Dalibor Rohac

Going ethnic

Tyler Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University, has been keenly interested in food for years. Besides being a blogger, scholar and the youngest chess champion in the history of New Jersey, he is also the author of an online dining guide to the Washington DC area and an opinionated foodie.

This is a delightful book that will broaden horizons to people uninitiated to the economic way of thinking. Cowen’s fans will enjoy it too — although some of the arguments will be second nature to followers of his blog, MarginalRevolution.com.

It answers the question of why American food got so bad over the course of the 20th century. Hint: the commercialisation of food was not to blame. The book also provides tips, informed by economics, to improve one’s culinary life. Finally, Cowen attempts to set the record straight on contentious issues such as locavorism. This combination makes for an enjoyable and eclectic read.

Historical accidents, Cowen argues, were to blame for the decline of good food in the United States. Firstly, the Prohibition era put a temporary end to the business strategy of bundling the sale of food and alcohol. Most restaurants went bankrupt as they were unable to cover their costs from sales of food alone. With the Prohibition over, the restaurant industry faced the Great Depression — hardly an auspicious time for innovative ferment in the kitchen.

Then came the baby boom. Accommodating children’s tastes, together with the rise of television, the availability of convenience food, and an increase in the numbers of working wives, was lethal for domestic cooking and the appreciation of good food.

Does this explain the poor cuisine in the West at large? Britain has had its fair share of bad food, but Cowen’s story seems less relevant here.

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