Food and humanity : the cultural and historical significance of food for the ancient Romans to the Italian-American immigrants : honors thesis [(HONRS 499)]

Abstract

The sole view of food only serving humans with nutritional needs underestimates and disregards the symbolic and cultural meanings of food. Looked at in broader context, humans live not just off of food but also through it. Food is used to define and unite people in any given culture. In turn, humans use food to transmit and keep alive their heritage. Food thus becomes an archetype to which all humans have a connection because all humans have contact with food and use it for more than just sustenance. There might be diversity between people and the actual foods they eat, but the constant remains the same -- food as an expression of humanity. This paper attempts to illustrate this point by tracing the "food history" of ancient Rome through the immigration of Italians to America at the turn of the 19th century.