The anthropology of food by Alessandra Guigoni

It must be said: the anthropology of food is finally explained in a human way. But in the true sense of the word: humanity qualified by the brain and heart. Alessandra Guigoni is a Sardinian ethnographer dealing by years of what concerns food and wine, with very interesting features (www.etnografia.it). In this book she talks about historical topics, it is true, yet practical, applicable, giving exploring and analysis points. For example it is quite stimulating the discourse on weaning in the West, the meals around the world, differences between breast-feeding between different ethnic groups in London. Weaning of infants in their country of origin is always better than others? Not always, but it is difficult to print it in the convictions of midwives and new mothers. This book elucidates the enthusiasm towards weaning, loading of culture and pleasant anecdotes. From there the discussion concerns the historical anthropology, on the advent of American tomatoes on our tables. Ethnography of smell seems then an abstruse concept, but it is invariably denied by the flow of pages: men have now lost the ability to discern through the nose; the wine-tasting skills however, have awakened, bringing us back on track of our beloved unconscious animality.Among the books of anthropology, this comfortable manual merges ethnography with the welfare of the banquet. Big words, seemingly difficult concepts. Not true, we talk about simple and appreciated topics for millennia, simply because they refer to food and wine. "The anthropology of food and drink" Editions Altravia Italian Language 196 pages 15 euro