“Nothing is more basic to the maintenance of all our lives than food. Nothing is more important to the continuance of our customs, crafts, religions, institutions- to our cultures and civilizations- than family. Mealtime is when we take on fuel and lay the foundations of our societies” (pg. 53 Hungry Planet, Alfred w. Crosby PhD. professor at the University of Texas)
“Fast Food restaurants have redefined the American family meal, yes, but they have by no means destroyed it. These restaurants offer safety, or the illusion of it, and comfort and familiarity. They also offer a sense belonging…It is community with people all over the world, eating identical food that betrays no connection to community of place” (pg.92, Essay by Corby Kummer, a senior editor at the Atlantic Monthly, Hungry Planet).
“Street food belongs to the era of market capitalism, which did not become widespread until the industrial revolution and the beginning of global trade. Long-distance trade had existed for centuries before, but mainly in the form of state tribute, payments exacted by kings and generals. Beginning in the 15th century, the private sector- merchants, traders, and speculators- began to predominate. As historians like Eric R. Wolf have pointed out, the private sector prefers to work with cash rather than barter, because money is portable and easily exchanged. Similarly, the year’s new workforce of dyers, weavers, miners, clerks, seamstresses, messengers, and the like paid in cash. Factory owners, merchants, and workers all had to be away from the home kitchen for long periods of time in an era in which the lack of refrigeration make bag lunches problematic. The result- an explosion in the number of hungry people traveling around the world with coins jingling in their pockets- opened up a new venue for small entrepreneurs: the street-food stall.”
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