Prehistory & Antiquity - From fire to fine cuisine
Approx. 1 million years BC: humans learn to use fire - first cooked dishes.
Hunter-gatherers: diet depending on the region - meat, berries, roots.
Agricultural revolution (approx. 10,000 BC): Sedentarization brings cultivation of grain, animal husbandry and stockpiling.
Egypt, Greece, Rome: First differentiated cuisines, e.g. with bread, wine, olive oil, spices. Rome already had a type of restaurant (thermopolia) and sophisticated banquets with several courses.
Middle Ages - food as a status symbol
Nobility & clergy: lavish banquets with meat, game, exotic spices (expensive and imported).
Common people: porridge, bread, cabbage, beer - little variety.
Monasteries: Preserve knowledge about herbs, preservation and wine production.
Inns and taverns are built along trade routes - the origin of gastronomy in the modern sense.
Early modern times - the birth of fine cuisine
15th-17th century: New foods reach Europe through voyages of discovery (e.g. potatoes, tomatoes, cocoa, corn).
In France, a finer, more artistic cuisine developed - “haute cuisine”.
Cookbooks appear, for example by Bartolomeo Scappi or later La Varenne.
17th century: The first public coffee houses appear - places of exchange and enjoyment.
18th-19th century - Gastronomy becomes an art
French Revolution: chefs from the aristocracy open their own restaurants - the profession of restaurateur is born.
Marie-Antoine Carême: Founder of classic French high cuisine, cooks for kings and emperors.
19th century:
Emergence of grand hotels with fine restaurants.
First cookery schools and the separation of kitchen and service (brigade system).
Auguste Escoffier revolutionizes gastronomy with structure, sauce classification and recipe standards.
20th century - between fast food and fine dining
Early 20th century: rise of bourgeois restaurant culture in Europe and North America.
1950s/60s: Fast food emerges in the USA (McDonald's, Burger King) and goes global.
At the same time: Nouvelle Cuisine in France - lighter, more creative cuisine.
Michelin stars establish themselves as a benchmark for quality.
TV chefs (e.g. Julia Child, later Jamie Oliver) bring culinary delights into the living room.
21st century - global, healthy & innovative
Fusion cuisine, veggie, organic, street food - variety like never before.
Experience gastronomy: more than just food - storytelling, interaction, design.
Sustainability & regionality: from trend to obligation.
