No food, no life, no history. The acquisition and preparation of food holds a central position in the development of societies, from prehistoric times to the present day. Food forms the basis of the greatest social revolution in history, while laying down the foundations of those structures and institutions we today refer to as 'civilization'. Apart from its physiological importance, food is also a cultural phenomenon. According to Arjun Appadurai, food is 'a highly condensed social fact' and 'a marvellous plastic kind of collective representation'.
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