Delicious: The Evolution of Flavor and How It Made Us Human

Rob Dunn; Monica Sanchez

Published by Princeton University Press 2021

Delicious

The Evolution of Flavor and How It Made Us Human

Rob Dunn and Monica Sanchez

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691218342

Overview
Contents

About this book

A savory account of how the pursuit of delicious foods shaped human evolution

Nature, it has been said, invites us to eat by appetite and rewards by flavor. But what exactly are flavors? Why are some so pleasing while others are not? Delicious is a supremely entertaining foray into the heart of such questions.

With generous helpings of warmth and wit, Rob Dunn and Monica Sanchez offer bold new perspectives on why food is enjoyable and how the pursuit of delicious flavors has guided the course of human history. They consider the role that flavor may have played in the invention of the first tools, the extinction of giant mammals, the evolution of the world’s most delicious and fatty fruits, the creation of beer, and our own sociality. Along the way, you will learn about the taste receptors you didn't even know you had, the best way to ferment a mastodon, the relationship between Paleolithic art and cheese, and much more.

Blending irresistible storytelling with the latest science, Delicious is a deep history of flavor that will transform the way you think about human evolution and the gustatory pleasures of the foods we eat.

Author / Editor information

Rob Dunn is professor of applied ecology at North Carolina State University and in the Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics at the University of Copenhagen. His books include Never Home Alone. Twitter @RRobDunn Monica Sanchez is a medical anthropologist who studies the cultural aspects of health and well-being. Rob and Monica live in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Reviews

"A revolutionary look at the way our appetite for the delicious made us human. Taking readers on an exciting journey into the past, Dunn and Sanchez reveal how and why we love to eat the things we do and the impact this has had on human biology and culture. You will never look at food the same way again."—Vanessa Woods, New York Times bestselling author of Survival of the Friendliest

"An utter delight. Delicious is a gastronomic tapestry of far-flung anecdotes, science, and history expertly woven into a story of the profound significance of taste and aroma for humans and other species. I relished every page."—Joanna E. Lambert, University of Colorado Boulder

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
PROLOGUE: ECO- EVOLUTIONARY GASTRONOMY Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
CHAPTER 1 Tongue-Tied Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
CHAPTER 2 The Flavor-Seekers Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	25
CHAPTER 3 A Nose for Flavor Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	53
CHAPTER 4 Culinary Extinction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	80
CHAPTER 5 Forbidden Fruits Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	114
CHAPTER 6 On the Origin of Spices Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	129
CHAPTER 7 Cheesy Horse and Sour Bee Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	154
CHAPTER 8 The Art of Cheese Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	182
CHAPTER 9 Dinner Makes Us Human Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	203
NOTES Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	215
REFERENCES Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	245
ILLUSTRATION CREDITS Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	261
INDEX Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	263