What is edible?

Adel P. den Hartog Ph.D. (1986), was appointed to the Department of Human Nutrition at Wageningen University of Agriculture. As a social geographer, he added new aspects to Wageningen food research and education. His historical work was presented at conferences and in volumes of the International Commission for Research into European Food History (ICREFH). He died on 26 September 2012 in Bennekom. He was 75 years old.

Accountability

Word in advance



Introduction



1 Why do we eat what we eat?

 Unknown and unloved

 Humans as carnivores

 Humans as man-eaters

 Inedible becomes edible

 What determines food choices?



2 Food diffusion—the long road from unknown to known

 An old and new phenomenon

 The spread of sugar and spices

 New thirst quenchers—coffee and tea

 The battle for the thirsty throat

 The potato: from botanical curiosity to staple food

 The integration of the tomato

 Decline in fruit and vegetable consumption



3 Food taboos, food laws and rules

 Food taboos

 The changing power of alcohol prohibition

 Fasting

 Culturally defined rules about nutrition

 Permanent food bans



4 The meaning of meat

 Pork: beloved or banned

 The sacred cow

 A horse is a noble animal

 Vegetarianism and veganism



5 Rats, dogs and insects—delicious or disgusting?

 Rats and rodents

 Dog as a delicacy?!

 Insects as food



6 Milk, the Dutch white engine

 Drinking milk: a special custom

 The history of dairy consumption

 Milk in different cultures

 Explanations for the absence of milk in the diet

 The modern era



Afterword: Is a change as good as a feast?

About Adel den Hartog

Literature consulted