ABOUT THE BOOK Food is ubiquitous in nature. It supports and nourishes life. The origin of food is unknown but it has always held a leading role in the story of human civilization. It is therefore necessary for all of us to understand its various dimensions; learn from the past and plan for the future as food has been one’s constant companion throughout human civilization in times of both joy and sorrow. Food is a trans-disciplinary area of education and research. Much of the work available in this area is concentrated towards health, disease and hospitality while a lot has also been done in the field of social sciences and literature. This book brings together the interactive facets of food as it touches our lives in innumerable ways. The book is unique because of its trans-disciplinary nature. It traces the history, policies, programmes, culture, technology, literature, and commerce of food. While on the one hand it unravels our rich culinary heritage, it encourages us to ponder over both the challeng