Is gastronomy an art?

Abstract

Food has always occupied a central place in any human activity, from the most primary organization forms, to the most complex political and economic activities. It occupies a central place in any historical process; it is not just about the satisfaction of a physiological and biological necessity, but of a form of expression; always involving the technique of a genius and an aesthetic experience on the part of the spectator. Thus, this article reflects about the possibility of consider the gastronomy as an art. If so, why art theorists have never considered it in that way? In this sense, it makes an analysis regarding the role that food has played in the configuration of both politics, medicine and even culture itself. In the other hand, the article mentions some of the criteria that, in the different historical moments they have used to determine what is art. Finally, we carry out a review of determining elements of gastronomy that could define whether it is an art.