[...]... accident or on purpose, about different foods and new ways to combine or prepare foods, as in the case of Romans learning from Greeks 10 Food Culture in the Mediterranean After the period of Roman domination in the Mediterranean came an extended period of Arab domination, beginning in the seventh century and continuing until the end of the sixteenth century The Mediterranean Sea became divided between... people in the Mediterranean region eat How did Mediterranean cuisine and diet take on these particular characteristics? This chapter explores the history of growing, harvesting, preparing, and eating food in the region around the Mediterranean Sea by examining first ancient food cultures that still influence eating habits today Next, this chapter looks at the important historical developments in the region... and Stay Well the Mediterranean Way, sparking international interest in the Mediterranean diet 1980s Expansion of American fast -food restaurants begins in Europe and continues into other parts of the Mediterranean 1989 Slow Food movement begins, founded in opposition to growth of McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants throughout the world 2008 UN Food and Agriculture Organization finds obesity levels... and expanded the culinary offerings in that category by combining ingredients in new ways or experimenting with cooking techniques These innovative approaches to cooking have become the hallmark of Mediterranean cuisine today, as cooks and chefs continue to experiment with combining new tastes According to Greek mythology, phenomenal appetites spurred the search for new combinations of foods, as one... tasted something different or witnessed a new method of cooking food, they readily embraced and incorporated food and recipes into their own culinary repertoire As the following chapters of this book argue, this diversity of foods, styles, and approaches makes Mediterranean food culture unique One finds, for example, North African influence in Sicilian cooking or European influence in Syrian cuisine To say... a time in Provence, France, the Greek Islands, and Egypt, was so taken by the taste of Mediterranean 2 Food Culture in the Mediterranean dishes that she spent years of her life dedicated to writing cookbooks instructing British and American readers in the ways of Mediterranean cooking For David, it was the simplicity and quality of the ingredients that made Mediterranean food attractive For others,... Another example would be the many kinds of zucchini pie in Greek cuisine They are all zucchini pies, but each one is made slightly different from the other One may have cheese grated on top, the zucchini used in the pie might be cooked in milk before being baked off in the pie, or a particular spice might be used For centuries, Mediterranean cooks have had to cook within certain limits, and although their... and Mediterranean cooks and diners have dedicated themselves to making a set of ingredients into a variety of tasty meals and snacks Yet these same cooks and diners have been open to change, from new ingredients, to the new preparation techniques, to thinking in new ways about the same old ingredients This curious blend of tradition and innovation characterizes food culture in the Mediterranean, making... others because they fear these external influences will cause the Mediterranean ways of cooking and eating to become less important and even obsolete The question on the mind of many people in the region is how well Mediterranean cuisine will survive in an era of globalization In some respects, the globalization of tastes had led to greater interest in local food culture American fast food restaurants and... War II, the Mediterranean region’s fishing industry boomed Fishermen had few problems making a living, and hundreds of processing plants sprang up to accommodate the growing Historical Overview 17 international demand for Mediterranean anchovies, sardines, tuna, and other fish By the 1970s, however, there were problems Overfishing in many areas led to a marked decline in the size and amount of the average . preparing, and eating food in the region around the Mediterranean Sea by examining first ancient food cultures that still influence eating habits today Well the Mediterranean Way, sparking interna- tional interest in the Mediterranean diet. 1980s Expansion of American fast -food restaurants begins in Europe