ILLEGAL USE OF NARCOTIC DRUGS, PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES, AND THEIR ANALOGUES CAUSES HARM TO HEALTH, THEIR ILLEGAL CIRCULATION IS PROHIBITED AND ENTAILS LIABILITY ESTABLISHED BY LAW. Food has always been a source of passions and temptations — and sometimes it has even changed the course of human history. Thanks to wheat and rice, the first world empires emerged; the pursuit of spices predetermined the course of European geographical discoveries and conquests; and without coffee and sugar, modern capitalism is inconceivable. This book, written by anthropologist Mary White and historian Benjamin Wurgaft, offers a new perspective on the connections between culture, society, and the products on your table. The authors travel through time and space — from ancient Roman banquets to "McDonald's," from the Italian hinterland to the bustling streets of Tokyo and Seoul, from mountain coffee plantations to ordinary department stores — uncovering countless untold stories that will surprise even the most discerning reader.