Known for his entertaining investigations into culinary practice, Massimo Montanari turns his hungry eye to the phenomena of food culture, food lore, cooking methods, and eating habits throughout history. Focusing on the selection, preparation, and mythology of food, Montanari traverses such subjects as the status of the pantry over the centuries, the various strategies of cooking over time, the gastronomy of famine, the science of flavors, the changing characteristics of convivial rituals, the customs of the table, and the ever-evolving identity of food. From the invention of basic bread making to chocolate's reputation for decadence, he positions food culture as a lens through which we can plot changes in historical values and social and economic trends. Montanari shows that cooking is not only a decisive part of our cultural heritage but also a key indicator of our material and intellectual well-being.