Foods of Association

This fascinating book examines the biology and culture of foods and beverages that are consumed in communal settings, with special attention to their health implications. Nina Etkin covers a wealth of topics, exploring human evolutionary history, the Slow Food movement, ritual and ceremonial foods, caffeinated beverages, spices, the street foods of Hawaii and northern Nigeria, and even bottled water. Her work is framed by a biocultural perspective that considers both the physiological implications of consumption and the cultural construction and circulation of foods

Foods of Association

This fascinating book examines the biology and culture of foods and beverages that are consumed in communal settings, with special attention to their health implications. Nina Etkin covers a wealth of topics, exploring human evolutionary history, the Slow Food movement, ritual and ceremonial foods, caffeinated beverages, spices, the street foods of Hawaii and northern Nigeria, and even bottled water. Her work is framed by a biocultural perspective that considers both the physiological implications of consumption and the cultural construction and circulation of foods

An Ethnobotany of Darwin’s Gardens

researchThis article puts a unique spin on Charles Darwin’s work by looking at the plants that he studied through the lens of ethnobotany. I employ this biocultural perspective to explore a handful of species to understand how their cultural constructions intersect their physical appearance, biochemistry, and behavior. While Darwin’s natural history studies contemplated variation, sexual reproduction, spe-ciation, and a myriad of other biological themes, I look at the conjunction of ethnography and the biology of therapeutic and other actions to describe how diverse cultures use those species for medicine, food, and other applications, and how their tangible qualities both impact health and contribute to meaning. I briefly introduce Darwin and his theory of natural selection and his impact on science and society. Following, I problematize two groups of his plants to which I apply the same theoretical perspective – what many (but not Darwin) regard to be “prosaic” garden species, and the striking insect-trapping plants

Ethnomedicine in Polynesia : past trends and future directions

Abstract. A condensed critical review of the literature on Polynesian ethnomedicine is presented. Strengths and weaknesses are assessed with regard to content, objectives, and outcome in relation to broader theoretical and methodological issues in ethnome- dical research. We conclude that more comprehensive and rigorous methodologies and problem orientations are needed, and make recommendations concerning directions for future work.Etkin Nina L., Meilleur Brien A. Ethnomedicine in Polynesia : past trends and future directions. In: Journal de la Société des océanistes, 96, 1993-1. pp. 19-27

Food as medicine and medicine as food : An adaptive framework for the interpretation of plant utilization among the Hausa of northern Nigeria

The adaptive significance of plant utilization by a Hausa population is considered. An investigation of the multidimensional aspects of plant use focuses attention on botanicals which serve as constituents of both the local diet and an herbal pharmacopoeia. It is suggested that an examination of these plants within a therapeutic context facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of the role that these plants play in the diet. The appearance of these species as dietary constituents subsequently is discussed with reference to their potential effect on the occurence and expression of gastrointestinal disease.