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

A savory account of howthe pursuit of delicious foods shaped human evolution

Nature, it has been said, invites us to eat by appetite and rewards by flavor. But what exactly are flavors? Why are some so pleasing while others are not?Deliciousis 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 flavors has guided the course of human history. They consider the role that flavor 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,Deliciousis a deep history of flavor that will transform the way you think about human evolution and the gustatory pleasures of the foods we eat.

USRob Dunnis professor of applied ecology at North Carolina State University and in the Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics at the University of Copenhagen. His books includeNever Home Alone. Twitter @RRobDunnMonica Sanchezis a medical anthropologist who studies the cultural aspects of health and well-being. Rob and Monica live in Raleigh, North Carolina.“Rob Dunn and Monica Sanchez’s beautifully vibrant, brilliantly descriptive book explains why appreciating flavor is to delight in what makes us human.”—Vanessa Kimbell, author ofThe Sourdough School

"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 ll3Ï