HISTORY OF WORLD GASTRONOMY TO THE PRESENT - HISTORY - 2025

The history of world gastronomy offers a multidisciplinary vision of how human beings have varied their way of eating from Prehistory to today. From being a purely survival action, it has reached a time when gastronomy has become, for many, an art.

In the first moments of history there was a fundamental event for the later development: the discovery of fire and how to control it. If the human being had already benefited from starting to consume meat - fundamental for his evolution -, the fire took him a step further.

Another point that marks the history of gastronomy is the influence of new ingredients and customs that led to the trade routes between Europe and Asia and, of course, the discovery of America.

Despite the fact that today the different gastronomic traditions are more united than ever, experts continue to name some of these as the most outstanding on the planet. The Mediterranean, the French, the Chinese, the Mexican and the Turkish always appear in the first positions due to their influence and their characteristics.

History of gastronomy

The history of gastronomy is closely related to the history of the human being. If there is something that has existed since the beginning of humanity, it is the need to feed.

In the beginning, the ancestors of man did it simply by collecting what nature gave them, without processing it; later they added mixtures of ingredients and elaborated what today are known as recipes.

Term «gastronomy»

The term "gastronomy" comes from ancient Greek. The word designates the study of how humans relate to their diet. For this, it takes into account the environment in which each group has developed, as well as the culture or technical advances.

During history, the influence of various factors has changed human gastronomy. For this reason, aspects such as agricultural development or improved food preservation are essential to understand its evolution.

Milestones in the history of gastronomy

Broadly speaking, many authors point to three different milestones that shape the appearance of gastronomy as we understand it today. These are different discoveries or changes in customs that were fundamental for the human being, even in the evolutionary aspect.

First milestone

The first milestone occurred about two and a half million years ago. It is supposed to have occurred in Africa and consisted of the incorporation of meat into the gathering diet of the moment.

This intake of protein and other nutrients produced a great physical change, including an increase in the size of the brain and, consequently, in cognitive abilities.

Second milestone

The second turning point was the discovery of fire. It is supposed to have taken place a few hundred thousand years ago somewhere in Eurasia.

To this must be added that they began to experiment with food preservation methods. Likewise, these advances caused the value to be given to taste in food, ceasing to be solely about survival.

Third milestone

The third milestone that the authors speak of is much more modern. The emergence of agriculture around 12,000 years ago was another revolution in the field of human nutrition.

This, plus the beginning of livestock, totally changed Neolithic society, as well as their way of eating.

History of gastronomy until the Roman Empire

Prehistory

Despite the long duration of this stage, it is usually divided into only two parts when analyzing its gastronomy. Thus, it is the discovery of fire and how to control it that divides Prehistory into two different periods.

Before man used fire, he fed on what he collected, without any type of preparation. They were fruits, roots, and stems; in general, he consumed what nature offered him. Over the years he also began to hunt animals: first the small ones, such as lizards or mice; and then larger pieces, like bison.

He also began to practice fishing in a very rudimentary way. To preserve the fish, and also part of the meat, salting techniques were used. Of course, everything was consumed raw, leaving the flavor in the background.

When the fire was discovered, the concept changed and the kitchen appeared, although for the moment limited to roasts.

The beginning of agriculture and livestock caused the entire social system to change. The human being became sedentary and did not need to travel to look for food.

In addition, they began to take advantage of secondary animal products, such as milk. Finally, the crafts caused the clay to be used for cooking.

Egypt and Hebrew culture

The great civilizations that appeared at this time were also distinguished by their gastronomic peculiarities. These exerted a great influence on other nearby regions, so they can be considered the first cases in which a culinary tradition spread from the center to the peripheries.

In the case of Egypt, the diet was largely based on cereals and legumes. In addition, despite its location in the desert, the use of the Nile floods caused them to produce a lot of fruit: from dates to watermelons.

Egyptians also stand out for introducing bread into the diet. Meat could only be afforded by the wealthiest class, while the poorer population barely tasted it.

His way of eating was very formal, always sitting down and using forks and spoons. So much importance was given to it that, in the tombs of the pharaohs, large quantities of food appear to feed them on their way to the afterlife.

For their part, the Hebrews are a curious case in gastronomy. They were highly influenced by religious motives that, according to historians, have a prior social origin.

For example, the pork ban appears to stem from an epidemic affecting pigs that could be deadly to humans. In the temples it was also eaten as part of the rites.

The Hebrews consumed wine and a lot of dairy products, as well as vegetables and fruits. The most traditional meat was lamb or goat.

Greece

As for the Greeks, they are the first to give an informative aspect to their gastronomic knowledge. Thus, in the IV century a. C. Arquéstrato de Gela was the first to write a guide on the subject, connecting it with culture.

As contributions stand out the olive oil and the use of pork and stews. Its importance in European culture makes its gastronomy spread throughout the Mediterranean.

History of gastronomy from the Roman Empire

Rome

The Roman Empire, with its expansion to the rest of the continent and part of Asia, gathered very diverse influences that can be seen very clearly in its gastronomy. At first it was quite basic: only vegetables, cereals and legumes. As its territory and wealth grew, it became more complex.

From Greece they copied the use of oil and pork. In addition, they brought many aromatic herbs from Asia Minor, which they incorporated into their cuisine. They were also masters of poultry and fish farming, and began to make sausages.

Socially, especially among the upper classes, mealtime was quite an event. The great banquets were frequent and they developed various rituals and ceremonials for those moments.

Finally, they continued the outreach work that the Hellenes had started. Authors such as Luculo or Maco Gavio Apicio can be highlighted, the latter responsible for a famous cookbook called Apitii Celii de re co Maquinaria libri decem, which acquired great prestige during the Renaissance.

Middle Ages

More than the work of the European countries, which suffered great famines and epidemics, medieval gastronomy stands out for the contributions of Arabs and Byzantines, much more refined at that time.

Persia also collaborated by providing some ingredients, which arrived in Europe carried by the Arabs. Thus, these gave more value to the use of rice, sugar cane and vegetables such as aubergine.

The Byzantines, who collected the classical Greek heritage, were great cheese makers and many of their dishes incorporated minced meat. Its pastries are also famous.

Within the European courts there were writers who prepared cookbooks and gastronomic studies, but the most elaborate creations were only intended for the nobility.

Renaissance

As in the rest of the cultural aspects, the Renaissance looked to the classical cultures to incorporate their recipes. This time is considered as the birth of a refined and sophisticated gastronomy, with great culinary contributions.

The opening of the so-called Route of Spices gave the gastronomic art of new flavors. Venice, one of the territories that most traded with the East, became one of the reference centers in this field: mustard, pepper, saffron or cloves began to be used continuously.

Another fundamental event was the discovery of America. New products arrived in Europe, some as important as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers or beans.

It was during the last Renaissance period that France became one of the most important gastronomic centers, a position it has maintained until now. The aristocrats and kings were driving this food revolution, which, however, was not enjoyed by a majority of the hungry people.

Modern age

It was not until after the French Revolution that more elaborate gastronomy began to be common among the people. After that event, it stopped being something exclusive to the upper classes and expanded to all levels. A good example is the appearance of restaurants, some of them cheap and affordable for the working population.

Another revolution, in this case the Industrial Revolution, meant the popularization of canned food, facilitating access to many foods. Cookery books and treatises multiplied and a new genre was born: gastronomic criticism.

Already in the twentieth century, processed and precooked foods became elements present in many homes. During the last decades and in societies such as that of the United States, almost more prepared food was consumed than that made at home.

Present

Current trends have several characteristics of their own that make them very distinguishable from other times. On the one hand, a movement has emerged that advocates a return to healthy eating. Obesity has become a problem in advanced societies and more and more products are appearing that seek nutritional balance.

On the other hand, globalization has meant that you can find food from any part of the world in many cities. Foods such as Japanese, Mexican or Indian can be tasted all over the planet, with more or less quality.

Finally, there is also a sector of gastronomy professionals who have sought to experiment with new flavors and techniques: from the use of liquid nitrogen to little-known ingredients, such as some small seaweed.

It can be said that today there is a true golden age in this field, with many chefs elevated to the category of popular stars and multiple cooking shows on television.

References

1. Alcubilla, Julius Caesar. An account of the Gastronomic History of the World. Obtained from tecnologiahechapalabra.com
2. Gutierrez, Ricardo. History of gastronomy: The Middle Ages. Retrieved from lebonmenu.com
3. Azcoytia, Carlos. The Crazy History of the Kitchen. Obtained from historiacocina.com
4. Association Maître Chiquart. History of European cuisine and gastronomy. Retrieved from oldcook.com
5. Cartwright, Mark. Food in the Roman World. Retrieved from ancient.eu
6. Cailein Gillespie, John Cousins. European Gastronomy into the 21st Century. Recovered from books.google.es
7. Katherine A. McIver. Cooking and Eating in Renaissance Italy: From Kitchen to Table. Recovered from books.google.es