[A Sip of a Book] How to Eat

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of the book itself, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a connection with the book. Here, we introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from the book. - Editor's note

The author, who has examined how urban foodways have shaped civilization over a long period from a unique perspective. Following the journey of food from land and sea, through roads and railways, to markets, kitchens, dining tables, and finally waste disposal sites, the author focuses on how each stage has shaped people's lives. Through this process, the author reveals the realization that food constitutes virtually every aspect of our existence, emphasizing the concept of Sitopia (from the Greek words ‘sitos’ meaning ‘food’ and ‘topos’ meaning ‘place’), the starting point of this book, highlighting that we live in a ‘world shaped by food.’

At the core of ‘How should we live?’ lies ‘How should we eat?’:

At the core of ‘How should we live?’ lies the fundamental question for all living beings: ‘How should we eat?’ Opinions may differ on what is good or bad (indeed, many wars have been fought over this issue), but eating inevitably involves ethical considerations. From Chapter 1, "Food"

Sitopia, a world shaped by food:

Food constitutes human life and thus shapes human thought. Though we may not always be conscious of it, food is everywhere. Even the brain, which constantly questions the meaning of life, contains food. The influence of food is so pervasive that it often goes unnoticed. It is precisely because of this that viewing the world through the lens of food reveals new truths. This allows us to sense an astonishing connectivity?the energy that flows through our bodies and the world, linking all things and animating them. As mentioned earlier, I call this food-shaped world ‘Sitopia.’ Unlike utopia, which is idealistic and therefore unrealizable, Sitopia is quite realistic. In fact, we already live in Sitopia. However, because we do not cherish the raw materials that form its foundation, we live in a rather poor Sitopia. From Chapter 1, "Food"

Food, humanity’s greatest hope:

There is no easy answer to the dilemmas facing humanity, but whatever obstacles lie ahead, food will be our guide. No one existed before food. Food existed before us, looks ahead of us, sustains us, and will continue long after us. This relationship that binds us to those who love us and to the world we live in is ultimately humanity’s greatest hope. From Chapter 7, "Time"

How Should We Eat | Written by Carolyn Steel | Translated by Hong Sun-young | Medici Media | 560 pages | 28,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.