Eating habits and history
Changes in man’s eating habits over the centuries have had a remarkable impact on his way of life. Elaborate social rituals have been developed, roads and buildings constructed, sea-routes discovered and church edicts passed – all as a result of man’s changing dietary patterns.
An early example of this can be seen in the history of the Roman Empire. During its final decadent days, when elaborate orgies had become popular among the nobility, it was custom to overeat, then stimulate vomiting, so that eating could begin again. Rooms called vomitoria were built onto houses, where guests, after tickling their throats with feathers, could relieve themselves by vomiting and then return to banqueting.
Later, in the Middle Ages, overeating was also popular, and became a way of passing the time during the cold winters. Henry VIII’s dinners started at five in the afternoon and lasted until three the next morning. At that time, overeating became such a problem among the wealthy that the church listed gluttony as one of the deadly sins, and issued an edict forbidding it.
Then, when gluttony was no longer such a problem, another dietary change took place. In the 16th century, the English government, desiring to provide work for sailors and fishermen, and to bring the price of meat down, insisted that fish be eaten twice a week. Because fish spoil easily, and smell badly when putrid, roads were improved and new ones were built to facilitate quick transport of fish to market towns.
Later in the 16th century, when well-constructed sailing ships permitted it, countries like Britain, Portugal and the Netherlands searched for sea routes to the East, where they could procure spices. These could preserve meat and also improve its flavour.
The desired new routes were found, and hitherto unknown countries were ‘discovered’. Spices were not the only commodities brought home. In addition, foods such as peanuts, sweet potatoes, bananas, potatoes and rice were introduced to Europe – foods which fundamentally changed the diets of many people. The potato, in particular, was received with wild enthusiasm, and eventually became the staple food of Ireland.
These examples show how profoundly history has been affected by man’s desire for food, and his changing dietary habits
Questions for the 2nd passage: Eating habits and history
1. When did the dietary changes take place?
Start writing here:
2. What were the consequences of each change? Fill in the information given in the text in the table below.
3. Write a summary of the text. Remember that summaries deal only with the main points given – it is a ‘boiled down’ version of the original text.
1. The dietary changes took place at different points in history, with examples from the Roman Empire, Middle Ages, and 16th century.
2.
| Dietary Change | Consequence |
|-----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Roman Empire | Elaborate orgies with overeating and vomiting rituals, construction of special rooms for vomiting |
| Middle Ages | Overeating as a way to pass time, church listing gluttony as a deadly sin, issuing edicts against it |
| 16th Century | Government mandate to eat fish twice a week, improved road construction for fish transport |
| 16th Century | Search for sea routes for spices, introduction of new foods to Europe, such as peanuts and potatoes |
3. The text discusses the impact of changing dietary habits on history, including examples from the Roman Empire, Middle Ages, and 16th century. Overeating, gluttony, and the introduction of new foods due to exploration and trade routes are highlighted as key points showing how food has shaped historical events and social norms. These changes in eating habits have influenced social rituals, construction of buildings and roads, exploration of sea routes, and the introduction of new foods to different regions.