Most fruits have been systematically bred over the centuries. The goal has been to make the fruit more like an M&M and it's working at Evidently, right? Now you make a distinction between different kinds of cuisine. You talk about high cuisine, humble cuisine and middle-income cuisine. What do you have in mind with them and how have they evolved over time? I think this is an absolutely crucial point and it's one that we forget because we all eat so well nowadays.
Rachel Laudan, visiting scholar at the University of Texas and author of Cuisine and Empire, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the history of food. Topics covered include the importance of grain, the spread of various styles of cooking, why French cooking has elite status, and the reach of McDonald's. The conversation concludes with a discussion of the appeal of local food and other recent food passions.