Ten Reasons To Study Gastronomy

posted by Geoff Andrews at Tuesday, November 24, 2009

24 November 2009

1/ To recognise that gastronomy is a true science in its own right, which cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries from the humanities to natural science, social science and environmental studies, encompassing in the words of Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in the Physiologie du Gout, ‘analytical knowledge of everything related to man’s eating’.

2/ To understand the costs and consequences of the modern diet - for the environment, nutritional health and the economy

3/ To know the history of food, where it comes from and the communities involved in producing it.

4/ To consider the links between food and society, food and politics and food and culture at both a global and local level.

5/ To discover and rediscover the importance of the senses.

6/ To critically analyse the relationship between production and consumption

7/ To look at the growing significance of food in popular culture, including the rise of the celebrity chef and the representations (and mis-representations) of food in the media, film and literature

8/ To be aware of the different sources of knowledge, from those of the producer and the consumer, to the chef and the food writer.

9/ To look at regional and national differences and the challenges globalisation has posed for these.

10/ To study the growing political significance of food for debates about politics and the environment and the new food movements from the Transition Town movement to Slow Food.