Food and power as imperialism's legacies for humanity

Abstract

The work “Gastronomy and Empire: La cocina in the history of the world”, by Rachel Laudan, translated by Ix-Nic Iruegas and Ignacio Padilla, comes to strengthen the history of human food, dealing with the development of food production since the great empires. The book deals with prepared food, which is presented as an unnatural, human feat, as well as houses, clothing, and utensils. In it, Laudan unveils patterns between kitchen migrations from the spread of kitchens by territorial conquests, empire building and exchanges carried out by merchants, soldiers and missionaries, from ancient times to modernity.