The Philosophy of Food

Anyone brought up on the bland, badly-cooked food we were given in the 50’s and 60’ must be thankful for the advent of multiculturalism in the UK—at least for its effect in the kitchen. Now we have access to a huge range of ingredients , styles of cuisine and restaurants. And no longer do the British feel they have to cook everything to a pulp, like your mum did, in order for it to be safe to eat!

Mind you—some argue that the food shortages in WWII had the beneficial effect of forcing a healthier diet on the Brits as it contained less fat and sugar. Obesity was rare and rates of type 2 diabetes and heart disease were lower.

We are going to look at the various controversies around food. Here are the key issues. We won’t be able to cover them all but bring along your favourites:

• Slow vs Fast food?

• Organic vs non-organic?

• Ready meals vs Home cooking?

• Men cooking vs Women cooking?

• Kitchen cooking vs Outdoors cooking (barbeques and camping)?

• Processed food vs Unprocessed (natural?) food?

• Eating alone vs Eating with others?

• Eating out vs Eating at home?

• Eating to live vs Living to eat?

• Seasonal eating vs all-year-round availability of produce?

• Local vs Global sourcing

• Fasting vs Dieting?

• Biological function vs Spiritual function of food (‘Animals just feed but humans sit down at tables and dine’)

• Grow your own (in garden or allotment) vs Buying from a shop?

• Supermarket vs Farmer’s market?

• Gourmet/Foodie vs Glutton?

• Healthy diet vs Unhealthy diet?

• Additives vs ‘Naked’ food?

• Routine and Ritual (set mealtimes and patterns of eating) vs ‘Grazing’ when you feel peckish?

• Tradition and Authenticity in recipes vs Novelty and ‘Fusion’?

• Self-sufficiency in food vs International interdependence (Could the UK ever be self-sufficient in  food?)

• Watching other people cook (on TV and at Food Festivals) vs Cooking yourself?

• Mass produced food vs Artisan produce?

• Vegetarian vs Vegan

• Omnivore vs Restricted diet (eg, Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Fruitarian, Raw-foodism, Macrobiotic, Carnivorism)?

• Table-manners (what are they these days?) vs Laissez-faire eating?

And here’s the final question we will ask ---what would you choose for your last meal if you had to choose and where would you eat it?