Lecture Notes: Mongol Influence and Food History

Overview of the Mongol Empire

• Mongol rule had significant impact on cultural performance in areas they directly ruled: Central Asia, Iran, China.
• Noteworthy absence of anti-Mongol sentiment in areas like Korea, Eastern Anatolia, Russia.
• Mythic perception in areas they did not penetrate, such as Lithuania, Eastern Europe, Egypt, Japan.
• Mongols left little cultural footprint despite their large empire.

Mongols and Cultural Impact

• Mongols had a variable impact on history based on viewpoints.
• Focus on historical narratives dominated by fear of Mongols.
• Many developments during the Mongol period were not primarily driven by their influence.
• Example: Japanese fear of Mongol invasions influenced their polity but not cultural practices.

Food History and Its Importance

• Food history is a rapidly growing field, relevant to all periods and regions.
• Diverse sources include narratives, archaeological finds, visual arts.

Culinary Practices in Different Regions

• East Asia (Mongolian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese) cuisines remained distinct.
• West had more uniform food culture across regions like Baghdad, Rome, Paris.
• Key differences: Mediterranean diet vs. Germanic diet.

Historical Cookbooks

• Roman cookbook by Apicius includes a variety of meats emphasizing wild over domestic.
• Kublai Khan's cookbook reflected Mongolian dietary practices, heavy in meat, diverse in food types.
• Mongolian diet: heavy on animal products, diverse meats, minimal impact on conquered areas.

Mongolian vs. Western Food Influence

• Mongols did not create a lasting cultural model or food influence across their empire.
• Comparison to Arabs, Greeks, and Romans who had varying degrees of influence.
• Roman garam as a unique culinary spread.

East Asian Food Diversity

• East Asian cuisines (Japanese, Korean, Chinese) stayed distinct despite other cultural homogenization (e.g., Neo-Confucianism, Buddhism).
• Examples of food customs: Korean dog eating, Japanese seafood reliance.

Modern Influence and Globalization

• Post-WWII era: American diet influences global food practices, reducing diversity.
• History of food and etiquette highlights cultural interactions and persistence of diversity.

Conclusion

• Food history provides insights into cultural interaction, empire influence, and diversity.
• Studying foodways reveals the variations and persistence of cultural practices throughout history.