Food has always been a source of passions and temptations - and sometimes even could change the course of human history. Thanks to wheat and rice, the first world empires arose, the pursuit of spices predetermined the course of European geographical discoveries and conquests, and without coffee and sugar, the existence of modern capitalism is unthinkable. Written by anthropologist Merry White and historian Benjamin Wurgaft, this book offers new insights into the relationships between culture, society and the products that sit on your desk. The authors travel through time and space - from ancient Roman feasts to McDonald's, from the Italian outback to the bustling streets of Tokyo and Seoul, from mountain coffee plantations to the usual department store - and discover a mass of untold stories that will surprise the most sophisticated reader.