India, Jan. 10 -- Why do you think food is a good lens to look at history?

Because we all eat, and in such seemingly everyday activities as preparing and consuming (and disposing of) food, we show who we are as individuals, and we reflect the societies and cultures in which we live. Through food, you can go almost anywhere. I'm a social historian, so I don't tend to look much at diet and nutrition, but I do look at class and status and how it is expressed - or imposed - through food. Food is a structuring principle in how towns are planned, or landed estates, or working class housing. National tastes reflect global trade, and the decisions we make - or governments make on our behalf - reflect changing notions of morality and what is impo...