User:Lhofschneider/New sandbox

Social class differences in food consumption refers to how the quantity and quality of food varies according to a person’s social status or position in the social hierarchy. Various disciplines have explored this topic, including social, psychological, nutritional, and public health sciences, and examined social class in terms of its objective (i.e., education, income, or occupational status) or subjective components (i.e., perceived rank in society).

The food one eats is closely tied with group membership. For one, eating behavior is a highly affiliative act : Just as food can distinguish foreigners from locals or hunters from gatherers, food can and has been used to distinguish high- and low-class groups throughout history.

One clear illustration of this phenomenon follows the rise and fall of flavorful spices in European diet. In the Middle Ages, the amount of meat consumed was a distinguishing factor between the upper and lower classes in Western Europe. Only upper class groups could afford to eat meat in large quantities. At the time, lower class groups had a diet that mostly consisted of grains, such as barley and rye, and vegetables, such as cabbage and carrots. Spices, such as black pepper and saffron, were later introduced as meat seasoning following initial contact with Asia, albeit in small quantities. The exclusivity and high cost of transportation of these spices limited access to the rich; thus, it was not only the amount of meat consumed that denoted upper class status but also the type of meat. The prestige of flavored meats began to decline in the 17th century. Maritime trading allowed Asian goods to be imported into Europe at a more frequent pace and in larger quantities. As a consequence, the plummeting price of spices allowed lower class groups to incorporate spices into their own cooking. Spiced meats were no longer seen luxury but rather, something more commonplace. Scholars have noted that in response to the lowered prestige of spices, slow-cooked and lightly spiced meals began to take its place as the standard of refined tastes.

In contemporary Western society, social class differences in food consumption follow similar principles. Such that, upper class groups consume foods that signify exclusivity and access as a way to distinguish themselves from the lower classes; while low class groups consume foods that are more readily available.