Delicious: The Evolution of Flavor and How It Made Us Human

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A savoury account of how the pursuit of delicious foods shaped human evolution

Nature, it has been said, invites us to eat by appetite and rewards by flavour. But what exactly are flavours Why are some so pleasing while others are not Delicious is a supremely entertaining foray into the heart of such questions

With generous helpings of warmth and wit, Rob Dunn and Monica Sanchez offer bold new perspectives on why food is enjoyable and how the pursuit of delicious flavours has guided the course of human history. They consider the role that flavour may have played in the invention of the first tools, the extinction of giant mammals, the evolution of the world's most delicious and fatty fruits, the creation of beer, and our own sociality. Along the way, you will learn about the taste receptors you didn't even know you had, the best way to ferment a mastodon, the relationship between Paleolithic art and cheese, and much more.

Blending irresistible storytelling with the latest science, Delicious is a deep history of flavour that will transform the way you think about human evolution and the gustatory pleasures of the foods we eat.

'Our hosts at this empirical dinner party envision a new future for the study of flavour, with seats for the curious of every stripe...A persuasive, entertaining argument about how our avid pursuit of deliciousness helped shape our evolutionary path.' Kirkus Reviews

'A revolutionary look at the way our appetite for the delicious made us human. Taking readers on an exciting journey into the past, Dunn and Sanchez reveal how and why we love to eat the things we do and the impact this has had on human biology and culture. You will never look at food the same way again.' Vanessa Woods, New York Times bestselling author of Survival of the Friendliest

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One of New Scientist's best science books to read in 2021
A revolutionary look at the way our appetite for the delicious made us human. Taking readers on an exciting journey into the past, Dunn and Sanchez reveal how and why we love to eat the things we do and the impact this has had on human biology and culture. You will never look at food the same way again.--Vanessa Woods, New York Times bestselling author of Survival of the Friendliest
Why do we love and choose the foods we do For their flavors, of course. Yet that obvious motivation has been ignored in most accounts of human nature and culture. In this delightful and important book, Dunn and Sanchez blend science, history, and their own personal experience to make the case that flavor-seeking has been central to our biological and cultural evolution.--Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

Author Bio

Rob Dunn is professor of applied ecology at North Carolina State University and in the Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics at the University of Copenhagen. Twitter @RRobDunn Monica Sanchez is a medical anthropologist who studies the cultural aspects of health and well-being.