Why did the passion for food -- gastronomy -- originate in France? The key, it turns out, is France itself. In its climate, diversity of soils, abundant resources, and varied topography lie the roots of France's food fame. Pitte masterfully reveals the ways in which cultural phenomena surrounding food and eating in France relate to space and place.
French Gastronomy:
The History and Geography of a Passion
Jean-Robert Pitte
Columbia University Press
Illustration: Martha Lewis