Venturing Where Vine and Olive Don’t Grow: Diet and Cultural Diversity

Abstract

Unfamiliar food and drink encountered outside the Greek world were sometimes distasteful to Greeks and could have unpleasant side-effects on them. When Greek travelers encountered oils other than the familiar olive, drinks other than wine, and breads not made with barley or wheat, they not only described them but also reported adverse reactions, though the local inhabitants ate and drank with relish and impunity. Cultures could thus be defined by climate and crops because these determined what people ate and drank.