Stories to care for the human race

In ancient times, food was sacred to the gods. In peasant families of the past, it was the reward of the sweat of the brow, something that guaranteed not only survival, but made the foundations of every community solid. An empty stomach, hunger were the emblem of everything that denied human beings the taste, the enjoyment of existence. It is no coincidence that sharing bread and perhaps side dishes was the strongest sign of hospitality, a religious gesture, as it created bonds.

Oscar Farinetti, writer, entrepreneur, lover of everything that has to do with food, in his latest book Have You Eaten? (Slow Food publisher, 2025, Euro 19.80, pp. 272) offers us a new series of stories in which foods, from the most noble and sophisticated, to the Spartan and simple ones, are elements of care for men and women, are a sign of passion and relationship, a moment of sharing.

Starting point and inspiration are the photographs of Bruno Murialdo, shots that allow Farinetti to imagine, to open up to the world of fantasy and spirit to discover the vast universe not visible to the eyes that every image hides. And thus to be able to tell small and large stories, events of famous and anonymous people, war, love, dreams. Michelangelo Pistoletto, Umberto Eco, Gianni Vattimo, Giovanni Treccani, but also the old men of Langa, the “erotic” cuisine of Cesare, one of the many who put themselves to the stove, a waitress who dreamed of Marylin Monroe: the author's pen runs through historical facts and episodes of everyday life giving us passionate stories and original portraits.

The book is based on a passion and curiosity for the human race, the awareness that solitude and indifference dry up, while words and attention lift the spirits and alleviate pain. In addition, the firm certainty that, as the ancients said, "one does not grow old at the table" because food and conviviality give life and energy. And the awareness, light and serene, of how true Elsa Morante's famous statement is according to which the only true phrase of love is: "Have you eaten?".