what experiences!

To take that back a step and learn of the regional, climatic, and in many cases religious origins of these foods adds texture to the foods we eat today and gives us a wonderful insight into the people whose foods and recipes we share.

So, to finally answer your question. . . I hope to learn more about foods and their history, to share tales of recipes from times gone by, and to eat – yes eat. I would love to see people hosting meals in different communities and then sharing with all of us the recipes and their histories.

Well, if Melodious formed this tribe, it must be good!

Actually, I hadn't thought much about food having history, then thought that it's an interesting subject.

And, like Paiglet, I like to cook and eat!

I'm a writer, I love food, I love to eat, I love to cook! Understanding food is essential to understanding the development of culture. I was happy to see this tribe, and happy to be a part of it!

My ex is a sort of medieval food expert and she got me into it. She is releasing a book on culinary comedy in medieval literature soon.

I'm sure everyone here is familiar with the "Good Eats" show with Alton Brown? I adore his show exactly because they research the origins of the foods. I love getting little anecdotes about the food. And the show's funny as heck.

But that is why I am here. I love history, and food is so immediate to every day life.

As a chef, I like to know why things are they way they are how they got that way. The last time I "accidentally" stayed up all night reading was when I picked up a book of culinary history.

History in general has always been a great passion of mine. Have been amazed by what has been found at archeological sites. Guess that started when I went to the King Tutankhamun exhibit when I was 7 and the types of food that were buried for the afterlife. And it just went from there. Then college and doing ren faire got me in to period dishes. I am that geek that loves the research behind anything.
Being able to know a culture or time period by the food grown and eaten. It is amazing.
Having a tribe that is could possibly be an outlet for that part of me that loves to know where something comes from is brilliant.
Thank you Melodious!
Cheers,
Stacie

Well...I love history. I cooked professionally for ten years and also worked as a docent at a botanical garden. The garden had a section of crop plants and I started going to schools and teaching kids K-3 about what part of the plant they were eating. The garden asked me to write some recipes with regional cusine descriptions and a bit of crop domestication history...that was it...I was hooked. I mean after all just how did someone figure out that an enzyme from the fourth stomach of a cow would turn milk to cheese? Great stuff!

I've only just discovered this tribe, so I hope I'm not too late to post to this thread.

I'm working on a history degree at the moment, and in my research I keep on coming across references to food and drink which I don't have time to follow up, although I'd love to, so I'd welcome the chance to find out what other people think about the subject.

And, of course, I love eating and drinking...

food is good, I like food

I'm intrested in Vikings and such things.....just wondering if anyone knows any viking recipes...........I do viking reenactmenet........well..I want to start...I do Alamannen already.......maybe if anyone knows any old Roman recipes as well.

Ciao
-SomegirlinFirenze

I am passionate about food, I was a professional cook for decades and would love to expand my repertoire and I am passionate about eating. I think that covers it.

I just love food and find the historical aspect of it fascinating. I think that it is such a great way to experience diffrent cultures and histories, meet diffrent people and another excuse to eat and cook, which, li admit, is all that I really want to do.

I recently read Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking" from cover to cover and am excited to embrace food history as a field to get to know more of. In particular I find the history of fermentation (and fermentation itself) fascinating. So much of what we eat nowadays is so preserved (not that I eat chemically stuff but even refrigerating foods at a constant and exact temperature is a pretty new method of preservation) and I think that studying how in the past different people have kept their food is worth studying. How has the trajectory of food production, storage, and cooking affected it's digestibility and the biodiversity in our bodies? I guess that's what brought me here.

i have always loved cooking, eating and history....thus being here seems like a good idea

Hi,
I am currently working on a Final Project and in this project we are aiming to identify a connection between Social - Cultural and Historical knowledge offered within Master Programs in Gastronomy and the needs, wants and wishes of the consumer that come forward out of the Experience and Transformation Economy. To achieve this, we have developed the following thesis:

“What findings in academic social-cultural and historical gastronomic knowledge can be related to relevant consumer needs, wants and wishes in order to add value to a meaningful consumer experience that can lead to transformation?”



As most of you guys seem experts on the subject of Food history and Culinary, I believe that your knowledge can be of value to our project. Therefore I would like to ask you the following questions:





1. Is or could there be a desire of the consumer for social-cultural, historical gastronomic academic knowledge and why?

2. In your opinion what information is/could be needed?


I am looking forward to your answer!

I am a teaching Chef and Food Historian and glad to see a community devoted to the topic!!

Well hey. I hadn't noticed this thread untill it was resurrected yesterday. I'm a food geek. I love to cook. I love to dip into my copies of Harold McGee's book and an anthology of MFK Fisher's work. I find medieval recipes hilarious and I'm an avid reader of Gastronomica, the magazine of food and culture. Occasionally, I like to seek inspiration from historic recipes or even recreate them.

been a chef for many years... even schooled in it. love and live history, and have written many research articles on food history, in particular to dispell the myths of food use and misuse in the middle ages... My biggest pet peeve...."they did not use heavy spices to cover the taste of rotting meat" well unless they were a low life sausage maker and they probably didnt live long once found out...

anyway... found this tribe on a friends list and love to learn more...dont have the time these days for the research...

fyi I wrote under the NDP. Lord xaviar the eccentric..., do a search you should find some of them...

X

I was cajoled into joining by Melodius. She threatened to place me on an exclusive TGI Fridays and Arby's diet if I didn't jump on the chuck wagon. So here I am!

I'm here for the cheesy-goldfish-thingies in the snack bowl. *grin*

I joined this tribe for a couple reasons - 1) I'm a self-described foodie with a inquisitive nature and find that the history of gastronomy is closely related to the development of contemporary cuisine 2) I'm a historical archaeologist by profession and foodways and diet in the recent past are within my areas of research.

I've read over some of the other responses and am impressed by the range of answers and knowledge of so many of the other members.

John

Since I could remember, I've loved history. I am fascinated by the relationship between cultures, societies, history and food. The first really interesting book I read that connected the two was on the Medici family.

I'm new to this tribe. I'm Irish, adopted by a German couple from Chicago (as were my Polish sister and Cuban brother). We were raised on meat and potatoes. Saurbraten, and spatzle. Also, bologna sandwiches, ding dongs and potato chips. Later my folks started expanding their horizons and we ate out at Japanese, Chinese and Mexican restaurants. We were exotic in our circles. 3 suburban kids who could eat with chop sticks by 7- woo hoo. I knew I was different from the start, though. We would go to McD's and get dinner at least once a week. My folks considered it a treat. But, I would never eat. My mom used to make me a pbj so that I could bring it.

My daughter started with good stuff from the beginning. Organics, no soda, NO BABY FOOD. She loves sushi, garlic- everything (except avacados- there has to be something).

My sister, raised in the same tweenkie eating household, feeds her family noting but whole foods- long before it was fashionable.

I'm here for everything you guys dish out!

I trained and graduated from Maui Culinary Academy and I must say, some of the most interesting knowledge related to food history. Dining has changed very radically from the days when a pile of cold foods was considered a banquet. Imagine "social" dining before the popularization of.... the fork. And, bring your OWN knife (or spoon) or you are on your own?

Simply put - I love food.

It's an obsession really. I watch HBO's "Rome" and oogle the plates of figs and artichokes. I read cookbooks like stories with little or no intention of making most of the recipes.

The history of why we eat what we eat is amazingly complex. I'd have to say my favorite period is in the 1950s, when cassaroles and frozen foods ruled. We're still recovering from the "fresh isn't best" mentality (go here for truly spectacular things to behold - www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/).

What I found fascinating about food is how it's evolved into superstar status (Wolfgang Puck). Or symbols of our intelligence or wealth. For example, a person eating a Twinkie and 7-11 coffee for breakfast certainly has a different "status" in our world that someone drinking Starbucks drip and a scone.