Peter Kropotkin - what kind of food do you enjoy?
I like simple, rural, and seasonal dishes. I spent a lot of time eating peasant meals in Siberia and Russia, where I admired the self-sufficiency of their diet: seasonal fruit and greens, root vegetables, soup, porridges, bread, dairy, and modest amounts of meat. I like food that is healthy, nourishing, and produced cooperatively and locally sourced.
I am a strong believer in community meals. I admire the traditional communal feasts in peasant villages where everyone contributes, I.e., the modern “potluck.” Meals are opportunities for community, solidarity, and cooperation - sharing food is a required component of a mutual aid society.
Peter Kropotkin - I live in the SF Bay Area where many people are "foodies" - obsessed with food. What do you say about that obsession?
Food should never be used as a status symbol. Any concern with prestige or luxury is a symptom of inequality, not freedom. In The Conquest of Bread and Fields, Factories and Workshops I insist that food should be abundant, freely accessible, and shared. Life is dignified when everyone has enough, but it isn’t when some people obsess over taste while others starve.
In a just society, “The food of the people must be enough, good, and common property in its distribution.”
Modern “foodie” culture often involves obsession with novelty, presentation, exclusivity, artisanal boasting, paying high prices for rare ingredients, dining as a form of social status signaling, food porn photos on Instagram, following trends or celebrity chefs. Gourmet dining separates “elite” foodies from ordinary people.
I see this as a symptom of inequality, a distraction from cooperative production, and a reinforcement of hierarchy. I don’t want people obsessing about taste when they, instead, could be focusing on mutual aid, community kitchens, and growing their own food.
I am not “anti-pleasure” - but I believe pleasure should come from abundance and cooperation, not scarcity and exclusivity. That’s why I support community gardens, co-op kitchens, shared meals in neighborhoods, and local, sustainable agriculture