Please wait

Contact

37-39 rue Boissière
75016 Paris
France

Phone : 01 41 40 99 80

GaultMillau © 2025 All rights reserved

What did people eat in the time of Jesus or the hippies at Woodstock? Answer in The Hunger of History

What did people eat in the time of Jesus or the hippies at Woodstock? Answer in The Hunger of History

Benoit Gaboriaud | 11/30/23, 4:01 PM
Disable your adblocker

"Tell me what you eat, and I'll tell you who you are". Author Aïtor Alfonso, aka "Sauce gribiche", and cartoonist Jul adapt this saying to the scale of humanity in the comic strip "La Faim de l'Histoire".

"Gastronomy is a metonymy of the times". Aïtor Alfonso, alias "Sauce gribiche" on social networks, culinary critic and literature teacher, took this observation as a starting point for writing La Faim de l'histoire ( The Hunger ofHistory ) alongside cartoonist Jul. Volume 1, currently in bookshops, is a collection of well-documented short stories.

"I did a lot of scientific research, and all my sources are cited at theend. I produced this book with an academic approach, but to bring a little lightness to it, I called on Jul,who extends my comments with humor and lightness. He adds a fresh, tangy touch. In the same vein, he had doneother historical comics such as Silex and the City and 50 Shades of Greek. He was the ideal person," says Aïtor Alfonso.

What did the great figures of history eat?

In La Faim de l'histoire , the authors retrace 40,000 years of history through the prism of gastronomy, by looking at what key figures ate: hippies in Woodstock, Jesus in the first century and philosophers in the Age of Enlightenment. Readers are invited to the table of great men, or more accurately, of humanity, and through what they find on their plates, thethread of history unfolds before their eyes: cultures, customs, societies, conflicts and wealth. Gault&Millau is even quoted.

The more erudite will also make discoveries, such as those concerning the British naturalist Charles Darwin: " He ate everything. As a student at Cambridge University, he founded the Glutton Club. With seven of his friends, they hunted and devoured everything they could find in the surrounding countryside, from owls to foxes. During his round-the-world voyage aboard the Beagle, he established his theory of evolution by observing and classifying species, which he also tasted. But one day in South America, he reached his limit when the Gauchos served him a puma foetus. As Aïtor Alfonso likes to point out, " this book tells the story with an H, but above all, it's a big hash ".

▶ La Faim de l'histoire by Aïtor Alfonso and Jul, 112 pages, 22 euros, published by Dargaud.

Disable your adblocker

These news might interest you

Ces hôtels insolites référencés chez Gault&Millau
Hotels & Bed & Breakfast
Ces hôtels insolites référencés chez Gault&Millau
Cabane dans les arbres, suite troglodyte ou palais sur l’eau : cap sur dix hôtels singuliers qui bousculent les standards du luxe. Des adresses rares, pensées pour celles et ceux qui préfèrent l’inattendu aux itinéraires balisés.
Seaside restaurants to try in August
News & Events
Seaside restaurants to try in August
Seaside restaurants offer refined culinary experiences, often with breathtaking water views. Here are five Gault&Millau-referenced restaurants that opened in August.
Connaissez-vous l’histoire derrière cette tradition autour du champagne ?
News & Events
Connaissez-vous l’histoire derrière cette tradition autour du champagne ?
Si cet alcool, symbole de moments festifs, est bien connu, une tradition entourant la dégustation du champagne perdure encore aujourd’hui. Mais savez-vous quelles en sont les origines ?
Château de la Gaude, l'art de vivre en Provence
Hotels & Bed & Breakfast
Château de la Gaude, l'art de vivre en Provence
Entre vignes et garrigue, telle une carte postale parfaite de la Provence cossue, le Château de la Gaude attire touristes étrangers l’été et locaux hors saison. Ce havre d’esthétisme abrite en son cœur une coquette bastide du XVIIIe faisant face à un jardin à la française, des hectares de vignes et pas moins de quatre expériences culinaires voyageuses orchestrées par le chef Matthieu Dupuis Baumal.
Ces restaurants Gault&Millau que vous avez cherchés cette année et qui sont ouverts cet été
News & Events
Ces restaurants Gault&Millau que vous avez cherchés cette année et qui sont ouverts cet été
Parmi la large sélection de restaurants référencés chez Gault&Millau, certains ont semblé retenir une attention particulière. Profitez de cette période plus calme pour redécouvrir de belles tables, avec notre sélection d’adresses ouvertes tout l’été, aux quatre coins de la France.
Ce festival culinaire mondial est de retour en France à la rentrée
News & Events
Ce festival culinaire mondial est de retour en France à la rentrée
Du jeudi 10 au dimanche 14 septembre 2025, le Village international de la gastronomie s’installe au quai Jacques Chirac à Paris. Découvrez les informations utiles et le programme de cette nouvelle édition.
Become Partners