Gastronomy

Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, also known as the art and science of good eating. The term gastronomy can also be used to show the role of food in society, culture, politics, the environment, and economics. The need for food is universal, and the desire for basic necessities has been known to play a significant role in the shaping of geopolitical events. People also eat for pleasure, so food can have profound psychological effects on those who consume it. Food and the preparation techniques used to cook it reflect the living conditions of the people who eat it. Differing preferences have long been a source of prejudice because what people eat and why they eat it is often a reflection of their social class. These preferences are based on factors such as availability, politics, religion, seasons/climate, socioeconomic status, and technology.

History

The ancient Romans had defined food preferences tied to their class and lifestyles. Since smoke and fat were typically reserved for the gods, the Romans preferred to boil and stew their meat. These cooking methods symbolized refinement and wealth, as many ancient Romans believed that roasting meat was just a step above eating it raw. Romans had a taste for rich food and sweet-and-sour sauces made from honey, fruits, and vinegar. The sauces were often seasoned with cumin, coriander, mint, or oregano. Since they ate lying down, they enjoyed small and bite-sized foods. The Romans cooked almost exclusively with olive oil and even designated its region of origin much like the French do with wine.

In medieval Europe, meat became the central part of the meal. Fish often replaced meat on days when the church prohibited eating it. The main course was either roasted or boiled and served with a light sauce. The wealthy consumed poultry and fruits, while the lower classes ate root vegetables and dark breads. Spices, such as ginger, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, grains of paradise, cardamom and saffron, replaced herbs as seasonings.

Additionally, European gastronomy changed dramatically after the discovery of the Americas. Many foods commonly associated with European cuisine, such as tomatoes, corn, potatoes, squash, beans, peanuts, peppers, vanilla, and chocolate, were actually unheard of in Europe until explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Hernan Cortes brought them back from the New World in the 1500s.

While medieval preferences remained popular throughout most of Europe, the French began to create their own cuisine in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The French had a strong preference for vegetables, including artichokes, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, and peas. They also invented the roux, which is a thickening agent made by cooking fat and flour together. The French also began to consume coffee and chocolate. Grand restaurants and luxury hotels became staples in nineteenth-century France, and by the following century, regional French cuisine became the gold standard.

American gastronomy is a fusion of the immigrant experiences that make up the history of the country. When European colonists settled on the American continent, they imported many of their own food sources—such as grains, fruit trees, chickens, and livestock. Imported foods were supplemented with local foods such as corn, nuts, and wild game, including turkey and venison. Later, the Europeans imported tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and peanuts from Latin American countries. These crops especially flourished in the rich soils of the Ohio Valley. As waves of immigrants from Germany, Ireland, Scandinavia, and Italy arrived, they added their own culinary touches to American gastronomy.

In the American South, African slaves heavily influenced the food. They devised innovative ways to cook cheap cuts of meat and greens to make them palatable. The Southern staple barbeque has its roots in the African and Caribbean traditions of cooking meat at low temperatures over a flame. Once the nation expanded westward and Texas was annexed, cuisine influenced by the Mexicans became prevalent in Mexican border states. Jews who arrived later brought their influences to the northeast, while Asians took their foods to the West Coast.

Overview

Gastronomy as a formal discipline is a fairly new concept. If a person studies the history and influence of food on a particular culture, much can be learned. Author Sarah Lohman, a historical gastronomist, translated and replicated historical American recipes. Many of these did not suit modern tastes, so she began to adapt them. She soon realized the importance of these recipes was more than the food itself; it was telling the story of early American culinary traditions, many of which originated from disenfranchised people such as women, slaves, and immigrants.

One such story is that of Sriracha, a hot sauce that became a culinary phenomenon in the early twenty-first century. Sriracha originated with a Vietnamese refugee named David Tran. After the end of Vietnam War (1955–1975), much of the ethnically Chinese population was expelled from Vietnam. Looking for a way to make a living when he fled to the United States, Tran began bottling hot sauce just as he had done in Vietnam. It took some time, but people embraced Sriracha sauce, which became very popular and considered a culinary staple for many into the 2010s. His company, Huy Fong Foods, earned around $130.9 million in sales in 2023. Sriracha, which is an American product produced entirely in California, takes its roots from French and Thai cuisine.

As the field of gastronomy grows in the United States, more chefs and restaurateurs have turned toward farm-to-table, seasonal, and sustainable cuisine. Consumers and patrons have grown similarly interested in such movements with a return to more natural, organic foods.

If people dig into the gastronomy of their favorite foods and the stories and cultures associated with them, they can learn much more than a recipe. The history of food can tell a story about a person's ancestry, culture, class, and social status. It can also give valuable insights into technological innovations, climate and weather, and immigration and migration patterns.

Bibliography

Byrd, Joseph. "A History of American Cuisine, Part I." North Coast Journal, 27 Dec. 2007, www.northcoastjournal.com/humboldt/a-history-of-american-cuisine-part-i/Content?oid=2126319. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

"Food Timeline FAQs: National Gastronomy?" Food Timeline, www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq6.html. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Gallary, Christine. "Do You Know Your French Mother Sauces?" Kitchn, 20 Oct. 2014, www.thekitchn.com/do-you-know-your-french-mother-sauces-211794. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

"The Heritage of America." Maître Chiquart, www.oldcook.com/en/history-products‗america. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

"The History of BBQ." BBQMyWay.com. www.bbq-my-way.com/history-of-bbq.html. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

"History of European Cuisine and Gastronomy." Maître Chiquart, www.oldcook.com/en/history-gastronomy. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Simos, Niko, and Henry Gordon-Smith. “Farm-to-Table: A Sustainable Solution for Food Insecurity.” Agritecture, 15 Feb. 2024, www.agritecture.com/blog/understanding-the-farm-to-table-movementfor-developers-architects-designers-and-hospitality-professionals. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

"What the Hell Is Gastronomy, Anyway?" Adventures of an Omnomnomnivore in NYC, 13 May 2011, www.crystal.kitchen/2011/05/13/what-the-hell-is-gastronomy-anyway. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Yu, Alan. "How Just 8 Flavors Have Defined American Cuisine." National Public Radio,6 Dec. 2016, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/06/502172541/how-just-eight-flavors-have-defined-american-cuisine. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.