Food in Civilization: How History Has Been Affected By Human Tastes

200 Pages·1981·23.71 MB·English

by  Carson I.A. Ritchie

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How History Has Been
Affected By Human Tastes
Carson LA. Ritchie
At one time, people believed that history
took place between meals. In reality, the
reverse is true: food motivates history.
The heritage ofman has been shaped far
less by wars, by geography, or by culture
than has by food. Carson Ritchie leads
it
readers from its contribution to man's
upright posture, through the slow spread
of prehistoric agriculture, and into the age
of Neolithic farming. Eventually, brewing
and viniculture developed. The growth of
ancient countries began, and the influence
of food helped to mold nations that were
constantly searching for new areas to use
for agriculture.
The lure ofthe spice trade, another out-
growth of food in civilization, led to more
exotic and widespread explorations, as did
the search for coffee, tea, and cocoa, which
resulted in the founding ofthe New World.
Eating habits altered as Europe adopted
the food of the Americas.
In the recent past, agriculture was
mechanized, swiftly followed by the revo-
lution in transporting foods. Today, the
food weapon is at least as powerful as
armaments in expressing national policy.
How man has climbed the ladder ofciv-
ilization on the rungs of the foods he has
-
cultivated whether by agriculture, taste,
—
or war makes for an insightful and uni-
que work.

FOOD CIVILIZATION
IN
How History Has Been Affected
By Human Tastes
Also by the author
ART OF THE ESKIMO
THE DECORATED GUN
FRONTIER PARISH:
AnAccountoftheSocietyforthePropagation
of the Gospel & the Anglican Church in
America, Drawn from the Records of the
BishopofLondon
MAKING SCIENTIFIC TOYS
ROCK ART OF AFRICA
SOFT STONE CARVING
ART IN PAPER
FOOD
IN
CIVILIZATION
How History Has Been Affected
By Human
Tastes
CARSON LA. RITCHIE
BEAUFORT BOOKS, INC.
New York/Toronto
.
©
Copyright 1981 by Carson I.A. Ritchie
All rightsreserved. Nopartofthispublication may bereproducedor
transmitted in any form orby any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and
retrievalsystemnowknownortobeinvented, withoutpermissionin
writingfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewerwhowishestoquote
briefpassages in connection with areview written forinclusion in a
magazine, newspaperorbroadcast.
LibraryofCongress Cataloging in Publication Data
Ritchie, Carson I. A.
Foodincivilization
— —
1. Food History. 2. Civilization History.
I. Tide.
TX353.R54 1981 338.1'9 81-4288
ISBN0-8253-0037-1 AACR2
Printed in the United States by Beaufort Books, Inc., New York.
Published simultaneously in Canada by Nelson, Foster and Scott
Ltd.
Print9ed i8n th7e U6S 5A 43F2irst1Edition
. .
10
CONTENTS
Introduction 7
Chapter One / The Hunting Revolution 11
Chapter Two / The Farming Revolution 22
Chapter Three / The Merchandizing Revolution 38
Chapter Four / The Medieval Kitchen 56
Chapter Five / The Search For Spices 78
Chapter Six / FoodAtSea 92
Chapter Seven / FoodFrom The Americas 104
Chapter Eight / The Saga OfSugar 111
Chapter Nine / TheAgriculturalRevolution 130
Chapter Ten / The Preserving OfFood 139
Chapter Eleven / The TransportRevolution 147
Chapter Twelve / Fruits OfThe Earth 160
Chapter Thirteen / FoodAndFamine 175
Chapter Fourteen / Flocks AndHerds 184