Through food, you can go almost anywhere

On her latest book, and why food is one of the best ways to explore history

- Teja Lele

Why do you think food is a good lens through which to view 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 am 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 that governments make on our behalf — reflect changing notions of morality and what is important to us at any given time.