Food is the nouveau topic to write about. Whether it’s an exposition on the mad genius that is Ferran Adrià, or the theological import of maize in the Mayan culture, food is where it’s at.
In this vein, An Edible History of Humanity
Standage begins at the beginning. Hunter–gatherers evolved for quite some time, but they had not evolved enough to not be hunter–gatherers. As Standage explains, their life was Spartan, mobile, small. We are then introduced to farming. In the Americas, this involved maize. In the Fertile Crescent, it involved wheat and other cereal grains. In Asia, primarily rice. We are told farming did not work terribly well in the beginning. It resulted in more work and less caloric intake than hunting and gathering. Yet, somehow, it stuck.
(This introduction to grains and farming is really the only time in the book Standage examines in-depth particular foodstuffs. Throughout the rest of the book, foodstuffs are mentioned, but not examined in its own right. So, while this in an “edible history of humanity,” the edible takes a back seat to the humanity.)
Having set the scene for modern civilization, Standage explains how agriculture brought rise to economics and currency, economic inequality, and competition that fostered early society-elevating inventions. The intersection of food and religion is explored, but only briefly and without theological texture.
Spices occupy a number of pages, as do the rise and fall of various maritime societies that relied on spices for economic development. Admirably, Standage writes about the spice trade through both Euro-centric and Asia-centric and Islam-centric lenses. Unfortunately, this means not much of any –centric lense is actually fleshed out. For example, the Venetian state (perhaps the most powerful, cosmopolitan, and democratic of the age) is mentioned, but simply as one among many. Thus is the tragedy of the survey.
The real joy in this book is when Standage is more specific and focuses in particular times and events. For example, sugar cane production is a story of tragedy and progress. Sugar cane production was historically built on the backs of slaves. However, at some point, sugar plantations became increasingly mechanized and capital-intensive. Specialization of production-line manufacturing labor was teased out in these brutal slave plantations. This knowledge was subsequently utilized in England’s industrialization, and the cheap calories supplied by sugar helped sustain England’s burgeoning population, which, in turn, sustained that industrialization.
The chapters explaining war and food were likewise interesting. Napoleon’s failed attempt to rule Russia was a strategic military blunder. Not because Napoleon could not defeat Russians on the field of battle (he could), but because Napoleon’s strategy starved his soldiers en mass. Standage teaches us food (or the lack thereof) is sometimes the greatest of military weapons.
Perhaps the most interesting chapters chronicle communism’s use of food as a weapon against its own people. The USSR and China embarked on tragic agricultural paths that resulted in the death of tens-of-millions of citizens. The leaders, unable to believe collectivization could possible fail (I mean, how could it? It is such a good idea), blamed farmers for poor crop yields and punished them and their rural counterparts accordingly. The subsequent withholding of life-sustaining food from these people resulted in millions resorting to eating field grass, shoe leather, and, eventually, cannibalism. All the while, Communist leaders stayed fat, as did cities frequently visited by foreigners. Food served simultaneously as a tool for punishment and propaganda.
Standage advances the theory a lack of basic cereal grains was the primary reason for Communism’s ultimate demise. This makes sense, although I think he probably puts a little too much stock in the idea. A lack of basic foodstuffs is merely a symptom of the general incompetence of Communist leaders, as was a lack of serious economic development in general.
The latter portion of the book is dedicated to modern farming techniques and the scientific advances that made those techniques possible. Likewise, modern arguments over food are discussed, but, again, only briefly.
Standage’s writing style is dry and factual. His narrative bogs down in many parts, and the lack of actual discussion regarding the book’s primary character (food) is unfortunate. This noted, there are many things to learn of human development in this book.
Finally, if you want a book with a similar scope regarding human development, and one that deals more with actual food and specific persons and events, then I would suggest Salt by Mark Kurlansky. Kurlansky’s style is taut and eminently enjoyable.
Marco is Managing Partner at Brown Law, LLC, a foodie, and the dad of the cutest kid in the world. You can find him at Brown Law and at Eating Salt Lake City.
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