Introduction - National Eating Disorder
“Many people today seem perfectly content eating at the end of an industrial food chain, without a thought in the world; this book is probably not for them.”
In American culture, inherited cultural knowledge about eating has been replaced by confusion & anxiety. This important activity now requires remarkable amount of expert help. Lipophobia in 1970’s has morphed into Carbophobia in 2000’s, causing bread & pasta, a staple of dining tables, to be replaced with imperfect substitutes. This was caused by media storm of diet books, studies, and magazine articles (including the formerly discredited Dr. Atkins). Such a violent change in a culture’s eating habits, unseen in other countries in Europe & Asia, is the sign of a national eating disorder - other signs include dietary goals in the shape of a pyramid set by government legislation, endless stream of diet books (every January), confusion of dietary supplements for meals, obsession with fast food, and gross obesity. Americans are dismayed at the fitness of other countries, despite what appears to be lavish consumption. Others are amazed that Americans are so confused about what to eat.
Omnivore’s dilemma was first mentioned by Rousseau and Brillat-Savarin, addressing the boon and burden of being able to eat with greater freedom (and risk). Some anthropologists believe our brains evolved in order to better address omnivore’s dilemma. In addition to our senses, culture memory serves important function in distinction between good & bad foods - stores accumulated wisdom of countless human experiences. Culture acts to avoid dilemma at the onset of every meal. Part of American problem stems from plethora of choices available at local markets (Note - America is unique in this aspect; most cultures only have access to locally grown fruits & vegetables). America also suffers from heterogenous culture. Lack of steadying culture of food leaves us susceptible to some profiteers and marketers, who view omnivore’s dilemma as an opportunity. It is in food industry’s interests to exacerbate our anxieties regarding diet, to better assuage us with new products.
Purpose of this book is to trace the origin of meals in order to discover the most fundamental relationships between species in nature, vis a vis eaters & eaten. It focuses on three separate food chains that sustain us: 1) industrial, 2) organic, and 3) hunter-gatherer.
Ecology also tells us that all life in on earth is a competition for energy, specifically solar energy (Note: Living Within Limits - Garrett Hardin). Industrial revolution of food chain has changed fundamental rules of the game. Reliance on sun has been replaced with reliance on petrol-fuels. This has greatly increased the among of food energy available. Abundance seems to have deepened the Dilemma, not render it obsolete.
The end result is the discovery of the Perfect Meal, not because of its taste, but because of the labor and thought-intensive process, enjoyed in the company of other foragers. It provides the rare opportunity to eat in full consciousness of everything involved in the food we eat - it involves paying the full karmic price of a meal. Industrial eating removes us from the relationship we have with nature’s other inhabitants - we often disregard not only the animal’s pain, but our pleasure.
The book will also illustrate the tension between nature and human industry. Often, our prodigiousness comes into conflict with nature’s ways, particularly when we try to maximize efficiency (vast monocultures, fossil fuels, artificial animal farms, novel diets).
“But in the end this is a book about the pleasures of eating, the kinds of pleasure that are only deepened by knowing.”
