Food and Place

Synonyms

Foodscapes; Landscape; Scape; Space

Introduction

Food and place are linked at a basic level, for food must be produced somewhere, and consumed in the same place, or circulated for consumption elsewhere. However, this basic process becomes entangled in judgments about whether it was produced in the appropriate location and manner, if it is being consumed in a culturally sanctioned way, and whether the “right” inhabitants of a place are consuming it. Furthermore, the contemporary world is organized around nation-states, which has given rise to national eating cultures. These national practices coexist with more global eating phenomena, be they long standing such as the widespread consumption of sugar or more recent fast food phenomena like McDonaldization.

The concept of space spans many disciplines and goes beyond a reference to a physical location. Space can be physical, subjective, or affective; it can refer to a geographical location or be a way to speak of mental and...