“In The Devil's Garden” Review and Commentary by D. Vour Part 3 of 4

Review and Commentary by D. Vour
Gourmand and Food Critic at “The Home“

“In The Devil's Garden” - “A Sinful History Of Forbidden Food”
Ballantine Books
by
Stewart Lee Allen

Chapter Three – of Four

Food is a powerful tool, for good and evil; used to control people through virtually every civilization, religion, region, state, and even across continents. Throughout history for example, limiting – or preventing – certain foods has allowed subjugation of the poor.

The true story of the white potato is heartbreaking .. and I thought I knew about the Irish potato famine. I learned the tragedy was put in motion many years before, when grains were restricted, or priced out of reach, or forbidden. The English - used the white potato to subjugate the Irish, and control them. Believing the white potato was not fit for humans, it was forced by law, as the only crop allowed to be grown by the 'subhuman' Irish. Grains were virtually non existent, and at times illegal to posses, making the lowly 'tater the only food source. When the potato blight hit, destroying all the potatoes, and ruining the only food source, it doomed millions to perish from starvation. There was no grain to fill the void! The resulting migration to 'greener pastures' brought millions to North America, and anywhere that wasn't Ireland. The Irish were amazed at our 'land of plenty', which was certainly a remarkable, and welcome, contrast to the old country. It's no accident that the early Irish in North America settled where grains grow!

Who you feed, invite to dinner, or don’t invite, has each been the cause of wars and social unrest. Religions with castes for example; if one invites another from a higher caste, they have just redefined that person as a caste lower! .. and in some cases such an invitation can bring a death penalty. It pays to know your place – literally .. in the 'food chain' ! Surprisingly, food has even been used in lieu of wars – to prevent fighting – there is an anecdote about a state that believes whoever throws the biggest most lavish gluttonous feast wins – when the last person can't put in one more morsel of food!

Food has been used to pit one religion against another – or even within a religion. I was unaware that the Roman Catholic Church, and Orthodox Greek split apart for over 900 years over the serious philosophical argument about the use of 'yeast', or 'no yeast' in the baking of communion wafers!

We begin to see food as a primary force, moving, shaking, controlling, and shaping history. There have been food laws in every time and place throughout history; Aboriginal, Native American, European, Middle Eastern, Asian, and every known place around the globe. You name it, and virtually every society, culture, religion and civilization, has rules or laws about foods. There are laws to 'use', or 'not use', almost every ingestible ingredient in history. Food has played a dominant role in shaping the times, and places of history, and even all human evolution !

Everything that can be ingested has been used to control manipulate, or stimulate, in some way in its past -- you name it – there are factions on both sides of it ! Virtually every single thing you get at a modern grocery store or restaurant, has detractors, or proponents: for good or bad, either currently, or in the past. In ancient times, many things that you can't even believe could be eaten today, were prized and controlled. All foods have had their unique moment in time, and place.

End of part 3 ... to be continued..

In The Devil's Garden
A Sinful History Of Forbidden Food