The Dynamics of Mediterranean Food Cultures in Periods of Globalization

Abstract

The diffusion of food cultures is a fascinating cultural problem since it involves a plurality of mechanisms: (i) the geographical diffusion of plants or animals; (ii) the geographical diffusion of the way to cultivate, process and cook them; (iii) the short and long term migrations of populations, tourists or professional cooks; (iv) the upward or downward diffusion of cooking habits and food tastes; (v) the role of religions, ideologies and fashion in the change of habits. We shall rely on this conceptual framework to compare the processes of standardization at two periods in the Mediterranean World.