Food in History

Do you believe food is important in culture and history?

  • Yes. Without food a culture is missing something, and it is a very interesting part of history.

    Votes: 19 86.4%
  • No. A culture doesn't need a cuisine to be special. And there is nothing interesting about food in h

    Votes: 2 9.1%
  • Can't really tell.

    Votes: 1 4.5%

  • Total voters
    22
:lol: Also, I see your sig of course, where would be without the Simpsons? ;)

One thing I would like to show my disgust at is weird delicacies. What about those Roman emperors serving peacock brains, if it is rare and expensive it is doesn't mean it is good! Why did monarchs and dignitaries like frog's legs, fois gras, cow tongues, and all of those other nasty, basically disgusting inards and gizzards? Were they insane? Delicacies are beef tenderloin, not beef tongue!
 
Originally posted by Packer-Backer
:lol: Also, I see your sig of course, where would be without the Simpsons? ;)

One thing I would like to show my disgust at is weird delicacies. What about those Roman emperors serving peacock brains, if it is rare and expensive it is doesn't mean it is good! Why did monarchs and dignitaries like frog's legs, fois gras, cow tongues, and all of those other nasty, basically disgusting inards and gizzards? Were they insane? Delicacies are beef tenderloin, not beef tongue!


I don't understand either. Why do the wealthy, even today, want to eat caviar? I have tasted it once and it was not completely awful, but it did not taste good. I just think the only thing with it is to impress their guests (like the seventheen century folks liked to do with pepper) or to show they are different from the common folk who like to eat steak, meatballs and spareribs.
The same question is: why do they need the most expensive sportscars? I don't know by experience, but I am sure that a decent Ford Transit is much more comfortable then a Ferrari Testarosa. But can they show off with a Ford? No.
 
Food, or lack of it during the Irish famine, has left a cultural scare in Ireland that lasts to this day.
There is still a cultural 'push' to go to lands that are better off even though the Ireland today is as good as any country.

Its not as bad as it used to be and is in decline, but its still there.
 
You are right, Tavenier. The rich nobility thought they were better just because something was a small part of an animal. Just think about what something like calf liver is, it is the liver of a disgusting calf. The liver! An organ of a dirty, rotten animal! And you're supposed to eat that? And you are right about something like caviar, it isn't that great, and it is the roe of a sturgeon, roe! Would you eat the mammal version of roe off of a cow?
 
Originally posted by Packer-Backer
You are right, Tavenier. The rich nobility thought they were better just because something was a small part of an animal. Just think about what something like calf liver is, it is the liver of a disgusting calf. The liver! An organ of a dirty, rotten animal! And you're supposed to eat that? And you are right about something like caviar, it isn't that great, and it is the roe of a sturgeon, roe! Would you eat the mammal version of roe off of a cow?



Or fertilized chicken eggs?

And eating liver is so bad for your health. All bad stuff is kept there.
 
Meanwhile back on-topic...

Food has indeed been a very important theme in history. The very differentiation in how agriculturists and pastoralists had gotten their foods had led to the division of the steppes and the Chinese world - even if both were of the same racial grouping. The border between the two 'worlds' marked the northernmost limit where Chinese-style agriculture can be practised, vis a vis the nomads' steppe economy.
 
Originally posted by XIII
Meanwhile back on-topic...

Food has indeed been a very important theme in history. The very differentiation in how agriculturists and pastoralists had gotten their foods had led to the division of the steppes and the Chinese world - even if both were of the same racial grouping. The border between the two 'worlds' marked the northernmost limit where Chinese-style agriculture can be practised, vis a vis the nomads' steppe economy.


True. And what about the amount of food produced by one farmer-family? If they can produce enough food for two families to feed, then the other family can specialise in pottery, masonry, and so on. Nowadays in most wealthy countries around 6% of the population produces food for the whole country.

And nowadays there are only eight countries in the whole world which are autarkic, meaning self sufficient. The other, say, 200 countries don't produce enough for themselves and need the extra food from those eight countries. The biggest producers are Canada, USA and I believe France. The Netherlands are one of those eight too.
 
Also if a nation has to do with what it's got, that shows how ingenious or how insane the cooks are. :p
 
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