INTRODUCTION
Before entering the subject in detail, it is beneficial for readers to situate themselves and understand the context for our investigation. As an introduction to the volume, we outline the historical project we are carrying out at elBullifoundation. We begin by setting forth the principal concepts of the Sapiens methodology that guide our work and describing the general features of Bullipedia – the multi-format encyclopaedia of the gastronomic restaurant business that this volume and other forthcoming volumes will form part of.
Next, we look at the general characteristics that define our history project, including a brief summary of all eight volumes included in this collection. Readers will be able to find information about the geographical framework of the project, its objectives, the historical periods we define, an examination of the evidence, and our motives for pursuing this historical analysis of our field of study.
Academic disciplines that assist our research
We have received academic help in realising our research goals, relying particularly on academic fields of study that analyse the past. In this chapter we outline some important concepts about the three disciplines most relevant to our project: history, food studies and archaeology. We are guided at all times by academic experts in our interpretation of data and the particular historical features of each period. In this volume we also highlight the intricate relationship between the most important events in Western history and the history of food, gastronomy and gastronomic restaurants.
The human race: the protagonist in this story
This section turns to another of the cornerstones of the project – our knowledge of the human race, the protagonist of every act of gastronomy. We briefly examine data about the body, mind and spirit. This serves as a reference point throughout the project, highlighting what a person is doing every time they perform an action related to cooking, eating or drinking.
