Japanese Shogi Player Tetsuro Itodani Publishes Book on Evolution of Eating
Japanese shogi player Tetsuro Itodani has published a new book titled "The Evolution of 'Eating' – Cultured Meat, Insect Cuisine, 3D Food Printers," which traces the history of human dietary development from ancient times to the future. The book covers key milestones such as rice cultivation, the introduction of New World crops like tomatoes and potatoes, and modern preservation technologies like canning and refrigeration. It also explores how adventurous eating in Japan's past led to today's diverse cuisine and looks ahead to emerging food technologies.
Humans have co-evolved with food since ancient times. In the age of apes, food was survival itself. Over the long course of history, humankind gradually expanded its food sources and cultivated unique dietary cultures.
In ancient times, there was rice cultivation; in the modern era, crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, and corn brought by Columbus have become common ingredients on today's tables. In recent years, preservation technologies like canning and refrigeration have allowed people to enjoy a diverse range of ingredients across seasons and regions. Retracing this history of food while looking ahead to its future trajectory is the subject of the book 'The Evolution of 'Eating' – Cultured Meat, Insect Cuisine, 3D Food Printers.'
The ingredients that Japanese people eat today would probably astonish people from the Edo period. The adventurous spirit that led to the consumption of once-unfamiliar ingredients such as octopus, sea squirt, sea urchin, crab, and pufferfish has given rise to the colorful table of today.