I chuckled reading Salt. It's not that Pollan doesn't know this stuff, it's just funny that he prefers to leave it out because it doesn't assist his thesis. Salt was one of those goods that made it possible to preserve food and, thus, was important to trade in food stuffs. In addition, one of the things that Pollan complains about it the way it's difficult to make money off plain old food. In order to make money, you have to add some value. Corn on the cob is never going to be as profitable as canned cream corn, corn dogs, and high fructose corn syrup, beef not as profitable as a Lean Cuisine frozen meal of Beef Stroganoff. But of course, that was the way it was 2000 years ago, too. Only, in this case, it was salted whale tongue v plain old whale tongue, prosciutto instead of pork, and other examples that escape me entirely too uncaffeinated brain at the mo'. To make money, people had to produce a more refined product -- add value -- because otherwise there was no profit in it.
Like I said, this probably wouldn't be news to Pollan, nor would the global trade in food that's been around for so long. Still, it's interesting that he makes, among other things, the value add to food a target of his critique when the issue is ancient. Also, as for the cuisines of the Mediterranean he's so hot on -- because knowledge that is close to nature (and mimics the logic of nature ) is better than that which is not -- well, I don't know, but it was interesting to learn why catholics don't eat meat -- or didn't -- on holy days, and the reasons behind why they weren't allowed to. Red meat is hot, and therefore causes sexual excitement, so no no on a holy day (and no sex either!). So, about 50% of their days were spent not eating red meat for some bizarre ass reasons promulgated by the Catholic church.
Close to nature?
tee hee.
shag
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